Keeping your Martial Arts knowledge and skills secret

[Dalum]

It's not like we study t3h s3cr3t uber art. It's all about who you are comfortable with and what you are willing to say. I worked in a cruddy restaraunt not too long ago. Someone caught word that I study and teach. 1 guy was cool about it and we talked a bit about styles and studies. Some snotty woman doubted everything I said when she asked me and asked that I do some stuff there at work. I refused since it wasn't proper to do anything like that ESPECIALLY on a greasy floor.

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

I do not keep it secret and I have no plans to do so; MA is as much who I am (as was stated earlier) as anything else in my life. Perhaps, even, a bit more.

I have a sticker on my car and a t-shirt in my drawer for my school. I have several MA shirts that I wear on ocassion. Not today, though. The competitions I've attended, especially the larger ones, have published results in the local paper. I was just questioned by a guy here at work about the last comp and I was happy to talk to him about it.

The only secret I keep is where it hurts

 

[IcemanSK]

I started my TKD carreer in high school. I wasn't one of those guys w/ an outgoing personality & loads of athletic skill. I was that guy that when you asked people who I was they said, "Oh yeah, what's-his-name." MA became the only place I really felt like I belonged. So I always carried BB magazine w/ me & MA was what I talked about. All the time. Truth be told, I don't remember high school very well. It was just what I did in between TKD class. My 20 year reunion was this year & I choose not to go. Cuz the only folks I remember are the ones I trained with. And I still keep in touch with them.

It took me a long time, but I learned that MA just isn't the big deal to most folks that it is to be. Anymore than the Bears or Dodgers are to others. It still wear jackets (although not satin ones anymore ) & the occasional shirt, but I don't talk about it much to folks that aren't already involved in it.

 

[arnisador]

Like Disco Stu, I don't advertise. Why invite trouble, or forewarn an opponent of your possible advantage? But I am happy to discuss it with friends and colleagues (and strangers on martial arts boards).

 

[Dalum]

Like Disco Stu, I don't advertise. Why invite trouble, or forewarn an opponent of your possible advantage? But I am happy to discuss it with friends and colleagues (and strangers on martial arts boards).

Haha! It's those darn strangers that you have to watch out for. LOL!

 

[karatekid1975]

I don't go around telling people. But my friends know (they are also in MA, except for one and I am trying to get her to join). People at work know because my class schedule. I told my boss that I can not work certain nights. Her cousin is one of my instructors, so she knows anyways.

I am also looking for a day job so that I will have nights and weekends free for MA. When I do get a new job, I won't tell anyone, unless I over-hear someone talking about joining or is interested.

 

[Henderson]

I am also looking for a day job so that I will have nights and weekends free for MA.

Aren't we all? *heavy sigh*

 

[fireman00]

I was always told by my first instructor that as a martial artist I should be wary of "posturing" (don't practice in the park on the town square, don't wear the black belts kick butt shirt/ jacket/ hat or go around bragging that I'm a black belt) 'cuz there's always going to be some clown somewhere that would love to cold cock a martial artist for bragging rights.

I do where t-shirts around the house or to the dojang but not when I'm going to be out and about.

Family and friends know about my black belt, business aquaintences are told only if I'll need to take a day off before a b/b test or if I'm limping around the day after a hard night of sparring and they ask what happened. I don't consider it a hobby so it doesn't go on a resume or any other type of form that asks for personal info.

 

[Bigshadow]

You should always hide your weapons until you need them. Showing them at the right moment (when it is too late for the enemy). I take this to also mean hiding your martial knowledge, bringing it out only when needed. Just my thoughts.

 

[Henderson]

You should always hide your weapons until you need them. Showing them at the right moment (when it is too late for the enemy). I take this to also mean hiding your martial knowledge, bringing it out only when needed. Just my thoughts.

I agree with David.

 

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

My friends know about my training. After all, I have to tell them about it when they ask how I met my wife...

But I don't usually tell co-workers. About 20 years ago a coworker drove by the dojo and saw me teaching through the front window. She told everyone in the office. Some coworkers were chatting with me about it when my boss decided to sneak up behind me and give me a surprise skill test. He grabbed my neck as-if he were going to do a rear-naked choke. I instinctively reacted with a basic Kenpo technique of elbow-to solarplexus followed by hammerfist to groin. Before he could even say "what would you do if...", he found out exactly what I would do. Anyway, it was all in good fun. Fortunately, people are much smarter about martial arts training now and don't usually do such stupid stuff.

 

[FearlessFreep]

You should always hide your weapons until you need them. Showing them at the right moment (when it is too late for the enemy). I take this to also mean hiding your martial knowledge, bringing it out only when needed. Just my thoughts.

If you tell your family and friends...it makes Christmas and birthday shopping a lot easier

 

[karatekid1975]

Aren't we all? *heavy sigh*

It'll happen I have faith ..... I think.

Good one FearlessFreep It does, doesn't it hehehehehe (more MA toys WHOOOHOOO ).

 

[Bigshadow]

If you tell your family and friends...it makes Christmas and birthday shopping a lot easier

Well, my close family and friends know about my training, but to them it is generically known as Karate (nothing offense intended, Karate is more well known word describing a martial art). Anyway, it doesn't really help Christmas and birthdays, I am too picky and they would most likely get the wrong brand, model, etc. To me, my training is a very personal thing, sort of a spiritual thing (not in a religous manner), not some fanciful hobby.

But I get what you mean...

 

[jbclinic]

weather it's MA or life the world is our manual to growth so you have to ask yourself," life contributing or self-defense" when does the secerte starts

 

[Carol]

I haven't kept it a secret at all. I love it too much. It's become part of my identity and part of my lifestyle.

Perhaps some of the advantages to me disclosing it have to do with my appearance. I'm 5' 2" and very feminine...and many of my colleagues get scared that I'll kill myself trying to heft around a rack of computers. Now that I train, it is a lot easier for me to reassure the folks that I work with that I can move stuff around without getting hurt.

I think there is a bit of a double-standard. The reaction that I get from friends or neighbors is that they think it's great that I am learning how to protect myself. If I were an average-sized guy, I'm not sure if I'd be met with the same enthusiasm.

 

[SAVAGE]

I think its best to keep secret. Some people use the fact that they study martial arts as an identity and there only source of respect. Quite pathetic in a way, and usually those are the ones who cant even fight.

HMMMMMM...my martial arts is my identity...everything I do apart from that is just to fill time between training and make enough money to pay for said training....except for my family it is largely who I am!

I do not hide it and I am not forthcoming about it....I will tell if I am asked...but if not I keep it on the down low!

As for MA being m identity..I dont feel pathetic..and from my days as a bouncer I have been known to crack the odd head together in the name of peace in the club...I am not boastful but I feel you have picked up a VERY broad brush and painted 95% of martial artists...which one of us here doesnt use MA as a identity..it is ingrained as apart of who we are....how large a part is the variable...but to some extent MA is the practitioner!

 

[rutherford]

I'm in the group that doesn't advertise, but is perfectly willing to talk about it if it happens to come up. And, in fact that's how I found the Aikido group I'm going to spend some time with. I was just talking with a co-worker, who I'd known for over a year and who didn't know about my MA background. When it came up, she gave me the tip about her husband's training group and it was just when I was ready to go and check them out.

Things which you let happen in their own time often turn out to be happy coincidences.

 

[searcher]

Mr. Miyagi gave some of the best advice to Daniel-san in the first Karate Kid movie when he was asked why he did not tell Daniel. "You never ask." It is good enough for me. It is kind of like the Don't ask, don't tell. But even not talking about it, in time people are going to find out, just keep it on the down low and they will drop it.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I keep it "need to know" , or deal with it as is comes up in discussion.

I was at one job and this guy shoved me. I was in a tight spot, stepped back and tripped on cables on the ground. (* would not pass and audit today *) I had a couple of options. Break fall and no one gets hurts. Bring him with me and he possible hurts me by landing on me. Or I use him as a pillow and he is guarenteed to get hurt. I had grabbed him instictively, and then let go of him to avoid injury. He was shocked. His comment, "I thought you were a black belt and untouchable." My comment," I explained how he could have been my pillow, or head his head hit the wall in trying or I coudl let go and fall and no one gets hurts. Besides rank has no indication on being touched."

A couple of other times, I have had some real over the top Union guys come at me. I explained to one not to touch me again. Not to poke me with his finger. He smiled and said "why not?" as he poked me. I did a finger lock on him, took him to the floor and stated, " while you are down there, ... " . I thne stood him up and dusted him off and most of the others around did nto understand what happened. He then apologized for touching me.

Another time I went into a lab, not knowing the rules of not wearing a tie Christmas week, so this guy jumps me with what I think is a knife. I did a pass and joint lock and then a strip disarm and realized that it was a pair of scissors. I put the scissors down and left the lab, and went and told my boss. The boss laughed his butt off. He told me not to worry about getting fired as no Union guy was going to file charges against an engineer for what I did. He would be laughed at by his brothers too much. I still worried.

So, in one case I stood up for myself. In another I reacted and it turned out ok, and I can smile at it now.

Although in the current job I have, I post my seminars up in my cube that are benefit seminars in case anyone wishes to donate to the cause at hand. So many know that I train. They all get wierd when they find out I teach it and have been doing it for 20 years and do seminars. So, I do not lie about it, I do not keep it a secret, I also do not go around obviously practicing in public or showing off.

There are good and bad points to everything, but in general I support keeping it need to know.