Oi Karate Kid!

[dosk3n]

How many of you guys train out doors in a public area and if you do what reactions do you usually get.

We train down the river side next to town where I live and since its next to town we do get a few people walking by. Not that many but a good few joggers, people on bikes or people just going for walks.

Ive been training down there for over a year and yesturday got some good reactions. One guy walked up and asked if we were doing Wing Chun. He went on to tell us that he used to train with a different club but then couldnt afford to any more. Since sundays arnt an actual class we told him to come down next week and train with us as it doesnt cost.

Then about an hour after this someone else was stood watching us. He didnt say a word for about 20 mins so we went over and introduced our self. Turns out he also studied Wing chun and was from Poland and was his first day in the country so was suprised to see people training.

Weve had other reactions such as charvas/idiots walking past shouting Oi Karate Kid! and Wax on Wax off.

Best reaction was a few months back at winter. We were sparring and the police were driving by they parked up in the car park next to us which was covered in ice and then they noticed us and tried speeding towards us but just started wheel spinning. We heard it and stopped and looked at them. They stopped so I walked over to them. They said they thought we were fighting until they saw one of us had a head guard on.

So what reactions you had?

 

[Nabakatsu]

Only thing that happened to me outdoors was a couple kids saw me practicing siu nim tao at a bus-stop, and walked over from the lot they were in before, stood on the opposite side of the street, and started filming me, or pretending to film me with his phone, I just stood there, watching them, continuing to practice, after a little bit of them staring at me, and vice versa, they walked back to their car, a minute or so later, they drove past and yelled some obscenities, I smiled and waved, and that was that..

 

[mook jong man]

Sometimes I train one of my guys at a Rugby oval , there was this one Sunday we were training and there was a big game on.

That day we just happened to be working on knife defences and every so often a loud yell of "STAB HIM" would ring out from the crowd lol.

We have had a couple of people come up and give themselves a big rap about their so called skill in Wing Chun.

But when pressed to engage in some friendly Chi Sau you usually find their skill level doesn't quite match their ego.

They then say that they want to start training with us and pretty much thats the last you ever see of them.

 

[kroh]

Since leaving commercial martial arts I have trained exclusively outside. A good chunk of training (most of it with the military) has been conducted outside. When we are in public usually we stop just long enough to say hello and keep going. When folks stop with dogs I usually have to take a geek break (I am a dog nut).

The passers by are totally worth it as I would much rather Train outside.

Regards
Walt

 

[geezer]

We have a little group at a nice indoor facility at the local Y, but we also are starting up a couple of classes at local parks. The biggest problem here is the heat. At this time of year mid-day temperatures of 110 degrees are common. A few years back we made it up to 122 (about 50C), but that was unusual. So, we've found some shady places where it's quite tolerable in the mornings and evenings, especially when there is a breeze. At any rate, Arizona's heat is definitely better than having to deal with rain, snow and ice like what some of you contend with. And as far as interruptions from bystanders or hecklers... so far it hasn't been a real problem. From time to time you might have a couple of teenagers or some old tramp making "kung-fu noises" in passing, and then go away. I'll comment something like "I hope none of you are worried that you might have made a bad impression on that bum. Wouldn't want him to thing badly of us!" ...It usually gets a laugh. Seriously, I'm proud of my art and don't pay attention to idiots like that. I'd like my students to have the same confident attitude.

On the other hand, my training partner/instructor won't train in public parks. He'd rather lose money sub-letting costly commercial space than have to work in what he feels is an unprofessional environment. He has been at this a long time and feels that the least he will accept. I understand his position. I guess it's all a matter of your personal perspective.

 

[Stac3y]

Our black belt candidate workouts are in the front yard of one of our senior (4th degree) BBs. We generally do a run, then situps/pushups, then self defense work that involves throwing each other on the ground and pretending to kill each other. She's lived there a long time, though, so the neighbors are used to it and pretend we aren't there.

I also work out in public parks sometimes. I've never had a problem, except for a couple of preteen boys making fun once. That made my sons mad, but I found it easy to ignore.

 

[Omar B]

Training in public parks is something I try to avoid. It draws a lot of attention and much of the time it's not the good type. I don't like being interrupted when I'm working on something and that happens quite frequently in public.

Usually when I go for my morning run which is usually around 5 and still dark out I can make it to the park. Get my run in, calisthenics, body weight workout, some kata and still make it home before the other runners even get there.

 

[coffeerox]

we train in a garage at a closed gate community so there's not a lot of people that goes by.

 

[CRCAVirginia]

I was training the knives with my second teacher outside in a park in Washington DC when the secret service came over to see what we were doing. We were in a park next to the Vice Presidents House.

 

[yak sao]

Our group had a school but every now and then we would get together in a park for an extra workout and to enjoy the weather.
Wish I had a dollar for every "Hi-Ya! I've had yelled at us.

These days I teach out of my garage and I'm fortunate enough to live in a rural area with acres and acres of woods around me. My favorite outdoor training spot is a clearing surrounded by white pines. I have my plum flower stumps set up over there, a tripodal dummy and a long pole dummy.
And it's nice and private....no "Hi-Ya's" to be heard.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Only thing that happened to me outdoors was a couple kids saw me practicing siu nim tao at a bus-stop.....

This is hands down the dumbest thing you can possibly do. Anyone practicing a martial art at a bus stop is asking to be gang beaten.
Bad decision, dude. Please don't do anything like this again. You are asking for a trip to the ER.
Martial arts are about self-defense and personal growth, not showing off at a bus stop.

AoG

 

[cwk]

I always train outside but never have any problems with people shouting stupid stuff.
I think it's due to where I live ( Thailand). We get plenty of people stopping and watching every week, especially chinese malaysian tourists, and they're always friendly.
I wonder what it is that makes some of us westerners behave in this idiotic way? I think most thais would be too polite to even think about shouting something.

p.s
geezer- training in the heat, I feel your pain too mate. it hardly ever drops below 35C here and the humidity can drive you crazy.

 

[mook jong man]

This is hands down the dumbest thing you can possibly do. Anyone practicing a martial art at a bus stop is asking to be gang beaten.
Bad decision, dude. Please don't do anything like this again. You are asking for a trip to the ER.
Martial arts are about self-defense and personal growth, not showing off at a bus stop.

AoG

Have you seen Sil Lum Tao dude , If he wanted to show off and impress the chicks Sil Lum Tao would be the last thing you'd be doing.

 

[dosk3n]

Ha ha I agree Sil Lim Tao does look a bit ridiculous. I dont know if its due to watching the videos of Yip Man doing it but when I look at people doing it now it just reminds me of elderly people. My girlfriend actually laughed and was like what the heck you doing when she first saw me doing it and thought it was some weird dance.

She even says Chi Sau reminds her of the Macarina dance. She says shes just waiting for me to start slapping my hips and rotating my pelvas.

 

[Nabakatsu]

Man, that's pretty funny. Everyone I know who has seen it think it looks like I'm either meditating, or practicing Tai Chi. I was in an upscale part of town, I wouldn't practice stuff unless I didn't have a keen awareness of my surroundings, which living in the area for 20 some years has helped me to acquire. I appreciate you good intentions none the less.
Picking up chicks or looking tough like the others have said, probably aren't going to be some of my main concerns out in public. Sad to say I'm not so sure Ng Mui embedded such little ideas into Wing Chuns first form.

 

[mook jong man]

I'll tell you a funny story , I was in a park one day doing the Sil lum tao form .
I was deep in concentration , and some woman came through walking her dogs.

One of them was some sort of big Labrador looking thing , it came right up to me and proceeded to stand up on its hind legs and lean on me with both its front paws on my right side almost up to my shoulder.

I thought damn it your not going to break my concentration so I just kept on going , standing there doing the form with a big happy dog leaning on me.

While all this was going on the woman was trying to call him back but he was having too much fun and ignored her .

I suppose I should just think myself lucky he didn't think I was a tree and decided to relieve himself or maybe started humping my leg.

 

[Boozmork]

I'll tell you a funny story , I was in a park one day doing the Sil lum tao form .
I was deep in concentration , and some woman came through walking her dogs.

One of them was some sort of big Labrador looking thing , it came right up to me and proceeded to stand up on its hind legs and lean on me with both its front paws on my right side almost up to my shoulder.

I thought damn it your not going to break my concentration so I just kept on going , standing there doing the form with a big happy dog leaning on me.

While all this was going on the woman was trying to call him back but he was having too much fun and ignored her .

I suppose I should just think myself lucky he didn't think I was a tree and decided to relieve himself or maybe started humping my leg.

Hehe thats great, I guess it helped you check your structure as well . I often hope a big dog will try to push me so I can check that I'm grounded properly

 

[yak sao]

I would say SNT is definitely not a chick magnet.
When my wife sees me practicing it, she says she had to wear special shoes when she was little to keep from standing like that.

 

[mograph]

When I used to practice Tai Chi in the park, dogs would run up to me, stare, bark, pant, jump up and down, and do all kinds of things. They had no idea what I was doing, but they knew they were supposed to do something about it.

(You Wing Chun guys have the best threads ...)

 

[Vajramusti]

I used to have 3 big dogs- 2 Samoyeds and an Alaskan Malamute. I used tp take them way out in the desert and let them loose when no humans were around. I did my forms and drills.The dogs didn't care what I did- their interest was in rabbits. I taught them chi sao type of rolling. ..one hand or two. .. standing on their two hind legs.Their fok saos were perfect- very natural controlling motions. Sometimes when they had an open line they would poke me with their nails.
A head shot pf my late Malamute is on my web site:

www.tempewingchun,com


joy chaudhuri