What kinds of fights did you get in when you were younger?
 

When I was a kid I was a complete wuss and geek, and I was afraid to get into fights, and I never did. It didn't help being the shortest guy in my grade. But in my British year, 9th grade/3rd form, I was able to be an entirely different character due to the amount of attention paid to me, which I liked. There I did get into a fight, and I won it out of sheer confidence. I mostly just held the guy down and told him I didn't want to fight. Since then I have been allergic to violence and will avoid it at any costs.

You?

Against classmates? Fights that I won.
Against my sister? Fights that were a draw.
Against my brother? Fights I lost.

The fights with my sister were the most violent. We really both lost those.

Not many. Fights with siblings don't really count, I think. I used to get into fights with my little brother a lot, but stopped when I realized he didn't know how to stop and was willing to go much further and was willing to actually injure me. Plus, he started getting bigger than me.

Only non-sibling fight I remember was in 3rd grade. I got into an argument with a friend on the playground at school. I'd seen other kids get into fights, so I thought I would try it. I shoved him a couple of times, and he kicked me in the nuts.

That was the end of that. I'm an expert at avoiding fights now.

Verbal.

Once I chased my sister around the house with a kitchen knife - but that was all in good fun.

The only real fight I remember was one Saturday on the school yard.
It ended in a draw, but me a little more ahead.

On Monday, it started up again and I took a pounding...
from his big brother !

In fourth grade, I jumped on the back of a much bigger girl who was beating up my little brother. Lucky for me that stopped the fight, because I think she was so fucking surprised by it.

I avoided fighting as much as possible as I abhor violence. It didn't help that I was bullied and wanted to more than a few times but it's not my nature to hurt people. I preferred to play mean pranks on my tormentors instead. To this day, that is my default response.

As an example, during gym class, my bookbag had a habit of vanishing, along with textbooks, library books, homework and calculators and other expensive goodies. After the third time, about which the teacher could do nothing, I took a smaller leather satchel instead. Soon, there was a blood-curdling scream from the locker room. The class all streamed in there to see what had happened. Except me, I sauntered slowly, knowing what was going to happen. Seconds later, the class (and teacher) came boiling out again faster than they went in.
Somehow, a North American Hognose (a snake that mimics a cobra but is harmless) had gotten into the bag over the weekend. The thief was easily identifiable as he had levitated onto a bank of lockers. I collected the snake and the miscreant and hauled him to the principal, who suspended us BOTH. And made me let the snake go in the woods, which I would have done anyway.

I took the individual aside and told him the next time it might be a REAL cobra (they do not live in North America) or perhaps a rattlesnake, minus the rattle so he'd be wise to stay far away from my bags in future. I was bluffing of course, but...

No one ever really wins a fight. I learned that early on.

Brian

WWII. The big one.

When I was in 6th grade, there were these mean bully girls who drove me crazy. One day I decided to stand up to them, or at least one of them, by picking a fight with her in the school's gym locker room.

I advanced, went to kick her (didn't know how to fight . . . duh) and on the swing, my other foot slipped on the wet floor and I ended up on my back, head hit the floor, stars spinning over my head.

When I'd recovered, they'd gone. I guess I kicked my own ass that day, which takes considerable talent.

They never really bothered me after that, though. I suppose they figured I wasn't worth the effort. Either way, I guess it worked out.

Remember the days of the old schoolyard?

That's another Cat reference, but I'll spare you the embedded YouTube.

You should go check it out though, it's a cute video. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFwDEqLQ0bA

nope

Nobody was ever mean. I was accepted into different circles, although by highschool the hoods were my group.

I never felt cast out but then I never knew there were mean spiriteded people until the internet, via my first pc. I guess that makes me a dork.

Now, I just have a take me or leave me attitude which was probably the attitude all along.

Once, in middle school, a kid named Kenny kept getting in my face asking if I wanted to fight. I usually just gave him a weird look and walked away, but on this particular day we were at recess on top of this fairly large hill and he was being particularly annoying, so I shoved him and he fell down the hill. He wasn't injured, but I still got suspended.

Then there was a kid that kept twisting my nipples. I told him the next time he twisted them I'd punch him in the face. So, of course, I ended up punching him in the face. He ended up getting more suspension time than me because I told the administration he was sexually harassing me. Kind of a stretch but whatevs...:D

those are my only two fights!

I think I was a prick as a kid. I've got a bad memory for stuff like that, and tend to forgive myself more easily than I should, too. So I assume most of the fights I got in were my fault. Once I decided that it was not helpful or whatever, I stopped getting in them. The last one was at 12 years old. Since then, I've been big enough to talk people out of wanting to fight me.

you eyeballing me?:eyebrow:

I went to a few racially tough schools ( I was one just a few White boys ) and I have All ways had some size to me , so I Learned EARLY on the best tactic was to get the Bluff in the first of the year 9 Leave that CRASY ASS White Boy ALONE !!) , Im Part of the reason there aren't fire extinguishers on the walls of Memphis city Schools !

Last Fight was in Iceland I bet a dude UP 2-3 flights of steps . he had it comeing , was trying to Push my buttons , I got sick of it and Pushed him Up a few flights of stairs .

Due to my childhood, I am no stranger to violence. As a result, I can get my ass kicked, and carry on better than anyone I know.

One of the UncleDigrs said something once, that has since come to mean a lot to me. Some guy spouted off to him, and he (uncle) walked away. I told him I was somewhat impressed, cuz, back in the day, he would have stomped (or tried to) a mudhole in the guy's ass.

UncleDigr said: "I've gotten to the age where it hurts just as bad to give an ass-whuppin' as it does to take one."

I have rage issues, and an unbelievably short temper. But, looking back, I haven't really been in that many fights.

Last guy I punched hit the ground like a sack o' potatoes, but he was a cream puff. Had to be, I ain't bad like that. Last knock-down-drag-out I was in, yeah, I got knocked down.

Ooh, ooh...This one time...when I was on the street in Nashville...I got my ass handed to me. Over a grocery bag of aluminum cans. Good times, man, good times.

I usually did not go looking for fights. Unfortunately, with my mother being a teacher at my school, I ended up being bullied by others kids for imaginary sucking up, etc... It never helped that I was was some kind of a geek and a solitary boy too.

Everything stopped when I got in my 16th year. Before that, I was the smallest guy in the class or even the whole level. My 16th year is the year where i started to gain height. I shot up from 5'2" up to 6'2" in les than 2 years. As I began swimming intensively at the same time, I put on quite some weight (from under 90 lbs to over 200) mostly made of muscles and bones and some brains cells too...

After that, none of my classmates ever tried to get me in a fight.

I still get involved in some brawls now and then, usually when a guy is stupid enough to try to rob me... Last stupid one went down with a broken nose.

At any age. Win or lose, I've never walked away unhurt.

But, if you won, now that's a better kinda hurt, anyway.:D

I think my last fight was between me and my friend and we were evenly matched, had no reason to fight at all, just decided we should, and started pounding the shit out of each other.
The (adult) son of one of the little old Italian ladies who lived in our building was visiting his mom and he came out and broke up the fight.He asked us why we were fighting and we truly didn't have any reason at all and told him as much. He said something or other that I don't recall, but he took the whole crowd to the corner deli and bought everyone ice cream.

I don't think I ever fought after that.

What, you don't like ice cream?

Yes and no. Still hurt. Still facing social repercussions. Bystanders don't remember who won, tomorrow. Often the hot chicks spend more effort consoling the loser. ;)

Growing up as a fat, smart kid, I got picked on a lot, but into relatively few actual fights. The couple of times I did, I had a significant size and weight advantage, kicked ass, took names, and went back to chewing gum.

Mainly I used my powers of intellect to avoid getting into fights.

"Oh, yeah, well one day I'm going to go to the college of my choice!"

No, it was cheaper just to buy it.

in a real fight no one wins because all are hurt in some way shape or form. In school I avoided fights by being clever and funny, mostly because I was afraid of pain and the consequences.

As a young adult I realized pain is inevitable and some things are worth fighting for.

As a slightly older adult I realized that when fights seem inevitable it is better to strike first, hard, and fast rather than waiting for the other guy to hurt you.

In my late 30's I've come to believe that most people suck, little is worth fighting for, but violence is a useful tool. If you fear it you are a victim. If you acknowledge even the winner gets hurt, then you are free to do what you feel is right without remorse. Consequences will come, but they are irrelevent if your motives are just, or at least just enough for you to believe in them.

***my first genuine fight was with the guy who had been my best friend from 4th grade to 10th grade. I left him bleeding and crying inthe middle of the school hallway after he slapped his girlfriend in front of me. Officially I got a suspension, unofficially I got a congratulations and a 3 day vacation.

Han shot first. ;)

This story made me really laugh. Thanks for sharing Juni. :)

I've never been in a fight. The only time I came close was when I was pregnant and caught my partner at the time smooching up to some slag who thought it was funny how mad I was. I picked up a bottle and would have cracked her with it if I hadn't been restrained.

I blame the hormones. Physical violence is not my thing.

I never got in a fight until the Corps sent me to 'Nam. That was my first fight, and I killed the dude.

I've usually been able to talk my way out of physical confrontations, but I learned quickly that if a person is trying to kill you you need to kill them first. Just sayin.

In the words of my CO: "We're not here to fight. We're here to win. Don't kill nothing that don't need killing".

In highschool, I fought the social alpha male (luckily not the physical alpha male), after he continued to verbally belittle me. I won, and hurt my hand - he had a hard skull, and I missed his face. That put a target on me for awhile, but I managed to avoid all but 1, which was a draw to a body builder type with meat-for-brains.

In my twenties, I got into an altercation in a street hockey game. Twice, I told an asshole to keep his stick down, after it came close to my face. The third time I picked him up and slammed him on the ground.

Usually, I'm the cool headed one trying to diffuse a conflict, sometimes getting physically between people. I'm smart enough to avoid a fight. It's more important to me that my kids have a father, and that their father can continue to provide for them.

I went to an all black school for 8th and 9th grade. 10 white kids in the whole school. Everyone smoked cigarettes and the school had no policy. Shame on me I smoked then and everyday the biggest kid in school named Billy would badger me for a cigarette. Usually I throw one and keep walking. One day I told him no, he followed me up the school stairs and shoved me I turned around and shoved him back and he fell down the stairs. Billy was the school bully. In all my classes that day the other kids kept saying how Billy was gonna "git me" Well Billy went to the Principal and told on me and was almost crying, all 6 ft of him. Nothing really happened except we were told to behave and Billy never asked me again for a cigarette.

My sister and I used to beat the living crap out of each other. I once gave her an awesome bloody nose/black eye combo, she paid me back with a chipped tail bone that messed me up for years.
A much larger friend of mine picked a fight with me once... pushed me. I punched her hard in the throat and it was over.
There were quite a few other occasions, mostly not serious, the cops were only called once, and they told that girl it was her fault for starting shit.

I had the same boyfriend throughout high school and hung out with him and his friends. It would have been hard to pick a fight with someone surrounded with boys, all the time.

When I was about 8 years old, I had to yank another girl (and known neighborhood brat) off of the monkey bars, after she kicked my toddler sister a few times while swinging from them. It was all hair-pulling and scratching, typical stuff, until I pulled a huge hunk of her hair out!

She ran home screaming and I was left standing in the playground with a fistfull of blond hair, totally in shock. I remember her distraught mother standing outside our front door, discussing the incident with my irritated mother for what seemed like hours.

I'd never gotten along with this little girl, but I was friendly with her older sister and invited her to my birthday party a few months later. She came with gift in hand, but later on during the party, her mother was at the door looking distraught once again. Her bratty younger daughter was in tears at her side, upset because she hadn't been invited. More endless discussion ensued with my poor exasperated mother.

Now that I'm recalling this story, I think it's funny that my mother let me invite one sister but not the other. And isn't it weird that their mother let the one daughter come to my party, but didn't bring up the lack of invitation for her other daughter ahead of time? Hmm.