Do people outside of martial arts respect you skill?

[SolidTiger]

I cant believe what you are saying that! wisdom is a big part
of all martial arts. How many people arts don't have sayings
of wisdom, and who would won't to say their art is not wise or
martial art have nothing to do with gaining wisdom.

Thank You

SolidTiger

 

[jaybacca72]

tiger you have wisdom and knowledge confused.if you recieve martial arts training for some time you gain knowledge,but that doesn't necessarily mean you will know how to apply the knowledge properly(which is wisdom)and when to apply it.this has nothing to do with physical training with what i am referring to,if you have been in the game long enough you will know where iam coming from.
later
jay
ps iam just a wookie in the clouds
haha!

 

[SolidTiger]

I did not learn my style like that, I learned that martial arts
is 80% Mental And 20% Physical. Because without the mind
the body don't work, I know what I'm talking about the wisdom
of knowing right from wrong. The words of wisdom at the end of
class. The wisdom your sensei teaches you like good life decisons.
I have a list I got from my sensei, he did not write it but he gave
us some type of wisdom after every class. Martial art is Not only what you can see are do, but what you learn about life.

It's not only self defense..

Thank You

SolidTiger

 

[sweeper]

I never realy tell people I practice a martial art, it's not that I hide it I just don't bring it up. Only a few of my freinds know and I don't think they treat me any diffrent. I don't hang around the kind of people that "challenge" others so that may be part of it. People I have met respected me before I practiced MA and they do now, actualy I don't think practicing has changed my personality very much..

As to wisdom and MA, I don't think a few sayings can teach wisdom, I don't even think wisdom can realy be taught to someone, I think you have to learn it on your own.

 

[Matt Stone]

Let me preface my responses by saying that I am in the Army, and that practicing martial arts on a military installation, contrary to what common sense would dictate, is frowned upon by most soldiers. Most soldiers, in true American fashion, are of the mindset that "chop sockey kah roddy" isn't worth a damn, and they spend great energies mocking and criticizing anyone that practices publicly at one of our fitness centers. It has gotten a lot better over the years, but the knuckleheads are still there. The particular knucklehead I spoke of in my earlier post was one of those types that asks, but had little interest in hearing the answers as he already had his version of reality firmly emplaced and had little interest in adding to his already full cup...

Anyway...

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?

Well, seeing as how I have more than enough to keep me busy for the next lifetime or so...

Seriously, though, I wouldn't ask him anything. I would probably watch for a while, maybe ask if he/she (gotta be fair on this point - I had a female aikido teacher once upon a time) comes there regularly, might ask what it was they were doing. If I got a smart *** answer like the ones I give out, I would be able to anticipate that either a) he/she is a smart *** (like me) or b) he/she is tired of the constant flow of the ignorant masses coming up and asking goofy questions that they really don't want answers to in the first place...

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?

That would be every military base I have ever been to... Depending on the uniform, I might or might not be inclined to ask. Typically, the most common martial arts on or around a military post are McDojang Tae Kwon Do with semi-cultist leanings, or some home-grown, self appointed/promoted wannabe with his own made up martial art. Not interested. I have been lucky here in Japan to find good training off the installation (thanks RyuShiKan! :asian: ) and some on (thanks NBCDECON! :asian: ), but the majority of training that has been conducted on the installation is the kind that would qualify as "Bad Budo" on other forums... :angry:

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?

Personally speaking, given the small nature of a military installation's community to begin with, and the considerably smaller martial arts community on a military installation, I can say that in time we all end up meeting at one point or another. We seem to gravitate toward each other.

However, speaking hypothetically, if I were inclined to inquire into what that person was doing, see my above comments... watch, ask for regularity of training, come back and watch again, allow the person to see that I am actually interested not just asking questions for the sake of asking questions.

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?

You will note, upon rereading my original comments, I attempted to walk away. I was unsuccessful, as the knucklehead in question pursued and continued talking. I didn't want to appear overly rude (I was, after all, on my way to work out, not to grab a coffee and have a debate), so I listened, interacted, and politely terminated the conversation.

How many fellow MAists have I walked away from? Probably lots. How many have walked away from me? Probably lots. Not sure of the relevance on that question...

How many potential students have I walked away from? Probably quite a few, however if they weren't serious enough about training with me to come back or to pursue the issue properly, forgive me here, but I don't want them as students. There was a good article years ago in IKF written by Dan Inosanto that talked about the fire in a potential student's belly to train. Inosanto wrote that his teacher had told him that if you were to have your head held under water until just before you passed out, that need to breathe, that burning urge to struggle to get air again, is the fire a student should have for training...

Sorry to seem harsh. I doubt most students have that kind of fire anyway (I know I didn't when I was younger... Thankfully times change and so have I). But if they were put off by one smart *** comment, then they wouldn't have been too serious about training even if I had indulged them...

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.

No worries! Not harsh, just direct, to the point questions. Good examples, too, I might add. And I feel for you on your kenpo training... Had I been more motivated during my early years, I would have gotten a lot more done than I did.

Gambarimasu!

:samurai: :samurai:

 

[sweeper]

if a potential student is ignorant of what ever it is he/she has potential to study, than they can't have that pasion you speak of. From my experience alot of people are pritty iffy untill they start to learn some, than they either slack off, leave, or take it seriously. That's most certainly been how I have gotten involved in all of my hobbies/intrests, I have never come into anything with pasion for it because I genneraly don't know what it is I am comming to.

 

[Matt Stone]

Originally posted by sweeper

if a potential student is ignorant of what ever it is he/she has potential to study, than they can't have that pasion you speak of.[From my experience alot of people are pritty iffy untill they start to learn some, than they either slack off, leave, or take it seriously. That's most certainly been how I have gotten involved in all of my hobbies/intrests, I have never come into anything with pasion for it because I genneraly don't know what it is I am comming to.

Which is why I said that most students don't have that kind of motivation to begin with. It is hard to have a strong passion about something until you know at least a little about it (although I have run into martial arts students that had very little information about martial arts in general, much less the art they were studying, and they were still very passionate about it... ).

Which takes me back to the point that if they are interested enough to pursue the issue, to keep coming back, then they really do want to know. I went to see my Sifu every night for a week before I joined. I had no idea whatsoever about what he did or what I was getting myself into, but I knew I wanted to study martial arts. After that week was over, I knew about him, his art, the school, and what to expect. I didn't get all that info in one 5 minute conversation in a hallway, though...

 

[chufeng]

...and I might point out that Matt Stone's Sifu went back to a house, where he "thought" a Chinese martial arts teacher lived, seven times...the first six times he was told "Chen doesn't live here." But he persisted...and we, every PaiXingQuan and YiLiQuan student, have reaped the benefits of THAT kind of "fire in the belly."

...Sifu says that for every one hundred students that enroll in class, only ten will stay for a year or more. Of those, only one will make Senior rank...BUT we never know who that ONE is...so, with few exceptions, I now take anyone who wants to train...if he/she is serious, it will show in the training...if not, they make great targets for the serious ones

:asian:
chufeng

 

[Matt Stone]

While this one particular instance I acted distant to some knucklehead asking goofy questions (that he subsequently answered himself after soliciting my opinion and disagreeing with it - not that I'm an authority, mind you, but everyone seems to want to paint the prospective student as an innocent in this drama, which often is not the case), I have been, and continue to be, open toward new training opportunities, both for myself as well as others.

I currently train with my own students (I teach Yiliquan to a few friends, and Taijiquan to some others), as well as other martial artists in their arts (RyuShiKan with RyuTe Renmei Karate, NBCDECON with Modern Arnis, and when I move in September, I will continue my Modern Arnis training with Datu Kelly Worden and will begin Shinto Muso-ryu Jojutsu with Sensei Phil Relnick). When I inquired about training, it was after research and inquiries made into those arts.

If someone comes to me, asks me questions, asks for information, and decides to train with me or my association, great. If someone comes to me, asks me questions, asks for information, and decides what I do is not to their liking, I go out of my way to help them find something that is... I am more than willing to work with someone, train with anyone so long as we are both learning somehow, etc. But the ones that come up asking questions they already "know" the answers to, the ones that want to challenge you or your legitimacy, the ones that are doing nothing more than trying to "count coup" on you, those are the ones I usually blow off...

There is a member of our Northwestern Association that started out just asking silly questions. I came into his place of work, and he saw a ring I was wearing. He asked what college it was from. I told him it wasn't a college ring, and turned away. He asked what school it was from. I told him it was from a martial arts school, and turned away. He asked what kind of martial arts school. I told him Chinese kung fu, and turned away. Up to that point, I was ready to dig his eyes out of his head with a ball point pen - I was busy and didn't want to waste time with this guy. Then he started in on questions about what I thought of this system versus that system, whether it was better to study X or Y, etc. I was annoyed, but less so now, as the questions were genuine, sincere, valid questions. We talked, exchanged email addresses, and he has been with our Association for two years now...

I'm not the jerk I seem to be sometimes, really...

Gambarimasu.

:samurai: :samurai:

 

[sweeper]

didn't mean to sound like I thought you were doing something wrong, just posting my perspective

 

[SolidTiger]

"Sure no one is that big of a jerk".

When I train I never say I don't wont to do this , I don't wont
to do that. I just do what I got to do so I can make myself a
stronger fighter. When I learn all the styles I wont to learn, someday I will teach my style that I develop, my style to coup with
my philosopy on fighting. When I finish I will teach it to anybody
who wants to learn enough. Who wont's to learn my style is going
to have to be a hard worker, and I'm going to have questions for
my test for differant test.

Thank You

SolidTiger

 

[GouRonin]

One of the problems of creating your own style is that while it may work for you it might not work for anyone BUT you.

Many of the popular and long lasting arts that have done this, such as American Kenpo and Modern Arnis, were done with the idea in mind that these arts can be taught to anyone and made to be effective for them. In essence they tailor to the individual and the individual doesn't have to conform to the art. They became successful and long lasting because anyone can learn and use them and not have to fit into the art.

This may be something you might want to look at when creating your art.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Put another way, if your systems a lot of kicks (because youre 6-5, and got long legs) how will a short person be able to pearn it?

Example only there. I've heard stories about Remy Presas that he would adapt the art on the spot to allow people to explore it.

Do alot of research and you should have a good chance at it.

:asian:

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by SolidTiger

"Sure no one is that big of a jerk".

When I train I never say I don't wont to do this , I don't wont
to do that. I just do what I got to do so I can make myself a
stronger fighter. When I learn all the styles I wont to learn, someday I will teach my style that I develop, my style to coup with
my philosopy on fighting. When I finish I will teach it to anybody
who wants to learn enough. Who wont's to learn my style is going
to have to be a hard worker, and I'm going to have questions for
my test for differant test.

Thank You

SolidTiger

For me it sounds like you've already made your mind up. So what are you waiting for?

/Yari

 

[chufeng]

Originally posted by Yiliquan1

[
There is a member of our Northwestern Association that started out just asking silly questions. I came into his place of work, and he saw a ring I was wearing. He asked what college it was from. I told him it wasn't a college ring, and turned away. He asked what school it was from. I told him it was from a martial arts school, and turned away. He asked what kind of martial arts school. I told him Chinese kung fu, and turned away. Up to that point, I was ready to dig his eyes out of his head with a ball point pen - I was busy and didn't want to waste time with this guy. Then he started in on questions about what I thought of this system versus that system, whether it was better to study X or Y, etc. I was annoyed, but less so now, as the questions were genuine, sincere, valid questions. We talked, exchanged email addresses, and he has been with our Association for two years now...

...and, that young man IS very serious about his training...
he has the "fire" Thanks for the referral Fatman...

:asian:
chufeng

 

[SolidTiger]

Originally posted by Yari



For me it sounds like you've already made your mind up. So what are you waiting for?

/Yari

I am only nineteen right now about to turn twenty, I've got
a lot more to learn. I won't my style to be complete with all
the parts I'm thinking about.

I been thinking of the physics the philosophy and the training,
I just won't to learn more that's all.

Thank you

SolidTiger

 

[Seig]

Originally posted by FUZZYJ692000

Sometimes though my Sensei has more confidence in my ability than I do so I have to get a nudge.

A nudge? How about a flat out kick in the :moon: I know what you are capable of. Once you learn it too, your confidence will grow.:asian:

 

[SolidTiger]

" Yes the more you learn the more overconfident you get"

Thank You

SolidTiger

 

[adrenaline]

I think the best way to solve a problem when someone comes up to you and asks if art X can beat art Y is just to take on what they say maybe they can make some valid points if they are involved on the martial arts but if they are just trying to make their art seem better than another I would just agree with what they say especially if they have no MA background and laugh as soon as the conversation ended and analyse what the person said.

Another thing, the martial arts itself may not get me a lot respect but it is the things martial arts help me to do like sayin no to smoking even when im among people who smoke and no to drugs. Some people I know say it is good that I have the will power to say to those things and respect a person more who says no then one who smokes and takes drugs.

If you are getting a lot of respect for your martial arts people may be taking the mick like saying you could break a steel bar or something. That's like what people who don't have much knowledge of martial arts might say. If you get in a fight and get out of it without actually harming the other person I think some people will say you handled the situation better but some people will give respect to a person who knocked the living s*** out of a person.

I think it depends on the type of people you consider your friends if you are friends with people who respect you for certain aspects of you doing MA I would worry about how the type of respect they gave me. But I wouldn't worry about the type of respect people who thought they were tough and went around acting tough thought of me.


:asian:

 

[tshadowchaser]

This thread has bounced around a couple of ideas so let me put my two cents in here.

About being serious about studying, I used to hich hick 75 miles each way to get to my instructors A darn lot of walking back loney roads some nights. The reward If I was late I only did 50 insted of 100 push ups befor starting I could to the rest befor I left. And I got to study after the others went home some nights.
I went to his school 3 times befor he agreed to let me study.


Most of the time I try to ignor the street punk or I'll give him a "not now maybe when I'm rested " or" come back another night", if they ask if I want to fight . If they come back enough they either study with me or watch enough of class so they realise they do not want to spar with my people

Shadow