From our other sites
The story
A thread on 5ch’s Newsokuvip board kicked off with the question, “Does weight training actually help you defend yourself?” Posters with martial arts experience chimed in with comments like “I box and weigh 100kg, so I’ve never lost a fight,” and pointed out that “martial arts training beats weightlifting when it comes to real strength.” From there the discussion branched out into anxieties about “yami baito” (illicit gig-work) burglars targeting people’s homes, and crime-prevention tips like leaving the lights on at the entrance and in rooms overnight. Opinions in the thread split over whether muscle serves mainly as a visual deterrent or is actually useful in a real confrontation.
What people said
(っ´ω`c) So compared to martial arts, weight training is crap?
(´･ω･`) Sorry, that was just my signature noise slipping out
(っ´ω`c) Are you okay? You should get some rest
(っ´ω`c) Apparently there's been a suspicious car driving around the neighborhood. It's scary.
People don't road-rage at guys who look tough, either
(っ´ω`c) But would it actually help if you got attacked for real?
(っ´ω`c) Yeah, martial arts really does beat just lifting weights. Fair enough.
(っ´ω`c) Too late for that now!
(っ´ω`c) No, no — it's just that it might be one of those "yami baito" burglary gigs
Just working out isn't gonna cut it 😣
(っ´ω`c) …A weapon, huh. Maybe I should carry one.
Guess you're loaded after all
(っ´ω`c) No, no, it's just a possibility — you never know which house they'll target
They're into crypto and investing and stuff, yet they still fall for it
(っ´ω`c) Seriously, how do these old folks have that much money?
(っ´ω`c) This honestly isn't a laughing matter
(っ´ω`c) Guess I'll leave the room light on all night too
They're "invincible people" after all (slang for those with nothing left to lose)
(っ´ω`c) I looked into the news and apparently they show up in the early evening too, not just at night
(っ´ω`c) You mean quaking in my boots? ("hatahata" — trembling)
(ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ ) But that doesn't mean it's useless
Even if you only get paid 50,000 or 100,000 yen, you're looking at over a decade in prison
(っ´ω`c) You idiots!
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) You're always fighting; even while lifting you're picturing combat,
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) Some people get overconfident, but anyone seriously into lifting keeps building meticulous plans,
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) That gives your life structure and keeps your mind constantly engaged,
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) That mindset keeps you imagining different scenarios and thinking through conflict,
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) And that becomes self-defense — the muscle itself becomes a means of protecting yourself
(っ´ω`c) So weight training really is a fight
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) That's right, you're always fighting — you should start fighting too, right now
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) To put it plainly, once you commit, three months is enough to transform a body that's been out of shape for 10 or 20 years
(´＠ᾥ＠｀) Think of it like being stranded and forced into survival mode with no food or water
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
The thread grew out of a wave of news reports about “yami baito” (illicit gig-work) burglars targeting private homes, which has led more people to think about weight training and self-defense as ways to protect themselves. The discussion split between those who argued that muscle is only a visual deterrent and falls short of real martial-arts skill in an actual fight, and those who argued that serious lifters develop a different mindset and sense of planning that itself functions as self-defense. On the subject of yami baito, some pointed out the harsh mismatch between a payout of just tens of thousands of yen and a prison sentence of over a decade, reigniting discussion of how badly the young people who take these jobs come out on the losing end. It’s worth noting that the “self-defense” discussed here isn’t about the legal right to self-defense, but is used more loosely to mean everyday crime-prevention awareness.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsokuvip) thread “(っ´ω`c) Does Weight Training Count as Self-Defense?“
Leave a Reply