Self defense

[JPKII]

I disagree…kinda.

As a former runt, I got in many, many fights, and honestly lost every one. I too was a soft hearted little guy, and genuinely felt bad about hurting someone else, so I would defend myself about like your daughters friend did. It wasn’t until my parents drug me through their horrible, nasty divorce that this changed. Looking back on it now, that switch got flipped when I was carrying so much pain and anger towards the situation, that I stopped having empathy for the dip shits picking on me.

Before every fight I have ever been in, I knew I was about to be in a fight, so I told myself the next time I was going to throw the first punch and hit them as hard as I could. I figured at least I’d get one solid hit in. It worked. I beat the living shit out of the next guy that picked on me, and it felt sooo ****ing good. I had more confidence, self esteem and got to let out a lot of that pent up anger. Only took one more fight after that one, a much bigger kid, and no one messed with me anymore. Was I classified the instigator? Yep, got suspended and everything. That was the exact moment I started to stop caring about what others thought about me.

Moved to a different town a year later and had to prove myself to another class of dipshits, but it only took a couple fights and I wasn’t messed with anymore. Of course it never helped that I’ve always been a sarcastic smartass and very good at talking shit.

I’m now 6’2” 200 and haven’t been in a fight since right after high school, but to this day…I’ll always throw the first punch.

The biggest thing I drilled into my daughter and still do as she is now a young adult, is to always be aware of what’s going on around you, and if it looks bad, leave. Oh, and to never disregard that feeling you get in your stomach.

That is right. Another perspective. Never thought of it that way. Thank you for sharing.

It is a balance. Not one way or the other.