Violence Geeks

Yesterday I stumbled across this site by accident and ended up reading article after article for 6 hours straight. It was like a book I couldn't put down. Everything on it is written by a guy who became a self defense instructor after spending the first 30 years of his life being a lowlife street-fighting thug, yet I was surprised at how intelligent and articulate he comes across. If you're interested in self defense, there are some interesting articles like the one on avoiding mugging (which describes the scenario where a group of teenagers tried to mug me word for word). But much more interesting than the practical tips for being safe are the articles on the criminal mindset, the crime/poverty connection, the psychology of aggressive vs. assertive behavior/communication, the differences between "Roman" and "Barbarian" concepts of acceptable behavior and the mindset of a bully and their "interview process" for selecting a victim. I really can't say enough great things about this site. It's beyond fascinating.

In particular, I enjoyed this terrific article on a group of people you'll find in the self defense/weapons training sub-culture called "violence geeks." Think adult versions of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. Apparently, there are a lot of weapons manufacturers and martial arts instructors making serious money off of these people and the author makes a great point about how irresponsible it is to enable the power fantasies of people this potentially dangerous.

There is a phenomenon out there that I call "Violence Geeks." They are a group of individuals who are fixated on the 'idea' of violence.' At the same time, they are terrified of being victims of actual violence. They are an ugly blend of anger, aggressiveness, self-loathing, fear and paranoia. On the plus side, their fear keeps them in check. On the negative side, they are a case of mens rea addressed "To whom it may concern."

With their fascination with violence, they are always looking for a guaranteed / ultimate / never-fail technique/tool / combat secret. They seek that one single item or fighting system that will stop the fantasy berserk, 350-pound biker on meth whom they fear will attack them some day. This imaginary bogey man is the excuse to equip themselves with a variety of lethal objects. The WASP -- which has no functional purpose outside their own heads -- is exactly the kind of item that attracts their dysfunctional attention.

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/violence_geeks.htm

They are a group of individuals who are fixated on the 'idea' of violence.' At the same time, they are terrified of being victims of actual violence.

Side note: this reminds me of something Flibfuck once said about Lily's rape trauma syndrome manifesting itself in her obsession sex while simultaneously being terrified of it. Interesting stuff.