Unexpected Inexperience

[ThreeWords]

So today, I helped stop a robbery. I chucked down my bags and chased a guy down the street shouting "STOP!" and some huge guys (who I think were security guards form another shop) jumped on him and brought him down.

However, pumping with adrenaline as I was, I couldn't help but say something stupid about civic duty, and the guy lunged at me, dodged round me and ran off. We gave chase and caught him again, but I realised it had been my inexperience that had given him the break.

Afterwards, this struck me as odd. I'm a gamer, and I play games where people jump out and attack you, and I react without so much as a bat of an eyelid and take them down. This guy, however, wasn't as loud, or fast as in a game, nor ever that close, but he was real, and it was enough to make me take a step back and give him a chance.

So my question is, have you ever had an experience where you have found yourself less prepared than you expected? Are there things you thought you were good at that it turned out you weren't?

 

[zfactor]

No, but I take karatate too...

So I would have snapped one of his limbs...

 

[ThreeWords]

No, but I take karatate too...

So I would have snapped one of his limbs...

I would have thought the same; I learn Ha Mu Do and am passable, but it seems that dojo skills don't translate that well into real life...

 

[Jark212]

I would have let him go, I don't want to get stabbed or shot over something so remedial...

 

[HT_Black]

I took the "Irish Luck" and "God's Stupid Child" perk at character creation, so I usually come out in one piece no matter how inexperienced I am. More often than not, though, I just pull whatever I need out of thin air: Case in point, knowing how to wrestle two full grown horses into submission simultaneously despite having never dealt with one outside of a pony ride I took when I was four.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

I think that cops/etc. pretty much always warn you to NOT get involved in stuff like that. Like if someone's robbing a store, you stay back and LET them. No point getting yourself injured or killed over a few bucks.

So yeah, I'd probably lunge after you if you stood in front of me and snottily said something about "civic duty". You kind of deserved to get knocked over a bit for that.

In any case, I also don't get how that could be considered "unexpected inexperience". Like, did you really think you were qualified to take down a robber?

OT: No, I can't think of any examples where I was surprised I couldn't do something.

 

[ThreeWords]

I think that cops/etc. pretty much always warn you to NOT get involved in stuff like that. Like if someone's robbing a store, you stay back and LET them. No point getting yourself injured or killed over a few bucks.

So yeah, I'd probably lunge after you if you stood in front of me and snottily said something about "civic duty". You kind of deserved to get knocked over a bit for that.

In any case, I also don't get how that could be considered "unexpected inexperience". Like, did you really think you were qualified to take down a robber?

OT: No, I can't think of any examples where I was surprised I couldn't do something.

The guy wasn't armed (he'd thrown a brick at a window) and had a handful of jewellery. Someone from the shop went after one guy, but the other had no one after him, so I felt I should give chase.

And yeah, I would probably have attacked me for what I said...

 

[Valkyrie101]

I think that cops/etc. pretty much always warn you to NOT get involved in stuff like that. Like if someone's robbing a store, you stay back and LET them. No point getting yourself injured or killed over a few bucks.

So yeah, I'd probably lunge after you if you stood in front of me and snottily said something about "civic duty". You kind of deserved to get knocked over a bit for that.

In any case, I also don't get how that could be considered "unexpected inexperience". Like, did you really think you were qualified to take down a robber?

OT: No, I can't think of any examples where I was surprised I couldn't do something.

The guy wasn't armed (he'd thrown a brick at a window) and had a handful of jewellery. Someone from the shop went after one guy, but the other had no one after him, so I felt I should give chase.

And yeah, I would probably have attacked me for what I said...

Hardly stupid. There was nothing wrong with what you did.

 

[ThreeWords]

Hardly stupid. There was nothing wrong with what you did.

I didn't really have a choice. The guy almost ran into me, and I was after him before I really thought.

I just got a call saying the police want to talk to me about getting a statement...

 

[Imp Poster]

So my question is, have you ever had an experience where you have found yourself less prepared than you expected? Are there things you thought you were good at that it turned out you weren't?

Practically, every test I ever took in school. Math, till I got to Calculus.

 

[Cheesus333]

but it seems that dojo skills don't translate that well into real life...

You say that, but I blocked an unexpected punch to the head from behind whilst sat on the grass in a park. I was honestly impressed with myself.

Especially when his friend tried to hit me and I basically waved it away without even stopping talking. Silly chavs.

 

[Count Igor]

So, he got out of the two security guard's grip?
Their fault, not yours.
Or am I missunderstanding things here...

OT: I'm always un-prepared after talking to someone with my brain speed. Not intelligence, but the way I think is I get about one in every twenty thoughts spoken.
That may seem normal, but I barely ever stop talking.

Anyway, if I meet someone like me, it means a 20 minute barrage of conversations, with flies popping into flames when the fly between us.
Afterwards, I'll keep talking super fast and miming most of it out, and so people will stop me after 5 minutes and go "You lost me on the third word"

 

[ThreeWords]

So, he got out of the two security guard's grip?
Their fault, not yours.
Or am I missunderstanding things here...

OT: I'm always un-prepared after talking to someone with my brain speed. Not intelligence, but the way I think is I get about one in every twenty thoughts spoken.
That may seem normal, but I barely ever stop talking.

Anyway, if I meet someone like me, it means a 20 minute barrage of conversations, with flies popping into flames when the fly between us.
Afterwards, I'll keep talking super fast and miming most of it out, and so people will stop me after 5 minutes and go "You lost me on the third word"

I don't know if they were security guards; they took him down pretty cleanly, and didn't say much, but weren't wearing uniform and didn't seem to be working together except that they both went for him.

As for your conversation, I sympathise; that's exactly how I think and talk.

 

[ThreeWords]

but it seems that dojo skills don't translate that well into real life...

You say that, but I blocked an unexpected punch to the head from behind whilst sat on the grass in a park. I was honestly impressed with myself.

Especially when his friend tried to hit me and I basically waved it away without even stopping talking. Silly chavs.

Nicely done. I don't pretend to be any good at Ha Mu Do, so maybe more training is in order...

 

[Cheesus333]

but it seems that dojo skills don't translate that well into real life...

You say that, but I blocked an unexpected punch to the head from behind whilst sat on the grass in a park. I was honestly impressed with myself.

Especially when his friend tried to hit me and I basically waved it away without even stopping talking. Silly chavs.

Nicely done. I don't pretend to be any good at Ha Mu Do, so maybe more training is in order...

To be fair, it's not something that happens often I still struggle to stop the joking attacks of my friends xD

 

[pneuma08]

Firstly, it is generally wiser to avoid confrontation with criminals of that sort. While they may seem unarmed, many (deadly!) weapons can be easily concealable and even if you have training you have no idea what kind of training they may have too (and moreover this is ignoring that many martial arts are not as practical as they may seem, but I digress), and any situation with a volatile person can easily take a turn for the worst. Cops and other enforcement agents are specifically trained to deal with all of this, and on top of that it's their job to do so.

Now, given the situation, I'd say you acted rationally, and I doubt anything will come of it.

Moreover, unlike in a video game situation, there are many more variables at hand. Enemies are easily identifiable, goals are typically clear and inputs are limited, none of which is close to what happened here - something unexpected happened, and out of millions of real life possibilities, things came from it.

 

[FalloutJack]

Well, there WAS this one time, but luck was on my side...possibly because the manager embezzled all the store's funds and didn't want any undue attention. But that's a story for another time.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Well, me and some others are preparing to play songs in front of public. I wanted the electric guitarr and play awesome solos that will make the people go wild.

Problem? It's the first time I've ever played guitar in YEARS! That's right... I was learning fast however, but evidentally I couldn't keep it in my head.

Luckily, I was not long on that post and was moved to bass, which was significantly easier. And it was only in practice so far.
Anyways, I found myself highly inexperienced, yes. I couldn't even grasp the choruses for Christ sake!

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I had to design a booth for a school fair. I did it two hours before the actual fair, making it from scratch with only one other person helping. I was astounded that I actually succeeded.