Martial Arts fanaticals

[jobo]

That in and of itself seems dogmatic and judgemental, to lump all BJJ people into that category.

it seems to be true, when ever there is a discussion. It's he bjj lot that are telling every one how superior their art is to every one else's.

 

[jobo]

Aren't there fanboys of every style though?

not it the same way, every discussion is ufc this, ufc that. The other arts don't seem to live by vicarious thrills like the bjj lot do

 

[wingchun100]

it seems to be true, when ever there is a discussion. It's he bjj lot that are telling every one how superior their art is to every one else's.

A discussion where? Here?

 

[Headhunter]

Aren't there fanboys of every style though?

Yes but the jiu jitsu guys do have a reputation for being closed minded on other styles. I know people in the bjj world who admit theres a lot of bjj guys who are insulting to other styles. A friend of mine from kenpo karate went to a training session at a Gracie Barra school and they were doing the class doing whatever they were doing and the instructor never used the guys name just called him kenpo man the whole time like he was belittling him and when they were rolling he said come on kenpo man surely you can do better than that all you kenpo guys do is quit.

Obviously he never went back to that jerk. Of course not everyone in the community is like that and yes there's jerks in every style but it does seem to be a lot of bjj guys are very outspoken and quick to ridicule other styles

 

[Headhunter]

A discussion where? Here?

Yes a number of times for the most recent look at mma vs tai chi page

 

[Xue Sheng]

Yes but the jiu jitsu guys do have a reputation for being closed minded on other styles. I know people in the bjj world who admit theres a lot of bjj guys who are insulting to other styles. A friend of mine from kenpo karate went to a training session at a Gracie Barra school and they were doing the class doing whatever they were doing and the instructor never used the guys name just called him kenpo man the whole time like he was belittling him and when they were rolling he said come on kenpo man surely you can do better than that all you kenpo guys do is quit.

Obviously he never went back to that jerk. Of course not everyone in the community is like that and yes there's jerks in every style but it does seem to be a lot of bjj guys are very outspoken and quick to ridicule other styles

I ran into a similar thing in a Kenpo school, they new my background in Martial Arts and the teacher's last words to me were "you should come here and train a real martial art, not that other...stuff"

 

[wingchun100]

Yes a number of times for the most recent look at mma vs tai chi page

I have to admit: the question was kind of a setup to my follow-up point.

Does anyone think that the majority of BJJ practitioners in the world are spending their time making comments here on MT?

 

[wingchun100]

I ran into a similar thing in a Kenpo school, they new my background in Martial Arts and the teacher's last words to me were "you should come here and train a real martial art, not that other...stuff"

I had a similar situation.

I have tried out 3 different martial arts styles. First was judo. Second was billed as kung fu, but it was more like wushu. Third was wing chun. Although I did not think the wushu school was a good fit for me, I did stay friends with many of the people I met there. After I had been studying wing chun for a few months, I dropped in to say hello. They asked if I would like to join class for the night, and I said sure.

During class, they did a self-defense application. After a couple minutes, they asked me, "How would wing chun deal with this attack?" Again, I was still kind of new at it, so I was unsure. I said, "I don't know...maybe in this way?" And the method I used was completely inappropriate for the situation. This prompted one of the senior students to laugh, and he said something like, "Oh, man...we gotta get you back in HERE! Forget about that wing chun crap!"

It's everywhere.

 

[Steve]

Jenna, everyone could get along so well if people were just honest with themselves about what they're doing and what they are learning. (I say that and chuckle, because I'm picturing the TMA guys thinking about the BJJ/MMA guys, and vice versa.

Another thing that makes me chuckle is the sexual tension between Hanzou and jobo. (just kidding, guys!)

Your analogy is a good one. To stay with it for a bit longer, I see it like a carpenter sees a guy waving a screwdriver around in the air, in a hammering motion. .

Carpenter: "Hey, what are you up to?"
Other guy: "I'm learning to hammer nails into wood with a screwdriver."
Carpenter: "That's... kind of the hard way. If your goal is to drive nails into wood well, you'd be much better off using a tool made for that. And maybe get some nails... and a piece of wood."
The other guys says, "No thanks. It's really not about trying to drive a nail into wood. I'm trying to learn life lessons."
Carpenter: "Well, oookay. So, you don't really care about actually being able to drive nails into wood. That's good, because it seems like a very hard way to go about it, and I don't think you'll ever succeed. But, you may learn some life lessons, and if it works for you, great."
Other guy: "AND, I will eventually become very good at driving nails into wood with my screwdriver. It's the art of carpentry, and after many years, I will be better at driving nails into wood than you."

That's where we run into problems around here all the time. That last statement. We see it all the time. Look at the kerfuffle over in the MMA vs Tai Chi thread for a recent example. It's a mess.

It's very simple. You can approach your training in one of two ways. You are either training in something you enjoy, and aren't overly concerned with results. This is perfectly valid. I like BJJ, and don't really worry too much about whether it's going to help me defeat 10 ninja in a dark alley. If you're training aikido and like it, or are swinging a screwdriver around in the air, knock yourself out.

Or you can approach it from the position of wanting to achieve certain goals, whether that's wellness, effective "self defense", fitness or whatever. And in those cases, the goal will (should) drive the choice of activity.

Either way, you're only learning what you're actually doing. If you're swinging the screwdriver in the air, that's the skill you're improving. You're not learning to drive nails into wood, you're learning to swing a screwdriver in the air.

 

[Flying Crane]

The ability for people to interact anonymously on Internet forums is a great contributor to this phenomenon.

The same qualities of anonymity also make it easy to ignore these people.

 

[Hanzou]

Says the one who's made a number of threads and talked constantly about how rubbish traditional martial arts are and how great jiu jitsu is

Feel free to locate a single thread on this site where I have said that traditional martial arts are "rubbish".

 

[CB Jones]

it doesn't have a name, its a mix of various styles and arts, its predominately karate but with kung fu and jujitsu mixed in

Have you been training with Mou Meng Gung Fu?

 

[ShortBridge]

People who think they know everything are really annoying to those of us who do.

 

[Headhunter]

Have you been training with Mou Meng Gung Fu?

Lol that guy hasn't been seen since he claimed to see a shaolin monk jump 10 feet in the air up a building

 

[hoshin1600]

I will eventually become very good at driving nails into wood with my screwdriver. It's the art of carpentry, and after many years, I will be better at driving nails into wood than you."

yes ! that was going to be my next point. i really dont mind if people want to use a screw driver to bang on nails, just be honest about it. be honest with your self and dont lie to yourself thinking that in time you will be equal to others who use a hammer.
in a small way i understand the traditional bashing that goes on. for a really long time there were traditional "masters" who spouted on and on about how dangerous their art is but i cant show you because it is secret or that you may die so i cant prove it. that may be an exception and an exaggeration but to a lessor degree that mentality was EVERYWHERE. so many instructors would bark alot about their art and their abilities but never have to prove anything. they hide behind rank and belts, trophies, titles, dojo etiquette, peoples fear and lack of knowledge. there really was no way to verify what was being said. this problem still exists. anyone can say "what i do works on the street, that other stuff is sport, what i do is not allowed in sport" so there is no way to prove or disprove these claims. what the UFC did was give us some kind of verification venue, even if its not perfect.

 

[Flying Crane]

But are you really sure it's a screwdriver, and not a hammer of a different sort? One with which you simply have no experience?

That's the thing here. No matter which side of the discussion one is on, everyone is dead certain that they are right and the other is wrong.

Some people are bigger jerks about it than others, tho.

 

[CB Jones]

My opinion:

1) I see no problem with being proud of your art and placing it on a pedestal by speaking highly of it.

2) I see no problem in pointing out specific things that could get someone hurt if they followed someone's bad advice

3) where it becomes a problem is when you disrespect or disparage a style or practitioner to make your style look better. Or you refuse to admit there are different ways and styles of doing things.



I see it not only in Martial Arts but in other things where someone will attempt to tear someone else apart just to try to impress people without truly taking into account that persons idea or reasoning.

 

[wingchun100]

My opinion:

1) I see no problem with being proud of your art and placing it on a pedestal by speaking highly of it.

2) I see no problem in pointing out specific things that could get someone hurt if they followed someone's bad advice

3) where it becomes a problem is when you disrespect or disparage a style or practitioner to make your style look better. Or you refuse to admit there are different ways and styles of doing things.



I see it not only in Martial Arts but in other things where someone will attempt to tear someone else apart just to try to impress people without truly taking into account that persons idea or reasoning.

Yes, and the sad part is that the people who hear the boaster/tearing-down-person will often just listen to them simply because their loudness draws all the attention. Meanwhile the humble person in the corner who actually knows some things is ignored because they are busy DOING instead of boasting.

 

[Steve]

But are you really sure it's a screwdriver, and not a hammer of a different sort? One with which you simply have no experience?

That's the thing here. No matter which side of the discussion one is on, everyone is dead certain that they are right and the other is wrong.

Some people are bigger jerks about it than others, tho.

Provided a nail ends up driven through a piece of wood, no one would ever have any trouble understanding that something is a hammer, even if it is a completely foreign design.

I know the above seems very obvious and simple. It is simple, and yet we have folks around here who insist that they are learning to drive nails into wood by doing something totally different.

You're learning to drive nails?
Yes.
By swinging a screwdriver through the air?
Yes.
Do you think that's going to work?
Yes... eventually, and you're a jerk and a fanboy for suggesting it won't.

 

[Steve]

Yes, and the sad part is that the people who hear the boaster/tearing-down-person will often just listen to them simply because their loudness draws all the attention. Meanwhile the humble person in the corner who actually knows some things is ignored because they are busy DOING instead of boasting.

One can be both humble and incompetent. Once can be both boastful and competent. The two are unconnected.

We often jump to conclusions. That nerdy guy... he must be smart. That pretty women... she must be ditzy. That quiet guy in the corner... must be competent. That braggart... he's full of hot air.

Those are not logical conclusions. And when you discount what one says because you don't like the way it's said, you are the one who isn't listening.