I don't think so—at least not to that extent... though trends have always existed everywhere.
Back during that era in the 90s and early 2000s, those of us in the metal scene were in a bit of a transitional phase, I suppose. We weren't aggressive or destructive, but we weren't nerds either. Regarding the topic, quite a few people from the opposing crowds actually seemed pretty friendly toward us. I remember once on a subway, we got cornered by some drunk guys from the South, and they just deadpanned a whole speech about how they used to be just like us before they "settled down," blah, blah...
In the end, they apologized for the intrusion and went on their way. Imagine the chaos if we had been, say, goths instead... 😬
Later on, seeing old crew members around Apple, Sound, or maybe even Moćvar—it was somewhat sad, because they had turned into such soft nerds. But I suppose everything eventually drifts in that direction—including dirty metal. 🤷
bluemason3 As requested: There is nothing quite like being completely uninvolved and having absolutely zero dealings with idiots... 😬
Absolutely... 🙂 My circle from my old heavy metal days was generally peaceful. We rarely clashed with anyone else—not even the punks or the grease monkeys, who were a whole different breed back in the late 90s over in the States...
There were a few isolated incidents, of course, but they remained largely sporadic... Fortunately, they were easily managed—either through a tactical retreat or a blitzkrieg... ☕
Regarding those recent clips, I was mostly focusing on the technical application of martial arts and sports within the context of street fights—those unpredictable encounters you typically see out in public. It felt like things were relatively manageable during the mid-to-late 90s, though the volatility gradually subsided as the environment became more stabilized... more or less. My own limited understanding of certain combat principles at the time wasn't entirely misplaced, actually...
As for how those situations unfolded, that's a long story, given that I found myself in similar scrapes quite often—perhaps five to ten times during that specific era. In my experience, there are no rules to follow... neither regarding how an altercation begins, nor how it progresses, or how it eventually ends...
There are plenty of them out there... whether they are staged or not, they do a decent job of demonstrating specific combat principles in street scenarios.
I certainly agree... it is quite fascinating how discussions like this always seem to veer off course. 🤔
In my capacity as a coach, I frequently encounter similar inquiries—from parents, students, and the merely curious alike. There is also a certain crowd that regularly sends me these absurd videos, asking for my professional take, or simply insisting that one specific style is superior to another, regardless of the terminology used. The sheer level of superficiality and lack of logical reasoning is staggering, to say nothing of the complete misunderstanding of the subject matter.
Yet, when it comes time to actually put in the work—say, when I call them for a session or invite them to a colleague's local gym, for instance—they are nowhere to be found. Suddenly, everyone is far too busy studying or managing some urgent, unavoidable obligation. 🤦
One would assume that having everything at their fingertips would encourage people to observe more closely and think critically... especially since the era of mystique surrounding certain skills and the eccentric characters who once inhabited the obscure world of martial arts has long passed. One might hope that reality would breed quality... however, as time goes on, I am increasingly convinced that won't happen.
They are still peddling knife defense, self-defense for women, black belts for kids, tactical courses for adults... and so on. Meh.
Personally, I believe situational awareness, (meaning an awareness of your surroundings and space) is the absolute first rule of any self-defense scenario. The second would be understanding combat principles.
Street encounters generally lack rules; they are usually sudden, dirty, chaotic, and incredibly fast. That is precisely where "awareness" proves most useful—as for whether running is the right move or something else... that is a different conversation entirely.
Regarding specific exercises or skills—sparring is mandatory. There is simply no other way within a training environment to teach someone how to handle stress and the actual reality of a fight. All that nonsense about leverage or supposedly superior, if not lethal, "techniques" is mostly just total nonsense that bears little relation to reality.
Specifically, I would recommend classic boxing or kickboxing—not necessarily for the striking alone, but because I consider it an excellent foundational combat base that everyone should know. Ground fighting is certainly not an option on the street, though knowing some basic wrestling or even Judo principles wouldn't hurt. The old schools of Taekwondo were also quite good, but unfortunately, those don't exist anymore.
Overall, there is no deep philosophy involved... if you intend to be even remotely prepared for a fight, the only way is to actually train for it. (training with real sparring, rather than some imagined or choreographed performance).
Anything else is usually counterproductive and dangerous. ☕
I would suggest including some cloud options, such as Google Drive or Mega... It is true that most of them offer about 15GB in their free tiers, but if you use Xali to combine them, you can actually stack quite a bit of space together.
Yes, these people over at Pride.com are truly one-of-a-kind weirdos... If I didn't have an insider colleague, I wouldn't even give them a second glance. 🙄
I consider myself a fairly grounded individual, leaning toward a certain positive pragmatism. 🤔 Yes, I have a healthy sense of self-regard, which essentially means I try to be selective about where I direct my attention whenever possible. As for those things dictated by pure chance—I usually don't bother reacting, as wasting energy on variables beyond my control seems quite pointless. I went through the wringer relatively early in life, and since it was a long process, I believe much of my outlook was settled back then...
Am I an antisocial misanthrope? Not exactly a fan of large crowds, though I certainly have nothing against those who are.
Do I think the world has become completely distorted and ugly? I certainly do—but rather than obsessing over it, I prefer focusing on making my own corner of it better.
There is no such thing as "unrealistic" martial arts... it all comes down to the individual. The point isn't merely the combat aspect—it is primarily about proper physical and mental development.
At my gym, I teach the kids first that the goal of training isn't fighting, but rather conflict avoidance and self-mastery. Furthermore, one must consider how dangerous it is to apply techniques learned in training to real-world situations, the consequences thereof, and ultimately, the responsibility of the practitioner... ☕
The situation is straightforward: my job requires me to acquire a full Meta Quest setup, along with any necessary PC upgrades to ensure everything runs smoothly. While I am involved in VR game development, I haven't personally delved much into this hardware until now... I only know the basics.
For context, my current specs are:
i5 4460 GTX 960 4GB 256 SSD 16GB DDR3 W10
A decent configuration by local standards, though likely outdated by a few years. 👍
I recall the minimum requirement for Meta being an RTX 3060, but I am unsure if those standards have shifted recently... :ne znam:
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regarding the budget, it isn't strictly fixed—though I certainly don't intend to sell a kidney to afford this.
I assume a Meta Quest kit might run around $500... $2000 and perhaps an upgrade would cost another $2,000 to $3,000?
As a freelancer, I find living in a quiet rural area near the Ski border and Canada quite ideal. On the other hand, I can be in Belgrade, Washington, D.C., or at the coast within just a few hours... ☕
My sister lives in New York City, and her husband is Italian. (His mother is from Alabama, while his father is from New York)|| I spent quite a bit of time out there... and I know plenty of Italians.
No, I wouldn't say they are all that different from us in that regard. While their diet certainly differs from ours, there isn't anything particularly "exotic" about it. 🤷