Fed up?

[AnonymousOne]

You have to explain to people that the Sahara desert was once a thick forest, but there was a Karate training camp there one weekend, and now its a desert

http://home.btconnect.com/Rhodris-world/pics/sanddunes.jpg

You can see the camp at the top left of the picture

The guy in the picture walking over the sand that was left is standing there amased at how fast us real Karate-Ka can work. Hes from a local Mc Dojo

[baronbvp]

I remember when I started karate and learned that shuto (knife hand) was a real move. I thought, "oh my God, there really is a karate chop."

Good post, Scott n Shelley. I'm in the military and the stereotypes are there as well. The question to me is usually, "how many people have you killed?"

For the woman who accidentally chases away guys by telling them she's a black belt, I say more power to you! Those guys aren't worth dating anyway. Real men aren't intimidated by such a thing.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I also don’t understand the whole ‘knife hand’ thing that everyone so commonly associates with Martial Arts. Is there a popular movie featuring a Karateka that only does open hand techniques?

Yep (dating myself here)...The Pink Panther series of movies from the mid-60's to mid-70's starring Petter Sellers as Inspector Cleasuoe (hukd on foniks werks 4 me ) and his manservent Kato (takeoff on Bruce Lee's Kato from The Green Hornet series). Kato and the inspector used to fight each other often in the movie using pretty much strictly open hand techniques and stances. They smashed everything..tables, chairs, walls, each other. Pretty hokey, but at the time it was a parody of the martial arts. Classic movies I watched as a kid and young man. still would if I caught one on TV.

[Kaminari]

Yeah, those were good movies, and I thought it funny how they were making fun of martial arts, yet doing things I often see people try to do when they learn that I'm in Karate (i.e. the infamous "karate chop" we love to see so much).

[cmantim]

I also LOOOOOOVE the fact that whenever anybody finds out that you're taking karate, they all know someone who trained with a "master" or style founder (Gracie???) I get the same thing when people find out I'm in the Navy, "my cousin/brother-in-law/aunt's step-cousin's roomate's brother twice removed is/was a SEAL" Gimme a break. It seems that EVERYBODY knows SOMEBODY.

[radicalspiegal]

I actually love educating people in kenpo. But I can always tell when someone is truly inteested or just being polite and listening with a deaf ear. What usually ends up getting people interested is not the self- defense, but the self - improvement. I tell people I meet that I feel so much more confident about myself, and I see things in a different light. That is what most people that I talk to are interested in.

"While walking through the desert, I saw a creature. Naked, beastial. Who, squatting upon the ground, held it's heart in its hands... and ate of it. 'Is it good, friend?' I asked. "It is bitter... bitter," it replied. "But I like it because it IS bitter. And because it is my heart."

-Bran

[snazzed]

I actually LIKE telling people I do Martial Arts. Well, once I know them a little bit. I work in an office of 30 people and I was amazed to find:

Former kickboxing nut: Used to be really good and talks to me all the time about his trophies and medals. His knees no longer allow him to train.

KarateMom: Well, TKD. She got into it becuase her 2 kids started and the Club is very family oriented. They told her that she and her husband could come for free. Families should do things together.

Guy with a VERY MMA background: Most of what he did was with a Green Beret intructor. When I told him I'm into Karate his eyes just lit up, and now he wants to get together and spar!

In an office of Less than 30, include me in there and more than 10% are, or were, involved in Martial Arts. And we all have stories to share.

And then there is the cute girl in Marketing who like to have me demonstrate takedowns on her. Seriously though, she does but I don't think its an attraction thing.

And I'm now a Yellow Belt on Karate Forums! Woohoo!

Snazzed

[BJJShotoshe]

Of course this happens to me, as I am sure it happens to every martial artist in their life. You just need to take it, just simply sit there and take it. I have tried countless times trying to correct them and helping them along in their false infornmation, but it never seems to work. What I have found that works, is I invite them to my Dojo. This usually helps them along, not to mention get them seriously interested in the art(s).

[JimmyNewton]

i wouldnt sweat it. just like my signature.

the wise and succesful are always met with violant opposition by mediocre minds.

translation..

seems like when anyone is trying to do something good and positive for themselves...you always have dummies trying to bring you down. i'm sure when Michael jordan was shooting basketball round the clock..his boys were liek..come on man, lets go do this, that, and the other...and look where he got.

even bill gates was made of. you can't let it eat at you if people give you hard time. they're usually just jealous. i know how you feel though. i used to HATE when people made the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sounds and gdo goofy things with their hands kind of poking fun. now i just do it along with em. some one was razzing me one time and even put my hands up ion the daniel-san crane kick stance and wasasked to see if i could kick him in the mouth. you just gotta go with it, and not let it bother you.

[Skeptic 2004]

It sounds like there's a lot of ANGST! on this particular topic for some people. I'm happy to report that I'm not fed up. When I confess to someone that I train in karate, I find the spectrum of reactions I get to be very amusing. There's the "wow-that's-cool" reaction, which is actually the most common. There's the "I/my (fill in the blank family member)/my friend-train/used to train in-(fill in the blank)" which is the second most common. There's the "can-you-beat-me-up?" reaction which I've only gotten once and squashed pretty quickly when I challenged him to hit me. Then there's the "can-you-karate chop-that-(fill in the blank)?" which I usually laugh at and ignore. And of course, there are the bozos who do some chopping motion with their hands and give a sing-song kiai (my parents of all people do this the most...uggh).

I reflect on all of the reactions positively because I find them so hilariously funny at times. The best way to handle it, I suppose, is to do two things. First, laugh about it and don't take yourself seriously; there's something wrong with you if you can't. Second, make sure your training speaks for itself.