An Ironic Reaction

[Nolerama]

We get a lot of new people stopping by the MMA club to check us out. Over the past year I've been there, I've seen all types go: from people wanting to lose some weight, to martial artists from other gyms... One of the guys that picked on me in high school trained with us for a bit. Pretty nice guy... now.

The bottom line is: we try to be as friendly and inviting as possible.

Last night, a guy strolled in, and started asking questions. That's not out of the ordinary; so everyone gave their .02's. I asked him if he had any prior MA training.

All of a sudden, he puffs up. "My TKD teacher. 4th degree BB."

"Cool," I said. "If you're looking for a belt, we're not the place for you."

"I can see that. You guys are weak" he replied.

By all accounts, our gym's sparring level is generally high; probably due to our slight addiction for heavy sparring, and a high level of comfort and trust we place in our training partners. We lighten up on the newer members, and make a point about contact levels to the new folks.

But this guy angered me for some reason...

"I paid too much for my black belt to not train advanced techniques," he said.

That's probably what set me off. This un-athletic, sorry-looking (he was a bit pudgy) excuse of a martial artists is going to walk into a MMA fight club, and talk about how we're weak? I wanted to rip his head off right then and there... Or at least challenge the guy to a heavy contact sparring match and not tell him we wear cups. I wanted my elbow to make friends with his eyebrow; just to have something to remember us by.

But I didn't. I just kept my mouth shut, and drank some water. The ironic thing is: the last thing I ever feel when I come to class is pure violence. But this guy set something off inside of me that made me so sick and offended, that I wanted to make my rage a reality.

After I left him alone, I noticed the other guys begin to ignore him, too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pick up an old escrima stick and he chuckled at it.

What kind of idiot brings that big of an ego to a fight club?

Just a rant... I'll probably go out and enhance my calm with a good cup of coffee or something.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I have not seen it yet, but I hear about it at my dojo. We have visitors who come in and want to spar - like some kind of old wild west call out or something. Weird, huh? I'll be interesting in seeing that if it happens again.

We had a visitor to our dojo who was on vacation with his family, he came up from Tennessee. Nice guy! His training was different than ours, but our sensei did not tell him to change his style - just noted where it was different from ours, why we did it the way we do, but urged him not to change from what his own sensei had taught him. He was around for about a month and then went home. He had a great attitude and didn't spout any 'my way is better' stuff.

 

[Nolerama]

I think that's how it should be. You never know what great bits of information you can pick up while traveling, especially in the martial arts.

I'm sure that your guys got a taste of another style, and are a little more prepared for it, right? Likewise for your visitor. When everyone walks away with something, then it's a good session.

 

[Steve]

We had some guys come into the school to check it out. Just happened to be on the day when instead of the usual music, we had a "best of the 80's" disc in. So, during warmups, we were all listening to bands like The Bangles, Belinda Carlisle and Prince. It was pretty funny...

They didn't come back.

As for guys like that, we just don't see them that I'm aware of. I'd LOVE to see a guy come in from another school like that, but we just don't get it. Maybe someday. I hope I'm there for it. Of course, the black belt who runs my school is a giant. Nicest guy I know and very gentle, but he's at least 6'5" and an athletic 260 lbs.

 

[Sandstorm]

When I first opened my first class in '98, I had a small group of students and we all became good friends very quickly. I like comeradery in a club, it makes the training so much more. Rumours were abound about a 'rival' club sending 'scouts' to check my club out. I really couldn't care less, I was happy and comfortable with what I was doing and I was not treading on anyones 'patch' or anything.
Turns out, two of my original students were 'scouts' and they left that club to stay with me.
Also turns out, I started working nightclubs and ended up doing a shift with one of the instructors from the 'rival' club. We're now good friends too

I've only ever had one guy come in all puffed up, and he mellowed quickly and got into training. Stayed for a couple of months and then moved on. I guess I've been lucky.

 

[CoryKS]

Kudos to you for your self-control. That guy was incredibly rude.

 

[jarrod]

well done man, i would have had a hard time not inviting the guy to spar.

jf

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well Done :asian:

 

[Grenadier]

In this day and age of lawsuits, it's simply not worth it trying to take on the Count Dante-wannabe folks.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to point out to such characters, that Mr. Keehan is dead, due to the stress that came from those dojo wars (lost his best friend in such a brawl, and died of internal bleeding from an ulcer).

Odds are, though, that he's probably harmless, and just wanted to strut his stuff.

That story reminds me of this really scrawny kid, probably a sophomore in high school, who came into my dojo one evening. Virtually skin and bones.

He saw the weapons racks (containing bo's, jo's, sai, bokken, and shinai), and his eyes lit up. He eagerly asked me if we teach weapons, and I told him that we teach Yamanni Chinen Ryu kobudo, as well as some fundamentals of iaido.

He then asked if he could train in just the weapons, and "not waste time with the empty hand garbage." I told him no, that he had to train in Karate and reach at least the rank of orange belt (intermediate rank) to train in weapons.

He then says that he can't afford to pay for the tuition, but that he would gladly help teach weapons classes, if he didn't have to pay for tuition.

That's when I had to bite down to stop myself from laughing. I asked him what his formal training was, and he said "I trained myself!" as he beamed with pride. He took one of the bamboo shinai, held it in an inverted grip, and started drawing figure eights in the air.

At that point, I asked for him to put it back, and repeated that he had to train in empty hand work first. He then hesitated, and then asked "Can I fight with you using these bamboo swords?!?" At that point I told him no, that for legal protection purposes, I don't spar with anyone not enrolled with our dojo, unless it's a formal event.

He said "Well, what if I signed a waiver?!?"

I told him that waivers hold no real weight in court.

I then took the shinai away from him, and put it back on the rack, as he dejectedly walked to the exit. I walked off the floor to go change back into my street clothes. That's when he had started walking back towards the weapons rack.

Thankfully, the chief instructor was there, and told him that he would have to sign up for empty hand training first, but the kid kept insisting that he was already an expert, and that he could teach us many things, if we would only let him have a chance.

That's when the chief instructor said "Son, you've seen one too many movies."

That's when the kid dejectedly walked out the door. Apparently, he tried to pull this same thing with one of the rival dojos nearby, and they weren't nearly as nice, as they laughed at him, and told him to beat it, or else...

That only leaves him with one more choice, and that's the school run by Oyama Yasuhiko (a great Karate-ka, and a good-hearted gentleman). I do wonder, though, if he would dare take his challenge to the Kyokushin Karate school... :lol:

 

[Bill Mattocks]

He then asked if he could train in just the weapons, and "not waste time with the empty hand garbage." I told him no, that he had to train in Karate and reach at least the rank of orange belt (intermediate rank) to train in weapons.

We do bo-bo kumite in my dojo from white belt on up. Frankly, I'm not that into it. I'm much more interested in the 'empty hands garbage'. But the kid you describe gives me a mental picture of that kid from "Napoleon Dynamite."

 

[jarrod]

"all the gangs want me cuz i'm pretty good with a bo staff."

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I know someone who pulled the "I trained myself" line. He actually signed up for the trial in our kendo class. He lasted almost the whole month.

The first time he sparred with me, he said, "Man, you're really good! But if I weren't limited to just targets above the waste.."

I cut him off and said, "Then I wouldn't be llimited either." To which he responded, "I hadn't thought of that."

And no, this was no duel; it was just our usual rotation sparring and I was really taking it easy on him. And I don't purport to be all that great.

To his credit, he changed his attitude. He was very impressed with our staff and the class and gave it an honest try. He quit because the workout was way more than he was up for. I still see him around town periodically, and he 's always friendly. A good experience in the end.

I always encourage him to come back. By the end of the month, he was pretty okay for a brand new guy with three weeks of formal training plus whatever he practiced before. His coordination is pretty good and he was actually pretty good about taking instruction. If he ever dove in and went for it, he'd probably be excellent. And yes, I told him so.

Daniel

 

[seasoned]

Bottom line, some time around 1974, I was that guy. I was visiting a friend in Colorado, on a week long vacation. I was young, single, had my black belt about 4 years, was pushing a lot of iron, and held my own, very well. Needless to say, the first thing I did, when I got to my friends house, was ask, hey, any karate schools around here. He said yes, that there was one in Colorado Springs. I will mention the name because it was so long ago that it won’t hurt. The DoJo was run by Sensei Krause, and I think it was Ralph Krause’s karate. I never heard of him, but I couldn’t wait to get there. Some time toward the end of my week vacation, on a week day afternoon my friend and I stopped in. I was greeted by a black belt, could have been Sensei Krause but I’m not sure. I don’t post this because I have anything to be proud of, but because it was a turning point in my martial arts career, that taught me a valuable lesson. I was very rude, and somewhat arrogant, and asked if I could spar. He mentioned workout, but I said no just spar. He tells me to stop back in at 6pm that night, and off I went. At 5:45pm I show up, but there are no students there, and I am greeted by this same person from that afternoon. He was very polite, and points me to the dressing room. On my way there I notice that there are about 10 or 15 chairs against one wall in the DoJo area, looked weird, and they were empty. After changing I come out onto the DoJo floor, that was still empty except now the chairs are almost full. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I began to warm-up, stretch, and hit the heavy bag on my own. It wasn’t long, I noticed a guy come out of a side door with sweats on. This guy began to warm-up on another heavy bag on the other side of the DoJo. It looked interesting because he was using boxing techniques along with kicks. While I’m on the other side working my back fist and my reverse punch combo, with some open hand stuff. Right at 6pm, and without a word I am handed a pair of boxing gloves, and foot pads. This was my first inkling that there was a problem, because I didn’t train with boxing gloves or foot pads. As the story goes we square off and he fakes, and hits me with a full round house kick to my head, and down I go. As I am getting up he comes in with two face punches and another round house kick to the head while I am getting up. Mind you, no referee, no, are you alright, just on your feet, and here he comes again. We mixed it up a little more, with me on the short end of it. I ended up with a split ear from the round house kicks and a black eye with a cut underneath. It seems that kickboxing started in California and was making it’s way across the U.S. but hadn’t made it to NY yet. It seems that this guy was some kickboxing champ, and I was his punching bag for the night. I don’t think he even broke a sweat. J I felt like crap, I was humbled in front of my friend, humiliated, and the worst thing is, I did it all to myself. Lessons learnt. Believe in yourself, but don’t underestimate anyone. Always be respectful, and humble, never rude or arrogant. And above all never walk into a strange DoJo thinking your all it and a bag of chips, because there is always a lesson or two that someone can teach you.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

And above all never walk into a strange DoJo thinking your all it and a bag of chips, because there is always a lesson or two that someone can teach you.

Wow, what a story! Thanks for sharing it. The good part is that you learned.

 

[Gordon Nore]

In one of my old Capoeira books, there's a story of Mestre Bimba (Manoel dos Reis Machado), near the end of his life, teaching in a small academy. A Capoerista walks in off the street, calls Mestre by his surnname (an insult, according to the author) and challenges him.

The young strong man leaps into the circle (or "roda"), displaying his speed and acrobatic prowess. Mestre Bimba executes an "au" (a cartwheel), but is slow and seemingly awkward. He leaves his foot out at the last moment, and the younger man collides with it and ends up spitting his teeth out onto the floor.

Scared out of the combat he muttered, "What happened?... What is this, Mestre?"...

"This is my foot, my son," and from that moment on paid no more attention to the stranger.

Almeida, Bira (1986). Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form. Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books. p. 129.

 

[Ronin74]

After reading this, I just had to throw my recent observation in.

I was checking out a boxing gym the other night. The instructor and the lady at the front desk were both very welcoming and asked if I'd like to try the class that was about to start. Unfortunately, I had to decline, since I only had my work clothes on. In any case, there was a young guy- probably not older than 18- who was whaling on a heavy bag. Now I'm no professor of the sweet science, but I think most of us can tell when we see a sloppy punch, and this guy was throwing them by the boatload. I would come to find out that this kid was a local to the neighborhood, who the instructor had given an open invitation to train and workout, to help keep him out of trouble. Unfortunately, he "visits" the gym, and "frequents" trouble with his friends.

In any case, the mannerisms I was observing were borderline arrogant. I would think that training would have given him a sense of self-discipline, but I can only guess from his technique that he usually comes in during open gym sessions, and not the actual training sessions. So for some reason or other, he decides to spar with another kid who looks to be about the same age. This kid however, clearly put in his work, which was clearly evident in his shadow-boxing. Knowing what could happen, the head instructor cornered the kid with less experience, while one of the more seasoned fighters in the gym cornered the kid who'd done his work. In not even a round, the kid with less experience was throwing with all the emotional fluster he could come up with, resulting in haymakers and telegraphed punches, set on very erratic footwork. None of this did anything to the more experienced kid, who ended up getting the other kid winded, by working a clean defensive game.

The head instructor immediately stopped the sparring session, when it was clear that he was going to be all rage and no skill. In a five minute break, the instructor had to pound into him not to lose control and to that in a regular sparring session, there's no such thing as turning your back and saying, "I'm too tired." So the kid gives it another try, and of course reverts back to throwing caution (and any hint of technique) to the wind. In this instance, the round was cut short because the kid left his face open (the jabbing hand fully extended, and the rear hand set at his hip to throw a very wide hook) and received a bloody nose for his troubles.

It was after this that the I heard the head instructor reprimanding him for not putting in his time at the gym, and coming in thinking that his attitude and swagger would get him through a sparring session.

 

[mook jong man]

I had a bloke come into our Wing Chun academy one day who didn't do any martial art at all but proceeded to criticise and say that my movements were too rigid and then he left . This was when I was a level two instructor and been training for 10 years .

 

[redantstyle]

i think that is a relatively new phenomenon.

i used to go to visit other training halls for cross competition in sparring years ago. you didn't walk in with an attitude, or show disrespect by touching weapons, wearing your shoes, or showing the bottoms of your feet. you'd get your teeth kicked in if you did.

if the first guy didnt do it, the fifth or sixth one would.

 

[Cirdan]

"I paid too much for my black belt to not train advanced techniques," he said.

:lfao:
If you measure the cost of of you rank in $`s your teacher didn`t make you sweat enough.

 

[Uchinanchu]

I used to have this problem on occasion, several years ago, when I ran the I.S.B. dojo on Camp Foster. When I took over the dojo for my "big brother" I knew that I would on occasion have to deal with "looky loos" (people who like to stand outside the dojo door and comment/insult what we were doing) & "head hunters" (knuckle heads who think they are going to have some fun beating up on an instructor).

Well, I knew how my big brother would have handled the situations, because he had dealt with such people many times. He normally invited them in to train with us and would personally handle their needs (ego) by allowing them to throw any technique that they thought was superior to ours. He would take their hardest kicks/punches and just stand there, grinning like a cat. He'd just keep saying, "Okay, harder. No, harder! Throw it like you mean it!" By this time, the poor sap was so tired and in pain from being checked/blocked, that they were more than ready to leave by the time he got around to saying something like, "Okay, now do you really want me to show you how WE throw ~ technique?"

Well, even though I am by far no where near my big brothers level, I actually did this for awhile. At some point, I just got fed up with doing it and switched tactics. I used another idea that came from my dojo brother. When someone came in and insisted on proving that our kicks/punches etc...where weak, I would simply say something like, "Yes, my technique is weak...compared to my senior brothers and my sensei." and then I would proceed to shin kick our industrial upright fan across the floor, or strike the maki with such force repeatedly, that the echo was deafening.
They either normally left right away, or would stick around, swallow their pride, and ask about joining. Alot of those types turned into some very good students.