What MA cliches wind you up?

[Reeksta]

Well, another one that annoys me is the Bruce lee "be like water..." quote. It makes sense in principal, be fluid, change with the situation and adapt. The problem is the guys that have said it to me are out of shape, stiff as a board guys who think they're sharing some profound intellect with me. Often times guys quote Bruce lee as if his writings are biblical. The lee writings are a good resource but everyonr has read them. When people are trying to sound knowledgeable and an authority and assume I haven't read what they've read is what annoys me.

Haha know exactly where you're coming from with that one. One of my best mates is a JKD practitioner, great bloke but he spews out Bruce Lee quotes at every opportunity then looks at you as if he's expecting a round of applause lol

 

[Mephisto]

Haha know exactly where you're coming from with that one. One of my best mates is a JKD practitioner, great bloke but he spews out Bruce Lee quotes at every opportunity then looks at you as if he's expecting a round of applause lol

Yeah, that's my point. It's not necessarily that I disagree with the quotes but this is old news. I was reading Bruce lee in middle/high school. It's funny to see adults with the same Bruce lee infatuation I had as a kid. Not to mention I'm a big believer in practice what you preach. Don't tell me to "be like water" when you move like molasses.

 

[Tez3]

Haha know exactly where you're coming from with that one. One of my best mates is a JKD practitioner, great bloke but he spews out Bruce Lee quotes at every opportunity then looks at you as if he's expecting a round of applause lol

Play 'Bruce Lee' bingo, write a list of Bruce Lee sayings and tick them off when he uses one, shout out 'house' of course when you complete your list.
Btw this can be done for many situations, work meetings are a favourite, especially if a few of you play. write different phrases/clichés for each person, that come up in these meetings, we all know them... "blue sky thinking, level playing field'' etc etc tick off when you hear them, first to complete wins. If you have an instructor fond of using certain phrases it works there too.

 

[Reeksta]

Play 'Bruce Lee' bingo, write a list of Bruce Lee sayings and tick them off when he uses one, shout out 'house' of course when you complete your list.
Btw this can be done for many situations, work meetings are a favourite, especially if a few of you play. write different phrases/clichés for each person, that come up in these meetings, we all know them... "blue sky thinking, level playing field'' etc etc tick off when you hear them, first to complete wins. If you have an instructor fond of using certain phrases it works there too.

Love it
There's quite a few you hear fight commentators in boxing/kickboxing/MMA come out with too:
"These two are showing a lot of respect for each other" = these two are doing nothing.
"One punch could change everything" = this is a one-sided blowout but please keep watching.
Plus of course UFC commentator Mike Goldberg's favourite:
"He's so athletic and explosive" = he's Afro-Caribbean

 

[Tez3]

Love it
There's quite a few you hear fight commentators in boxing/kickboxing/MMA come out with too:
"These two are showing a lot of respect for each other" = these two are doing nothing.
"One punch could change everything" = this is a one-sided blowout but please keep watching.
Plus of course UFC commentator Mike Goldberg's favourite:
"He's so athletic and explosive" = he's Afro-Caribbean

of course then it could be drinks instead of ticking the phrase off!

Commentators are a pain, in any sport. They don't seem to understand that you can actually see what they are talking about for yourself. I think they must train at a cliché factory!

 

[Reeksta]

of course then it could be drinks instead of ticking the phrase off!

My wife and I genuinely considered starting a drinking game whilst watching the London 2012 boxing where we would take a drink every time Richie Woodhall said the phrases "fast fists" or "punches in bunches". He must have trotted both of those out a dozen times per bout. Like you say, cliche factory

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Are there any martial arts cliches like this which annoy you?

1. If you don't move, I won't move. If you move, I'll ...
2. You can't get any useful information online. Go ask your Sifu/teacher/coach/Sensei/ ...
3. MA can mean different things for different people.
4.Training at home will build up your bad habit.
5. Self-defense is different from sport.
6. ...

1. With this kind of attitude, you will never be able to date any girl.
2. This imply that all MT forum members are either stupid, or not willing to share.
3. When we mix combat discussion with health, self-cultivation, inner peace, ... everything will become so abstract and meaningless.
4. Not doing anything at home is bad habit by itself.
5. Both are just "fist meets face".
6. ...

 

[jks9199]

Well, another one that annoys me is the Bruce lee "be like water..." quote. It makes sense in principal, be fluid, change with the situation and adapt. The problem is the guys that have said it to me are out of shape, stiff as a board guys who think they're sharing some profound intellect with me. Often times guys quote Bruce lee as if his writings are biblical. The lee writings are a good resource but everyonr has read them. When people are trying to sound knowledgeable and an authority and assume I haven't read what they've read is what annoys me.

And, on the Bruce Lee theme... "Absorb what is useful..."

 

[drop bear]

My wife and I genuinely considered starting a drinking game whilst watching the London 2012 boxing where we would take a drink every time Richie Woodhall said the phrases "fast fists" or "punches in bunches". He must have trotted both of those out a dozen times per bout. Like you say, cliche factory

i like a good punches in bunches.

i have been known to throw out "hit them and don't let them hit you"

 

[Buka]

If I was an announcer I'd say stuff like this - "He's trying to beat him to the punch, giving him his best shot, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him! You have to take the title from the champ and even though styles make fights there's little style here, it's a real barn burner. Nobody's pulling punches tonight, they're giving their all until someone is down for the count. Come hell or high water, whoever plays their cards right will raise their hands at the end!"

Then I'd shoot myself, probably from the cheap seats.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

In general, most of the clichés don't annoy me in and of themselves. Most of them have them have at least a grain of truth in them (unless they are some fantasy from the movies), which is how they became clichés in the first place.

What I sometimes find annoying is people who spout off the clichés without having the experience or thoughtfulness to understand them or understand their limitations.

The bit about "tried by 12 vs carried by 6" is just one example. I have no problem with an instructor who shows how to stay physically safe while staying on the right side of legality and morality and then adds "but in a worst case scenario where you have no better options, better tried by 12 than carried by 6." I do have a problem with people who jump straight to advocating drastic overkill and use the phrase to justify themselves in a macho manner. Like Reeksta, Mephisto, and jks9199, I've seen that happen way too many times.

 

[ballen0351]

In general, most of the clichés don't annoy me in and of themselves. Most of them have them have at least a grain of truth in them (unless they are some fantasy from the movies), which is how they became clichés in the first place.

What I sometimes find annoying is people who spout off the clichés without having the experience or thoughtfulness to understand them or understand their limitations.

The bit about "tried by 12 vs carried by 6" is just one example. I have no problem with an instructor who shows how to stay physically safe while staying on the right side of legality and morality and then adds "but in a worst case scenario where you have no better options, better tried by 12 than carried by 6." I do have a problem with people who jump straight to advocating drastic overkill and use the phrase to justify themselves in a macho manner. Like Reeksta, Mephisto, and jks9199, I've seen that happen way too many times.

You have "seen it" or you have heard guys on a gym trying to be a Macho bad dude saying it.

 

[ballen0351]

In a gym.......stupid phone

 

[Tony Dismukes]

You have "seen it" or you have heard guys on a gym trying to be a Macho bad dude saying it.

I have seen instructors teach overkill techniques and use it as a justification.
I have heard students in the gym trying to be a "macho bad dude" saying it.
I have heard guys who may not even train anything say it, sometime in relation to describing a new gun or knife they have just acquired.

If you have never heard it used inappropriately, then great! It means you've been exposed to fewer wannabee movie action heroes than I have.

 

[Transk53]

You have "seen it" or you have heard guys on a gym trying to be a Macho bad dude saying it.

Yeah, I'll agree with that. Over here we call them "the big (male appendage) ***** brigade"

 

[ballen0351]

I have seen instructors teach overkill techniques and use it as a justification.
I have heard students in the gym trying to be a "macho bad dude" saying it.
I have heard guys who may not even train anything say it, sometime in relation to describing a new gun or knife they have just acquired.

If you have never heard it used inappropriately, then great! It means you've been exposed to fewer wannabee movie action heroes than I have.

Well that's different. Hearing people pretend they are amazing is different then actually seeing it. I just read a post here about how everytime a certain poster touches someone's neck people are paralyzed. Sometimes people are just clowns and spout nonsense

 

[Elbowgrease]

In general, most of the clichés don't annoy me in and of themselves. Most of them have them have at least a grain of truth in them (unless they are some fantasy from the movies), which is how they became clichés in the first place.

What I sometimes find annoying is people who spout off the clichés without having the experience or thoughtfulness to understand them or understand their limitations.

I agree.

Slightly different direction, but still on clichés and more into the general use of clichés without the experience or thoughtfulness, a friend liked to call it "bumper sticker-ology".

 

[Mephisto]

And, on the Bruce Lee theme... "Absorb what is useful..."

Yeah that's another common one. Of course it makes sense, but what is useful to some is not so much to others. It's a problem when you have guys that don't spar or fight determining what is and isn't useful. Id say it's even more so with weapons. You have guys who do nothing but compliant drills and flow drills determining what is useless. Not to mention that taken out of context the quote is pretty obvious. im sure very few people would train something they find useless. To my knowledge Bruce wasn't a fan of forms but I've heard guys quote this that train traditional forms.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah that's another common one. Of course it makes sense, but what is useful to some is not so much to others. It's a problem when you have guys that don't spar or fight determining what is and isn't useful. Id say it's even more so with weapons. You have guys who do nothing but compliant drills and flow drills determining what is useless. Not to mention that taken out of context the quote is pretty obvious. im sure very few people would train something they find useless. To my knowledge Bruce wasn't a fan of forms but I've heard guys quote this that train traditional forms.

absorb everything. Apply what is useful?

 

[cloud dancing]

Take out his eyes man!! Go for the eyes.Like sure.If you like PRISON FOOD.for the next 5-14 years. But it was in Bruce Lee's book man.dtuhh sure, then must be really good idea.After all he lived on raw blood with protein powder mixed in.really healthy diet.Oh include pictures of how the guy looks when you take out his eye{s}.
Tai-chi is just for health.sure it is.That's why Yang Cheng Fu was a champion in China,and why the dogs who tried to bite him had broken teeth.That's why some of the Hung Gar masters waited 10 years before teaching it to their students.Wanted to know if student could be TRUSTED.
Light shines,darkness leaves.Keep shining.