What belt are you??

[straightblast]

If you could go back in time and ask Matsurma, Itoso or Azato what belt level they were at. Might get a dumbfounded look.

[ps1]

If you could go back in time and ask Matsurma, Itoso or Azato what belt level they were at. Might get a dumbfounded look.

That's because "belt levels" didn't exist then.

[boyo1991]

well if hes talking about everyone sucking and he's a white belt, i could see it. but i dont think its disrespectful in any way. i would gladly tell people what belt i ended in...(i train @ home now...)

[KarateEd]

Ive had some of the same situations as DWx, i dont really mind i just tell people that i blew a whole in a brick house with my foot once and walk away...

:lol: I like that response!

Ed

[lordtariel]

I also try and avoid saying anything about it. I don't think it's rude as long as it's asked respectfully. I see no need to get bent out of shape about it.

[IcemanSK]

I could see not wanting to tell someone for a lot of different reasons. But I don't see getting bent out of shape (or thinking it a rude question) just because it's being asked.

[Feathers of Doom]

maybe rank is a sore subject for them?

[bushido_man96]

I don't mind if the person is genuinely interested in me and my MA. But at school and now college, I avoid telling people that I study MAs at all.

Once I was overhead talking to my mates about a grading or something and instantly people were like "Are you a blackbelt?" "Can you break a brick?" "What would you do if...?" Some idiots, evertime I get into a disagreement, announce out to the whole room "Ooooh, don't pick a fight with her. Danni does TKD, she'll beat you up" One person keeps trying to punch me in the stomach to see what I'll do. And then there's the weird techniques and noises they do... It drives you crazy! What really annoys me is that they all know which boys do it yet they don't do this to them. They seem to think that MAs for girls is a little bit weird.

I try to avoid the very same scenarios, DWx. I work up in a jail, and there are even some in there that will ask me about it (our town isn't very big, so people know other people, and what-not). I try to shut down that conversation really quick, because I don't need a bunch of guys trying to challenge me all the time, either.

After all is said and done, you just have to shake your head and walk away from those people. They won't really understand anyway, unless you can get them into a class.

[DWx]

...I try to shut down that conversation really quick, because I don't need a bunch of guys trying to challenge me all the time, either.

After all is said and done, you just have to shake your head and walk away from those people. They won't really understand anyway, unless you can get them into a class.

Its sad but its true. Most people don't seem to want to understand that just because you have a belt you don't have superhuman powers. My instructor got fed up of kids from one of the local high schools challenging and teasing his students so he went and did a demo and some starter classes there. It was amazing how people's attitudes changed once they are were shown what we were about.

I think it would be nice to have a better MA portrayal in the "West", particularly the more elusive styles that aren't as well known. At the moment if you ask someone who isn't interested in MAs to name a famous Martial Artist they would probably name someone like Bruce Lee who has like a superman persona now. Yet if you go over to places like China, Japan, Korea etc. MAs are just about as normal as soccer is. They are even taught in schools and no-one makes a big deal about it.