My dad at 52 – still working as a miner, big bloke, liked a pint, grumpy old bugger. Me at 52 – psychiatric nurse, not bothered one way or the other about a pint, also a grumpy old bugger. Thing is, I end up rolling about on the floor with folk that want to leave the unit or rip my head off, usually both, on an all too regular basis. However, this is done within the remit of control and restraint (or whatever they’re calling it this week), so it’s not really ‘fighting’ as such, more badly choreographed chaos. My dad would have probably kicked my arse, due in no small part to the fact I don’t think I’d want to hit him back.

Same, not spoke since 2005. I don’t even know where he lives but I’ll just follow oil stains til I find his Ducati 900ss

My dad played cricket against young Boycott, tennis for his town and county, raced enduro and six day trials motorbikes back in the day, then football for the Navy and stoked boilers on aircraft carriers around the world, while rucking and rutting his way around the ports of Empire. I got nothing on that. Never even close. I must admit though I’m close to being as fit now as any time in my life, wheras at 47 my dad had had too many years of shift work, beer and Embassy so had slowed a bit, though still being competitive at the golf, darts and snooker. He could still kick my butt at those now at 79, even with the fancy defib/pacemaker. I’d be proud to carry his clubs, though.

Actually one of the things I used to love was a proper play fight with my brother which my Dad used to get involved in (seemed to happen most often on a Sunday evening for some reason). Dad had some right sneaky moves that I could just never work out or get out of.

Jnr now picks on me for a play fight, regardless of size it’ll take him a while to get the better of me as I learnt from the master 😆

My dad never ever ever raised a hand to me. In fact, he never even raised his voice to me. Never in a million years would I ever dream of doing so to him.

FWIW, he’s now 68, and if it came to a test of physical strength and / or fitness, he’d still easily win. 😀

Actually, I suspect he’d also easily win any test of cunning and / or mental prowess… 😳

Thanks all for a gentle prod, just arranged to ride earlier in the day so I can take Mum & Dad to their favourite Fish n Chip restaurant on Sat for their tea. They seem chuffed to bits. 😀

Maybe my Dad would win? As far as I’m aware, neither of us have had a proper fight since teenage years, so hard to tell….although I’d struggle to punch my way out of a paper bag!

My Dad is still my best mate though-we’re going to Twickenham together at the end of May-I’m just as excited as when we used to do stuff when I was a little kid 🙂

Don’t know who my dad was, but if I met him I would kick his ass for not dealing with his responsibilities

Very disturbing thread, don’t know why anyone would even think of this, or post it if they did!!!! 😕

Well I’ve been in the paras, could have been a professional boxer, as well as doing mixed martial arts at a very high level! My dad is 6ft 4″ built solid, probably was the hardest dad here and was an ex underground fist fighter, so I guess I don’t know! 😕
Actually I think I would as I have the fitness advantage! 😆

Unsettling

My late father went the distance with an American Golden Gloves champion, but you would never has realised if you had the pleasure to meet him.

Lux perpetua luceat ei.

If we are going to play… My grandad would kick mine, my dad’s and everyone else’s arse several times over. Ex-miner, towering man, still huge when he was in his 80s and hands like shovels.

But an absolute gentleman.

How I miss him and my dad. And my mum. And all the other family members that seem to have gone too quickly.

lovely thread, I’ve actually read every post, which must be a 1st for me!

tipping point for me was at 20, both desk jockey’s but I’ve got the fitness.

Would have loved to know my granddad but hayho that’s life

nacho, got a link sounds like a worthy cause.

My dad has played competitive sport every year since he was 7. (he’s now 72) Ok the last few years have been curling mainly but he still sweeps pretty hard with his dodgy shoulder. Played football and rugby to a good level.

We were pretty evenly matched on the Judo mat when I was about 14. I had been doing it for 7 years and definitely had the upper hand whilst on our feet though his greater strength meant he had the upper hand at groundwork even though he had only been doing it for a year. He gave it up because someone broke his ribs.

I’m kind of glad that we never got to the point where I really did have the upper hand. So grateful for all the opportunities he provided me and my sister. Top man.

bearnecessities – Member

In my perceived spirit of the thread, Dad.

A kinder, more thoughtful and calm gentleman you could not wish to meet, with no visible issues to this day that could make me do anything other than aspire to be anywhere close to his character. Not an inch of ego, bravado, or desire for anything other than the happiness of his family.

..but I once witnessed him confront someone who nipped in and robbed a parking space he was about to reverse into.

Holy crap – what an insight that was.

Y’alright Bruv, what you doing on a cycling forum? 😉

I would beat him unconscious. Not because I am hugely stronger, but for what he did to me and my mother. The result is that I have so much anger, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

My dad could have taken me apart until fairly recently… These days, it’d basically come down to how guilty I felt for fighting an old dude.

I presumed the idea of the thread was to compare relative fitness levels of then versus now, nothing to do with whether you’d actually want to fight your dad.

indeed. didn’t ask if anybody would WANT to fight their dad, it was indeed a relative fitness type pondering in my head.

revealing answers from you lot though… the assumptions you made about why i asked and as a result, the kinda responses.

Moderators how can you let a post like this run !

indeed. didn’t ask if anybody would WANT to fight their dad, it was indeed a relative fitness type pondering in my head.

this is true he didn’t ask !

I do wonder sometimes !

probably was the hardest dad here

😆 “My dad’s harder than your dad”!

My old man’s birthday today, so I’ll be visiting him in the old folks home where he’s incapacitated and sits watching TV all day. Just wish I had issues to spout on this thread.

i know i wouldn’t want to fight my dad, he’s 4-5stone lighter than me as a result of the cancer and having his bladder etc removed.. i’m pretty certain if he did ever hit me i’d stand there and take it, i’ve never hit another person in anger despite being attacked many times in my job. not a violent person at all.

i love my dad despite him being the reason my parents divorced, the only things i dont like about him are aspects of my own personality that i dont like.

I think this is one of the best threads ever. Some really poignant stuff being said by people, at both ends of the spectrum.

the only things i dont like about him are aspects of my own personality that i dont like.

Totally with you there (bro).

Phil – nice to hear that I’m not alone in being a human punch bag 😉

always b’mitch, violence is for the weak, a real man fights with his mind, and if needs be, his massive willy.

Just sometimes though phil, it would be nice to be the leatherer rather than the leatheree. Or not, who knows? Pain in the arse at times though innit.

Sadly many of my generation will have had this experience. There were a lot of dads that had what will now be recognised as post traumatic stress after their war experiences. Perfectly nice and kind men could erupt into irrational violence for no obvious reason. At 14 I retaliated and broke one of his ribs and his zygomatic arch. I wouldn’t describe it as a win because I felt sickened by it, but at least it was an end to the punching. Regardless I still consider my father as a good man despite these incidents.

My grandfather on the other hand I doubt I could ever beat. WW1 veteran, Afghanistan border, and reduced his age to enlist in WW2. In the QOCH and spent 3 days fighting the Germans at St Valery with bayonets because out of ammo holding back the German advance so the evacuation at Dunkirk could go ahead. As kids he used to drill us on the effective use of a bayonet so that when we were conscripted we’d survive close quarter stuff. His own collection of bayonet scars was impressive.

philconsequence – Member

always b’mitch, violence is for the weak, a real man fights with his mind, and if needs be, his massive willy.

It would be a bit awkward porkswordfighting with your dad tbh. I think I’ll just concede to avoid the whole situation.

Hmmm a tricky one, I remember my happiness & sadness when I realised the balance of physical power had shifted to me in my early twenties, he must have been mid-50’s.
As epicyclo says my Dad did have a mean streak (he beat my sister down the stairs when she was 18) but he was a product of his upbringing and in later years I think he tried to make amends.

But at equal mid-40’s age we’re about the same size and build, I think I’ve kept myself fitter though…
With my sons the youngest is the stronger one, fortunately we both still think I can kick his derriere (although I suspect I’d have to fight dirty). 😈

In the father/ son relationship with me as son: I know I’ve failed, I know my Dad has failed. There’s no final definite resolution possibilities left for what has passed, only the possibilities of pretending.

With me as father: I know I have failed at times. This thread has really made me sad. But one thing it has done is to make me try harder.

I’d come at my Dad like a spider monkey

I’m in the unfortunate position of actually having been in a fight with my Dad, not in his prime exactly but still fit at 45. Both of us having ‘alpha male’ issues, me 13-14ish and a raving bundle of testosterone, him 45ish and thinking threats would keep me in my place. He took a swing, I chokelocked him and he blacked out in about 3 seconds. Shocked the hell out of both of us, and I’ve spent the last 17+ years apologising.

Fortunately, he and I are on very good terms these days, we’re cycling Hadrian’s Wall next weekend. He’s also joked about it to friends, one who (when I’d been misbehaving a couple of years later) said he’d have given me a clip round the ear ‘ole was told to give it a try and see what happened…

Pyro – Member
…He’s also joked about it to friends,..

My father did the same. Seemed quite proud of bis bruised face etc. That helped.

Yeah, it did. Though having just had a conversation about this thread with him, he agrees with me, but reckons that at equivalent ages, my Grandad would have given both he and I a pasting, quite possibly both at the same time.

What a fascinating thread this one has been, it’s made me feel really happy then really sad depending on the person contributing.
And thanks Tod456 for the e-mail, I’m proud of my Dad, especially as he only stopped smoking and took up cycling around 5 years ago. He started by mountain biking with me until he came off on a loose, scrabbly descent, we had to pull him up and out of the gorse that broke his fall so he switched to the road! He’s a dedicated roadie now but I forgive him 😉

I hope my dad would win, because he’s my dad and I only ever want to think of him as a big strong confident geezer as opposed to the placid, parkinson’s victim that he is these days.

I really regret the years I lost where I lost contact with him.

Nowadays he expends his energy doing stuff like this, and I fricking love it (and him if I’m allowed to say that)

I would, I fight dirty, and he’d never hit a girl 😆

Tough one – 31yo Dad probably had more fighting experience, would be carrying some extra weight. Pretty close call, it would be long but not overly brutal. I know who would win in a race for sure.

Pyro – Member
I’m in the unfortunate position of actually having been in a fight with my Dad, not in his prime exactly but still fit at 45. Both of us having ‘alpha male’ issues, me 13-14ish and a raving bundle of testosterone, him 45ish and thinking threats would keep me in my place. He took a swing, I chokelocked him and he blacked out in about 3 seconds. Shocked the hell out of both of us, and I’ve spent the last 17+ years apologising.

A similar experience to me then, albeit with a somewhat different outcome. I too was a 14/15 yr old bundle of unnecessarily (only took me 4 attempts to spell that) aggrieved testosterone. Harsh words were spoken. I thought a swing would be a sound plan. Failed to connect and he buried a strong right hand in my gut. Given that he was (still is) 6’4″ and an ex shot-putter (no sniggers at the back) it’s safe to say that that was effectively that! Not sure who was more shocked and apologetic, me or him, but I guess I learned a lesson. He’s a top man though, love him to bits, he’s always been there for me and my sisters, he’s fair and I guess I’ve been really lucky in that regard.
FWIW he’s now 75 and I’m not sure who would seize the day were a rematch to be on the cards 🙂