STOPPING THE MOB (from picking on you) Written by Acidous (acidous_@hotmail.com) 15. January 2003 [Introduction] It is a well know fact that many teenagers and kids get both physically and verbally attacked by mobs, something which very often leads to great depressions and social problems later on in life. This file is written to help you, and others to stop the mob from pestering you or others. [The Mob Itself] The people who continuosly and systematically pick on other people often do it because they are afraid of being picked on themselves. It is also done to make them look "cool" and "though", and it is in many cases a pathetic attempt to gain some respect amongst the other students/pupils on the school. They are often the people with bad grades, which turn into big bullies, and they in most cases pick on smaller and weaker people which often are more intelligent. [Protecting Yourself From Verbal Attacks] One of the primary weapons of the mob is the verbal assaults. They throw comments and nasty words at you, hoping that you will break down sooner or later, something which they very often accomplish to do. The trick is to learn how to defend yourself against these verbal attacks. There are many ways to do this. Some of them are the following: :The Mirror Practise: Stand in front of a mirror and verbally attack yourself, pretending that the person in the mirror is the attacker. If you feel that the verbal attacks are getting to you, take a break(not more than 5 minutes) before you continue. Start with less powerful words and attacks, then move on to the stronger and more hurting ones. It is important that you do not move on too fast. :The Friend Practise: For this practise you will need 1 or more friend(s). Have them verbally attack you, begin with less powerful words and attacks, and then move on to the more powerful ones. Also try to increase the amount of friends picking on you as you increase the "difficulty". If their comments starts to get to you, then stop and wait about 5 minutes(or until you feel ready) before you continue. You should also have them physically attack you after a while, so that you will not be brought to your knees by the physical attacks combined with the verbal ones. :The Real Life Practise: This method should not be used before you have practise with one or both of the methods described above for a some time. What you do is that you walk out to the mob, and let them pick on you, show them that you are stronger than them, and that their verbal attacks will only glance off you. Of course, this method will be pushing you more than any of the others because you are unable to stop it when you wish to. [Protecting Yourself From Physical Attacks] There really is not fool-proof way to protect yourself from the physical attacks. But there are ways you may do it. And of course, it is easier to protect yourself physically if you are a male(because of the stronger body build). :Building Muscles: Building muscles is a very good way to protect yourself, and even hinder new people from starting picking on you. If you look strong and able to fight off a few attackers on your own, it will make the possibility for someone trying to start to pick on you both physically and verbally much smaller. But still, you should not look like a bulldozer. The trick is to stay both slim, quick and strong at the same time. :Martial Arts: Martial arts combined with a healthy and strong body will be one of your best defenses against physical attacks. If you are well trained within a martial art, you will have a good possibility of forcing the mob either away or to the ground. You may look at it this way: would you attack a person who has Arnold Schwarznegger's muscles and Jackie Chan's fighting skills? Karate is not the martial art you should learn at first, since it is very much prestige and showing off. What you should try to learn is Nin Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, and the likes. Nin Jitsu is actually a branch of the type of martial arts the ninjas practise, and it is highly effective. But Tae Kwon Do, is just as good. A book you could look for on info on the Nin Jitsu is "The Grandmaster's Book Of Ninja Training". :Running Away: Running away really isn't a good solution if you want to get rid of the mob. IF you run away, it will signal to the mob that they have "won" and that you are a victim that will easily be broken down. However, if you find yourself in a situation you can not handle, then you should run. [Closing] I really do hope this will help the people out there being continuosly and systematically picked on. People who pick on others is something the world do not need. And remember, do not let them take control of your feelings. "Love Makes Ignorant... Ignorance Is Bliss" -Acidous