Challenges

Over the years, people have often come to me or mentioned in a conversation that someone they know has challenged me to a fight. I am of course, the last to know about it. Usually this occurs when a friend is talking to someone who practices martial arts, or thinks they practice martial arts, and my name is brought up. But why does this end up in a challenge? After all, I meet martial artists all the time and have many more friends who know martial artists and I never challenge anyone. The answer to this question is directly related to my answer to the challenge, which is always "No".

The problem lies within the individual issuing the challenge. Most of the time, this is a case of insecurity. A martial arts practitioner may have doubts about their own ability, lacks confidence, or feels he is unappreciated by his peers. So they feel they must beat someone up to prove themselves. Many times this individual just wants to show off in front of people. I have never been challenged to a fight in a remote location. It always seems to be at parties or crowded areas.
In many cases the individual isn't even a martial artist, just someone who thinks they know what they are doing because they watch MMA every Saturday night.

Regardless of who challenges you, it's always going to be a lose/lose situation. If you lose, you may be hurt and you will look foolish. If you win, the other guy will be hurt and you will still look foolish. Besides, beating someone up when they have such a problem with insecurity will only make it worse. And if your defeated challenger was just a hot head looking for attention, now he will really be after you with much worse intentions. This kind of grudge can last forever.
Normally I just try and talk my way around it. I tell people that if they want to spar and they are interested in a controlled, learning experience for the both of us, then I would love to spar with them. And I always do. However, if they want to fight and beat me up, forget it. I have nothing to gain by any possible outcome of such an endeavor and neither do they.