Saturday, 13 June 2009
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Would you back down from a fight?
This post was submitted by a female Mancouch reader.Working out at a gym with a lot of bodybuilders is an eye opening experience for a girl.
I was working out with my personal trainer at the gym a couple months ago, when we came across what we thought was an abandoned towel laid across a workout bench. My trainer picked up the towel to move it so we could use the bench. The bodybuilding owner of the towel was working out about 10 feet away -- he came storming over, snatched the towel out of my trainer's hands, got in his face and started calling him all kinds of obscenities. My gym has an open layout with just one big room, so everyone could see and hear what was going on.
Now let me back up a minute. This particular gym member has several complaints against him from other members, and many of staff has dealt with his horrendous temper. He also got into a previous unprovoked altercation with my trainer that my trainer walked away from. This was now the second incident between them.Back to the current situation -- the bodybuilder was cussing and swearing at my trainer just inches away from his face, but my trainer wouldn't back down. Did I mention that the bodybuilder is the size of Deebo from Friday?
Now my trainer is in great shape, but this guy had a couple inches of height and who knows how many pounds of muscle on my trainer. Honestly I was scared that my trainer was going to get hurt, and that he was going to lose his job. But he stood his ground and despite all that posturing and all those threats, the bodybuilder eventually walked away.My trainer told me that there was no way he was going to walk away first because he already let the previous incident slide, and he wasn't going to look like a punk in front of me and everyone in the gym. If it had escalated into a physical altercation, so be it.I would never have stood up to someone like that because I'd be scared of losing my job, and also because I'm a girl and this type of thing doesn't happen to girls. Later that night I asked my boyfriend what he would have done in that same situation, and he said he would have done exactly the same thing as my trainer. It may not be the smartest decision, but I can't help but respect it.If you were being yelled at by someone at the gym for touching a towel, would you back down? Would the fact that the person who's threatening you is 6 foot 4 and 250 pounds affect your decision?
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Comments (26)
Fighting sucks, but sometimes it's unavoidable.
I am an avid weight lifter and if someone were to try to start a fight with me at the gym (or anywhere else for that matter), I would just try to talk it out with them at first and try to get them to calm down. If that doesn't work then I would threaten to call the cops on them if they tried to strike me. I think fighting is silly, and should be avoided at all costs.
The size of a person doesn't matter. I won't hurt or attempt to hurt any person. I'm nonviolent. I would apologize and/or discuss gym etiquette. If the man wanted trouble I would not grant him the opportunity. I would walk away. If I worked at the facility I would report the member and ask that action be taken. Reason and kindness are better weapons than threats and fists.
Must be the steroids and monkey hormones talking.
I would've given him a way out, but I wouldn't have backed down. Your trainer's response was really good. If a fight broke out, so be it. I train to physically deal with punks like him, but as Sunzi said, winning through discussion is better than winning through battle. Victory is always my goal in these situations, whether it is reached by talking, fighting, a hand shake, etc.
in all honesty i wouldnt back down from a fight no matter how big the other person may be. im what most people would call a small guy (132lbs @ 5'6") but i can hold my own in a fight. cant say that i win all of them but i give it my all and depending on how pissed i am i wont stop. besides id rather fight than walk away a bitch. for example, all sizes and strengths put aside, would you rather walk away from someone for intentionally making fun of your girlfriend, insulting your family, your race, and anything else provacative or not take any shit from them and fight?
i wouldn't attempt to get all up in HIS face and fight him back...but I would listen quietly to what he was yelling about and then give him his towel back...
Bodybuilder vs trainer?
Trainer is a professional.
Bodybuilder is just hot air.
I'll give the medal to the trainer.
I don't back down from a fight either.
I hold my ground and tend to smile and chuckle when someone is hassling me. It happened a lot more frequently when I would workout (190lbs at 5'10), compared to me in my current smaller form (150lbs). Chances are, that towel owner just injected himself with testosterone. Did he have any bruises on his arms? [Edit: The whole laughing thing gave mixed results :P]
-Andrew
If it was the first confrontation with a person I'd back down, but if it's the second one I wouldn't. Although I'd probably end up getting my ass kicked.
the first time ill let him have it. for all i know its just him having a bad day and i dont want to make it any worse. but if it comes at me twice from the same guy then its on. i wont back down and until he throws the first punch im not going to do anything.
6th paragraph: "because I'm a girl and this type of thing doesn't happen to girls."
Are. you. kidding. me? Talk about a sexist stereotype.....
Martial arts training goes a long ways in these situations. Patience, reflexes, etc. And not to mention pressure points and nerves. Even massive bodybuilders have them.
That said, I would have handled it exactly as the trainer did, then promptly reported the abusive member to management and demanded that action be taken, preferably expulsion from the gym and cancelling membership. That kind of behavior has no place in a gym.
i would not back down. someone would come to my defense, or that guy would get kicked out and get the cops called on him for assault. i'd think, given the fact that i'm a 5'4" girl, the likelihood of something like this happening is a slim-to-none chance.
good thing to do though, make'em think you're crazy. no one messes with crazy people.
Never back down. Always control the outcome. Remember that no amount of power can fight speed you cannot touch.
thought you carried guns to deal with twits like him
No. Calmly try to defuse the situation and talk him down. If that fails, let him throw the first punch, then do your best to put the SOB in the hospital. Since you didn't instigate the fight, you're legally free and clear (unless you're a black belt).
@GameLifterX@xanga -
Your comment + your Xanga profile picture = +100 cool points.
@BranmacFeabhail@xanga - Or gay, definitely. There were some cases where a guy threatened to kick my ass, and gathering the most effeminate/homosexual lisp I could muster, I shot back "ruff, fast, th-loww, dothn't matter, I think your th-ouch would be th-soooo th-weeet."
9 times out of 10 they freaked out and never. bothered. me. again.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - Totally.
@tokyoexpressman@xanga - By do your best to put him in the hospital, I'd like to add onto this: if I was absolutely forced into a fight and there was no other way out, I might even go ahead and kill the attacker with my bare hands (and during the course of martial arts training you KNOW that it's possible even on people 250 lbs worth). But like everyone else has been saying, that is only the last resort.
The guy in the first picture looks like a rapist. :[
@Coffee_Kaioken@xanga - lol Awesome.
@MissXMorbidx@xanga - Rofl. you mean Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the most famous bodybuilders ever? Just warning that you're dissing on a famous icon here. Be prepared for flames. MRAWRR.
@Coffee_Kaioken@xanga - I'm fireproof. :]
I'd punch his throat and watch him gag and gasp on the floor. Brains and speed can almost always beat strength.
I would never get into a fight and would back out of one.
It would really have to depend on the situation for me. If someone decided to make a repeat performance of getting in my face and talking like they're tough, we might as well have it out and fight. Especially when there's very little reason for this other person to be mad at me in the first place. Sure, I'd give them a way out but if they really wanted to, all I have to do is wait and let them swing at me first. What size that person is wouldn't matter to me if I'm worked up enough. That only usually happens when people are messing with my friends, though.