What's the difference between "foolhardy" and "courageous"?

[It is Fake]

I have a mild case. To be honest with you, I haven't had a severe break since I was 14-years-old. My last break was two years ago when I kicked a dumbbell and broke my toe. But that healed in a month, and I was still able to walk.

To be honest with you, the biggest risk is falling awkwardly. But then again, that's the same risk I take every day.

Ahhh......

I read about how Pacquiao broke Margarito's orbital bone. But I wonder if the typical amateur has that kind of power.

This is when you talk to promoters on this board and make sure your coach has your best interest at heart. If it is your first fight you do not want to be put up against someone with more than 3 fights IMO. Hell, you'd preferably want someone with one or none like you.

Setting a goal, for whatever personal reason is a good thing. If it makes you feel "courageous" then that is why you do it.

[atomicpoet]

"Foolhardy", "courageous"... pfft.

Let's tackle "delusional" first, OK?

I considered "delusional" too. But I honestly can't think of a bigger challenge for me than entering an amateur bout.

[Rexley]

It sounds like you really want to do it and are just looking for that little push to get you over the edge.

My opinion: go for it. The more you convince yourself you shouldn't do it, the more you'll end up wanting to do it. Just make sure you take IIF's advice and fight someone with a comparable amount of experience. You don't want your first foray into the ring to be your last (and don't be surprised if your one ammy fight turns into two or three).
Good luck and make sure to post vids.:bully:

[battheo]

Hey man, big respect for wanting to push your boundaries and live with fewer limitations. That's commendable by Anyones standards.

To answer your question, the difference between courage and foolhardiness is often one of forethought. I'll echo uncle Skippys sentiment here. You say you're tempted to fight in order to attain a sense of empowerment, and I think this fairly common amongst new students in a competitive art. I'm guessing your coach already knows about the brittle bone disease and that it caused you no problems so far, as boxing is heavy on the sparring. You need to ask your coach if you're ready for this, and listen to him. You need to make sure the promoter in question is pitting you against a suitable opponent. And you NEED to check with your doctor before hand that a heavy contact sport like boxing's acceptable considering your condition.

Think honestly about what your goal is in taking this fight, and whether it's realistic. what's the worst case scenario regarding it's outcome, and what is the likelihood of you having to face it? If you do, are you ready to deal with the physical and
psychological implications of said beating? Having considered these questions and come up with answers will give you more chance of being courageous than foolhardy, but remember, those terms are not mutually exclusive.

If you decide to take a fight, then I wish you the best of luck, and congratulate you on your decision. Boxing is a great sport and I have no doubt that it will do wonders for you. If, however, you decide not to fight, I hope you remember that there's no shame in not being ready for it yet. Or in putting your health before your pride, should that decision be medically warranted.

Apologies for any weirdness / bad spelling. I am replying from my I phone for the first time and am quite pissed.

Not kn

[OZZ]

Courageousness is actually the 'Golden Mean' between cowardice and foolhardiness - according to Aristotle.
Hey man, as long as you're not like Mr.Glass in that movie Unbreakable and you have the go ahead from your doc its all good.
I had a good number of Amateur bouts , but never a professional one and I wish I had. Not because I wanted to prove anything to myself or anyone else, but just to push things to that next level - as you are contemplating doing.
If its not going to endanger your health, do it. Otherwise you may find yourself 40'ish and wishing you had done it when you were in good enough shape and young enough to pull it off.
:cachas:

[P Marsh]

I'd say the only difference between the two is success as everything else besides that in the situation beforehand is speculation and opinion.

[W. Rabbit]

Which of the eight types of OI do you have?

Yeah, that's what Mr. Glass suffered from, osteogenesis imperfecta.

[helmutlvx]

I'm gonna do this fight to prove that I'm a REAL MAN

Dude. Come on.

This ain't no 80's karate movie. Fight because you want to fight, not to prove anything to anybody.

And get your doctor to clear it first.

[TaeBo_Master]

"The man who feels fear and pushes forward anyway is courageous. The man who feels no fear at all is a fool." It's not really relevant to the specifics, but this is a paraphrase of a quote that has stuck with me.

More relevant: I give you props for wanting to fight. To me, it doesn't sound like you're doing it to impress anyone else, but to prove to yourself you can overcome any limitations that appear to be in your way. What type of fight are you thinking about? Full-blown MMA rules? If so, and you're a little uncertain, perhaps you could try competing in a more restrictive contest first; such as a kickboxing match or a grappling only match. Doing so might give you a little bit of a gauge on whether you're really as ready for it as you believe.

Be intelligent, get approval from a doctor if you feel that's necessary given your condition. But no one knows you better than you. Hear the advice of the posters here, but ultimately, you decide for yourself whether you're being courageous and foolhardy.

[WhiteShark]

I want to clarify that I'm not discouraging your plan to fight. I just think that anyone who steps in the ring should do it for the right reasons and know themselves first.