Bikers?
- Thread starter tinker1
- Start date
Twin Fist
Grandmaster
I ride a kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1600, been riding a few years.
why not both?
why not both?
:grins: I was going to say that that was not a particular penetrating question in the OP, in terms of what the distinction reveals about people 
.
Both TF and me are bikers (ex-biker in my case due to bike-related injury (used to ride Triumph's and a Suzuki GSX-750R)) and martial artists. He is a right wing, god-fearing American and I am an English, atheist, Liberal ... and we get along fine.
So which bit is the one where the importance of whether we consider ourselves bikers or martial artists lies :lol:?
I don't mean this to sound dismissive by the way, I'm interested to hear what is the background to the question.
.Both TF and me are bikers (ex-biker in my case due to bike-related injury (used to ride Triumph's and a Suzuki GSX-750R)) and martial artists. He is a right wing, god-fearing American and I am an English, atheist, Liberal ... and we get along fine.
So which bit is the one where the importance of whether we consider ourselves bikers or martial artists lies :lol:?
I don't mean this to sound dismissive by the way, I'm interested to hear what is the background to the question.
Motorcycles are scary, and I don't ride for that reason. Side note, I would rather spar a biker, then be one.
- Thread Starter
- #5
:grins: I was going to say that that was not a particular penetrating question in the OP, in terms of what the distinction reveals about people
Both TF and me are bikers (ex-biker in my case due to bike-related injury (used to ride Triumph's and a Suzuki GSX-750R)) and martial artists. He is a right wing, god-fearing American and I am an English, atheist, Liberal ... and we get along fine.
So which bit is the one where the importance of whether we consider ourselves bikers or martial artists lies :lol:?
I don't mean this to sound dismissive by the way, I'm interested to hear what is the background to the question.
Not every question or remark is of extreme depth and significance. Idle curiosity only.
My current ride is a 2011 Harley Davidson Street Bob, denim black + apes.
I've ridden since I was 16 years of age.. Harleys mostly, but also Indians, Hondas, a BSA, and even a Matchless. My father was a biker, and so I was around the life for most of my life.
I think being a martial artist indicates a certain mental / spiritual strength, and a resolve (indomitable spirit as we say in TKD circles).
Being a biker indicates a sense of adventure... but also a feeling of being outside of the rest of society. 1%ers usually define "outlaw" not as one who breaks the law, but one that lives outside it.
Personally I believe the 2 facets of my personality (martial artist and biker) go nicely together.
As I said... no in depth thought here - just idle curiosity.
- Thread Starter
- #6
Motorcycles are scary, and I don't ride for that reason. Side note, I would rather spar a biker, then be one.
Ah but being a martial artist is to confront your fears. Most people are very afraid of physical confrontation.. yet we actually PAY someone so that we can confront that fear.. in hopes of overcoming it.
Edited to add:
You probably won't ever "spar" (fight with) a biker. Note the singular there.... if you get into it with one biker, chances are VERY good you will be dealing with a crowd of them.
Supra Vijai
Black Belt
Very similar to Sukerkin except for the part about being English
Used to ride, got cleaned up by a lady who ran a red light, extensive injuries, a year off training etc etc. Used to ride a Kwaka GPX (was still on my learners and we have power restrictions here in Oz). Don't ride anymore as my learners expired while I was in rehab post surgery and I missed the cutoff to go for my full licence... although my dad keeps bugging me to get a new bike and reapply for my licence - I'm thinking he can't get my mum to agree to him getting his own bike so he plans on stealing mine most of the time again
With your question though, I'd have to say both. Like you said being a martial artists requires strength and resolve and IMO so does being a biker. Every day you have to conciously have the resolve to straddle basically an engine with 2 wheels and 0 protection compared to a car whilst facing the same (if not worse) road conditions and get out alive. In my mind, based on a question I recently asked about the fear response during MA training, this is very similar to facing off against an opponent and knowing their one job or goal is to kill you and you need to get out alive using your training.
Amen. I got tired of telling people I do Ninjutsu and explaining what it is so for a laugh I told one person I get professionally beaten up once a week... That made an impression
Used to ride, got cleaned up by a lady who ran a red light, extensive injuries, a year off training etc etc. Used to ride a Kwaka GPX (was still on my learners and we have power restrictions here in Oz). Don't ride anymore as my learners expired while I was in rehab post surgery and I missed the cutoff to go for my full licence... although my dad keeps bugging me to get a new bike and reapply for my licence - I'm thinking he can't get my mum to agree to him getting his own bike so he plans on stealing mine most of the time again
With your question though, I'd have to say both. Like you said being a martial artists requires strength and resolve and IMO so does being a biker. Every day you have to conciously have the resolve to straddle basically an engine with 2 wheels and 0 protection compared to a car whilst facing the same (if not worse) road conditions and get out alive. In my mind, based on a question I recently asked about the fear response during MA training, this is very similar to facing off against an opponent and knowing their one job or goal is to kill you and you need to get out alive using your training.
Amen. I got tired of telling people I do Ninjutsu and explaining what it is so for a laugh I told one person I get professionally beaten up once a week... That made an impression
Supra Vijai
Black Belt
Pretty much what I meant about worse conditions lol... Wind chill would have been fun!
Indagator
Blue Belt
- Joined
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That's because some clubs have rules in the charter that require all members present to participate if one member becomes involved in a fight (more or less).
Some of these charter rules are somewhat archaic and date to a time when even the biggest and most well known of MCs were localised in no more than a few states at best, and conflicts between various local clubs were commonplace.
As far as the OP goes, I see no reason why somebody could not be both a biker and a martial artist? In fact I know a lot of martial artists who ride...
Perhaps when he says "biker" he is thinking specifically of one percenter clubs?
Even then, I grew up through the bowels of society and a lot of my old pals are involved in scenes like that - many of them aren't really bad people at all, but I guess to an extent the old HAMC motto is right - when they do right nobody remembers when they do wrong nobody forgets...
Lol.
I've rambled on a bit longer than I meant to here, but basically trying to point out that not all who ride are badasses and even not all one percenters are violent thugs. There is a certain respect for one another that exists out there on the road, that much can be said.
Back to the OP at hand, I am currently considering (what with gas prices and all) switching back from four wheels to two.
Indagator
Blue Belt
- Joined
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Funny how things can be that way. Back when I was training in Muay Thai I had one trainer who I was closest with who was fom East Belfast, born and raised a prod-brit and friend/family ties to UVF while then there was me who is Catholic, direct blood-ties to Derry, West Belfast and one or two other hotspots and some family members who are politically active in an opposite direction to his, but despite all this we got on really well and were really good friends.
Spose at the end of the day, martial arts surpasses politics and religion in a certain sense.... the focus at the time is on the art and common ground rather than differneces...
- Thread Starter
- #12
There is a lot of similarity between bikers and martial artists.. mostly that we're not all thugs. I recall way back when that if you were studying martial arts, people assumed you thought you were a bad ***.. they would feel threatened - even though you would do nothing to make them feel that way... and it's a short distance from feeling threatened to some yahoo talking smack to you and things going south.
Back in this same time frame, if you rode a Harley, maybe with some apes - etc., people thought you were a bad *** and looking for trouble. Some stores wouldn't let you in.
AND
being a biker and being a martial artist - both these go beyond politics, religion and all the rest.
AND
both require a level of commitment that is beyond what most people are willing to do.
AND
Just like there are some martial artists that are really into the hard core aspects of what we do - there are also bikers that are the same way... these can be "Independents" (like me) who put in excess of 20,000 miles a year on their ride, or are in MC's.. some 1%er MC's.
On the other hand some martial artists are fine in "family centers" and dojo's that are "sparring optional"... and there are bikers that are professionals, not into the 1% life at all, and maybe put 2000 or 3000 miles a year on their ride.
So there are more similarities than there are differences, in my opinion.
I see from a few of the pictures at the top of the main forum page, that some here are bikers.
What do you ride?
Currently riding
2004 ZRX 1200R
Used to ride
1975 H-2
How long have you been riding?
31 yrs
Do you consider yourself to be a biker or a martial artist?
"Biker" IMHO has a somewhat negative feel to it (to those who don't realize what it's about). To the public in general, I feel it's a term that they associate with 1% clubs.
Although, my brother is a member of B.A.C.A. (Bikers against child abuse) and they do some very good work with victims and families of abuse victims and most of them look like 1%'s. They also have to have an open dialogue with ALL the clubs (1%'s included), as well as, all levels of (local, county, state and federal) LE agencies so they can do what they do with families.
As for myself, I don't consider myself either.
I'm just a guy who lives life the best he can, provide for his family and happens to ride motorcycles and teaches martial arts.
Mike
Motorcycles are scary, and I don't ride for that reason. Side note, I would rather spar a biker, then be one.
Rather spar a biker (if you're talking about clubs and 1%'s)? Hope that was a joke.
I know a few bikers I'd NEVER want to tangle with unless I had absolutely no other choice. Most make badgers look like kittens.
Very dangerous people and unpredictable as well.
Mike
I guess you could count me in with the bikers, but I am first and foremost a martial artist. I do not ride on the street very often and the vast majority of my riding has been off-road(motocross, hare scrambles, trail rides,....).
Supra Vijai
Black Belt
It's the same with tattoos as well. Until very recently when shows like Miami Ink made tattoos socially acceptable and seen as art, people with tattoos were generally surrounded by stigma. Even now, with the changing culture, I wouldn't turn up to a corporate type job interview with exposed tattoos as it doesn't portray a "professional image". Guess as a society, perception plays quite a big role and that perception is not always entirely accurate
jthomas1600
Blue Belt
I have an 07 sportster that I don't get to ride as often as I'd like. Like others have said here, I'm not really either a biker or a martial artist. I think my identity is mostly defined by being a husband (17 years with the same beautiful woman), a father, and my occupation as an offshore supply vessel captain. Things like marital arts and riding just sort of round out the profile.
- Thread Starter
- #19
As the (somewhat) famous biker saying goes :
"Treat me good and I'll treat you better.
Treat me bad and I'll treat you worse."
Something to remember when around 1%ers.
Supra Vijai
Black Belt
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