Insulting his manliness?

[Blackbeltblonde]

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and realized that when people find out I'm a black belt ther initial reaction depends on their gender.

Girls: Oh that's cool, I used to take kickboxing..

Guys: I have a blackbelt too see! Got it at Walmart.

OR

I have a brown belt in the closet.

are you SERIOUS?! No joke I can count on one hand the number of guys that HAVE NOT made that statement... Am I stepping on their manliness??

~BBB

[NothingsShadow]

No, just their ego.

Even if you're a guy the gender responses tend to be the same.

I guess the other response I normally get (other that the dismissive one you've spoken of) is something like "So not only could you kick my but you could make it look funny while you were doing it". Most guys are concerned when they meet someone they perceive as being better at fighting then them, but once again it's just ego.

That said you have to make sure you're not trying to come across as a tough nut because then you're ego is to blame not theirs.

[KarateK]

Thats why a lot of relationships happen in the dojo - any person who practises a martial art will probably find in their private life that people either do not get what you do or are bothered by it. There is a lot to be said for finding someone who loves what you do, and is not threatened by it.

[Blackbeltblonde]

I definately understand what you're saying. I always find it amusing because my whole family (except my mom) does it... Sooo I try explaining to people that their family does baseball and mine does Martial Arts.. it's the same thing.. a family event. no one gets it

~BBB

[Spirit At Choice]

Love the brown belt in the closet statement. A lot of guys tell me about their belts they've earned from other systems... but they don't like to brag so it's all kept low key and hush-hush.

I made a comment to one of the men in my dojo that Guy X has a brown belt in another discipline, and he bust a gut laughing. So he says, "Yeah, and I have a Ferrari in my garage... but I don't like to take it out."

I don't understand why anyone would lie about their martial arts experience. It seems so contrary to the ethics of the martial arts community as a whole.

[KarateK]

I definately understand what you're saying. I always find it amusing because my whole family (except my mom) does it... Sooo I try explaining to people that their family does baseball and mine does Martial Arts.. it's the same thing.. a family event. no one gets it

~BBB

Exactly the same as us. My mum and her partner run our 4 clubs. My daughter has just started (little yellow belt x) and some of my best friends I met at karate. I even managed to drag along an old school firned who now absolutely loves it.

[jaymac]

I try not to tell people that I have a black belt. I don't want to seem like I am bragging about something they didn't ask about. If someone asks, I tell them and I still get the same comments "So I guess you could kick my butt?" etc....

[Blackbeltblonde]

when people find out I'm a black belt

I am the same way.. I don't usually like people knowing, and most of the time it's the random friend that knows that tells everyone But I don't want people knowing partly because of the reaction, and partly because it's almost better and safer for me and others to not know. But, I've found that playing it off as a not big deal is the easiest way to move the conversation on.

~BBB

[UseoForce]

Seems to be a lot of anti-male sentiment over the past few days. ?

People inexperienced in martial arts will invariably make comments that seem arrogant to us. Just like we will most certainly make arrogant comments about things that we know little about.

It has nothing to do with gender.

[P.A.L]

my uncle always shows me his belt and say" i got one too" and i always say" mine is longer" till next time he sees me again.