In Secret!

[sensei8]

How private are you with your MA?

I don't parade my MA in public! Except for an occasional demo or two a year. Other than that, I don't practice outside!! I feel it's inappropriate to do so, but that's just me.

[CDraper]

Tournaments are the closest I get to a public display of MA.

[IcemanSK]

I train in my backyard on a heavy bag & do poomsae work. Only my one neighbor can see me. He has trained in the past as well. He doesn't seem to care. I occasionally train during down times (when no one else is there) in the YMCA's aerobics room. It has mirrors that help me evaluate poomsae. I wear t shirts with my school logo on it also, as a way to advertise my school. Having said that, I keep a relatively low profile about my training. It's not much of a topic of conversation outside of training. I don't discuss it with those who don't train.

[andym]

Trained for 40 years. Worked at the same place for over 20 and there are many who don't even know I do Karate, never mind my grade etc.

[Zaine]

If someone asks I will let them know, but I don't go around letting people know unsolicited, that's just asking for a problem. I will practice in publicly accessible areas every now and again, but only if no one else is around. Other than that it's my backyard.

[CredoTe]

I rarely train outside by myself where people can see me. The only time I do train outside at all is during the warmer months when we train outside as a class. There's an open field beyond our parking lot that faces the road, and we'll go out there and train together as a class from time to time. Other than that, I definitely don't go around trumpeting my MA. In fact, the only time complete strangers have a chance to see me do anything is if they're walking by the dojo during class time.

As for my job, my employer knows what I do more for scheduling purposes than anything else. Also, he happens to be a TKD guy. We engage in friendly banter occasionally, but I have no need to prove myself to him. Actually, he's the one that does all the puff talking and gesticulating in effort to "prove" how good he his or how high he can kick...and I just smile and nod...(while thinking to myself, 'geez, he's leaving himself open enough for me to drive a Mac truck through...')

[Lupin1]

I wish I had the courage to train in my backyard. There's nowhere inside the house large enough to practice kata without have to shift multiple times to avoid running into things. The backyard would be much better, I just get embarrassed..

I don't usually parade it around at work. At my teaching job, several of the kids in the class I help teach go to the school I work at, so they like to spread around that I do it and I have to explain a lot why they're calling me "Devin" and not "Ms. Van Curen" (it's a hard habit for them to break...). My other job I never really said anything because I thought they'd make fun of me for it (it's a young, boisterous group), but I recently decided to say it as my "fun fact" during an introduction at a training seminar and no one's said a thing since, so either they all forgot or they just don't care...

[wagnerk]

How private are you with your MA?

I don't go round shouting it, but I don't hide it.

If people are interested, then I talk about it - this is also a way to get people interested

[hammer]

How private are you with your MA?

I don't go round shouting it, but I don't hide it.

If people are interested, then I talk about it - this is also a way to get people interested

This.

I know that MA is more than just an activity or workout to me, but to others not involved it seems that way. People talk about other activities and sports in their lives like golf, fishing, etc, why should we be silent about something that is a part of us?

[ShotokanMaster]

i dont go outside doing my kenpo or shotokan when theres a tournament i do it and only my fb friends and my co djs know i do karate and my family but dont do it outside its a secret