A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a strong-arm robber hereby, known as SAR , and a crack dealer hereby known as CD. As usual, in these types of situations, the topic of violence came up, and you would have thought that these two were about to give their doctoral dissertation on the “art of throwing hands.”

I’m seated with SAR standing in front of me. He is talking about some of the latest beef going on in his life, gesticulating wildly but non-threatening. This causes CD to “awaken”…

———-

CD – Oooooh, you got them hands?!?

SAR – Bruh, come on bruh…

CD – Come on, bruh. What you got?

This goading went on for a minute.  CD was emphatic that SAR knew how to fight simply by how he was gesticulating as he spoke. Shortly though… the crack demons answered CO’S prayers as SAR decided to show us his GUARANTEED fight winner.

SAR – Bruh, you know now n****s throw them hooks like this? 

(Proceeds to throw the biggest, widest, loopingest hooks i have ever seen)

SAR – (cont) All you gotta do is this.

(SAR proceeded to squat down, ass to grass, and then jump up with some Sagat ass Tiger Upper-cut)

SAR – (cont) Them n****s throw them hooks, they don’t see me down there. N****s always throw hooks, so I drop down and do my uppercut.

———-

I was beside myself. Neither of these cats knew how to fight. They both led lives that kept them 10 toes down in the street, but nobody had taught them anything? They’ve been in the system how long and have picked up nothing?

Should I be surprised, though? Since 2005, Worldstar has been providing us with the finest street fighting videos available. Do folks really see these videos and think, “Yup… that’s what I’m gonna do” and then proceed to throw to Taebo looking hooks.

What happened to older heads teaching the younger cats how to fight? What happened to trial by fire? You know? Learn as you go.

Are we failing the younger generation? Should more of an effort be made to reach into that demographic? Honestly, my students tend to range from mid-30’s to 60’s. I guess folks in their 20’s are still looking for “their truth”.

Too bad “their truth” is bullshit.