I think part of the problem, besides non-MA people who are ignorant of the martial arts and try to be funny, is that many MAists themselves argue, laugh at, and degrade others in the MAs. If martial artists themselves can not get along, how can we expect "outsiders" to show respect for the arts?
Lets use children getting their black blacks as an example, since it has been brought up a few times in this thread.
Many MAists think promoting a child to a black belt is stupid. Can a kid really fight? Is a kid mature enough for such a rank? Does a kid truly understand what he has earned? Some schools do promote children to this rank, and they are looked down upon.
Same thing with non-MA people. They see a little kid with a black belt. Supposedly a black belt is a close-combat god. They don't really respect children or their abilities, thus they disrespect the rank and art.
Personally, I believe there should be a minimum age for black belt ranks, but I have no problem with a child earning a black belt if he demostrates the skill nesscary for the rank. I hear a lot on this board about the best way to survive an attack is to not be there. You also need to know how to de-escalate conflicts. You need to know signs of danger and how to avoid it. If that 11 year old kid knows how to stay out of trobule, how to handle bullies and other attackers, how to talk to people, and can keep himself out of danger, hasn't he already won his fights? We applaud people (adults) on this board who can get out of bad situations and stay out of them by being smart.
While I do not want to turn this thread into a debate on junior black belts, it has been said that respect must be earned. We can not expect outsiders to respect us if we can not respect each other. Maybe awarding junior black belts to kids is wrong, I don't know. I do know that as a whole, if the MA community wants to start earning more respect, we need to, first, get along better and second, redefine what we are. We are not superhuman warriors. Having a black belt does not mean your indestructable and undefeatable. Yes, a gun or knife can stop us easily as any other person. So what is our training really for? What does a black belt mean?
Sorry if my thoughts are kind of random. I tore my hamstring and on some medication for pain. Kind of loopy right now. I also meant no offense to anyone on this post. I just found it funny that some of us complain about the lack of respect from others, then go on to disrespect kids who may have actually earned their belts.
