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Techie Fight Clubs Springing Up
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Tue May 30, 2006 06:17 PM
from the unleashing-geek-fury dept.
from the unleashing-geek-fury dept.
Browncoat writes "USAToday reports a new phenomenon hitting some of the cubicles of Silicon Valley. It seems that engineers and developers previously confined to sitting in front of their computers are getting their anger out the healthy way: by pummeling each other. From the article 'Inspired by the 1999 film Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton, underground bare-knuckle brawling clubs have sprung up across the country as a way for desk jockeys and disgruntled youths to vent their frustrations and prove themselves. "This is as close as you can get to a real fight, even though I've never been in one," the soft-spoken Siou said.'"
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Weenie Club (Score:5, Insightful)
Aside from which, I loved how they worked in this:
Earlier this month in Arlington, Texas, a high school student who didn't want to participate was beaten so badly that he suffered a brain hemorrhage and broken vertebrae. Six teenagers were arrested after DVDs of the fight appeared for sale online.
So exactly when did "getting your ass kicked by a bunch of jerks" turn into being "an unwilling Fight Club participant"? I suppose next we'll be hearing about how Ken Lay and company were actually just repeating what they learned by watching "Wall Street" at the executive team-building offsite? Or how the well-abused Zonk and ScuttleMonkey voodoo dolls on my desk are actually just a result of my having seen part of "The Craft" one time on HBO?
No weapons! (Score:5, Insightful)
Hitting someone with a frying pan? What fool would take that?
Using your fists on someone
But using a blunt object? If you're anything other than a spaz, you'll crush a few ribs the first time you connect. Then the fights over.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Informative)
The experts know how to both hit and be hit (and are better at avoiding the hits); they take a lot less damage than novices, and unless they INTEND to deal damage, they deal less damage too.
On the flip side an expert INTENDING to deal damage will deal it a lot more effectively than a novice.
The same is generally true in most sports.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Funny)
On the flip side an expert INTENDING to deal damage will deal it a lot more effectively than a novice.
The same is generally true in most sports.
Yeah, I've noticed the same thing in golf. My father-in-law takes a whole lot less damage than my brother-in-law, in general.
They play full-contact, though, which I'm told is uncommon.
Parent
I'd say that picture was staged. (Score:4, Insightful)
If it was a straight in kick, his leg would be tangled up with his opponent's hand.
If it was a side kick, his leg would be connecting with his opponent's shoulder. Look how his kicking foot is outside of both their bodies.
Parent
Reading comprehension (Score:5, Insightful)
Extremists misinterpreting literature for ideology is hardly new, though. These people are hitting each other with heavy metal objects, they are probably addicted to the body's painkillers or the feeling their brain makes while it is being made retarded.
Parent
Re:I'd say that picture was staged. (Score:4, Funny)
Well, red-shirts get killed anyway...
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Funny)
That depends upon your class and level. I have five levels in the monk class with the shadow warrior prestige class, +3 brass knuckles of the whale, and 18/00 strength, so technically I would deal 3d6 + 3 hit points of damage and with my improved dodge feat you would not be fast enough to parry my attacks of opportunity.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Fist to skull ... (Score:5, Informative)
You are right that fist to skull contact is more likely to result in a broken hand. But orbital bones can certainly break under contact with elbow (as sometimes happens in basketball games).
The skull is NOT impenetrable. A properly swung baseball bat can easily penetrate it. More to the point, a properly swung staff or wooden sword can do the job as well. It can most certainly be accomplished with a hammer, but you'd have to be VERY skilled with a frying pan (though you could certainly kill with blunt force).
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/0
For the record, one punch can CERTAINLY kill if the person is hit in the correct way. The fact that you have not perished yet does not constitute evidence.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Insightful)
The same fool, I suppose, that would say "I'm bored, let's find some other techies and start beating the crap out of each other."
Or, I suppose, that would watch the fictional account of a character that went completely and destructively insane (but who may have, at the end of the story, "saved" himself by shooting himself in the head) and say "hey, let's imitate that."
Fight Club is a good movie. Imitating because your life is boring is, well, a sign that you need serious help.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Insightful)
But using a blunt object? If you're anything other than a spaz, you'll crush a few ribs the first time you connect. Then the fights over."
We live in a nation where 45% of eligible voters believe the world is 6000 years old and their kids think WWF wrestlers are quality role models to be emulated.... [google.com] It doesn't surprise me at all that people are smacking each other around with frying pans.
Parent
Re:No weapons! (Score:5, Insightful)
Supporting link [unl.edu], link [asa3.org], and right from the horse's mouth link [gallup.com].
Parent
Re:Weenie Club (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Repetition Club (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Repetition Club (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Dude FUCK YOU for that link (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Repetition Club (Score:5, Funny)
I am sick to death of Fight Club. People talking about it, [...]
I take it most people didn't pay attention when they were told the first and second rules.
Parent
Re:Repetition Club (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Repetition Club (Score:5, Funny)
I took your advice and began coding with my penis instead of my hands. Everyone in my office is avoiding my cubicle now. On the plus side, I finally got other people to stop using my keyboard.
Solomon
Parent
Sorry ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, "Fight Club" was about rebellion and self realization. Same thing with another movie of that time "American Beauty".
The protaginist (he has no name) is a bitch office worker who subconsciously develops an aggressive persona that manifests itself when he "sleeps". There was no homo-sexuality in the film. The only person who got fucked was Marla. The fact that men were hugging in a testicle cancer support group is meant to be farscicle.
Quit projecting.
Parent
I'm sorry, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm sorry, but... (Score:5, Funny)
It's geek fight club. There is no second rule; only a zeroth, first, and tenth rule.
Rule #0: You start counting from zero.
Rule #1: Do not talk about geek fight club.
Rule #10: Do not talk about geek fight club.
Rule #11: Only two bits to the rules.
Parent
Re:I'm sorry, but... (Score:5, Funny)
"what kind of two-bit fight club is this?"
Parent
There's no need for RL violence (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:There's no need for RL violence (Score:4, Insightful)
These guys sound like dickless morons who watch way too much UFC. The guy in the photo looks like an idiot using those Kali sticks. When using them you don't get within knee strike range, and you definitely dont try to graple in the manner he is.
In my opinion these guys need to go to a real dojo, roll with some real experts, and learn that combat for the purpose of ego masturbation is fucking pointless.
Parent
Re:There's no need for RL violence (Score:5, Funny)
Depends on how big an asshole you are.
KFG
Parent
well now (Score:4, Funny)
Unsupport claims (Score:5, Insightful)
Is this fact, or just poor reporting?
Re:Unsupport claims (Score:5, Insightful)
It is poor (though typical) reporting that these types of claims are reported simply as "so-and-so says", but it saves journalist from having to have any knowledge of or do any research in the field they are covering, they can simply find the nearest person with a degree or job in a superficially relevant field, and get a quote, and go home for the day. If they are particularly ambitious, they'll get two conflicting quotes from different experts, to show "balance".
Parent
Re:Unsupport claims (Score:4, Insightful)
The article said: Men involved in fight clubs often carry bottled-up violent impulses learned in childhood from video games, cartoons and movies, said Michael Messner, a University of Southern California sociology and gender studies professor.
DragonWriter said: It is poor (though typical) reporting that these types of claims are reported simply as "so-and-so says", but it saves journalist from having to have any knowledge of or do any research in the field they are covering, they can simply find the nearest person with a degree or job in a superficially relevant field, and get a quote, and go home for the day. If they are particularly ambitious, they'll get two conflicting quotes from different experts, to show "balance".
PCM2 said: I see. And so, in your opinion, not-poor reporting would presumably involve the reporter spending the next six years getting an advanced degree in psychiatry and then stating his own opinion?
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
I can't speak for DragonWriter, but I'd like to see evidence for a wild claim like that. Perhaps a reference to a peer-reviewed study. I don't have much respect for sociologists or gender studies professors. I can't think off-hand how to perform a well-controlled experiment that would determine if what this guy said is true, so I bet he couldn't either.
Parent
Re:Unsupport claims (Score:5, Interesting)
There was violence before TV and Games and Movies.
There were farm boys who grew up in peaceful farms that never heard a shot fired in anger or had a punch thrown whom grew up to be Soldiers. There were gun deaths that had nothing to do with Grand Theft Auto.
The reporter (or more likely editor) is a PC fool whom doesn't realize the simple basic truth. Violent Video games save us from wayyyyyy more random acts of violence then they do encourage them. Anyone whose actually played the things in a bad mood knows what I'm talking about. The simulation is a cathartic. The bad date or club cockteases have made plenty a man hate women, if only for a bit. Killing a whore in GTA lets you get the release and satisfaction without actually hurting a human being.
I guess too many of these folks are naive and really believe everything is sunshine and lollypops and don't understand the dark sides we all have. The side that comes out when we get cut off in traffic, the side that wants to slap everyone with a stupid answer. The part of us deep down that wants to be a Viking and Rape, Pillage and Burn. Or they might know they have such a side, but their own morality is such that they can not admit such a side exists.
Parent
Re:Unsupport claims (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Unsupport claims (Score:5, Insightful)
Read:
Men involved in fight clubs often carry bottled-up violent impulses learned in childhood from jocks, jerks and bullies, said Michael Messner, a University of Southern California sociology and gender studies professor, who got the sh*t kicked out of him every day for wanting to be a gender studies professor.
Parent
Psh, that's nothing (Score:3, Funny)
I hate people (Score:5, Funny)
Dear Michael Messner,
Please accept this large steaming cup of shut the hell up.
Sincerely,
BigTanGringo
Rubber gloves...? (Score:5, Funny)
Anyway, my favorite part is the two professors eagerly spouting theories about "fight clubs" as though they'd ever heard of this before the USA Today reporter came calling.
No, my real favorite part is:
Fast forward to Marital Fight Club...Utopian Nostalgia (Score:5, Insightful)
Hopefully we can someday return to the world where none of thoseexisted, and men never fought each other.
Re:Utopian Nostalgia (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Obligatory. (Score:5, Funny)
His name is Linus Torvalds.
Consumerism (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, buy things like the Fight Club DVD, you sheep. Some people, if worried about excessive consumerism, would stop buying shit.
Videogames. Always videogames. I'm surprised he hasn't blamed myspace.
"The freedom to do what we want to do" (Score:5, Insightful)
And that is beating each other up? Idiots...
"Superhero for a night" (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
if elif fi (Score:5, Funny)
20 REM packetmon
30 FOR X=10 TO 1 STEP -1
40 PRINT X;"Oh yea";
50 IF X<>1 THEN PRINT "!";
60 PRINT "take that,";X;"jackass";
70 IF X<>1 THEN PRINT "!";
80 PRINT "give in!"
90 NEXT
MAYBE the reason Fight Club is so copied... (Score:5, Interesting)
And talk about a way to find out - if it's either kick some tail or get yours kicked in for you, I think that almost everyone would go into a full on a$$ kicking mode. At that point, it's the better man that wins but either way you're gonna push yourself harder than posting comments on a web site.
For the office warrior who never got into a fight in his life, I can easily see this as thrilling beyond compare.
I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, and there should probably be some safeguards put into this as even the UFC has rounds and referees to stop fights when it's clear that 1 person is taking too much of a beating, but I get it.
Pictures from the fight (Score:5, Funny)
Exclusive pictures [jlarocco.net] from one of the fights.
The first rule of fight like a girl club is... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The first thing about dork club... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:IMHO... (Score:4, Interesting)
As for techies being smarter than the majority? Not really. They are more capable of more focused, dedicated tasks. They are able to expend all their energies concentrating on a singular task. This makes them ideal for jobs where this is required. Coding is one of them. Design in general, really. You've got to be completely dedicated to truely get something right. Or even half right. That doesn't, inherantly, make someone smarter. I've met some brick stupid techies.
As far as the 'evil' bit? I agree. It's why I'm not involved in corporate americ (or any other nation's version of same) any longer, and why I personally find this rather needless, mindless, and sad. But I can't just step in and say 'that person is doing something stupid' without justification, because frankly, I tell people who do that to me off, and go on with my life. And I'm not really intrested in posting such justification on, ya know, slashdot. I mean, c'mon. Slashdot. The majority of the people reading this have already made up their minds anyway.
Parent