I WANT to get into a fight?

Question

I'm 15 years old and have been practicing shotokan karate since 8 years.
In all my life i have managed to NEVER get into a fight, yup, i've never been in a real fight, i've allways been avoiding them. Now i know that that's a good thing but i just feel that something is missing and i need to get that feeling when in a real fight atleast once, sometimes i think about responding to those who attempt to "bully" me on the streets but i allways end up backing out because it feels stupid and is totally against what karate stands for.
I have great speed and strenght but that just doesn't do it to me, it might sound stupid but is it wrong to NOT avoid a street fight when you can just for the sake of getting in a street fight? atleast for one time.
Please try to understand me before jumping to conclusions.

Thank you.

I understand what you're all saying, but i am not looking to test my strength, i merely feel that the feeling of being in a real fight is a crucial element in my expansion in martial arts.
And no i do not think that knowing that i am strong/fast is enough. I allready go to alot of tournaments but it's still not the same.
I am NOT looking for a fight, i just feel that when an opportunity strikes perhaps i should just go with it.
Again, don't get me wrong, i am not eager to jump into a fight, and i think that if you all think about it you'd come to the conclusion that getting into a real fight is indeed very important, i've come to the point where am actually dissappointed for getting away from a potentional fight.

Answer 1

I waited a while before I decided to respond to your question. I wanted to think about it for a little while before offering my answer, because I wanted to understand exactly what you are saying.

I think you probably phrased your question wrong. It's not so much that you want to get into a fight, you want to test yourself. You have been told for so long that "nice boys" sit with their hands folded in their laps just like the girls do and they NEVER do anything that may be dangerous around others. What you are saying is that you are tired of being feminized and you want to take some risks. You want to do something dangerous. You want to find out if you have "what it takes".

Now here is where I somewhat agree with most of the other answers: Do it in a controlled environment and with someone who knows what they are doing. in other words, don't go out on the street and pick someone that you think you can take and wipe up the street with him. That's not right!
Schedule a time and a place that is safe to spar/fight with someone who knows that you are trained and skilled - someone who is likewise trained and skilled. As long as you both agree to the possible consequences, take a risk, test yourself and find out whether you "have what it takes".

On the street though, that's a different subject. You should always look to avoid confrontation there and ONLY fight to defend yourself as a last resort.

Answer 2

Its normal to want to test yourself.

If no one had anything to prove we would never have explored the earth, invented the wheel or discovered fire.

As to street fights, a streetfight can be anything from two drunks guys punching on in a night club to getting mugged by three dudes with knives, to attacking a gang of guys with your buddies.

I did judo, boxed 8 years, did 13 years in the army and also represented by country for greco roman wrestling.
I also spent a lot of my youth getting into street fights, which also inlcuded some of my army years when going out with the guys drunk.

My general findings were that boxing sparring and tournament fights prepares you mentally the best for street fights and also helps you to avoid even getting into them.

If you want to test your karate that bad, start entering boxing and kickboxing tournaments for fun.

you will find the extreme nervousness of facing an opponent in front of a screaming crowd in a very bloody contact sport, makes most streetfighting scenarios pretty boring! Honestly that's the real truth.

95% of my 'street fights '(no weapons) were finished by one single punch to the head, when the other guy was not ready or is still talking hype.

I actually became a worse boxer/judo player after a few years of streetbrawling because I was no longer using it anyway.

Once you work that out it all becomes pretty boring.You find from then on you are relaxed enough to walk away when it looks like someone is going to do something more dangerous. ho-hum.

And you also don't spend as much time lying around worrying that you should have tried your "special five tiger versus three knife weilding opponents technqiue. as taught by master quon sang"etc.

Answer 3

if u learned anything during these 7 years it should be that you should never use ur karate unless u are in danger and it is for self defence. that is the first thing they should teach u... dicipline.... this may sound a little jouvinile, but u would probably remember. a while back, there was a show called Hey Arnold. Arnold learned karate and at first was using it for good. after a while, he went around looking for a fight. as a result, he lost all of his friends.... im sure that u dont want this to happen to u so i wouldnt do it

Answer 4

You are a better person for acting the way you do. More important then showing what you are made of is your intregrity. You have honored you karate training and should feel honor and pride for that. Keep doing what you are doing beecuase it is the right thig to do.

If someone does go after you though it is fine to defend yourself but wait until that day comes. Now adays it is not worth fighting because while you may want to fist fight, too many other people want a gun or knife or gang fight. I have seen people get pretty messed up in different fights that start as a harmless fight fight and end up with someone stabbed or even getting beat up severely.

Keep your integrity and pride in knowing you did the right thing and you are better for it.

Answer 5

ok, I understand what you are saying:

"You are a teen that is looking to prove themselves".

sounds to me like you lack confidence in your art and your abilities (you did not fight the bullies).

Truthfully I would attribute this to a lack of testing your skills inside class.

I would suggest you cross-train with some people you know and trust full-contact under MMA or slightly modified MMA rules. Free-sparring can be very intimidating the first time you do it, thats why I suggest you get a group that you trust together (guys who will realize they can break your arm and won't actually do it). I would also suggest you get at least one other person there to stop things if they get out of hand as you never know if the other guy or you will get out of hand.

In all honesty I think if you have never free-sparred before and have this desire to prove yourself, I think it will be you getting out of hand.

Its one thing if your "partner(s)" have sparred full contact HARD contact before, but quite another if they haven't and can't yet apply the skills they have learned against a fully resisting opponent.

EDIT: then I suggest you find some people who will do HARD contact sparring with you under mma rules- oh wait, thats what I said the first time.

Answer 6

I know what you mean. Same thing with me, some people just tick me off and I feel like I need to kill them.I have been studying Shaolin Kung fu for about 3 years and want to test myself to see where I stand But there are a lot of consequences.I'm also 15

Answer 7

Talk to your master first.

I assume the school you go to operates like most. You are to follow the instructions you are given by your teacher, no questions asked.

If your instructor tells you anything other than "don't do it" I would be shocked.

there is always someone better, stronger and faster than you out there; oh and they use guns and knives as well, oh and they have friends in the bushes oh and you will end up in jail, hospital or morgue.

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/streetfighting.html

Answer 8

Be sure to keep your local hospital emergency room on speed dial. You'll be paying them a visit soon. Be glad you haven't gotten into a fight yet. I've been in more than enough of them and I can tell you they're not pleasant even if you do win.

Answer 9

well... i see where your coming from, but don't go looking for a fight. it's not a smart thing to do, you have no idea what is going to end up happening if you pick one with the wrong person.
they could end up having a weapon or could have 20 other people with them on the side.
i'm not saying you can't fight, i'm just saying it's not smart to try to do it.

and you're right. it's not what karate stands for. i know you want to test your strength, but isn't it enough knowing that you CAN defend yourself if the something happens?

Answer 10

Try an amatuer mma event or a muay thai kickboxing match if you want to test yourself. I know you want to test your effectiveness. These would be ways of doing so without the legal problems and a much lower chance of fatality.