the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Bill wrote:

This is awesome!

QuaiJohnCain wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3LK1CChb08

Dude, we should refer to gramps as what he is:

The White Kimbo Slice.

http://deadspin.com/5474034/bus-fightin-man-already-an-oakland-legend

He's got some history 'round them parts.

cerebus wrote:

Bill wrote:

This is awesome!

I hope when I'm 67 I can fight like that.

I like the way the young man is trying to hang onto the pole so he doesn't fall down from the bus ride.

As far as anyone in the media trying to it was racist, I would remind people that the door swings both ways. I somehow don't think the young guy would have gone after the old man if he was the same race as him.

My personal belief is that everyone is a mess.

I somehow don't think the young guy would have gone after the old man if he was the same race as him.

Somehow, I don't think an old black guy would have made a "shine" comment either. But, young black men beat up, rob, mug and molest old black men all the time. Now, if you'd said "if he were the same age as", I'd agree. Personally, I'm always happy when I see someone who tries to bully someone get his ass whupped. Otoh, I think if you say provocative things some people will react. So, I think the young guy was wrong for his reaction and actions. Even if he had been or felt insulted, he was wrong. That wouldn't make the other guy right, "if" he had deliberately tried to be insulting.

Steve James wrote:Somehow, I don't think an old black guy would have made a "shine" comment either.

Well, that's cause the younger guy wouldn't have started the ball rolling in that direction if it'd been an old black guy. I can testify that it's fairly common for an African-American male in Oakland to say "What?! You want me to shine your shoes?!" if you're sitting with your feet in the aisle, rather than just saying "Could you please move your feet?"

But still, people are getting ridiculous with the race comments on Youtube. Idiots are happy the younger guy got his ass kicked, NOT because he was being a punk and started the fight, but because he's black! So many morons! And so you've got the "white power" racists claiming Beard Guy as their hero. I bet Beard Guy would be happy to kick their white asses too for getting up in his shit. I like the video myself, but that's because it's about a punk getting himself whooped.

one of the comments on the youtube page (titled: the video you didn't see) said "what is it was reversed? If it were a young white guy harrassing an old black man it would be labeled a hate crime/racist"

not sure if I really agree with that, and in fact in never crossed my mind until I read the comment, but what do you think it would be like if it really WAS reversed?

My feelings on the vid wouldn't change regardless of color. Younger punk attacks old guy & gets his butt kicked. Justice served...

Yeah looking into it a bit further (Bar's link is quite interesting) I'm 100% behind gramps on this one

Matthew.

Ya know, I really didn't watch the video or read the report closely. I didn't get who said shine and in what context. I can't comment on how common it is for black guys to use that phrase when --white, I guess-- people keep their legs sticking out in the bus or subway aisles. Personally, I tend to get clumsy when people don't think they need to acknowledge that I need space to pass. But, again, I know for a fact that black people attack black people more than any other group --same for whites, Puerto Ricans, Nigerians, Russians, etc., etc. I remember a while back there was an aspiring rapper/writer named Sister Souljah who lamented the fact that black people committed crimes against black people. She was attacked, naturally, for saying that they should attack others --yeah, specifically white.

Anyway, reversing the situation is an interesting thought. I'm sure that a young white guy beating up an elderly black guy would elicit sympathy from most people. Actually, that was one of the reasons for the success of the "civil rights". However, that wasn't a "racial" reaction; that was a human reaction. The introduction of the "race" element at all in this story is probably generated by the commenters who see it in racial terms. I.e., the success of an old white guy (or Chinese lady) over some black person. I may be wrong, but I don't recall ever seeing an example of a black guy beating up a white guy that was cheered (for racial reasons . Well, that's a lie; I remember Sweet Sweetback.

But, I'm talking about "here." Yet, I should probably read the youtube comments. The longer I've been on the internet, the more I've come to see that it is probably the least representative medium. There is universal freedom of speech; however, access is not universal. Those who have access belong to the same general "class" (which is affluent enough to use the internet). Of that class, those with the loudest voices can seem to represent the largest number of people or even the majority viewpoint. Just from the perspective of martial arts, cma in particular, we know that is not true. There are very few gems and much dreck. The connection is that it is primarily those people who feel insignificant, inferior or oppressed who will rant about racism. However, if 90% of those who commented on this incident said that they were glad to see the (a) black guy get his (a) comeuppance, that wouldn't mean that most people felt that way or had the same issues. And, btw, it's not necessary to defend or explain comments. Imo, it's natural to cheer an old guy beating a younger guy; it's what everybody does tcc for, right? It's like the old legends. We love to see that.

Whats the internet name of the viking on the right?