Is it just me

[Xue Sheng]

or do other martial artists feel the same way?

Now it may just be me, or it may be my state security background or it may be my martial arts.

I have to walk to my office on an elevated sidewalk with barriers on either side and I have done this for years and I have hated it for years and I finally figured out why (and yes I am a little slow sometimes) prior to this morning I simply could not understand why I hated walking on this sidewalk so much.

I absolutely hate it when people follow to closely behind me, actually I am not all that found of them following me at all, but in this situation there is really no other choice.

I hate people following me and I can generally feel their presence behind me and I absolutely have to know how close they are.

OK now the actual question

I am wondering if others in martial arts feel the same way about people following them as I do?

 

[seasoned]

Yes, I feel the same way. I will even go so far to say anybody behind me. It's a combination of both martial arts and your security training. The main reason I know they are there is because I make it my responsible to always monitor everything around me.
Defensive driving goes hand in hand with defensive living.

The people that are totally oblivious to their surroundings are a walking target.

 

[Instructor]

I feel the same way. I mainly want to pass unnoticed wherever I go. The feeling of being followed is very disconcerting to me.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Yes if you have awareness of your surroundings you will feel this way. I hate it as well and go to great lengths to insure I am not in this position.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Have to agree I hate people being to close behind me. Part of it may be my training and part ofit may be from living in the inner city for part of my life.
I just get a creepy feeling when someone is following me even at a distance

 

[Dirty Dog]

I am exactly the same way. I don't like to be in a crowd at all, especially when people are behind me. I'm constantly looking around to see what these potential threats are up to.

Sue believes (and is probably correct) that this is why the TSA always always always "randomly" pulls me out for extra attention. I get groped, swabbed, probed... everything short of a kiss on the neck. Every. Single. Time. 100%.

 

[PhotonGuy]

or do other martial artists feel the same way?

Now it may just be me, or it may be my state security background or it may be my martial arts.

I have to walk to my office on an elevated sidewalk with barriers on either side and I have done this for years and I have hated it for years and I finally figured out why (and yes I am a little slow sometimes) prior to this morning I simply could not understand why I hated walking on this sidewalk so much.

I absolutely hate it when people follow to closely behind me, actually I am not all that found of them following me at all, but in this situation there is really no other choice.

I hate people following me and I can generally feel their presence behind me and I absolutely have to know how close they are.

OK now the actual question

I am wondering if others in martial arts feel the same way about people following them as I do?

Yes I know exactly what you mean, you're not the only one.

 

[Buka]

I am exactly the same way. I don't like to be in a crowd at all, especially when people are behind me. I'm constantly looking around to see what these potential threats are up to.

Sue believes (and is probably correct) that this is why the TSA always always always "randomly" pulls me out for extra attention. I get groped, swabbed, probed... everything short of a kiss on the neck. Every. Single. Time. 100%.

We better never fly together, brother. I get pulled out every single time as well by TSA. Even when I was a cop, even when I was an Airport Cop. I've been carrying a handcuff key on my key ring since I was in my twenties. Fifty percent of the time they notice it and want it. Screw em', I won't give it up, always talk my way out of it. So far, anyway.

As for getting followed - I think it's part of our survival system. Other than plotting a place to lay in wait, following prey is the way of nature.
Sometimes it's worse than others. If you're walking down a busy New York sidewalk, there's so many people you kind of get lost in the shuffle. BUT, if while in that shuffle you suddenly get the feeling you're being followed, all kinds of spider senses start yelling at you. Getting followed on a turf you are familiar with is one thing, getting followed in a place you are a visitor is another. Getting followed in a remote location is another kettle of fish entirely.

 

[Dirty Dog]

We better never fly together, brother. I get pulled out every single time as well by TSA. Even when I was a cop, even when I was an Airport Cop. I've been carrying a handcuff key on my key ring since I was in my twenties. Fifty percent of the time they notice it and want it. Screw em', I won't give it up, always talk my way out of it. So far, anyway.

Wanna go on a SCUBA trip with us?
I really go out of my way to avoid anything that will upset the TSA goons. I don't expect much from them, all things considered, so I try to make it easy on them. Doesn't keep me from getting a free colonoscopy with every trip we book.
As for the key... last time I asked, the Air Marshalls were using zip-tie cuffs.

Of course, these are the same minimum wage goons with room temperature IQs who confiscated Sue's eyelash curler. Now that is a dangerous weapon...

 

[Xue Sheng]

Wanna go on a SCUBA trip with us?
I really go out of my way to avoid anything that will upset the TSA goons. I don't expect much from them, all things considered, so I try to make it easy on them. Doesn't keep me from getting a free colonoscopy with every trip we book.
As for the key... last time I asked, the Air Marshalls were using zip-tie cuffs.

Of course, these are the same minimum wage goons with room temperature IQs who confiscated Sue's eyelash curler. Now that is a dangerous weapon...

Many years ago two cousins of mine (sisters) use to fly form Georgia to NY to visit family. One was a small thin Brunette in her early 20s and the other was a tall thin Blonde a little younger but still in her early twenties. Apparently young tall thin blondes are on the TSA "must check list" because the blonde was pulled out of the line and checked every single time. As for her slightly older thin brunette sister, apparently brunettes are not as much of a threat as blondes but she got pulled out to be checked about 75% of the time..

And I just derailed my own thread...

OK back on topic, it is nice to know it is not just me and I suspect it is a martial arts thing. But it does not seem to matter to me where I am, familiar, unfamiliar, densely populated or not, I tend to be very aware of people behind me. I will say in a large city I tend to notice it but I deal with it. Kind of hard to tell somebody in Toronto, Beijing or NYC walking behind you to back off. And if you wait for them to pass, you will be there all day

 

[Dirty Dog]

Many years ago two cousins of mine (sisters) use to fly form Georgia to NY to visit family. One was a small thin Brunette in her early 20s and the other was a tall thin Blonde a little younger but still in her early twenties. Apparently young tall thin blondes are on the TSA "must check list" because the blonde was pulled out of the line and checked every single time. As for her slightly older thin brunette sister, apparently brunettes are not as much of a threat as blondes but she got pulled out to be checked about 75% of the time..

And I just derailed my own thread...

Everybody knows that the hotter they are, the more dangerous they are...

The last time my In-Laws came to visit, it turns out that apparently my 82 yo 5'1" 94lb white haired mother-in-law looks like a terrorist to the TSA. They delayed them long enough that they missed their flight, after arriving at DIA 90 minutes before departure to Indiana.

 

[Cirdan]

Many years ago two cousins of mine (sisters) use to fly form Georgia to NY to visit family. One was a small thin Brunette in her early 20s and the other was a tall thin Blonde a little younger but still in her early twenties. Apparently young tall thin blondes are on the TSA "must check list" because the blonde was pulled out of the line and checked every single time. As for her slightly older thin brunette sister, apparently brunettes are not as much of a threat as blondes but she got pulled out to be checked about 75% of the time..

Hmm last week I got pulled aside for a random pat down for the first time in a long while -BY a pretty young tall thin blonde I might add, surely me getting back into shape recently is just a coincidence. Oh well, anything to help securtiy making us feel safe

 

[donald1]

No, I hardly think at all more or less the person behind me, but occasionally will be cautious of the people around me depending on the situation

 

[Marnetmar]

I'm the same way, and I've found that's often what gets shady people following me in the first place for some reason...Maybe it makes you look more vulnerable somehow, even though that's kind of counter-intuitive. Still, I'd rather have someone following me while I'm aware of it than end up having something really bad happen if I'm taken by surprise.

 

[RTKDCMB]

I was walking from Uni to the train station once and there was this guy who was a fair distance behind me. Now I normally walk fairly fast and I was trying to get to the train before it left so I was not dawdling and he was gaining on me. I would surreptitiously look behind me on occasion to see where he was and I could hear his footsteps as he changed his pace did the occasional foot drag. As I got close to the station he was a few feet behind me. At this point I was thinking "what's this guy's deal? Is he going to try to rob me, attack me or stab me or what?" I was ready to spring into action at any instant. He then came up to me and asked me if I knew his friend who a scientist who went to the University, I said I did not and he started to have a conversation with me, just trying to be friendly, to be honest I don't think he was quite all there but he was harmless. I hate it when complete strangers come up to you and start talking to you for no apparent reason (unless it's an attractive woman ), it puts me on yellow alert.

 

[K-man]

I've been carrying a handcuff key on my key ring since I was in my twenties. Fifty percent of the time they notice it and want it. Screw em', I won't give it up, always talk my way out of it. So far, anyway.

Does that make me a member of an exclusive club? I've got one on my key ring too.

 

[K-man]

Surely it depends on the situation. In a big city at busy times you are always going to have people in close proximity. What are the chances of someone doing something to you in a crowd? In an area with few people I would be very concerned if someone I didn't know was walking close behind.

Just as an aside, driving home a couple of weeks ago I was behind a car that coincidently turned into every street I wanted to go. This went on for about 20 minutes before he turned into the street one before the street I was actually going to. I was wondering for most of that time if he thought I was following him, or if he even knew. I know I notice if a car is following me for an unusual period, especially if I am making turns.
:asian:

 

[colemcm]

I'm definitely in the same boat. I can't stand someone being behind me when I'm walking. I also can't sit with my back exposed or in a position where I'm not be able to see who's moving around me.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Does that make me a member of an exclusive club? I've got one on my key ring too.

Just tells us what sort of things you're into...

 

[seasoned]

Does that make me a member of an exclusive club? I've got one on my key ring too.

Just tells us what sort of things you're into...

Oh yeah!