Proof I've grown as a person.

Today I had a run in with 2 guys on a scooter while I was on my bicycle. They were supposed to let me pass first by our traffic law, but they barely did and they grazed my rear tire. I didn't think much of it and kept going, but then they taunted me, so I called out to them that they were in the wrong for not letting me pass cleanly and I went back to cycling home.

However, my response to their taunts was enough to abort what they were doing and chase me. I'm not easily intimated, so when I noticed they were coming after me I just stopped and waited for them. 1 guy ran up to me and started to insult everything about me, he didn't even hesitate to discriminate me for my ethnic background.

Now in the past I would've punched him in the face before he even had a chance to insult me. Injustice done to me (no matter the gravity) made me lose my mind a lot in the past. However this time, I calmly realized the injustice and calmly decided it wasn't that big of a deal. I figured the guy insulting me was most likely just trying to look cool in front of his friend, because I never really got the feeling from him he actually wanted to fight. Again, in the past I would never have waited this long to figure all of this out before engaging in some stupid fight.

Anyway, I did give him that look that if he touched me I would punch him, but he didn't so he went back to his friend and I was able to go home in peace and that was it. Despite the fact that I still want to punch him because he crossed my usual line, I'm proud of myself for not giving in.

It makes me feel mature.

 

Well done, it sounds like you dealt with the situation well, and had enough awareness to read it correctly.

 

Congratulations on your growth in self-control and situational awareness! Good on you for keeping perspective in the heat of the moment.

 

Congrats, it's hit and miss for me. If I'm in a good mood, I let it slide. If I'm not well any excuse...

 

And there's your problem.

And there's your next problem.

Glad to hear you didn't get a kicking.

Go back to problem one though and you could of avoided it all.

 

You're right, I shouldn't have responded at all.

But I disagree about the stopping part though. Making myself a victim by cycling away like a coward while they have a scooter might make them more inclined to use violence. Like a dog sensing fear. Also, running away just isn't me. I'd rather get my butt kicked.

 

Well that's your decision at the end of the day, only you can make it.

Your word choice suggests it's pride talking rather than anything else.

If you have to fight make sure it's because it's worth fighting because at the end of the day it's not that hard to get damaged seriously or even hurt someone else seriously.

 

Of course it's pride. Some value it more than others. My pride means a lot to me, even though most people say it's just a word.

My opinion is that if pride is just a word, then so is love.

I do appreciate your input though, I know I didn't handle the situation perfectly. I was just thinking I used to be a lot worse in those types of situations and that I didn't do that bad this time.

 

I'm glad to hear that it all went well. I had a somewhat similar run in with hooligans that made me realize how far I had come in my training.

I'm a senior in high school, and I was eating my lunch in the cafeteria with my friends like I do every day. This wasn't long after I cam out of the closet at school. I stood up to bring my trash to the garbage can and I hear from behind me "hey (I would brake the TOS if I wrote this bit, but insert homophobic slur here)" and "you should have been born a girl!".

Before I started karate, I probably would have sat back down and waited for them to leave to bring my trash away. But instead, I looked right at them, and locked eyes with them. I gave them a look that clearly said that I wasn't intimidated by them. And then I went about my business. Since then, I've kept an eye on the people who said it. They haven't said a word to me.

I never would have had the confidence to do that without karate.

 

Dude isn't currently decaying in a pool of blood and entrails on the sidewalk after ripping his soul from his body for harassing you? You let him walk? You call yourself a martial artist?!

And the guy was pushing a 'scooter' ! Did it have flames on it?! I bet he was wearing a helmet too.

Go to your room, put your Tapout shirt and plaid Tapout hat on and say 500 'Hail Bad Boys' and beg for forgiveness. Then get on youtube and watch some training videos, practicing what you watched so you're prepared for the next cowboy. Also make some wooden swords and practice hitting a tree with it just to be safe.

p)

 

Next time, just draw yer sword. That scares most off.

 

sounds like for the most part things did go well for you so good job. People are typically brave when they have a friend with them... but people who typically want a fight don't talk much. What does talking really do? For most they THINK that it makes them tough... that's how people get themselves hurt or killed. You could have had a 9mm in your belt, a knife that you weren't afraid to use, anything really. This is of course why most here preach about SD and how the physical part of it should be the absolute LAST resort. It's not the same world where 2 guys could fight until 1 fell or gave up and that would be the end of it... and even though that might not be right, it's still better to than having to bring all of your friends along.

 

Meh. You could have just 'not shouted at them' in the realization that it was pointless.

 

We shouldn't tell the guy all that he didn't do right but what he did. No matter what, it's a step in the right direction.

 

There's a word in Dutch for "shouting" that has a bit of a different meaning. I basically just talked loudly to tell them they should have let me pass.

Yelling, shouting, screaming etc.. all sound angry, but I felt like shouting sounded the least angry. :dunno:

The Dutch word is "roepen" and it translates into "calling" in English but that didn't make any sense for that situation.

 

Ugh I hate these living stereotypes >.> They're Netherland's "gangsters" but they are nothing like the Caribbean or American versions they are easily 5 times as pathetic.

I've had my run-ins with them before, luckily I'm built like a giant so they were only able to talk trash. One of my friends got into a fight with 2 of these guys and he threw a sack of potatoes at them xD Good times!

But yeh tip for the future, you can yell at most anyone, but don't yell at people like this 'cause they're the only ones stupid enough to go on the offensive.

 

You could say "calling out".

Not calling as in bellen

 

I'm 5'7 so they all think I'm easy prey. Also, being 5'7 in the Netherlands is like being a normal person in a world of giants. :wow:

 

Perhaps "Hollering" is a better description in standard English (although more of an Americanism now).

Or in Welsh-English he was "Chopsing"...

Either way props to the OP for at least doing something right

 

"Called to them" would have been fine in English.