Quote :

"Computer techs turn to fisticuffs for fun Fight clubs are chance to be 'a superhero for a night' Monday, May 29, 2006; Posted: 8:49 p.m. EDT (00:49 GMT) MENLO PARK, California (AP) -- They may sport love handles and Ivy League degrees, but every two weeks, some Silicon Valley techies turn into vicious street brawlers in a real-life, underground fight club. Kicking, punching and swinging every household object imaginable -- from frying pans and tennis rackets to pillowcases stuffed with soda cans -- they beat each other mercilessly in a garage in this bedroom community south of San Francisco. Then, bloodied and bruised, they limp back to their desks in the morning. "When you get beat down enough, it becomes a very un-macho thing," said Shiyin Siou, 34, a Santa Clara software engineer and three-year veteran of the clandestine fights. "But I don't need this to prove I'm macho -- I'm macho enough as it is." 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. Despite his reserved demeanor, he daydreams about inflicting pain on an attacker. "I have fantasies about it," he said. In recent months, police in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have broken up fight clubs involving teens and preteens who posted videos of their bloody battles online. 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. Adult groups are more likely to fly under the radar of authorities. Menlo Park police hadn't heard about the local club and said they wouldn't be likely to take action because the fights are on private property between consenting adults. That could change if someone complains or is sent to a hospital, police said. Gints Klimanis, a 37-year-old software engineer and martial arts instructor, started the invitation-only "Gentlemen's Fight Club" in Menlo Park in 2000 after his no-holds-barred sessions with a training partner grew to more than a dozen people. Most participants are men working in the high-tech industry. "You get to be a superhero for a night," Klimanis said. "We have to go to work every day. We're constantly told to buy things we don't need, and just for a couple hours we have the freedom to do what we want to do." Fencing and hockey masks are the only protective equipment used. Several fighters have suffered broken noses, ribs and fingers. 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. "Boys have these warrior fantasies picked up from popular culture, and schools sort of force that out of them," he said. In these fantasies, "The good guys always resort to violence, and they always get the glory and the women." There is also a sadomasochistic thread running through underground fight clubs, said Michael Kimmel, a sociology professor at Stony Brook University in New York. "Real-life fight clubs are the male version of the girls who cut themselves," he said. "All day long these guys think they're the captains of the universe, technical wizards. They're brilliant but empty. "They want to feel differently. They want to get hit, they want to feel something real." Five-year fight club veteran Dinesh Prasad, 32, a heavily tattooed Santa Clara engineer, said he once broke a rib in a match but never complained to his fellow combatants. He also recently skipped his first wedding anniversary to attend a fight rather than drive to Los Angeles, where his wife is finishing law school. "I came here to get over my fear of fighting, and it's working," he said. "I'm much tougher than I was five years ago. I'm not at the level of these other guys, but if things were to get tough, I can get tough, too." "

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/29/fight.club.ap/index.html

5/30/2006 7:52:53 AM

tww

5/30/2006 8:34:58 AM

Quote :

"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 some stupid hippie."

What SERIOUSLY violent video games, cartoons, and movies were around for that age group when they were kids?

5/30/2006 10:40:50 AM

Wolf3D FTW

5/30/2006 10:59:30 AM

first rule of fight club is do not talk about fight club

5/30/2006 11:05:14 AM

I remember reading that this morning. My first thought was how biased the article was ... unusual for the Associated Press. I'm not for or against this particular issue ... but the article wants me to believe it's a social problem/disorder/something.

5/30/2006 11:14:33 AM

THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS

NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T BLAME WAL-MART FOR BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF COLLEAGUES FOR NO REASON

5/30/2006 11:15:46 AM

good for them.

5/30/2006 12:01:50 PM

Quote :

"There is also a sadomasochistic thread running through underground fight clubs, said Michael Kimmel, a sociology professor at Stony Brook University in New York. "Real-life fight clubs are the male version of the girls who cut themselves," he said. "All day long these guys think they're the captains of the universe, technical wizards. They're brilliant but empty."

WTF
Put the pipe down.

5/30/2006 12:08:11 PM

Quote :

"Real-life fight clubs are the male version of the girls who cut themselves"

i'm sorry but that is the goddamned truth

5/30/2006 12:09:00 PM

his name was Robert Paulson Gints Klimanis

5/30/2006 12:23:46 PM

at first I objected to the claims that were going to be made regarding media and violence

but once I read what the sociology and gender studies professor said I couldn't disagree

he didn't say it was a bad thing, either though
its important to note that

honestly, the warrior role shows up in LOTS of cultures
our culture definitely places importance on this role but only provides the opportunity to be in the role to a few people (military, police, firefighters, etc)

5/30/2006 12:36:51 PM

Quote :

"There is also a sadomasochistic thread running through underground fight clubs, said Michael Kimmel, a sociology professor at Stony Brook University in New York. "Real-life fight clubs are the male version of the girls who cut themselves," he said. "All day long these guys think they're the captains of the universe, technical wizards. They're brilliant but empty.""

yea this is pretty fucking retarded

5/30/2006 12:41:24 PM

you idiots are feeling defensive

and for good reason - you're looking into a mirror

you're no better than all those LJ cutter bitches

5/30/2006 12:49:44 PM

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, raise the black flag, and start slitting throats. --HL Mencken


i would say it fits.

5/30/2006 10:51:26 PM

this really doesn't seem strange to me.

i wish i had the opportunity/balls to be in numerous fights without the fear of getting stabbed or shot or generally killed, and without "starting some shit" with somebody.

seems relatively harmless, just as long as everyone made the choice. thats fucked up what happened to that kid who backed out.

5/30/2006 11:07:28 PM

^ exactly, i see no problem with people who willingly participate. Violence has been a part of Humanity and pre-homo sapiens, makes no sense to one day shut that out completey.

5/31/2006 1:14:32 AM

^^

he deserved it. he broke the 8th rule...

if this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight!

plus all he had to do was yell "stop," go limp, or tap out and the fight would have ended as the 3rd rule clearly states

[Edited on May 31, 2006 at 1:55 AM. Reason : .]

5/31/2006 1:53:11 AM

^good call.

but his parents still freaked out i'm sure. perhaps there should be an unofficial age limit. or at least an octopus saying " you must be *this* tall to ride".

5/31/2006 1:58:26 AM

If I had health insurance, I'd be cutting my nails right now in preparation.

My brother and I used to beat each other down almost daily. Only rule was you didn't try to break anything, and either person could end it at any point.

Ah, the memories.

5/31/2006 7:13:16 PM

Quote :

"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."

not again!

6/1/2006 4:54:31 PM

Quote :

"My brother and I used to beat each other down almost daily. Only rule was you didn't try to break anything, and either person could end it at any point."

That would have been so nice. My sister and I would have really had fun with that, but oh no, mom and dad had to pull that "ABSOLUTELY NO hitting" bullshit.

6/1/2006 5:03:05 PM

It'd be fun just to go and wreck some IT nerds.

"Now don't you get too uppity there nerdlinger..."

6/1/2006 5:38:08 PM

Rule #4:Two men to a fight was broken by the kids who gang beat him though
(I'm assuming more than one person attacked him)

Also, that's a movie, and in real life, no means no (outside the bedroom, of course)

And who wants to bet he didn't say stop before the hemorrage...

[Edited on June 1, 2006 at 5:51 PM. Reason : .]

6/1/2006 5:49:58 PM

Some guys at my high school tried to start a fight club. They met once and realized that fighting hurt, so they stopped.

6/1/2006 7:22:52 PM