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Mansa Moose's avatar

I just blind subscribed to you because you mentioned my generation, X, in your bio. I like what I’m reading so far. I’m getting inspired to get off my 50-something duff and start writing again. It’s not for lack of ideas, it’s just not been easy to sit down and start typing.

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Patris's avatar

More civilized than some behavior I’ve witnessed.

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Ashley M Graetz's avatar

Great article on the Oz posturing.

My fave is the front fight that starts of yeh. Yeh nah... Yeh nah nah... Oh yeh. Oh yeh nah yeh.ect... practicing the crane kick from karate kid... I relate I'm similar age...

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Bart Bounds's avatar

Again, so much here I can relate to. My rural South Dakota childhood. When I moved to Alaska, age 15, I thought weekly fights were normal. When I realized they weren’t, my life improved dramatically.

Canadians look at me strange when I tell them they are ruled by a monopoly on violence.

e.g. Taxation is theft. Our government is corrupt. Idealistically, we should not pay taxes to criminals and charlatans.

If you don’t, legal problems. If you disagree, prison. If you resist imprisonment, police violence potentially leading to deadly force.

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Peter Maguire's avatar

Another gem Drifta! I share these views. I live in the South, the land of Pew, Pew, Pew. Because most people are armed, you do not hear a lot of honking horns and see a lot of raised middle fingers. With Fort Bragg and Camp Lejune nearby, there are an abundance of bloodied, hard men who, as you correctly pointed out, give each other wide a berth. Thanks fo my many years training with Rickson Gracie, fighting is much less emotional for me than it is for most. Typically I avoid conflict but if pushed too far, I say simply, "How far would you like to take this? I am willing to take this as far as you would like to go." I don't tolerate monkey dancers. If they bridge the gap, just as the sun rises and sets, they hit. As for sons, when my then 18 year old who I have trained since early childhood, beat me fair and square for the first time I was very proud of him. I refused to tap, he separated my ribs, and the injury was my own fault. I'll be 60 this year, still teaching martial arts, but have proven what I once needed to prove. OK time for physical therapy--there is a price for everything and I would happily pay it again.

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Obsidian Blackbird.'s avatar

Your comment means a lot to me! 60! Wow. If my son can’t beat me at 18, I will have failed. Im now feeling the old injuries… it’s strange.

I will have to make sure I have my son to protect me if I go back to NZ and run my mouth… ahah.

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Peter Maguire's avatar

Hahaha! It is great to have my son as Jiu Jitsu bouncer. Now I get to focus on teaching. He is extremely good and extremely humble. It is fun to watch him grow. That said, I still have lots of dirty tricks that I have used over the years to trick bigger, stronger but dumber opponents. My favorite is "the lunging retard," it is two crazier than the one crazy. It requires some acting and total commitment

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