Argument

[Little Dragon]

Yeah,earlier today before i went off to my new jkd dojang,i had a argument with my cuzin about martial arts.He believes that its all about tackling and wrestling and punching,and we kept goin back and forth about how useful it could be,he doesnt know because hes never tried it..anyone get into these problems?

[foreveryoung001]

Round kick him in the head and then let him tell you how useful it is.

 

Perhaps your instructor would let him come and watch or even join a class or two. After he got a good workout, maybe even a little sparring, and he might change his tune.

 

But no matter what, he is allowed to have his opinion. Don't get to angry with him just because his opinion is different than yours. There will always be people who doubt this, that, and the other thing, but you can't let it get to you. Keep training hard, to the point where you can feel satisfaction within your own ability, and don't sweat the small stuff.

[Little Dragon]

yeah,hes away at college..so i doubt he will watch.

 

Hes seen me in tkd,but he knows thats just a sport and work out,but he hasnt seen the jeet kune do dojang.We got to a point where i started threatening him by saying i would show him how effective MA would be..iono i feel bad now-.-

[P.A.L]

yah it's all kicks and punches and wrestling but without practicing he can't do it effectively. We had a 14 years old visitor last week, the son of a friend who was thinking the same way, his father dragged him to park where we practice Sundays, he kept up for 15 min warm ups and was making jokes, at the end of the drills was pretty tired but still was asking for a challenge match, we gave him 15 min. rest while we been doing kata and after that sensei asked me to work out with him, I told him to start hitting me from neck to knee, I was standing in a low sanchin dachi with my hands protecting my ribs, close thigh to protect the groin, I blocked him time by time but also let him to hit at least %50 of times, after 3 minutes he fell on the grass out of breath, I told him to come back next week for more hitting. Then we lined up in Naihanchi dachi for conditioning sensei was kicking to the thigh ,one left one right, not very hard though, He fell to the ground with the first kick, after he saw the class standing for more then 10 kicks, he was not a macho man any more ,he told sensei he wanna join the class.

 

ask him to try a class with you.

[Mu Ryuk]

I am actually in a situation somewhat like this right now. Tonight I was talking to one of the Black Belts at our Dojang, and she doesn't think that Boxing or Wrestling are Martial Arts. I know I can't convince her so I don't bother. She doesn't seem to understand that fighting is an art in itself, that requires finesse and precision, and not everyone can do it. I guess to her if it doesn't have forms, it's not a Martial Art.

 

Sorry, got off track there. I know what you mean and it's pretty damn annoying...but you've got to brush it off. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, right?

 

Tang Soo!

[White Warlock]

We got to a point where i started threatening him by saying i would show him how effective MA would be..iono i feel bad now-.-

Well, that wasn't cool.

 

Anyway, it's not merely about whether someone has an opinion or not, it's also what they've been conditioned to believe, through media and otherwise. Verbally arguing with them, and posing physical injury as a means to teach them that there's more to the martial arts than violence... kinda overshadows your argument, doesn't it?

 

To most people, the martial arts are a 'cute classic' of a pastime. Something that you could practice for 30 years, and still get shot in the head. I don't argue something like that, because they're right. At least, if you put it in that context. In the 'civilized' world, violence is a cruel and unforgiving momentary interruption to their daily lives. Witnessed on television, or occurring to 'someone else.' Those who don't prepare for the possibility, and then become victims of it, oftentimes do not gain an opportunity to reevaluate their perspective on it all. But, throwing fear on the table is a poor salesman's tactic. I prefer to toss out chivalry as a motivator.

 

Well, with all this stated, i'm actually just a tad bit confused as to what your cousin's stance is, and what yours is. It seems you are saying he thinks it is all about fighting... while you are saying it is useful. But, for what? Opening bottles? Picking up chicks? Fighting?

[Shane]

Well it is to bad that you cant have him come attend a class.