Celtic_Tiger's blog

This will always be one really frustrating aspect of the site that I can ignore for the most part but then eventually it comes back around and makes me want to punch something (more than I usually do)   Let me preface this by saying that I have been on "martial art meetup" type sites since the late 1990s.  I have trained in Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Karate and always ended up integrating boxing into it somehow.  This issue isn't something new whatsoever but I personally feel like with some adjustments it could be less frequent. What I mean by "Cherry-picking" is guys who don't just come out and say they aren't interested. They reply, string along, meet people without acknowledging them as "opponents" like they are in the "closet" about it.  Personally, you have the right to be selective especially with boxing (the sport I only focus on) because it carries a significant risk of injury.  I have declined to box guys who were way better and I didn't honestly know if they had "control" or if they were just looking to bully.  However I told them up front. I didn't flake, pretend, string along or play games to use "conversation" as a tool for jerking off and self gratification at the expense of another person's time.  I honestly think we should be able to flag people for this behavior, not just physically pulling a "no-show"  Sure you can just block them and move on or just end contact. They just move on to the next person and start the game all over again.  Is it truly the "nature of the site' though is my question?

Then we have those guys who check off sports they don't even do just to drive views to their profiles.  "Selfish Promotion"  they click off boxing but don't even box.  No past opponents in the sport,  no indication that they are just fans of the sport or guys who do it.  What the entire fuck ?   I think we should have the right to challenge those profiles or filter out guys by what is mentioned in their recommendations. Anyone can put on boxing gloves and pose for a camera. (Although a stance being off shows a lot about the guys knowledge) I could check off wrestling, post photos in a singlet or gear and then either ignore those who contact me to wrestle or use it to steer them over to boxing. I don't though. I stay true to my abilities, focus and reason for being on the site all these years.  

Boxers are the minority (real boxers, guys who show up, glove up and go both head and body targeting) there are sub-categories like gut punchers or "fetish aka erotic" only types too.  I have run the gambit from doing "scenes" to actual fighting. I don't boast. I let my recommendations on here do the talking for who I am and I have no illusions of my level or "stature" as a fighter here at the age of 53 and juggling some significant health situations. I also don't downplay my abilities either.  I can adjust, have a ton of control and safety/sanity are huge.  I suffered a pretty bad knock out loss in South Carolina in my late 20's that honestly gave birth to significant trust issues, PTSD afterwards, hospital outcome and concussion. Not looking for "attention, sympathy" etc. I was naive when I was first online. Back when we chatted over AOL messenger chat rooms. I was the victim of a set up by a guy who liked to beat the crap out of gay men. I quit all boxing for just over 2 years time before a mouthy guy from Georgia got me out of "retirement" because I wanted at him so badly.   I get the concerns, fears, doubts etc. with meeting anyone to box without a 3rd person there to control the action. We can have a ref, cornermen whatever. Always flexible.  I plan to write a lot more journal entries about my own personal boxing experience then I have posted "The Punch Up and Out in Port Chester" being one such example of a non-fiction piece. 

The long and short of this post, rant, venting session whatever you want to call  it is that this blog gives us the ability to express what we want.  I agree, specific names shouldn't be posted or mentioned.  I have seen guys who had like "Wall of Shame" right in their profile calling out specific people (a lot who had deleted their profile) over what we have to assume is true because one person says so. That isn't cool either. You telling the site someone is a "Fake" because they didn't meet you.  That is not what I am doing.  Suggesting anyone do.  I just think some accountability, common curtesy and manners are long over due here.

Thanks for reading