playing around

[MartialArtist]

LOL, if your boss and co-workers did that, that is harrassment. Just do not elaborate on the truth. Like when he covers his groin, that can be used to make it sound like sexual harrassment. A BIG lawsuit.

That's what a lot of people would do.

The more honorable way is to just tell them to stop. Especially the boss, he knows what he's getting into if he continues.

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by rachel
Do any of you have friends who are not into martial arts who think it's fun to sneak up behind you and grab you or yell? i have this problem at work and I find it annoying. I take karate seriously and they think it's a game. Whenever my boss sees me he covers his groin like I'm going to kick him or something. when they first started this I thought ok let them have their fun but it's almost an everyday thing. Am I being too sensitive or what?

No, your not sensitive. I experience simluar situations. And most of the I ignore, and they go away. the situations that keep going on have some kind of enforcing energy that keeps it going. Then I use another approach. Depending on who and when I just tell them I don't think its funny. It's got to be said in a natural way with no fuss. Then the posssiblity is there that it'll be understood, and not misunderstood. You got to remember he probalby doesit because he thinks your into the joke too. By telling him differntly he'll know. But if you feel the direct approach is too hard, the joke idea I like, and would use in that situation.

Concerning telling co-workers and such. I only tell if the subject falls on it. I never start off by telling about it. I don't keep secrets about big parts of my life, it only makes me weird. But I usally don't tell then how long I've praticed. Just say that I'm no good at it, and havn't understood it yet (which isn't a lie ). And if somebody does an armbar on me and ask if I can get lose from it , I say no, and they let me go. case closed and nobody hurt! If they think that they can manage me, OK by me. I know were/who I am.....

/Yari

 

[GaryM]

course you could just go 'postal' on them. he he

 

[rachel]

yeah considering I work for the post office anyway most of them do it for fun and I've told them it's not a joke. They're just having fun but it does wear thin after a while.

 

[deadhand31]

Yeah, my little sis, who takes TKD with me, had an encounter like this. She was in a park with several of her friends at night, and her boyfriend decided to sneak up on her and grab her from behind. Well, it being in the middle of a park at night, she gave him the basic shoulder toss REALLY FAST. Her b/f now knows not to do that anymore.

Way to go sis.

 

[Baoquan]

My crew and i (my MA mates, that is) call this "The Wazzah Factor" - when people discover your into the arts, they invariably say "WAAZAAAH!!!" (ie, bruce lee cat noise imitation), or the "Remind me not to pi$$ you off!" comment, or one of the many things described above.

For years i refrained from telling people i study the arts, but its hard to strain it out of ur conversation when it forms such a big part of ur life - as all of u know, i'm sure. So now, when i make mention of going to train, or something similar, and people ask what, i say "I'm a boxer...sort of." Boxing, being familiar to most, has a very low W.Q. (Wazzah Quotient).

{NOTE: Any martial art's Wazzah Quotient can be determined by dividing the number of times it is mentioned in normal conversation by the number of times the "WAZZAHH!" response is returned.

Ninjutsu has the highest WQ, and oddly enough, seemingly due to public ignorance, Taiji has the lowest WQ of all}.

Everyone gets it. It is seemingly unavoidable. Perhaps the only release is to press for a "Wazzah Factor" forum here, so we can share our Wazzah related frustrations and rejoice when some special one among us triumphs over the tyranny of the innocently ignorant.

Cheers

Bao

 

[Johnathan Napalm]

My boss wants me to teach him how to fight. But all I am really interested in is to teach all the secretaries judo and wrestling.

 

[fringe_dweller]

I can relate to that!

Respectfully,

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by Baoquan
My crew and i (my MA mates, that is) call this "The Wazzah Factor" - when people discover your into the arts, they invariably say "WAAZAAAH!!!" (ie, bruce lee cat noise imitation), or the "Remind me not to pi$$ you off!" comment, or one of the many things described above.
.
.
.
Bao

I've also heard it referred to as WATAHHH!!!

 

[white belt]

Back years ago I was working in a factory putting myself through school. Almost on a daily basis I would go into the breakroom with the rest of the crew and there were warehouse guys, truck drivers etc. Word got out that I studied Martial Arts. A couple of guys funned with me and it went away. Well, one truck driver who flaunted his veteran credentials escalated with cat calls and all in front of an audience. This went on for several weeks. One day he said "What good is that Karate S**T against my handgun?". I asked him where is your handgun? He said "In the truck". I turned pi$$ mean, got in his face and said "WHAT THE F**K MAKES YOU THINK YOUR GONNA' MAKE IT TO YOUR F**KIN' TRUCK!? You could hear a pin drop in that breakroom. Everyone turned around and started eating. Mr. Tough *** left me alone after that.

white belt

 

[Johnathan Napalm]

lol He could have pulled the gun out of his holster and shoved it up your a$$ right there.

 

[white belt]

A man can either take consistent abuse or stand up to it. There are some things worse than death. I never said a cross word to him before that. The man said it was "in his truck". If he were lieing and had it on him, there were 20-30 witnesses. Goodbye job. Goodbye freedom. If he wanted to shoot, Goodbye me. I will take the chance rather than cower. Again there are some things worse than death. I had to work around him 5 days a week. If anyone disagrees with me on this, knock yourself out. I won't be cornered day after day and do nothing. I played my hand well. He shut up, I kept my job by not cracking his skull.

white belt

 

[Baoquan]

Originally posted by whitebelt
"WHAT THE F**K MAKES YOU THINK YOUR GONNA' MAKE IT TO YOUR F**KIN' TRUCK!? You could hear a pin drop in that breakroom.

ROFLMGDAO!!! :rofl: :rofl:

I LOVE that...much respect.

Cheers

BAo

 

[rachel]

my boss came up behind me again today and grabbed me. I didn't jump or flinch. he asked what was wrong with my relexes and said I should have attacked him. i just told him"look. The post office has a zero tolerance policy and if I touched you or hurt you I'd be fired and you know that. He didn't say a word after that.

 

[Baoquan]

Good work..made it clear that your work environment is no place for his behavior, AND that you could hurt him if you had attacked....

It seems your problems may be over.

Cheers

Bao

 

[rachel]

one supervisor down. one to go.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by rachel
my boss came up behind me again today and grabbed me. I didn't jump or flinch. he asked what was wrong with my relexes and said I should have attacked him. i just told him"look. The post office has a zero tolerance policy and if I touched you or hurt you I'd be fired and you know that. He didn't say a word after that.

Excellent rachel! :asian:
I like that you just shut it down ASAP. Nobody needs to be subjected to this type of bullsheeat. To me, when I go to work it should be about respecting your co-workers and just letting them do their job, and you do your job. That's it, be professional.

Hope I don't sound like a hard-***... :shrug:

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by white belt
Back years ago I was working in a factory putting myself through school. Almost on a daily basis I would go into the breakroom with the rest of the crew and there were warehouse guys, truck drivers etc. Word got out that I studied Martial Arts. A couple of guys funned with me and it went away. Well, one truck driver who flaunted his veteran credentials escalated with cat calls and all in front of an audience. This went on for several weeks. One day he said "What good is that Karate S**T against my handgun?". I asked him where is your handgun? He said "In the truck". I turned pi$$ mean, got in his face and said "WHAT THE F**K MAKES YOU THINK YOUR GONNA' MAKE IT TO YOUR F**KIN' TRUCK!? You could hear a pin drop in that breakroom. Everyone turned around and started eating. Mr. Tough *** left me alone after that.

white belt

white belt I like that you were able to put this knucklehead in his place. Sounds like he deserved it.

But, if I might add my two pennies. The area where I live, L.A., that would be a tricky call because here there are a good share of wannabe wild west gunslingers who after they perceive that they've been disrespected do go out and they do arm up, then they often come back aiming to blast you away. Who cares about getting fired. It sucks. You just never know when something is just going to blow over, as happened in your case, or when it might escalate into a firefight. It sucks...:idunno:

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by rachel
my boss came up behind me again today and grabbed me. I didn't jump or flinch. he asked what was wrong with my relexes and said I should have attacked him. i just told him"look. The post office has a zero tolerance policy and if I touched you or hurt you I'd be fired and you know that. He didn't say a word after that.

Really good. Nice way to handle it!!!

/Yari

 

[bob919]

yeh i find women martial artists often have this problem; the men feel less manly if theres a woman who nthey think can take them, they use humor as a defense short of kicking their a$$es i dnt what you should do just remember they are only teasing cause they are intimidated