I was a member of (heightismhub.freeforums.net).  I supported another member who posted that working out as a means of respect.  He was criticized by many members.  I took his stance and wrote my on post supporting his views with my own personal experiences.  I was kicked out for the forum.  The reason for writing here, is to get feedback on my post.   You can go to the above site or read below.  I would like comments.

I was reading in this site about a member advocating going to the gym to get bigger and stronger.  The reason if you can’t grow up, then grow out.  And he was criticized for this by members of this site, a short man’s site.  I just don’t understand the criticism.  To me it makes sense.  If you get bigger and stronger, you are no longer an easy target.

I wish I had thought of this when I was 12-13 years old.  I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but there was no shortage of people who had any problem in making my life miserable or in wanting to hurt me, based upon my height.  If I had worked out and knew how to defend myself, my entire life would have been different than today.  And society does not like it when a small man has the power to fight back either physically or politically, just read newspapers or blogs as proof.

I will provide my own personal experiences to justify doing exactly what the other member advocated, getting bigger and stronger.

EX 1  I was 12.  My best friend had moved to a new sub-division.  It was about 1 ½ miles away from my parent’s home.  I knew how to get to his home, so I biked the distance.  It took me about 15 minutes, but it was safe and away from traffic.  The new sub-division was being developed, so land was being cleared.  My friend and I went biking through the sub-division.  We were looking at homes under construction, when a boy, walked up to me and wanted to fight me.  I never met this boy in my life.  He was at least 1 year older, maybe 2, and was 2-3 inches taller.  A classic bully, for he didn’t choose someone bigger to fight, but someone smaller, me.  I avoided the conflict, by not taking the challenge, and took some insults in the process.  But I was singled out, due to my size.  My mother was 5’2” and my dad 5’5”, and they should have placed in me in a self-defense class years earlier, for both knew that goons, creeps, thugs and bullies would target me, for they must had experienced this themselves.  (To this day, it angers me that they did not get into a self-defense class, as I have done with my boys)

EX 2  I moved to Houston, for job opportunities.  I soon found out that it was easier to meet girls in C&W bars than regular bars.  On 2 separate occasions in C&W bars, men attempted to trip me.  Both times, I could feel a leg/foot place in front of my right foot as I was walking by.  Fortunately for me, both times, I had stepped over to my left foot so my weight was already on my left leg when they attempted to trip me.  I simply lifted my right foot up over their leg/foot and kept on walking.  But I knew exactly what had happened at the time.  2 different men thought it would be a good laugh to trip the short man and have him fall in front of everyone.  If I came up swinging at them, they could claim that I started the fight.  And they, it just so happened were bigger than me, and after all, I stated the fight, not them.  I did not see the man who did this the first time to me, but I did clearly see the man who did it to me the second time.  He was 6’1” or 6’2” and was the only one within 10 feet of me at the time.   I did not see him extend his leg out, for I was looking at the dance floor, not directly in front of me or at him.

EXC 3.  I have had tall men invade my personal space, intentionally, to either intimidate me or humiliate me in public.  A few times, I thought they were trying to get a response from me, but I knew I was over matched, and I didn’t have the fighting skill set to take them on.  So I moved away from them.

Since I was ostracized when I was young (being bullied), I had plenty of time to work out and take self-defense classes.  (But my parents never did this for me.)  I have watched my sons at their karate classes, and I wish I had known some of their moves when I was their age.  

For those reading my words, if I had to do it over, I would become an expert at kicks, to kick bully balls, break goon knees and to keep away from someone who has a longer reach.  You need strength and knowledge to defend yourself against a larger person.  There is a male karate instructor who is about 5’6” and in his late 30’s or early 40’s, and he is lightning quick.  His advice, you don’t want a fair fight.  Someone who is bigger or stronger says things like that because it plays into their favor.  You use everything to your advantage i.e. deception.  If you are forced to fight, ask a question of your opponent, like what is your name?  Just as the person begins to answer, this is when you throw the first punch or kick.  Their mind will be in gear to talk, not fight.  You will have about 1 second where they cannot begin to respond.  In that time, you kick them in the balls or kick their knee out.  Again, I wish my parents had done this for me, as I am doing for my boys. 

If this sounds harsh, it is, for goons, creeps, thugs and bullies don’t care in the least about you.  They derive pleasure in targeting someone smaller, who they feel they can easily harm.   I am no MMA wane-be.  What I want is to pass along some advice that I wish someone had given me when it would have made a difference in my life.  And for the life of me, I can’t understand why getting bigger or stronger is so abhorrent to members of this site.  I guess I am the only short male here to ever have experienced heightism and being bullied.  Also, didn’t I read at this site where short men seem to attack their own?  Am I the only one who remembers this?  Isn’t this what is happening here?