Man How Misinformed is the Public on MA!!!!!

[Knifehand007]

Educated MAists know... How can we expect outsiders to understand Forms/Katas? Or why we do them? Or sparring? or the question!.... if you are in "karate" (not everything is karate, moron) to learn how not to fight, why are they teaching you to fight? Subquestion, Why do you fight eachother if you don't want to fight..... AHHHH. DADDY I WANT OFF THE RIDE!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!

 

Composure......Calm, peace and serenity

 

in all seriousness, I do believe that if you take the time to learn a style, get your facts straight. If you are a traditionalist, learn the language of the style... (good luck with the russian style... you might need a little vodka to help with that one, Just Kidding!!). Stop the spread of stigma and enjoy your training...because it is your training, not theirs... if you want them to learn, recruit them and then educate them

[Nick_UKWC]

My Dad is very interested in World War 2, he's been building scale models and reading on the subject for 40 years.

 

Now for most of us we watch a war film and thats a tank or a plane or a boat, job done. Gets the point across.

 

If he watches a World War 2 film he's out of his seat every 5 minutes saying this is wrong, that's wrong, that's impossible they were never their etc etc etc.

 

What I'm trying to say is that as much as the martial arts matter to us, they just don't matter to the general public and probably never will - just like my Dads specialist area probably doesn't matter to anyone here.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Like most people are saying, people don't really have as much interest or knowledge about the martial arts because it simply isn't a matter of importance to them.

 

What gets me (and others here) is how many people are uninformed about martial arts that actually do them.

 

Case in point. There's a small debate in this very thread about whether karate is Japanese or Chinese. The answer is that it is Chinese and Okinawan.

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=17543

 

Most people don't know enough about East Asian culture to realize the distinction between Okinawan and Japanese culture and martial arts. Certainly all East Asia cultures have varying degrees of Chinese influence. Certainly Okinawan and Japanese culture do have similarities. However, Okinawa had much more of this influence due to its location than Japan, which was able to "selectively borrow" cultural things from China.

 

There are many other myths about karate (which is just one of the many martial arts out there) that people tend to propogate despite logic, and in most cases, unknowingly.

[ninjanurse]

HA HA KSN!! Your eveil plan is as mine....I have a daughter who is 5' tall and weighs 87 pounds. She is 16 years old and a BB in TKD. Although she has never been in a fight at school and is a sweet person, the bullies at school are afraid of her and do not mess with her or her friends because "she knows karate". She and I think it is amusing as we know it is not her physical skills that matter but the kind of person she is. Ah, the ignorance of the general public is to our advantage!

 

[Cmon]

If i was talking to someone about MAs and i had gotten something wrong i would like that person to correct me. Its the only way to learn.

[krzychicano]

I am glad the public is blind about MA.....the less they know the better if you ask me.

[Muaythaiboxer]

when ever i watch a martial arts movie with my buddys i am always doing just what your dad does like ( that would never work!) (why did he just use a cart wheel to hit that guy?) but the public is very ignorent as to MA most people dont even know muay thai, jiu jitsu, chin na, exist

[Samurai Shotokan]

Yeah you guys are right i wanted to point out a share stories of people ignorance toward the Arts.This topic actually goes well with the black belt in a week ad because some poeple believe it!!They just want it so they can say they are a black belt(whoever said this on the other topic tell me and ill give you credit i just cant remember your name right now)

[Davison]

I think it is a good thing that the general public is so misinformed, it gives us martial artists the element of surprise. You might have a guy who wants to fight you and trys to do some high flying Van Damme kick and you can just snatch him out of the air and toss him to the ground for a stomping!

[senna_trem]

Movies always get things wrong, no matter what it is. Just think of all the pissed off weather men there were when The Day After Tomorrow opened in theatres .