There is a percentage of people that should just drop dead.

ScrumYummy · bunnyhunches of scrums Gender: Joined: 29 Jun 2005

I am really sick with a good number of the human population right now. For one, learning of the raping and the pillaging that followed Hurricane Katrina really sickened me. For two, the following happened last night.

Yesterday, I went to a devmeet (a meeting of people from the art site deviantArt that live in the Oregon/Washington area). I met several cool people, made friends, and had a lot of fun, and also saw a lot of cool artwork, from the deviants there and from the art gallery/club we visited (Backspace).

I decided to leave around 10:00, a little early by standards (although most of the deviants had left already), but I'm still new to this city, and the later it become, the more nervous I was about walking home. So I call Max, so I at least had someone to talk to, which made me feel better about walking by myself at night. Plus, Max makes me feel comfortable.

And for some reason, against reason, I took Park Avenue (it's a park, split up into city blocks, that runs through most of the downtown area). During the day, it's very pretty. At night, it's very dark, and shady. I should have stayed on Broadway, which was well-lit and had lots of people on it. But anyway, on with my story.

I was walking through the park, phone to my ear and randomly having short conversations with Max, when a guy approaches me.

"Hey, can I use your phone?"

"No, uh...I'm using it. Sorry."

"Look, I just gotta make a few phone calls."

"Er....sorry." I keep walking. He's following me.

"Hey! I'll pay you! Three, four, five dollars. Come one."

"Then find a pay phone." The guy is starting to piss me off. And make me nervous.

"I can't leave the park. I'm working."

"Are you now?" I walk faster. He starts yelling.

"Hey! You think you're so high and mighty? You f***ing b**ch. You @$%^$%^&%$^&^$%@#$%!"

Yeah, of course, I'm so high-and-mighty, I won't let you sell drugs on my cell phone. Give me a f***ing break. --I think to myself.

He goes off in to a string of obscenities. I decided to quit responding and walk as quickly as possible. A block away, I explain to Max what happened as I ducked into a Safeway (grocery store).

So yeah, great. My first experience walking around at night by myself in Portland and this happens. (Yep, I feel so comfy now. x_x god damn druggie.) What gives people the right, what makes them think they can exert that type of power over others?? It makes me mad, feeling like I was out of control of the situation, and helpless.

I'm thinking of taking up a self-defense course now. Any recommendations for a particular martial art? >_>

Shino

Suna-chan · Otaku Master Age: 36 Gender: Joined: 22 May 2003

I've had nightmares where stuff like that happens (someone tells me to give them something and i'm basically defenseless)

But I completely agree with Shino that it'd be a great idea to take some self-defense courses.

Aaah good luck and I hope you don't have any other experiences like that! (especially worse ones ><)

Excel Zero · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:21 pm Post subject:

Just make sure that the self defense course you take allows 'real life' attacks and defenses.

-Kyo

Shino · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:51 pm Post subject:

Tobias · *explodes* Age: 38 Gender: Joined: 17 Jan 2003

aye...self defense is good. But lest i stress also: Its not a means of warding off people. That, and if you are outnumbered, sometimes a martial art cant really do much. Especially at gun-point.

But it is good, nonetheless. I know my dad took a style that im trying to find out more information about, called Goju-Ryu. It's an okinawan form that incorporates a lot of real-life attacks that take no time to do, and usually end up putting the baddies on the floor.

Anywho, sorry to play a sort of devil's advocate to the self defense idea. Its a good idea, and many people should learn it...but some people don't have the control for it. And this causes them to improperly use it in times of stress, when they are most important.

That is all

ScrumYummy · bunnyhunches of scrums Gender: Joined: 29 Jun 2005

Thank you guys. *hugs all around*

Shino, thank you for the suggestion. I googled it (it is spelled shotokan, I found out), and found a dojo in Portland. I will be visiting them soon to find out more from them in person. Thank you for your help =)

ScrumYummy · bunnyhunches of scrums Gender: Joined: 29 Jun 2005

BWS-1 · Otaku Lord Gender: Joined: 25 Sep 2002

Yunni · Is a broken record. Gender: Joined: 15 Jul 2005

If the karate doesn't work out for you - try Jeet Kun Do. I did it for several months and it was rather good. Very aggressive though and I quit cause it was taking up alot of study time. Expect to have lots of bruises if you take up JKD, but it toughens you up ^_^

JKD teaches you throws, pressure points, locks, punches, kicks and the like. The one I went to also did a lot of Brazilian Jujitsu techniques - although I found that useless against any full grown man that was heavier than me, which was a shame.