MA Clichés

[NightOwl]

What are some of the MA Clichés that you come across the most and why?

Here's a start:

Bruce Lee:

It is understandable why he made it to this spot, as he was a major force in the surge in intrest in martial arts in the west, as well as one of the MA world's most outspoken philosophers. However, today he seems to fall into three catagories: The MA fighter who was the best in the world and would win the UFC through PURE INTIMIDATION; An acrobat who any granny could down in the bingo hall without even trying; and absolute truth. None of these extreames are fully correct, but Mr. Lee inevitably will be called the greatest fighter ever or a fraud.

The 'Street':

Unlike Sesame Street, where muppets peacefully roam the streets and every day begins with a new letter , 'the street' is a scary place which has seen thousands of hypothesized battles and casualties by the day take place on message boards and in editorials. Originally coming about when people began to re-examine the MAs (which was by far the right thing to do), it now is the equivlent of yelling 'FOOD FIGHT' in the middle of a gradeschool cafeteria. Oddly enough, 'the street' seems to be alot more inconsistant than those who use it might like to admit. One moment it is full of pro-boxing musclebound hulks who eat TMA's for breakfast (or with a side of crumpets and tea), and the next it is the site of a glass recyle dump lit on fire where only the striker can protect himself from the armies of paraplegic horse jockeys looking to rough someone up.Can't we all agree that you need to train more for an encounter outside the dojo and that it will be unpredictable and leave it at that?

Edited January 11, 2007 by NightOwl

[BLueDevil]

Unlike Sesame Street, where muppets peacefully roam the streets and every day begins with a new letter

Funniest line Ive read in a little while....

Anyway, breaking boards has always been something identified with MA. Thank you 70s MAists, lol

[Rateh]

I like it when people think that all martial artists do a "judo chop" while making strange noises. It's especially fun when people act out this scene.

[Mrt333]

How about when rubbish Karate/Kickboxing/TKD instructors tell you its easy to win a fight with a boxer 'because they can't use their legs'.

Nothing makes me think 'McDojo' quicker (and I'm a karate man not a boxer by the way!).

D

[SBN Doug]

Excellent, I loved that.

I've learned to appreciate the questions that come from the general public when someone finds out I train in the MAs. They'll say "Really? Show me some martial arts stuff." So I say "Okay", turn, and walk away (smiling over my shoulder of course so they know I'm not trying to tick them off).

I usually get a laugh out of everyone, and they don't ask again.

[mantis.style]

Cliches or trisms?

All chinese people know Kung Fu. It's a fact.

[username8517]

"All fights eventually end up on the ground"

Do a good number of fights end up on the ground? Sure. But there are also plenty of fights that end without both people going to the ground.

[MizuRyu]

I love the tough guy attitude: because someone brings up you're a martial artist you're inept and they have to fight you to prove it... always a good one.

I also hate the "can you do a double butterfly spinning kick" questions. "No, but I can hit you really hard."

[lordtariel]

How about the "I have to register my hands as deadly weapons" myth? I could take someone out with a chair... does that mean I have to register my chair as a deadly weapon?

[IcemanSK]

One of my favorites is sort of a reverse preception. I don't "look" like an MA-ist. (I guess cuz I don't look like Chuck Liddel). I've had several younger people (I'm 39) who have never been in a fight in their lives (let alone sparring) say things to me like, "do you think you could take me in a fight?"

After nearly 25 years of training, I still don't know how answer that. I've trained with bigger, stronger, faster, meanier & more skilled fighters than this guy can muster up within himself in the next 5 minutes. I know it's a way to make himself feel more adequate in the moment, but its still odd to me. If I met Yo-Yo Ma on the street, I wouldn't tell him that I dated a cello player in high school to pretend that I may have a connection with him.

BTW: My standard answer to the "could you take me" question is to say, "No." & walk away.