Need advice for self defense

[TheWiseMan]

Hello everybody.

This is my first posting here and I would like to ask for an opinion.

So, I am generally I very calm person and have never gotten into a fight, or more then 10 years I haven't gotten into a fight and I live in a small town and recently I had an encounter with this guy that tries to bully me in different ways, and so far I have been handling the situation peacefully, but it might happen that he will soon attack me.

I have been going to the gym for a while now and I am training Shotokan Karate for 2 years now. I am 24. I am pretty strong, I do not drink, I do not smoke, I have good reflexes, but I have never gotten into a real fight.

This guy is a bit of a drunk and a smoker and look really week, he mostly has his words and tries to drive fear into me by trying to be dominant and making himself look powerful(althought he really doesn't look that way) He recently also started making images on the internet with my name on it and some bully jokes and statuses on Social Media, he really hates me and he has hate speech like I will wipe the floor with him... really childisish stuff...

So my question is, can you give me any advice if I cannot handle the situation peacefully and if he attacks me?

 

[frank raud]

Defend yourself if necessary. You say you are strong and you train, he is weak and does not train.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Use what you know if he gets agressive if not ignore him

 

[ShawnP]

personally if i were you i would just ignore the guy, he sound like a pathetic childish drunk and not worth wasting time on, IF he decides to do some thing stupid like attack you, he will probably be drunk to work up the nerve to do it, which puts him in a bad situation to begin with.
Also I go to the police station and explain the situation and what he has been doing so there is a record of his action as well as the social media slandering as well and get copies of the images he has been producing so there is a record of that as well. then just avoid the guy, i know it sounds like a pain to go out of your way to avoid him but i think its worth the effort so you don't have to go through the bullying/legal part over and over.
Good luck.

 

[Brian King]

Ignore him and let Karma get him and in the mean time use the thought of him as motivation in your training. Do not wish for the conflict but if it comes do what is needed. Prepare the witnesses prior to the conflict teeing off as in saying you do not wish to fight, getting him to threaten you etc.

You could always invite him to work out with you, perhaps some training might open his eyes and sense.
Good luck
Brian King

 

[JP3]

Personally, I'd be a bit proactive since it's a small town, and I'd go tell the local cop what's going on. This is just so the cops know what the deal is. Continue to go your way, and if the situation ever gets into a situation where you are unable to walk away from it safely, do what you need to do to stop him. Then stop and go no farther, and go tell the cop what just happened.

Advice is to not initiate a confrontation. But, if he does so, and you cannot safely evade, if I know my Shotokan, just go through him and be done with it.

 

[drop bear]

Slap him.

 

[crazydiamond]

Shotokan Karate has a good reputation from what I know. However I dont know the teaching at your school. Have you spared in self defense situation simulations in class ? I have been training for over two years, including sparing, and some simulated street situations. I am not in any rush to test it out.

But I can tell you that I recently observed two douche bags (sports fan hooligans) on the train that I remember from 3-4 years ago. At the time they were very drunk and verbally insulating and walking around the train in threatening manner. I was uncomfortable at that time and not in their line of fire. I can only say that my training made me calmer and confident this time when I encountered them not that I wanted to fight them. But calm and secure is a good feeling to stay with between fear and fight. Perhaps your training can bring this good middle ground for you.

 

[Tames D]

Good advice from everyone. Try to avoid a confrontation. But if you can't and have to defend yourself, make sure you 'wipe the floor with him' when you are done. I think he will see the irony.

 

[TheWiseMan]

Thanks a lot for the advice everyone, means a lot and it was the advice that I needed and it correlated with the thoughts that I already had.

Personally, I'd be a bit proactive since it's a small town, and I'd go tell the local cop what's going on. This is just so the cops know what the deal is. Continue to go your way, and if the situation ever gets into a situation where you are unable to walk away from it safely, do what you need to do to stop him. Then stop and go no farther, and go tell the cop what just happened.

Advice is to not initiate a confrontation. But, if he does so, and you cannot safely evade, if I know my Shotokan, just go through him and be done with it.

I love the part "If I know my Shotokan, just go through him"

Shotokan Karate has a good reputation from what I know. However I dont know the teaching at your school. Have you spared in self defense situation simulations in class ? I have been training for over two years, including sparing, and some simulated street situations. I am not in any rush to test it out.

But I can tell you that I recently observed two douche bags (sports fan hooligans) on the train that I remember from 3-4 years ago. At the time they were very drunk and verbally insulating and walking around the train in threatening manner. I was uncomfortable at that time and not in their line of fire. I can only say that my training made me calmer and confident this time when I encountered them not that I wanted to fight them. But calm and secure is a good feeling to stay with between fear and fight. Perhaps your training can bring this good middle ground for you.

My teacher is really old school, a 70 years old guy that has a really good way of teaching us and explaining the importance of every move and increasing the intuition and reflexes a lot. We had not had street situations simulated, mostly sparring.

I can totally relate to the two douche bags story. In the past when confronted I got shaky easly and froze, Karate mainly(among other things) made me much, much more confident and calmer in stressfull and difficult situations.

From my sensei "Karate is a one punch fight, you land a punch and they fall, when you hit them you go through them like a spear and they just fall, they don't fall back, they don't move back, they just drop down. When you chop them at the neck part the just fall, it only takes one hit"

 

[Red Sun]

It isn't worth the risk. Even if you win, he might jump you a week from now. Don't underestimate him just because he's an arrogant twit who drinks and smokes and looks weak, he can still hurt you. Be confident in yourself, not in all the disadvantages you think you see in him. Let him make his stupid jokes and let him think he's tough. Who cares?

 

[crazydiamond]

My only comment on sparing/street simulations - is in my school one of us will attack using wild or unpredictable attacks you might find from a random non martial arts person. This includes the typical wild hay-makers, to rear bear hugs and front punches from two attackers (one in front and back), shoving, shouting/swearing, hands/finger in the face, possible weapons, etc...

Always training with a partner using the same movements/formal techniques (i.e. karate against Karate) is good but you need the randomness. Also no disrespect to your school or training (again I hear good things about your system) but we never consider "one hit" fight endears - we usually start with kind of hit to startle/stop/disorientate and followup from there with finishers of several different hits or strikes or joint breakers. But yes if you can hit first and hit well, it will help in your favor.

But I do think it comes down to is your well being or others really in danger - and what will happen to you legally if you strike first and really hurt him. Could he have you arrested ? Sue you for money (current and future earnings). He knows you and who you are and its a small town. There are ways if your in public to draw him out to appear to be attacking you, get him to make moves that are clearly threatening, and you not wanting to fight (when you do) but thats a tricky thing to pull off with others around.

 

[drop bear]

It isn't worth the risk. Even if you win, he might jump you a week from now. Don't underestimate him just because he's an arrogant twit who drinks and smokes and looks weak, he can still hurt you. Be confident in yourself, not in all the disadvantages you think you see in him. Let him make his stupid jokes and let him think he's tough. Who cares?

It is harder in a small community where you can't escape the guy.

And your peer group is fixed for you.