Do people outside of martial arts respect you skill?

[MTisGreat]

when ppl hear martial arts, they think karate or kung fu....etc. ppl who dont do MA are amazed but ppl who do are like "ok"..

then there are those toughguys who think they.re all that. they would be mocking MAist, doing that stand on one leg like in "karate kid"...they're ignorant. they dont know anything whatsoever..

i do MT, if ppl dont respect it, thats fine, but if they talk then theres a problem

 

[karatekid1975]

I agree with tshadowchaser. It has to do with body language. If you don't walk around like a "wimp" or weekling, you won't appear to be one. I was taught this in TSD, and I will always remember this. Hold your head up, make eye contact, and don't look at the floor/ground. Knowing MA helps, but body language is everything in some situations. I wish I knew this earlier in TSD before I was attacked, but I knew enough to walk away.

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by SolidTiger
I mean to defeat me you can't be no rookie.

There is an old saying. "The best swordsman in France doesn't fear the second best swordsman in France. he fears the worst swordsman in France. You just never know what he will do."

The funny thing is it will be some guy who knows nothing about fighting who will hand you your @ss. Fighting is like dancing. It has it's own rhythm. Ever try to dance with someone who doesn't know how to dance? It's a whole new ball game.

As for me. My friends used to expect me to get into fights. Hell, I'd be looking for them before I got into boxing and martial arts. Now I'm much calmer. So they never ask me to show them anything I learned. Well...usually it's because they end up being hurt. One or two demos and they stopped asking. Used to be when I wanted to go I could expect them to back me up. Now when I stand up because I'm pissed off...they clear. No one likes to be caught in friendly fire I guess. Only my martial arts friends and my brawler friends hang in there.

I still get excited when I think about the time Renegade :erg: , Jaybacca, and a few of us almost had to draw down in that Biker bar. The adrenaline rush was so great that after I had to hold my beer with 2 hands just like my momma taught me when I was 2. Ha!

 

[SolidTiger]

I think it is respect thats why I never been tested, I mean if I look
like a coward. I would of got tested a long time ago, I just know some would have tried something. So I do think because I never showed no fear to them dirt bags, So that alone is something for
them to fear. Not knowing what's about to happen, but you know
that person can fight.

Thank you

SolidTiger

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by MTisGreat
then there are those toughguys who think they.re all that. they would be mocking MAist, doing that stand on one leg like in "karate kid"...they're ignorant. they dont know anything whatsoever..

This one time Jaybacca and I were at this guy's place and his buddy starts doing the one legged crane stance and making bruce lee noises to make fun.

Jaybacca reaches over and shoves the guy lightly with a finger and because the guy is off balance he falls over the couch. Jaybacca laughes a bit and says, "I really have to work on my death touch."

 

[Chiduce]

I don't mind talking to non-martial arts people as a martial artist. Though, when training as an individual or as a group i/we find a quiet secluded spot to train. As far as people asking, it is usually when i wear a t-shirt with chinese writing in english or my dragon kenpo jujitsu hat, that i get questions. Most people are a little curious about what the writing says. Now at work, we have tile layered cinder blocks. When i feel like cultivating and transferring qi to my hands i break the blocks with an open palm strike! The guys on the loading dock watch from time to time. Other times, no one is watching. So, i guess i could say that there is some respect for skills at work. For me, the martial arts is not an obsession, but a way of life. Sincerely, In Humility; Chiduce!

 

[The 14th Style]

I really don't tell anybody what I am doing. You always get that person who grabs you and says "what would you do if I did this or did that". It's a waste of my time.
My teacher is a very private person. He has been doing Eskrima for over 20 years, but dosen't really talk about it. I knew him for 4 years before I found out. He always told me his biggest goal in a fight was getting to his truck without hitting someone.
I have friends that know and ask me about it. And lord knows I can talk somebodys ear off about it. But I try to keep it to myself. And anyway most of the people I talk to have never heard of it anyway!

 

[SolidTiger]

Will some martial artist is secreative about their art, they go
for the full effected. Me I really don't care if the whole world
know I do martial arts. I don't know why martial artist is secreative about what they practice. I mean if we stop being
so secreative we can learn a lot more, and plus their will be
a increase in styles and martial artist.

Thank You

SolidTiger

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Yiliquan1

...getting ready to train with RyuShiKan, and some guy walked up to us and asked me what "art" I studied...

I said sculpture, and sometimes painting. Then I tried to walk away.

Usually when folks ask that kind of question, they are either interested in training, or just asking to be asking. Either way, my answer will serve little real purpose.

If they want to train, they will come out and say so, or follow us and watch for a while.

If they are just asking to be asking, then no matter what I say, they will go away in a moment or two anyway...

:samurai: :samurai:

So if you're out of the town you live in, and you see someone in
a ghi of some sort, that you can't recognize, and he's doing a
kata that you don't recognize ... what would you ask him?

Let's say you move to some tiny nowhere town, and are having
trouble finding an m.a. school anywhere, let alone in your style.
And then lo and behold a the "Y", there's a guy who looks like
he's the first member of his m.a. class waiting for the others to
show up, and you can't tell what style he practices. What would
you ask him?

Let's say you're practicing the only style that is available in your
area, but you have a MAJOR interest in another style. You can't
find that style anywhere in your town, but you see someone
doing a kata/form/weapon/whatever that MIGHT be of that style.
What would you ask him?

Would a reply of "sculpture, and sometimes painting" and then
him/her walking away from you be satisfactory to you? How
many fellow m.a.ists have YOU walked away from? How many
potential students? How many who could have taught you
something? What if one of those kids could have been the next
Bruce Lee, Ed Parker, Royce Gracie, but YOU walked away leaving
him the impression that m.a.ists are rude people with big egos?


Sorry to be harsh, but the fact of the matter is, if I'd have met
a kenpoist years ago, that was willing to talk to me about the
style ... I would've been a kenpoist years ago, instead of months
ago.

 

[SolidTiger]

Originally posted by Kirk




So if you're out of the town you live in, and you see someone in
a ghi of some sort, that you can't recognize, and he's doing a
kata that you don't recognize ... what would you ask him?

Let's say you move to some tiny nowhere town, and are having
trouble finding an m.a. school anywhere, let alone in your style.
And then lo and behold a the "Y", there's a guy who looks like
he's the first member of his m.a. class waiting for the others to
show up, and you can't tell what style he practices. What would
you ask him?

Let's say you're practicing the only style that is available in your
area, but you have a MAJOR interest in another style. You can't
find that style anywhere in your town, but you see someone
doing a kata/form/weapon/whatever that MIGHT be of that style.
What would you ask him?

Would a reply of "sculpture, and sometimes painting" and then
him/her walking away from you be satisfactory to you? How
many fellow m.a.ists have YOU walked away from? How many
potential students? How many who could have taught you
something? What if one of those kids could have been the next
Bruce Lee, Ed Parker, Royce Gracie, but YOU walked away leaving
him the impression that m.a.ists are rude people with big egos?


Sorry to be harsh, but the fact of the matter is, if I'd have met
a kenpoist years ago, that was willing to talk to me about the
style ... I would've been a kenpoist years ago, instead of months
ago.

 

[SolidTiger]

That is deep, I never thought of that.

Thank you for your wisdom kirk

SolidTiger

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by SolidTiger

That is deep, I never thought of that.

Thank you for your wisdom kirk

SolidTiger

Okay, that just sounded too funny. Me .... wise! :rofl:

 

[SolidTiger]

I think if your not wise when you first start, you become
overtime. With all the training and all the study and hardwork
you go though. I think you learn something, when I first started
I only ask questions now I have answers...

Thank you

SolidTiger

 

[The 14th Style]

Hmm, in my case it's not that I'm very secretive. I'm more than happy to talk about it. But as a some Arnis, Kali, Eskrima people can probably tell you, the first question I usually get is, so what do you do if you don't have a weapon in your hand? Or, I think training with weapons first is backwards. I don't get upset answering these questions. But I just don't advertise. Maybe it's just me.

Most of my training is backyard , so to speak. So I just don't talk about it.

I train at a local park with a good friend that also does Eskrima. We have occasionally had people watch us. Sometimes they come up and ask what we are doing. We both always take a moment to answer politely and to the best of our ability. Russ

 

[Dronak]

I've been training for less than a year and our teacher is pushing us along rather quickly. I honestly don't think I have any great amount of skill at what I've learned so far. I may have gotten the moves down and such, but I'm sure there's plenty more I need to work on to improve.

Our teacher said the same sort of thing about keeping our training to ourselves. He said telling a few classmates or whatever is fine, but you don't want it to be public knowledge that you're trained in martial arts. I've told a few people around here about it, one or two classmates, the people in my house know (they sometimes see me walking in or out with my weapons now), and I've told a few people from our ballroom dancing crowd about it, too. Fortunately, everyone seems educated enough to talk nicely about it, ask what sort of style it is and such. Since we hold our classes on the university campus, we do sometimes see those jerks passing by, the ones making "Bruce Lee noises" as GouRonin put it and stuff. We normally just ignore them. People who see us and want to talk, we talk to, but they normally have some actual interest either in joining the club or just knowing what it is we're doing. I don't mind talking about it either, but for the most part I don't offer up the information unsolicited.

 

[SolidTiger]

I was not trying to attack you, I just wonted to learn why are
some styles are so secreative?

Thank you

SolidTiger

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by SolidTiger
I think if your not wise when you first start, you become
overtime. With all the training and all the study and hardwork
you go though. I think you learn something, when I first started
I only ask questions now I have answers...

I think martial arts have no more to do with wisdom than tiddly winks and that people who have this image in their head that all people who study martial arts will become wise, are deluded.

Originally posted by SolidTiger
Thank you

You're welcome.

 

[SolidTiger]

You don't think someone who makes it from a white belt to a black belt is not wise. To pass all the test is not a easy thing to
do.

Thank you

SolidTiger

 

[The 14th Style]

I was not trying to attack you, I just wonted to learn why are
some styles are so secreative?

Thank you

SolidTiger



Hi SolidTiger, I'm not sure if this comment was directed at me. But if it was, let me assure you that I did not take it as an attack in any way.
At first my teacher didn't want us to tell anybody because,

#1) He didn't want to answer questions about it at work( we worked together at the time).

#2) He didn't want anymore students, and didn't want to teach classes (he ony taught myself and my two Friends) and didn't want people calling or asking for lessons

#3) He is very burned out on the whole political Martial arts thing. ( My art is better than yours, Mc dojo, etc, that sort of thing)

#4) And to be honest he is just a very private person.
Thanks Russ

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by SolidTiger
You don't think someone who makes it from a white belt to a black belt is not wise. To pass all the test is not a easy thing to
do.

I do not think that just because a person studies ANY martial art that they will become wise. Becoming wise has nothing to do at all with martial arts.