akedm
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Manchester United is a major club. OK, we were probably not as close as we would have liked to have been but I never thought we would not win it again and the manager did not let us think that way either.
"At a club like this, you always think you will get it right one year. We managed
to do that by beating Chelsea in 2007 and we have gone on to win it again and again."
A trail of
3 pages
You're welcome NinjaNurse. 
I've enjoyed looking through the older threads, since really nothing goes out of style, and I guess I had to get my two cents off my chest too.
Sounds like you have no distractions in the ring. I'd have trepidations for two reasons, neither of them are my ego. After all you paid hard-earned money to get beat on by another student (it's in the fine print).
Ego is an excuse, but perhaps a valid one for some and for insecure people trying to do better, it may be a situation they'll have to work themselves into. Nothing wrong with trying to get over insecurities, as long as it's not 'chest-thumping' insecurities.
Anyway, for me first it's my height. I've learned to be gentle cause I grew tall, big and strong fast, but I was awkward and clumsy like it was written on my forehead. And I could knock over someone walking without knowing it. I was the standard example for show and tell by the gym teacher: 'Ok here's how you defend against the really tall guy. Tall guy come up here so I can show the class how it's done. Whack whack whack! Ok thank you tall guy.' Ugh.
I could pick up the biggest rock (boy stuff), yet I'd reach to put my arm around my date and end up clocking her upside the head with my elbow. So I kept it toned down cause of my size, strength and leverage.
So for me unless you're my height, it's ingrained and it'd be a little hard for me to go from standard operating 70% and really careful to cutting loose closer to 100% and actually wanting to make contact with you over and over. My brain would be screaming to stop! Hence the training, right? Yep!
And second there's a general mindset I think men have about violence rooted in culture and history. Men are the ones who start wars, men are the criminals, men shoot each other over anything, men rape, men are the bloodthirsty conquers in history, the dictators are men, the war criminals are men, Genghis Kahn, Pol Pok, Hitler, Saddam, Napoleon, men are by and large the violent ones ready to spill blood if need be and that's who we're expecting to face when we step up. And I think this 'memory' comes to bear like an unexpected hic-cup when faced against a woman so ready for blood (so to speak) and a look in her eye that tell us 'ready or not'. For me at least it's not in the forefront of my mind, but when some of us become aware of it, it makes us say 'whoa. This is unexpected.' Like you truly are from Venus at that moment.
For example remember when we all first heard about female suicide bombers. I know a lot of men were saying, 'What'? It took a moment to expect that of a woman. And like this female Sunday school teacher who raped and killed that 8 year-old-girl? I know most everyone men and women in the nation said, 'What? A woman?' And I know everyone tried to think back to the last time anything like that happened. If it were a man, it'd be sadly expected for the crime. None of us here would say, 'What? A man did that?'
So while my distractions wouldn't be ego they would be a distractions nonetheless, and if I were up against you Ninja, disastrous for me too.
Facing a woman like the original poster did gives most men pause the first few times I'm sure, maybe every time, for a number of reasons. I relate to his trepidation.
i very much appreciate your post, NinjaNurse! Your quote is invaluable! Thank you.
I've enjoyed looking through the older threads, since really nothing goes out of style, and I guess I had to get my two cents off my chest too.| Quote: |
| I choose to enter the ring knowing full well the risks and benefits |
Sounds like you have no distractions in the ring. I'd have trepidations for two reasons, neither of them are my ego. After all you paid hard-earned money to get beat on by another student (it's in the fine print).
Ego is an excuse, but perhaps a valid one for some and for insecure people trying to do better, it may be a situation they'll have to work themselves into. Nothing wrong with trying to get over insecurities, as long as it's not 'chest-thumping' insecurities.
Anyway, for me first it's my height. I've learned to be gentle cause I grew tall, big and strong fast, but I was awkward and clumsy like it was written on my forehead. And I could knock over someone walking without knowing it. I was the standard example for show and tell by the gym teacher: 'Ok here's how you defend against the really tall guy. Tall guy come up here so I can show the class how it's done. Whack whack whack! Ok thank you tall guy.' Ugh.
I could pick up the biggest rock (boy stuff), yet I'd reach to put my arm around my date and end up clocking her upside the head with my elbow. So I kept it toned down cause of my size, strength and leverage.So for me unless you're my height, it's ingrained and it'd be a little hard for me to go from standard operating 70% and really careful to cutting loose closer to 100% and actually wanting to make contact with you over and over. My brain would be screaming to stop! Hence the training, right?
Yep!And second there's a general mindset I think men have about violence rooted in culture and history. Men are the ones who start wars, men are the criminals, men shoot each other over anything, men rape, men are the bloodthirsty conquers in history, the dictators are men, the war criminals are men, Genghis Kahn, Pol Pok, Hitler, Saddam, Napoleon, men are by and large the violent ones ready to spill blood if need be and that's who we're expecting to face when we step up. And I think this 'memory' comes to bear like an unexpected hic-cup when faced against a woman so ready for blood (so to speak) and a look in her eye that tell us 'ready or not'. For me at least it's not in the forefront of my mind, but when some of us become aware of it, it makes us say 'whoa. This is unexpected.' Like you truly are from Venus at that moment.
For example remember when we all first heard about female suicide bombers. I know a lot of men were saying, 'What'? It took a moment to expect that of a woman. And like this female Sunday school teacher who raped and killed that 8 year-old-girl? I know most everyone men and women in the nation said, 'What? A woman?' And I know everyone tried to think back to the last time anything like that happened. If it were a man, it'd be sadly expected for the crime. None of us here would say, 'What? A man did that?'
So while my distractions wouldn't be ego they would be a distractions nonetheless, and if I were up against you Ninja, disastrous for me too.
Facing a woman like the original poster did gives most men pause the first few times I'm sure, maybe every time, for a number of reasons. I relate to his trepidation.
i very much appreciate your post, NinjaNurse! Your quote is invaluable! Thank you.
A trail of
4 pages
