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Old 03-15-2007, 10:10 AM   #26
johnpetty
Dojo: Green River Aikido
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Re: intimidation

This is my first post to this forum. I registered because I wanted to comment on Sensei Ledyard's post. I work as a forensic evaluator for Corrections in my state's prisons. Mostly I evaluate sex offenders, but I have on occasion also evaluated violent offenders such as persons convicted of aggravated domestic assault, murder, kidnapping, arson, etc. I wanted to build off what Sensei Ledyard mentioned. But first I need to assign some definitions, so please bear with me. In the ‘20s, career criminals were labeled "psychopaths," but in the ‘50s such individuals were labeled "sociopaths." Currently they would most likely fit the diagnosis of "Antisocial Personality Disorder." Such individuals are basically career criminals.

However, nowadays about 15% of the world's total population can be classified by a much different definition of the term psychopath. Briefly, psychopaths are responsible for most of the violent crime, do not tend to benefit from treatment, and have shorter "survival time" on the streets with higher recidivism rates than non-psychopaths. Dr. Robert Hare's prototypical psychopath can best be described by the following. "Such individuals are perceived as glib and having a superficial charm. They exhibit a grandiose sense of self-worth. They use pathological lying, conning and manipulation to achieve their goals. They exhibit a lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect, and a callous lack of empathy in their interactions with others. They fail to accept responsibility for their own behaviors. Their lifestyles are characterized as chronically unstable, antisocial, and socially deviant. Such individuals crave stimulation. They have poor behavioral controls, which often first became apparent at an early age, frequently including juvenile delinquency. They live a parasitic, aimless, impulsive, and irresponsible lifestyle. Such individuals frequently have had conditional releases revoked. They are at high risk for alcohol and substance abuse."

There have been several interesting studies involving psychopathy. A 1992 study of wife batterers by Dutton identified 30% of the sample as psychopaths. The participants were observed/monitored during arguments with their spouses. Psychopaths demonstrated decreased heart rate during arguments, did not become emotionally aroused, but tended to focus on the spouse, much as a reptile locked its focus onto its prey before it strikes.

A 1991 laboratory study on psychopathy and affect by Williamson, Harpur, and Hare studied subjects from a Bronx Veteran's Administration substance abuse program. They were injected with cerebral tracers and underwent computer imaging while being tested using lexical decisions in left and right ventricles. Huh???? That means they sat in front of two computer screens with each eye only being able to view one of the screens. They viewed various combinations of letters on the left side and numbers on the right. When an emotional word was spelled out on the left side (such as SAD), they were to click the mouse (with the right hand I believe). The psychopaths had the slowest reactions times. Meanwhile CAT scans were looking down on the subject's brain. All subjects demonstrated increased activity in the basic limbic system—the primitive brain sitting on top of the brain stem, but non-psychopaths also indicated significant activity in the cerebrum—the higher order part of the brain, dealing with language for example. These findings suggest psychopaths may view emotions much like a foreign language.

Another well-known psychologist in the violent/sexual offenders research/treatment field, Dr. Vernon Quinsey, referred to studies of Norse and Icelandic histories which referenced Kings employing "Berserkers." Berserkers were the wild men portrayed as fearless fighters, foaming at the mouth and biting their shields. Someone you wanted on your side in a battle, not having to battle against. In those histories, if someone killed a family relative, it was expected that you either killed your relative's killer or accepted a "blood payment." In researching the histories, it was possible to determine who the berserkers were. When a berserker killed one of your relatives, you accepted the blood payment. Dr. Quinsey suggested that psychopathy was an advantage within an ancestral environment--as long as everyone wasn't a psychopath. [Kind of a "wolf among sheep."]

So yes, there are people out there that qualify as psychopaths—read predator. They are violent, often substance involved, and they see everyone other than themselves basically as sub-human.

Hope this wasn't too boring.
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Old 03-15-2007, 02:48 PM   #27
mikebalko
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Re: intimidation

I find it fascinating that the traits and abilities being described such as
-Being calm, centered, calculating and focused in conflict, exhibiting a lack of "morality", emotional attachment, fear, guilt, remorse, concern for future consequences of your actions or whether you survive at all as long as you take your enemies with you.

-Living your life as if wishing to die violently in combat at a relatively young age (gyuk sai) for the honour of your family/clan V.S. wasting away from a disease as a senior citizen.

as being part of a "psychopath's" psychological make up are almost identical to the descriptions of the ideal sought by the feudal samurai through asceticism, meditation and martial arts practice.

Interesting how some modern westerners label a person who is naturally this way as a deviant while not so long ago the elite of Japan dedicated their lives to emulating such a person.

P.S.

Has anyone else noticed a striking similarity between the gestures and hand signals used by modern day street gangs and the mudra practiced as part of koryu? I find it bizarre that uneducated gang members would adopt such an affectation in a similarly high stress environment without any historical or spiritual knowledge of its origins.

http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resour...s/menu_002.htm

http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/i...otal_notices=2

http://www.furyu.com/onlinearticles/mudra.html

Another parallel would be ancient Japanese sword worship and "gun culture" as reflected in modern urban music.
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Old 03-15-2007, 03:30 PM   #28
gdandscompserv
 
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Mike Balko wrote: View Post
I find it fascinating that the traits and abilities being described such as
-Being calm, centered, calculating and focused in conflict, exhibiting a lack of "morality", emotional attachment, fear, guilt, remorse, concern for future consequences of your actions or whether you survive at all as long as you take your enemies with you.

-Living your life as if wishing to die violently in combat at a relatively young age (gyuk sai) for the honour of your family/clan V.S. wasting away from a disease as a senior citizen.

as being part of a "psychopath's" psychological make up are almost identical to the descriptions of the ideal sought by the feudal samurai through asceticism, meditation and martial arts practice.

Interesting how some modern westerners label a person who is naturally this way as a deviant while not so long ago the elite of Japan dedicated their lives to emulating such a person.

P.S.

Has anyone else noticed a striking similarity between the gestures and hand signals used by modern day street gangs and the mudra practiced as part of koryu? I find it bizarre that uneducated gang members would adopt such an affectation in a similarly high stress environment without any historical or spiritual knowledge of its origins.

http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resour...s/menu_002.htm

http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/i...otal_notices=2

http://www.furyu.com/onlinearticles/mudra.html

Another parallel would be ancient Japanese sword worship and "gun culture" as reflected in modern urban music.
Certainly makes one think.
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Old 03-16-2007, 01:59 AM   #29
Lorien Lowe
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Jim Baker wrote: View Post
A woman was taking a Japanese Shihan's seminar somewhere in the USA. She heard him say, "Aikido should be done with arrogance!". It was a bit shocking to her, but, as it was his seminar, she decided to give it a try. It worked wonderfully. Her techniques started to flow. She felt really in charge and everything went great. After the class, she went to her Sensei and told him about her breakthrough. He looked at her and said, "He said that Aikido should be done with elegance.".
I am soo going to pass this on!
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Old 03-16-2007, 03:05 AM   #30
Charles Hill
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
John Petty wrote: View Post
Hope this wasn't too boring.
This was an excellent, informative post. I sincerely hope you continue to post here. I would greatly appreciate any advice as to how to deepen my understanding of the topic you wrote about, any books, websites, etc?

Charles
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Old 03-16-2007, 02:16 PM   #31
willy_lee
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Mike Balko wrote: View Post
I find it fascinating that the traits and abilities being described ...
as being part of a "psychopath's" psychological make up are almost identical to the descriptions of the ideal sought by the feudal samurai through asceticism, meditation and martial arts practice.

Interesting how some modern westerners label a person who is naturally this way as a deviant while not so long ago the elite of Japan dedicated their lives to emulating such a person.
Ellis Amdur has written about this. Definitely something to think about, long and hard. Also interesting to read about the issues that soldiers have with their home lives when they return from what used be just called "the wars".

Quote:
Has anyone else noticed a striking similarity between the gestures and hand signals used by modern day street gangs and the mudra practiced as part of koryu? I find it bizarre that uneducated gang members would adopt such an affectation in a similarly high stress environment without any historical or spiritual knowledge of its origins.
I like this guy's art a lot:
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~tenmyoya/art_new/akumyou2.html

=wl

Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
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Old 03-16-2007, 03:11 PM   #32
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Jim Baker wrote: View Post
A woman was taking a Japanese Shihan's seminar somewhere in the USA. She heard him say, "Aikido should be done with arrogance!". It was a bit shocking to her, but, as it was his seminar, she decided to give it a try. It worked wonderfully. Her techniques started to flow. She felt really in charge and everything went great. After the class, she went to her Sensei and told him about her breakthrough. He looked at her and said, "He said that Aikido should be done with elegance.".
IMHO, true elegance can be very intimidating. There is an internal intent and intensity that make makes it all look easy. What looks like arrogance to one (fear based) may appear as elegance to another (love based). Its all in the eye of the beholder.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 03-16-2007, 03:20 PM   #33
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
John Petty wrote: View Post
In the ‘20s, career criminals were labeled "psychopaths," but in the ‘50s such individuals were labeled "sociopaths." Currently they would most likely fit the diagnosis of "Antisocial Personality Disorder." Such individuals are basically career criminals.
Or politicians. Ops, same thing. :-)

IMHO, while it is easy to draws some general parallels sequentially between these labels, it would be wise to not to mix the labels/definitions as if interchangeable. The 11 different DSM-IV-TR Axis II personality disorders are very specific.

But, be afraid, be very afraid.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 03-17-2007, 10:32 AM   #34
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Re: intimidation

Kept thinking, IMHO, an internal frame of reference as elegance or arrogance, will certainly make a difference in execution. Ki often follows intent.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 03-18-2007, 06:56 AM   #35
johnpetty
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Re: intimidation

I disagree with Mr. Balko's comparision of feudal samurai with psychopathy. Granted I am no expert in samurai. I agree that both may share some characteristics such as lack of empathy/callousness--as in when testing the sharpness of one's sword on peasants, but I believe characteristics such as loyalty to one's lord, duty, budo as a purpose of life, and acceptance of responsibility would not be consistent with psychopathy. Also, my image of a samurai would not include characteristics such as pathological lying, conning/manipulativeness, early behavioral problems, or engaging in a wide range of various types of criminal activity. A samurai was an efficient instrument of his time.

My original reference to psychopathy in this post was to underscore that there are some individuals out there that for whatever reason may choose to focus their malevolence on you. Posturing in response to some such individuals could be a very bad decision unless one feels confident in a melee situation. One cannot easily make an assessment which persons those are.

I have been in a few situations outside of a work environment where most likely the other person would have come out rather high on the psychopathy scale. Where neither me or mine nor some other individual was the immediate focus, I moved to the periphery. In one emergency mental health situation where I was most certainly the focus, and the other man was bigger, drugged, and pulled a box cutter, (about five years before I began studying aikido), I can now see that I used verbal aikido to blend, deflect aggression, and take over the center. I then exited and contacted the police. Four of whom responded in an extremely professional and competent manner. Ultimately no one was seriously hurt.

I study aikido, not aikijutsu. Aikido has helped me with getting more out of my head, improved my balance and movement, self-confidence, and has increased my "spider sense" of potential dangers on my periphery. Mostly I would look to extricate myself from impending violence, but if I could not, I would not feel panicked. That's all I can say.
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Old 03-20-2007, 01:42 PM   #36
mikebalko
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
John Petty wrote: View Post
I disagree with Mr. Balko's comparision of feudal samurai with psychopathy. Granted I am no expert in samurai. I agree that both may share some characteristics such as lack of empathy/callousness--as in when testing the sharpness of one's sword on peasants, but I believe characteristics such as loyalty to one's lord, duty, budo as a purpose of life, and acceptance of responsibility would not be consistent with psychopathy. Also, my image of a samurai would not include characteristics such as pathological lying, conning/manipulativeness, early behavioral problems, or engaging in a wide range of various types of criminal activity. A samurai was an efficient instrument of his time.

.
Would you label me a psychopath if I tested the sharpness of my blade on an innocent person? Loyalty to one's superior is still a part of modern day organized crime families, all of which employ total psychos. Regarding duty, in the Cosa Nostra when someone is marked for death a brother or childhood friend is often sent. I'm not sure that the path the feudal era samurai followed could be classified as budo in the modern sense of the word. I found that in researching the power struggles and conflicts of the time the romantic image of the samurai held by most was inaccurate.Cunning, manipulativeness and treachery, especially when one found himself on the losing side were not only common but often decided the outcome of the battle.The violent training engaged in by samurai children would be considered early beahavioral problems today, which explains the dojo/daycare phenomenon. Feudalism = survival through criminal activity, mainly extortion and murder. A samurai was an efficient instrument, much like someone who collects a debt or does a hit for a gang, or a cop or soldier who provides muscle for those politicians Lynn mentioned to profit is an efficient instrument.

Last edited by mikebalko : 03-20-2007 at 01:47 PM.
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Old 03-26-2007, 04:37 PM   #37
ryujin
 
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Re: intimidation

There is a lot of good tidbits here,

I worked as a bouncer for year to earn extra cash and getting to see some good bands for free didn't hurt. When confronting people who where acting inappropriately I was very nice to them. They would try to intimidate, puff out their chest, swear, yell and all that, but in the end, treating them nicely brought them back down and they would leave on their own two feet. I even had a few people come back the next day and thank me for being nice. I'd say this worked on about 99% of them.

A good choke hold worked on the other 1%.

Carl Bilodeau
Jiyūshin-ryū AikiBudō
Renshinkan

"Yield to temptation — it may not pass your way again." - Robert Heinlein
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Old 05-08-2009, 02:33 PM   #38
Phil Van Treese
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Smile Re: intimidation

Personally, I don't make eye to eye contact with someone that is "staring me down" but I do use my periphial (sp?) vision to keep my eye on him. If he approaches me, I have my spots picked out. Sometimes you can avoid confrontation by just leaving the area. Try to avoid a confrontation but if you can't, teach him aikido!!!!!
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Old 05-10-2009, 03:28 PM   #39
Suru
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Re: intimidation

I read in one of William Reed's or Kochi Tohei's books that when stared down, gaze at the middle of the other's forehead, just above the eyes. The person will soon lose interest.

I've done this successfully twice that I can recall, and it has worked like a charm. Perhaps it somehow unnerves the aggressor and makes him want to look elsewhere.

Now, this might not apply so perfectly to someone who is truly, aggressively psychotic, but like I said, I've had success with it. As far as psycho- and sociopaths, they make up 1% and 3% of the population, respectively. When I lived in St. Pete a couple years ago, I was on a poetry crusade and this is one I wrote back then. Psychologists believe there is no hope for these people, and they could be correct indeed. Sometimes I find it easy, and sometimes I find it difficult, to think they have any hope...I just try to believe that everyone has Buddha-nature, or inner-perfection corroded by ignorance.

Sociopathogen

Armed with charm
And replete with deceit,
Those without conscience
Most certainly exist.
Psychologists call them sociopaths,
And folklore names them vampires.
Their sinking of fangs into throats
Is their sapping of positive thought,
To convert the insecure to darkness.
Indeed an infectious disease—a contagion—is among us.
Established deeply and snowballing over time
Is their illusory dichotomous mentality:
Power versus weakness.
Their only cure resides in recognition of self-wrongfulness.
Precious few who seek healing survive—with anguish they comprehend
How many moments they have envenomed others,
As they bear a slowly melting iceberg of shame immeasurable.
But he who succeeds in thawing this burden,
And freeing himself from antisocial chains,
Will be showered in respect to an extent he never dreamt.

Drew
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Old 10-16-2009, 03:17 AM   #40
Jamie Barthelemy
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Re: intimidation

this is a great topic! even if it is old I would like to put mah two cents in please. =)

when i was a little kid i was a mean kid so i kind of think of intimidation differently.
when someone is trying to intimidate you, they are probably also trying to work themselves up.
the thing that has worked for me through many situations is to just be in control of whats going on..
if some one says something negative to you..

honestly question it, like a child would. try to ask them if ther is a problem and express your apology for whatever you have done ( even if you were minding your own.) remember, saying or doing ANYTHING out of ego is just proof that you want a fight.

its very hard to get over some of the feelings that come from being intimidated, or worse, bullied, but you must tell yourself the truth, which is that you are both humans and if there is a problem then it behooves you to dissolve it.

if this person is only trying to mess with your head then you should be able to pick up on that in a conversation.

if this person is truly looking for a fight and you can avoid it.. then avoid it..

if at anytime something escalates to a physical confrontation then remember to keep yourself in check,.. until he/she tries to harm you, in which case,
keep your head up, your chin down, and have no doubts that you will laugh at the end of the day XD
let me use some smileys to illustrate how i feel about violence.

if you think you are gonna get picked on, you will likely feel , or , or even .... but don't worry, because take it from someone who has had their fare share of pain from other people. you will never actually feel like . that person or persons is/are only human.

but if you let them control your mindset with negativity, then later you will be. then.. then and then

sorry for the ramble.. i guess what i mean from all this is STAY
i hope this made at least a tiny bit of sense.
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Old 10-16-2009, 11:04 AM   #41
jonreading
 
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
what is the best action to take if someone is deliberately trying to intimidatte you eg staring etc
and is defiinitiely looking for trouble
and how can you help stop yourself becoming intimidated by them
Similar to other posts, you have to assess whether the intimidation is social or predetory. I think Ledyard Sensei has some better terminolgy...

I remember several incidents that involved predetory behavior. In those cases the intimidation engagement was entriely distraction while other persons moved into an attack position. After a few of these "jumpings" I learned quickly not to focus on a single individual but use a more peripheral view. Also, I was "chosen" to be jumped, and my actions did not cause the group to abort the intended plan.

On the other hand, the social intimidation (classic bully) situations I encountered did not require a guarded fight position, but rather a non-intimidated response to demostrate the intimidation was ineffective.
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Old 11-04-2009, 11:08 AM   #42
Darren Bannister
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Re: intimidation

What to do when intimidated? This is a tricky question that reaches far beyond just Aikido. when looking at some of the other responses it is clear that what you do is a very individualized decision.

For me I see intimidation tactics daily in what I do for a living and as such can't give into these tactics. Each case is different whereby some are best tackled head on and drawing the proverbial line in the sand for your aggressor never to cross. Other cases require a kid glove like approach. Regardless of the situation, it is normal to have your heart in your throat and be scared as heck, overcomming this is a victory in it's self.

At the end of the day dealing with intimidation requires that you have the where with all to know what your limits and or boundries are. Don't get in over your head.
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Old 02-10-2010, 09:06 AM   #43
Tim Gerrard
 
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Re: intimidation

To paraphrase a Yoshinken Sensei (apologies I forget his name)

A martial artist goes through 3 stages:
1. "I wonder if I could beat him in a fight"
2. "What would I do if he attacked with a particular technique"
3. "Give it your best shot."

So my advice is, if you're confident enough in your training acknowledge them in a friendly manner, but be prepared to choose your battle and keep an eye on possible escape routes!

Aikido doesn't work? My Aikido works, what on earth are you practicing?!
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Old 02-15-2010, 11:25 AM   #44
George S. Ledyard
 
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Ian Dodkins wrote: View Post
On a more practical level, ignore eye contact (unless you want a fight), but don't shy away - just get on with what you are doing. Interestingly with many animals, often strong males will make eye contact which may be a precursor to a fight. However, a child can make prolonged eye contact with a adult male and the male will just ignore it (because it isn't even considered a threat)..
Most predatory types are opportunists. In other words they are looking for the weak one in the heard. If someone has enough "juice" to scare you, don't look in his eye. O-Sensei warned the young deshi about this. He said something along the lines of do not look your opponent in the eye as he will steal your spirit.

On the other hand, what did O-Sensei do? He looked them in the eye and stole their spirit. This is why I have my students look at their partners eyes so they can learn to do this. One can always choose not to based on the situation.

Two things are usually present for the predatory type to decide to make his move. a) you don't look like you are paying attention, so he feels he can "ambush" you, and b) you look scared when he puts off his aggressive vibes. So, let him know that you are, in fact, aware of what might be comi9ng and aren't "open". This can be done by assuming a strong integrated posture, preferably not an aggressive stance and making sure the potential aggressor knows you are aware of him. Also, if you can pull it off while being calm and not fearful, do look him in the eye. Most of these guys are used to being aggressive and expect to see fear when they try to intimidate. When fear isn't present it tells them something isn't right about their plan.

However, it is very important to not be aggressive yourself when doing this. If you make it impossible for him to back off without losing face, in his own mid or with his buddies, he will almost certainly attack and now he knows you know something.

An alternative is the opposite. You pretend you are not aware of him, don't make eye contact, and let him think he has you and then decisively end it.

You have to know in advance what your options are so that you can make the best decisions "in the instant". There's no set approach and faking it won't work. Any good predator can see through that. If you don't have any technique behind you, as Lynn S pointed out, then you'd better jsut get away fast because you will not be able to stand there without being afraid and without being aggressive.

George S. Ledyard
Aikido Eastside
Bellevue, WA
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Old 03-15-2010, 03:39 PM   #45
MarkWatson
 
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Re: intimidation

Hi Folks.

I'd just like to start off by saying I am a 17 yr old male living in West Scotland (murder capital, yet the friendliest city in Europe, past me :P) and I look like a tall, beefy guy with one of those faces that people seem to dislike ( bare with me here folks I am going somewhere with this:P ).

I am one for the intellectual approach to things with some logic thrown in there for good measure but growing up in today's society in the 'playstation generation' intellectualism has no place when dealing with Brutes and quite frankly, societies parasites.

Through my personal experiences, when feeling intimidated, be intimidating. Don't let your self be intimidated. Combative psychology Hints on this I believe. Dont think about how someone is going to hurt you but how your going to slam him into the ground. This is now the Aikido way i know and i do feel guilty writing what i am but this is what i believe. I also believe that if someone is adamant about hurting you, Iwama Ryu Aikido which i practice is not practical. The morals and beliefs it instills in you however is something i believe that all of society could use.
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Old 03-16-2010, 07:01 AM   #46
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Re: intimidation

Quote:
Mark Watson wrote: View Post
This is now the Aikido way
EDIT ****

I meant to say this is NOT the Aikido way.

Apologies
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Old 07-26-2011, 10:04 AM   #47
genin
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Re: intimidation

Typically most fights are started by aggressive, type A males. Usually it's mainly intimidation as much as anything else, as NOBODY wants to end up in jail for brawling in public. So guys like this will often puff up and make a lot of noise, but rarely will they initiate the violence.

Now saying these things might very well get you fought, so be careful. But if they are looking at you crazy, then say something to you like "What you looking at son!?" You can reply, "OHHHH, your're a tough guy. That's what this is. For a minute I thought you were gay and were hitting on me." They really hate that one.

Then if you get a guy who gets real aggressive and in your face, calling you names and what not, just assume you'll be fighting soon and take your fighting stance. Then no matter what he says next, say: "Then do something coward." And just repeat that over and over again, letting him know that he is a coward until he either fights you, or walks away and shuts up.

It may seem like these things would incite someone to violence, but it is actually used to make peope look and feel stupid. Most guys aren't going to fight, but many will bark and pound their chests in order to try to intimidate you and make themselves look cool. You have to remind them that it's all talk and all show if they are not willing to combat you over it.
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Old 11-22-2011, 12:49 AM   #48
Aikironin21
Dojo: Aikido of Solano
Location: Vacaville California
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Re: intimidation

I don't know if you can "keep from being intimidated". I mean, you're either intimidated or you're not, right?

So am I to be considered a psychopath, because I have no adrenaline rush and actually get calmer as things get chaotic? The last Yard riot I was involved in, many said they thought we were conducting a drill because my voice was so calm. When incidences occur I usually take control, because I seem to be able to think more clear and slow everybody down.

When the average street thug is staring you down (mad dogging), it is commonly accepted that he who reacts first is the (punk). If you laugh, you lose. If you look away, you lose. If you talk, you lose. You really do have to work or live around these types to understand what is going on with them. The thug isn't staring at you to provoke you. He is trying to assert his dominance and let you know he is top dog on that train or wherever. It's a facade. The guys that are really about it, wont even acknowledge you and would prefer to be unnoticed in most social situations. Maintaining eye contact isn't really disrespect. When violence follows the mug session, it's usually associated with some sort of disrespect after. The guy that couldn't hang does something to mask his insecurity with a gesture and the peeing contest is on till one or both escalates to violence to preserve his standing or save face. I have never broke eye contact even on the street with the thug type. My mother has always said I don't look at, but through people though.That's just my normal gaze. I also have a facial tick that causes one cheek to spasm which makes on of my eyes seem to close intermittently. I guess it can be a little off putting to someone trying to stare me down.
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Old 11-22-2011, 02:48 AM   #49
gates
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 193
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Re: intimidation

Simple just use your inner Jedi like Derren Brown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEuKgEjwi6A

Enjoy the journey
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Old 11-22-2011, 03:27 AM   #50
Demetrio Cereijo
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,248
Spain
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Wink Re: intimidation

Quote:
Keith Gates wrote: View Post
Simple just use your inner Jedi like Derren Brown:
And if that doesnt work, then punch him:

Derren Brown - Mind Controlling Punch
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