Karate Hippy

My Dad had a super bad temper on him and has been a karate instructor for 45 years. I grew up with the idea that it was a normal thing to watch your Dad square up to people as a result of road rage – or indeed, any incident where rage might be an applicable emotion.

My favourite story of his, however, was one I was sadly not present for – or even born yet – but when he was 25, he had an encounter with some bloke over a driving incident.

They way he tells it, this guy had been rammed right up the back of him for miles, peppering his dangerous driving with multiple gestures mocking him for having long hair. He was a full on hippy in his youth – right in the thick of the 70s – and claims it put him on the receiving end of no end of hard-treatment, though knowing him I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was just as much to blame for whatever had pissed off this man enough to tail-end him for so long.

Anyway, it came to a head when my Dad eventually pulled over, too pissed off to keep driving, and this guy pulled over beside him. My Dad has spotted that the guy had his girlfriend in the car, and reckoned the guy was a wannabe hard ass who was trying to pick a fight to impress her.

Him having all the appearances of a free-love pacifist, I guess the guy thought my dad would be an easy fight. What he didn’t predict is the uncontrollable fury my dad can reach when prodded one-time too many and as the guy opened the driver door and lifted himself out to meet the gaze of his opponent, my Dad had already rounded his car at great speed, and without really thinking, flew towards him and roundhouse kicked this guy square in the face. The force of the kick threw the guy backwards into the car, half back in his seat and half in the lap of his girlfriend, whose anticipatory smile had fallen into open mouthed shock.

He was fine, just a broken nose, but my Dad’s favourite part of the story is the disbelieving bobbies that pulled up soon after, looking at my Dad’s small, sheepish, wirey, framed by long hair and beard, and the tall, hard-ass looking dude with blood gushing down his face, being consoled by his girlfriend and trying to connect the two.

No-one expects a hippy to round-house kick you in the face.