Huge redneck vs one of my instructors.

[WapCaplet]

I think there can be a balance between bragging, and simply discussing a hobby you enjoy with others who enjoy it. If we have to watch what topics we discuss in public on the off-chance some bully might overhear and use it as an opportunity to start something, then we're living in fear.

 

I don't think we have to talk about something else just because some lowlife might try to prove his worth. Does that mean that off-duty police officers aren't allowed to talk shop when out with their buddies? Does that mean that anyone from the military can't discuss their military life when having a cold one at the bar? These are all situations where a bully may see an opportunity to prove something. Too bad for the bully.

 

I'm probably being redundant, but I think the better society is the one where everyone can talk about whatever they want, peacefully, rather than the society where everyone has to be careful what they say because the bullies are running the show.

 

My thoughts...

 

Wap

[foreveryoung001]

I thought this topic was interesting in that a very similar experience happened to my first instructor's master. My signature is the how the story ended up, when the master, seeing a very large man that intended to show his friends that he could beat up a "karate guy", grabbed a chair and smacked him on the shulder a couple of times until he backed off. The big man at the bar that night most likely counted it as victory that th emaster had to use a chair to hold him off, but that is not the point.

 

I was under the impression that the U.S. was a free society, where we were given certain rights and freedoms. Now I agree that one should always avoid a fight if they can, but why should I expect the sharing of a few MA stories to cause a problem? Now, if they were in the bar saying things like, "boy them rednecks sure are stupid. I could whup up on a few of them." that's asking for trouble. But, "hey remember that time in class when Joey hit Fred with that kick, and Fred fell ontop of Jake?"

 

Sharing old goofy war stories should not be something that we have to be on gaurd about. It sounds to me like the situation was handled as well as it could have been.

[Kicks]

One question...

 

Are there really rednecks in New York?

[foreveryoung001]

There's a little bit of everything in New York

[kle1n]

what are rednecks? are those indians?

[Synaesthesia]

I remember a long time agowhen I was a wee little whelp visiting new york, being sternly warned by one of my father's senior students about the martial arts shirt that I was wearing in public. It could, he said, attract unwanted attention.

 

If anything, my main problem is not projecting a sufficiently tough attitude. That's ok as far as I'm concerned, because I go under the radar of most genuinely tough individuals.

[Mu Ryuk]

I think it's funny how untrained fighters try to stroke their ego's by picking a fight with a highly skilled fighter.

 

Yeah, it's kind of like people in High School always picking a fight with the biggest guy around...if they beat him, they're a bad *. I've been in this situation, people have started messing with me because they know I do Martial Arts, and the same thing because of lifting. It's just High School stupidity...so naturally it's even stupider when adults do it.

 

Props to your instructor

 

Tang Soo!

[thaiboxerken]

what are rednecks? are those indians?

 

It's a derogatory term used to describe urban caucasian folks. Farmhands would often get sunburned and red necks from working out in the fields.

[scottnshelly]

I often got picked on because of my Martial training in high school. so i usually don't bring it up. But i agree, when you're with your dojo, it's hard to talk about anything else; that's what you have in common. I don't think that anyone should have to censor themselves around others. As long as your group isn't making threats, or talking very loudly, no one should be eavesdropping on your conversation. If someone does, then they deserve a beat down.

 

As far as rednecks go, it is an idiot. i heard that the term redneck comes from them being hot headed, and flying off of the handle quickly. so their necks turn red, because they get mad at everything that isn't them. people of other races, religions, towns, high schools, anything.

 

i have seen some redneck indians though.

[Sasori_Te]

The only part that I see wrong with this is that you were at a bar talking about martial arts. You could have probably been almost any where else talking about the same thing and not had any problems. I quit drinking several years ago and I quit going to bars a number of years before that. Guess what? I haven't been in a confrontation since I stopped hanging out at places I probably shouldn't have been going to in the first place. An idiot combined with liquid courage is a bad combination.