Is training in public places a good idea?

[Kyonovice]

Depends where you are and what you are using...

During my day job the other day, we had a shout to a park where a lad was practising a marital art (possibly Iaido) with a replica katana. Obviously local residents saw some bloke with a sword and called it in.

[Alan Armstrong]

I like to do my MA training outside. There is a free adult exercise area next to a running track. Many athletes frequent the place and many young eager to build muscle do callesthetics there also. Core practice is my main purpose for going there. However threre are nice thick "gymnastic type" parallel posts that I practice striking and blocking on. As I use the "no mind" concept, I don't seem to care who is watching. I'm not big or muscular or intimidated easily. As I'm about 60 years old some of my generation likes to do things the hard way just for the fun of it. Some days I will return home with substantial bruises after hitting the posts very hard "extreme chi kung" about 100 times. There are other young martial artists that try a little of what I do and give up very quickly. Having practiced there for as many as 200 times I have never had any bad/good comments or incidents.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The first rule of training in the open and in public should be to know the area thoroughly. Things to consider like these:

Is it in a safe neighbourhood?

How many ways are there to enter or exit and where are they?

How many and what sort of people frequent the area?

Is there good lighting after dark?

Are there stations, convenience stores or other such places around?

Are there rules about what is or is not allowed there?

Being thoroughly familiar with an area and its surroundings will spare one a lot of potential troubles when deciding to train outdoors in a public place.

[sensei8]

The first rule of training in the open and in public should be to know the area thoroughly. Things to consider like these:

Is it in a safe neighbourhood?

How many ways are there to enter or exit and where are they?

How many and what sort of people frequent the area?

Is there good lighting after dark?

Are there stations, convenience stores or other such places around?

Are there rules about what is or is not allowed there?

Being thoroughly familiar with an area and its surroundings will spare one a lot of potential troubles when deciding to train outdoors in a public place.

Solid post!!

[Spodo Komodo]

This thread sure makes me appreciate where I live. I practice outside a lot and the worst that has happened to me is a wheezy bulldog slobbering on my foot and a fox once ran off with my post training banana. Someone from the council once took a photograph of me and I thought I might get banned from the playing field or something but, rather cheekily, the photo turned up on their website as an example of the diversity of local sport. I wouldn't hesitate to use an area already used for other sports though, as a martial artist I usually find I have a lot in common with runners, climbers, crossfitters, bootcampers and military fitness people.

[IcemanSK]

In suburban Los Angeles, where I am, there are some parks that are conducive to training and some that are not. In the parks with many homeless folks, I tend to only walk. In the parks that have many sports (soccer, runners, etc.) I have no trouble finding a place to train among them. I'm a bit self conscious when I train MA in public. I will do push-ups & squats in public, but rarely kicks. I have space in my backyard where I train in private. About as public as I'll get in my training is at the YMCA's small aerobics/Yoga room during their off hours when no class is in session.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Everyone has had different experiences but really negative ones are not commonplace or easily preventable with a little good judgement and common sense. What is possible in one locality, might be foolish and reckless self endangerment in another. For example, an empty vacant lot or park between 9pm and 6am is perfectly fine in Okinawa, but maybe not such as good idea in South Africa.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Teaching in public has a very different dynamic than private individual training in the same setting, which is what the original topic of this discussion was meant to cover.

The most important difference might be that it is less likely to be disturbed or recieve negative attention when not alone because of "safety in numbers". The other side of this is that a group training in public is also more visible than a single person.

[Alan Armstrong]

Just the other evening I was giving free ma lessons in an exercise park for adults. Out of the approximate 40 people there I must have made an impression. No sooner finished teaching one small group, not noticing but another small group was awaiting their turn. ( I did get in big trouble later from my wife, as I completely lost track of time ) It was a bit risky on my part to interact with groups of complete strangers late at night alone. There were those watching the show with a disbelief of what was happening. I may or may not do this again but the experience has heightened my awareness of the dangers involved. I believe it was my willingness to share in a friendly manner without having an ego problem, that spared me from getting beaten up.