Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, July 10, 2006
How to win a fight (part I)
Hey mIck,
I have not read the article yet so I cannot comment about that but about your little pirate outfit yesterday...I’m not a gay man but if I was let’s just say, YARRRRRR matey, I’d plunder ye booty!
(insert pirate-themed gay joke here).The city of Toronto had a GIANT street party after the Italy win yesterday; it went on well into the night.
The Empress and I were cheering for Germany (as half of her parentage is directly immigrated from there) and third place is about what we as Canadians are accustomed to.
I’ve never been much of a football fan (and don’t think I ever will be- not a real “sporto” y’know) but the phenomenon of the World Cup gripped the GTA to the point that…well I’m glad it’s over.
(pre-emptive “hey lady!” to RMJ)Posted by Youngfox on from Canaduh 07/10 at 07:52 AMHey Youngfox...I have been missin’you a lot. Where have you been?
Nice article Mickey… I have some thoughts on the topic. A while back while I was working in a high school, a “trainer” was brought in to teach the girls how to fight back if they were ever the victim of an attack. I have watched many of these demonstrations. The trainers explain that with the right moves a tiny 90 lb female can overpower a 200+ lb male. I have always been left with the question, what if the 200 pounder knows those same moves or counter-moves? Am I wrong in thinking that sometimes demonstrations such as this give a false sense of security and maybe do more harm than good?
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 07/10 at 08:04 AMMuuuuudge! Come back to me! I know we wouldn’t need Mickey’s article today if we had you back to break all our enemies’ bones for us.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 07/10 at 08:40 AMMorning all...I don’t know if anyone watches the horribly vulgar, yet quite amazing Deadwood (on HBO). There was a fight for the ages on it last night. A man was clearly beaten, getting his head smashed against some rocks, until he reached up and pulled his opponent’s eyeball out of its socket. I know, horrible...I love Deadwood.
Posted by JOS on from Chicago 07/10 at 09:08 AMMickey, I am sorry to say I have to disagree with this. It sounds too much like Bush/Cheney explaining why we have to bomb Iraq/Iran etc. To quote a song from my time, “I will study war no more”. It is like owning a gun, if you have a weapon, odds are, you are going to use it. I have accepted the possibility of my death/pain, and even apperent ineffectualness, is the cost of my ideals.
But I remember Malcolm, and understand that my position is a personal one, a choice, and that I have to respect the choices that others make.
captcha="neither"
Posted by Peter (the other) on from California 07/10 at 11:16 AMHello Expendables...from a muggy Astoria. The humidity is back.
Youngfox: You make me blush. On a less personal note, I have some photos of Astoria in the throes of Italy Fever. I’ll post some each day this week...starting tomorrow.
RMJ: You’re right. Fighting is not something to be taken lightly and some “self-defense” classes are more scam than reality.
JOS: When it doubt, poke it out?
Cat Lady: Buck up. Far too much complaining from you lately.
Peter: Thanks for saying what you’ve said. You have indeed hit on the underlying point of my article. (I almost went as far as using the word “pre-emptive” to describe landing the first shot.) Things are complicated. We can write zillions of articles about the tactics of the Bush regime...but it’s not the tactics that deserve scrutiny, it’s the context. Launching a massive invasion in the name of securing oil supplies is not what I mean by landing the first shot. However, the situation RMJ touchs on—a woman about to be attacked by a man—is entirely different. Suddenly, the concept of pre-emptive strike isn’t so evil. Expand that to a societal level and things get blurry. The dominant culture is raping the planet and threatening all life. Do we not fight back in any way we can or do we cling to the precepts of non-violence (with precious little evidence of this approach succeeding)? Not easy to answer and I don’t pretend to know. For now, what I was hoping for was to provoke this exact discussion. Thanks, Peter.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 12:05 PMTo add to the discussion, here is a comment someone posted about this article at OpEd News:
Mickey Z. is the Janus of political commentators—we never know which face we’ll see on a given day: the anti-militarist or the martial artist! Sometimes, though, the best defense is a good offense. (Just remember, though, that in the eyes of the law, the one who strikes first is the happy recipient of an assault charge, not to mention a civil lawsuit.) To take this one step further, however, here’s an acquaintace of mine on my political commentaries: “We need less writing and more shooting.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 12:10 PMMickey, my commitment to non-violence is a function of a requirement that I be as honest with myself as possible. If I examine myself, I find that I have a “murderous” rage, and have a few times in my life, experienced the hormonal “high” of mob blood lust. Although I imagine these traits to be natural, genetic survival tools, common to the species, I can only speak for myself, and so I keep these resolutions as personal. I, too, have a dream. I dream that mankind might be the rare beast that mutates by choice. That we choose love, and not fear, to be the source of our drive. Imagine, what would it have meant, if twenty five years ago, when Mark Chapman came at John Lennon with his gun, if Lennon had pulled out a gun and shot Chapman first? Just a brain teaser.
Could it be, that to believe human life is precious (inspite of the statistics) one must consider one’s own life as less so?
Posted by Peter (the other) on from California 07/10 at 12:48 PMPeter… I like the thoughfulness that you are bringing to this discussion. If everyone was like you there would be no violence and no need for violent defensive measures.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 07/10 at 01:02 PMHello everyone.
MZ—no offense (no pun intended)... but I’d have to say that you think more like a Western street fighter than an Eastern Kung Fu artist. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing though; works for many folks out there.
RMJ, as far as the self-defense seminars go, it helps to actually practice moves regularly (even if for exercise)... But I am a firm believer that any able-bodied person can defend against attack once s/he has mastered some basic moves, again practicing regularly.
Note that I practiced Shao-Lin Longfist Kung Fu for over 2 years in the pen; my master himself had over 20 years experience. Anyway, I didn’t learn my first sequence or throw a punch, kick etc. until after the 1st year of training (at least not under his instruction)...
Basically, the first year was five things: 1) mental exercises (meditation, etc.) 2) response/reaction exercises (push hands, aka “sticky hands"), 3) stretching, 4) blocking techniques, and 5) stances. Over time I was able to hold a Ma Bu stance for an hour, which takes a great deal of strength and concentration.
At any rate, the moral basis for the style I studied was self-defense only. It’s largely about getting inside the mind of your opponent and reading him, and to also stay relaxed and alert. Let them make the first mistake, because the first punch is almost always that (at least to a Wu Su artist). But at that point defense can stay as such, or it can become offensive, if deemed necessary. Just note that it is entirely possible to “win” a fight using all defensive moves, which may cause your opponent to fall, faint, become seriously injured, or even die…
Posted by RT on from The Buyou City 07/10 at 02:03 PMRT: My primary style was Wing Chun, a far more “urban” form of Chinese Gung Fu. That—and the influence of Bruce Lee—would probably explain my fighting philosophy,
Peter: I love the Lennon question and may steal it for a future post here, okay? Personally, I think John would’ve readily used a gun to defend himself if he could’ve done so...or perhaps I am just projecting. Also, I do believe one can consider one’s own life as less precious than the whole of humanity but still defend that life to the best of one’s ability.
Captcha sez: “types” (as in the many that regularly visit here)
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 02:10 PMLOVE the ‘Forza Azzurri’ there, Mickey! So the Italians beat not only the Germans but the French as well - Italian Australians went gaga btw, just like Italian Americans.
And as it turns out, not only last Sunday but yesterday was a computer-free day, but now I am back - on a Tuesday morning at 5:30 am. The ‘Cool Observer’ is my first stop, Mickey - as it is on most days.
‘Hi’ to Youngfox, Rosemarie, James, JOS, Peter (the other) and RT - good to be back among fellow expendables. I had so hoped to meet at least a few of you on your home turf later this year but that now has to wait a while longer - unless one or the other of you come to Australia of course ..
Ciao amici,
Helga from down under where it is cold but dryP.S. And you and the Empress cheered for Germany, Youngfox? I am a German by birth (have been an Australian citizen since 1987) and hear that the German team did much better than was expected.
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 07/10 at 02:30 PMWelcome back, Helga. Germany did indeed come in third and if I were a betting man, I’d make them the early favorite for the 2010 Cup.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 02:34 PMOkay, I just woke up and am feeling a little better-- but man, the separation anxiety is a lot to deal with! But like the born again Christians say, True Love Waits. I suppose I will track him down on my own.
Regarding Lennon’s potential for firearm use (and yes, if pressed for an answer, I’d say hell yes I wish he’d had one and used it at the key moment):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness_is_a_Warm_Gun
Pardon my use Wikipedia, MZ, it was the quickest link I could find. Holy crap-- captcha= John, no kidding.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 07/10 at 02:38 PMPlease excuse me, if I DO go on, I am using this as an escape from the writing I am suppose to be doing.
Myths and realities about violence:
I can not count, how many times I have been told this one. “When I was a kid in school, there was a bully threatening me. My Pop told me if I hit him, he would run away crying. Next time I saw the bully, I hit him, he ran away crying”. It must be an extremely large percentage of us American males who have internalized this David and Goliath story about us and our “pops”. My youthful experience of this, was I got the shit beat out of me by the bully, who was, as often bullies are, much bigger then myself.
What one is dealing with here, is FEAR. One’s fear of… pain, submission etc. Yesterday was a beautiful, hot and sunny summer Sunday. On the Santa Monica pier, much of Los Angeles came to enjoy the ocean breezes. I watched a young latino (I would imagine El Salvadoran) gang, all tattoos and chains, swagger up the stairs to the viewing deck (glowering at me, sitting on the stairs feeding the pigeons). There is the rumblings of an interracial gang war developing here in LA. It was a beautiful day, filled with families laughing, fishing, having their portraits done, their names being carved in grains of rice, applauding musicians and jugglers, eating ice cream and lovers kissing. These young men, with their ferocious faces on, looked tragically scared. I now realize that when I see them in jail, they are relieved! They are a bit safer in jail! Tough guys.
The inscrutable oriental (add kung foo sound effects here). The myth of the magical, vanquishing, protective warrior, is as old as humanity. The Asian version has developed a popularity here in the west over the last fifty years. A misplaced confidence is, also, a tragic thing. Somehow, all this makes me think or “rock, paper, scissors”. To quote an obscure sixties musician (Wayne Talbot), “You never get too big, and you sure don’t get so heavy, that you don’t have to stop and pay some dues, sometime!”
captcha="care" and we do
Posted by Peter (the other) on from Cali 07/10 at 02:46 PMMZ, the Lee influence is a good one, as he himself was influenced by many styles.
Speaking of Lee, which movie was it where he did that fast, close range crescent kick (i.e., side of his right foot to the right side of his opponents face)? That’s one move in particular that I picked up from him years ago, and incorporated into my style. Doubt if I could get my leg to work like that these days, though…
Posted by RT on from The Buyou City 07/10 at 03:09 PMJames: I may have to start my own online encyclopedia called, of course, MikiPedia.
RT: I believe you’re talking about the final fight scene in Enter the Dragon.
Peter: I’m with you. There’s a line in the film/book Rumblefish (and I paraphrase): “Blind fear in a fight can often be mistaken for courage.”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 04:08 PMMickey, I have to echo Peter in my reaction to your article, although I am glad you mentioned what you did about the context of defense (#6). I am not a fighter by inclination, and I do not recollect with anything but remorse the few fights I got into in my youth---whether I won them or not.
As I’ve mentioned here before I’ve been attacked a few times. Nothing very serious, fortunately. Now, very occassionally, when walking alone and feeling insecure about my safety, I locate mentally the sharpest object I have with me---always my house key---and wonder if this wouldn’t repel an attacker. It wouldn’t. But it may be enough to escalate a simple mugging to a mugging and a severe beating, or worse.
The thing about violence is that, since I think we all believe in universality here, we have to be prepared to receive whatever we dish out. If I’m going to try to pre-empt an attack with violence, I have to expect the violence I might receive to at least equal the offensive tactic I employ. Throw a punch, expect a knife. Pull a knife, expect a gun. Where it stops is the realization that I’ve entered someone’s brute world, and if I get my ass kicked (or worse), well hey, fair game. The moral consolation for losing a fight I don’t participate in is, I think, obvious.
That all (whew!) said, I admire your commitment to your physical well-being, and I am sure I would find illuminating a post on simple training ideas for we-all sitting hours behind the computer. (I remember you wrote a very nice, but tongue-in-cheek, guide for activists to get in shape a while back...)
Posted by Keir on from The Hague 07/10 at 05:23 PMI second Keir’s request, been meaning to ask it for years-- while that other tongue-in-cheek article was fun, as I look at myself now, I suspect that satirical fitness is not what I need most now…
Not to complain or anything. And um, how about a “Mudgipedia”. Okay, I’m obsessed…
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 07/10 at 05:38 PMHey Keir, great to see (and hear) you. I’m certainly one who’d exhaust most if not all options before raising even a finger in anger but I guess I wrote this piece in the spirit of the Malcolm quote that opens it...or this from Derrick Jensen: “I’ve long used the simile that sharing our finite planet with the dominant culture is like being locked in a room with a psychopath. There’s no way out, and although the psychopath may choose other targets first, eventually it will be our turn. Eventually we’ll have to fight. There’s no way around it. And the sooner we fight back—the sooner we kill this psychopath—the more life will remain.”
Sure, violence can provoke more violence (but not always). However, in the article, I specifically talk about situations in which the choice is fight back or be crushed.
As for training ideas, I’ll try to post something here soon. Can anyone be more specific about what you’re looking for?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 05:49 PMSo what happened to Ratt and the other juvenile delinquents where did they end up? jail? ceos? accountants? army? non-violent resisters?
so I don’t know if this is being redundant of what others said but whatever. Those who throw the sucker punch is the reputation of the person who receives the punch that of someone who picks on little children ex. push them off the playground swing or takes their money? If taken as a microcosm of governments the U.S. could also work as the one who throws the sucker punch and the bully who receives the punch, I’m thinking of the difference between their tactics on North Korea vs. Iraq. Whereas the U.S. wants to use the diplomatic approach with N. Korea with Iraq it was lets go ahead and attack of course because Iraq had no nuclear weapons and the country was already crippled by sanctions and no-fly zone bombings. But who knows who said they would use the dipolomatic approach forever with North Korea.
Re: Pirates: How Like Kingdoms Without Justice are to Robberies. Chapter 4 of City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo (footnote included)
Justice being taken away, then, what are kingdoms but great robberies? For what are robberies themselves, but little kingdoms? The band itself is made up of men; it is ruled by the authority of a prince, it is knit together by the pact of the confederacy; the booty is divided by the law agreed on. If, by the admittance of abandoned men, this evil increases to such a degree that it holds places, fixes abodes, takes possession of cities, and subdues peoples, it assumes the more plainly the name of a kingdom, because the reality is now manifestly conferred on it, not by the removal of covetousness, but by the addition of impunity. Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, “What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor.”164164 Nonius Marcell. borrows this anecdote from Cicero, De Repub. iii.
how come sometimes I get the infamous red xs.
Posted by TM on from 07/10 at 06:04 PMMickey: how’s this…
wake up, drink glass of water, download yesterday’s Democracy Now, listen while _________ [insert 20-30 minutes worth of essential excercises designed to make up for the hour or so you then spend gawking at email and the internet], spend day hustling to make rent, eat dinner, take a walk, _________ [insert 20-30 minutes of essential excercises designed to make up for your addiction to commenting at MZ’s], sleep.PS: Mikipedia, Mudgipedia...Wikeirpedia, anyone?
Posted by Keir on from The Hague 07/10 at 06:05 PMHello TM. My old chums have, for the most part, spread near and far and I can only speak of a few. Yes, some are behind bars and others are six feet under. As for the rest, I’ll borrow from Dylan: “Some are mathematicians, some are carpenter’s wives/Don’t know how this all got started; don’t know what they did with their lives.”
To return to the whole fight thang, I’d imagine the rebels in Guatemala didn’t think twice when they stole rifles and took to the mountains to defend their freedom. While there, they surely practiced hand-to-hand combat. Again, to me, it’s alll about context and circumstances.
Finally, Keir: I’ll post an old fitness article tomorrow to get things rolling. I’m happy to offer any advice on the topic.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 07/10 at 06:40 PMTM...I often think of usa foreign policy as very similar to the antics on a playground. The comparison to the playground bully is so true. Watching how the pecking order on a playground works is facinating and, I think, an exact microcosm of what is happening globally. Yes, we invaded Iraq because it did not have WMD’s. We are a little more careful with North Korea but trying to get others to gang up there.
Keir...I will check out Wikierpedia as soon as I end this.
About training...I was a trainer in the USAF. That was before machines were invented (maybe even before water was invented). In recent years I have really come to value working out on machines. Unfortunately the only good place in town went out of business.
I’m sorry to disagree, but I think size matters when it comes to a physical confrontation. It is not the only thing that matters but a 90 lb person would have a very difficult time overcoming a 200 lb aggressor. If I’m wrong, I need you to teach me the proper technique.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 07/10 at 07:33 PM@ RMJ: I think it’s important to point out that most attackers are NOT trained fighters, and thus have MANY weak spots to exploit. Take even professionally trained tournament fighters: many are so used to avoiding the vital areas during sparring matches (because of the rules) that they have not developed adequate defenses for those areas, especially the groin area.
So yes; I say with proper technique and training, a 90 lb female can take out a 200 lb. man of athletic build; no problem. Note that Bruce Lee only weighed about 125 lbs I think… and he was so right re: the quote MZ cited about 10,000 kicks.
I should add that I briefly dated a woman long ago who knew White Crane: a southern Chinese style of Kung Fu (somewhat similar to Wing Chun). We met at a martial arts supply store, and had some interesting times together… Anyway, she was only 5’4 (maybe 5’5 with shoes), and weighed about 110. Let’s just say that she took me down in one move (actually a “foot sweep” combo move). I was on by back in less than a second.
Posted by RT on from The Buyou City 07/10 at 09:30 PMthe only problem i have with the martial arts is that many people seem to be more interested in knowing how to beat the shit out of somebody rather than ‘self defense’....like gun owners i know who train with their guns they say they would ‘use it in a minute’ if the situation arose and one is left with the feeling that some are hoping for the moment....judo is an exception in that it teaches that it is a ‘sport’ and not to be used for self-defense....seems to me an attacker would be more surprised by a judo throw (or foot sweep) than a kick or a punch....as a yoga teacher in China i have had prospective students ask if it is good for ‘self defense’ and my response has been with its emphasis on strength, flexibility and balance you would be in a better position to ‘duck’---and i might add then take Richard Pryor’s famous advice which is ‘to run’....
of course one must always have a means to protect oneself....but one should always remember that actual violent situations are never as ‘clean’ or ‘sterile’ as they are virtally always portrayed in hollywood.....among the strongest and most peaceful people i have ever encountered are the monks who practice and teach at the famous kong fu center in China (Shao-Lin temple---sorry not sure of spelling or that I have the correct name)....i think the deeper ‘benefits’ of the martial arts should be emphasized.....
Posted by Riko on from San Francisco 07/10 at 11:37 PM
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