You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...

[MichiganTKD]

1. Keep your eyes out for MA studios when visiting strange towns.
2. Ditto for scanning the Yellow Pages to see who the local instructors are and what they teach.
3. Sit with your back to the wall so noone can come in behind you.
4. Can recite whole blocks of script from the Karate Kid.
5. Remember every fellow Master Instructor in your organization, their rank, and where they teach.
6. Getting up at 6:00 AM on Saturday to visit an Instructor's class is FUN!
7. In high school, would rather go to class than go on a date.
8. You count the days until the next issue of your favorite MA magazine.
9. Can write your name in Korean.

 

[bignick]

You know you've been practicing martial arts too long when you find yourself speaking English but using Korean/Japanese/Chinese syntax. Very easy to do after conversing with your Master or Grandmaster.

me and buddy actually had a conversation about this...about how some people seem to speak the broken english even though there american...we were laughing so hard about it...especially because you see it some times...

 

[MichiganTKD]

I will sometimes try explain a Tae Kwon Do technique or principle to my wife, and invariably she will ask me "why are you trying to sound Korean?"

 

[bignick]

my judo instructor says he has the same problem...he said it can be hard to try and think of the english term and when you do...you usually end up translating it literally which gives that broken english feel...

 

[Sin]

you know I have only been in MA since Feb and I already do most of those things..my amily does makea lot of noise first and I do basic blocks wile driving and I also sleep with my tonfa or jo under my bed....I am the paronoid type....hence the MA.....if you want peace..prepare for battle.

 

[MichiganTKD]

I will have meetings with my Grandmaster and other Instructors before a testing. There is one Master who will try to explain something to our GM, and he comes off sounding like Yoda because he phrases his words, in an attempt to better convey what he is trying to say to the GM, the same way our GM does. Here is a 50 year old white guy sounding like a Korean. Personally, if I were our Grandmaster, I'd feel a little insulted.

 

[jesse sutton]

when you try to catch flies or other bugs with chopsticks or scissors or some other accessory

when you practice hand exercises on tree branches

when you see anything anywhere and want to kick it

when you watch martial arts movies and criticize EVERYTHING!

when you see a piece of wood, and think "i could punch through that"

when you grab 2 wet hand towels, and pretend they are nunchukas

when you wash your hands and turn the knob so it slows down, and you try to practice your hand speed by going in between the drips

when you accidentally punch your best friend in the face because he snuck up on you

and i'm most guilty of the one mentioned before...

"You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...
When you have an imaginary nemesis which attacks you everytime he catches you alone, and disappears when others enter the room (stay aware or he'll get you)......"

 

[bignick]

when you try to catch flies or other bugs with chopsticks or scissors or some other accessory

never done it...but often thought about trying

when you practice hand exercises on tree branches

you better believe it

when you see anything anywhere and want to kick it

taekwondo...i obviously do this...

when you watch martial arts movies and criticize EVERYTHING!

"man, he needs to keep his guard up there because there is no way someone wouldn't counterattack in the position in real life"

when you see a piece of wood, and think "i could punch through that"

and i can too...you saying i cant?

when you grab 2 wet hand towels, and pretend they are nunchukas

guilty

when you wash your hands and turn the knob so it slows down, and you try to practice your hand speed by going in between the drips

plead the 5th

when you accidentally punch your best friend in the face because he snuck up on you

haven't punched in the face...but there have been other incidents where a family member has jumped up on my back or snuck up behind me...only a couple times that i've actually made contact before realizing what was going on...

and i'm most guilty of the one mentioned before...

"You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...
When you have an imaginary nemesis which attacks you everytime he catches you alone, and disappears when others enter the room (stay aware or he'll get you)......"

all the time...they come for me...i must fight them off...my life is on the line...

 

[Flatlander]

and i'm most guilty of the one mentioned before...

"You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...
When you have an imaginary nemesis which attacks you everytime he catches you alone, and disappears when others enter the room (stay aware or he'll get you)......"

all the time...they come for me...i must fight them off...my life is on the line...

Stay vigilant. We must work together to defeat our common enemy. It is an epic battle of good vs. evil. Each small victory brings us closer to our goal....

 

[MichiganTKD]

when you try to catch flies or other bugs with chopsticks or scissors or some other accessory

Guilty.Flies are good for practicing speed.

when you practice hand exercises on tree branches

I practice hand exercises, like knife hand/punching, on trees themselves.

when you see anything anywhere and want to kick it

Will look at something and wonder if I could jump over it.

when you watch martial arts movies and criticize EVERYTHING!

True story: Was watching "Perfect Weapon" years ago and thought Jeff
Speakman should have gotten his butt kicked by the Tae Kwon Do guy. It sure looked like he did to me.

when you see a piece of wood, and think "i could punch through that"

Have done impromptu breaking demos with logs.

when you grab 2 wet hand towels, and pretend they are nunchukas

Not lately. Used to years ago. Used to take two towels and recreate Bruce Lee's double nunchaku scene from "Chinese Connection"

when you wash your hands and turn the knob so it slows down, and you try to practice your hand speed by going in between the drips

Have practiced trying to slice water drops with knife hand strikes.

when you accidentally punch your best friend in the face because he snuck up on you

Have punched people accidentally practicing self defense techniques

and i'm most guilty of the one mentioned before...

"You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...
When you have an imaginary nemesis which attacks you everytime he catches you alone, and disappears when others enter the room (stay aware or he'll get you)......"

Can't say I've done that.

 

[Scout_379]

when you try to catch flies or other bugs with chopsticks or scissors or some other accessory

I use my hands for this one, no accessories. Fun way to get rid of wasps at a bar-b-que

. one handed no cheating!

Hey! an idea comes to mind! training related! You all know that one mosquito that makes it her(guys don't bite) job to buzz right beside your ear when you're trying to sleep? try to get it before turning the lights on!

when you watch martial arts movies and criticize EVERYTHING!

Bah! depends on the actors...saw Paycheck...very disappointed in Ben Affleck's skill with a bo...

 

[KenpoNoChikara]

LOL!!!! Wait, you can be in the martial arts too long?

 

[Tkang_TKD]

when you see a piece of wood, and think "i could punch through that"

Even worse, I've taken wood from my brother-in-laws stock (he was rebuilding his house), and used it for impromptu breaking seminars

 

[bignick]

for me it was patio blocks that were laying around the house that we weren't using anymore

 

[kanjc]

you stub your toe and don't feel it or even notice

 

[Sarah]

you stub your toe and don't feel it or even notice

Ouch...Im a big baby when it comes to things like stubbed toes.

 

[Sin]

You've been in too long when someone taps you on the shoulder and when you turn to talk to them they always get the elbow

 

[Hwoarang_tkd26]

Stay vigilant. We must work together to defeat our common enemy. It is an epic battle of good vs. evil. Each small victory brings us closer to our goal....

You too, huh?
This seems like it is getting worse than I thought, It appears as though they are trying to take over. We must fight harder and work together, the world is depending on us.

 

[Hwoarang_tkd26]

I'm guilty as well of almost everything that has been posted here (especially Kicking doors to close em, hand techniques to turn off and on light switches, and taking envintory of every public room that I enter looking for all possible weapons that may be available in case something happens)
Here is a few that Im also guilty of

You know that you have been in MA too long when:

You have a girlfriend/boyfriend (who is also in MA with you), and you both prefer going to MA classes together for dates rather than anything else.

You have so many collected broken boards that you start to have your aunt who does wood-working for a hobby call you every other week for supplies.

Almost every single time you walk by a telephone pole and notice that nobody is around to see you, you start to shin kick the pole so you toughen your shins.

When you have to restrain yourself from kicking/punching all targetable objects while in public.(but not to say that you dont at home:uhyeah: )

When your at home and you are bored you decide to go grind your nuckles in the carpet so you tough em up.

 

[Sarah]

LOL...

You have a girlfriend/boyfriend (who is also in MA with you), and you both prefer going to MA classes together for dates rather than anything else.