What unMA-like thing do you do?

[sensei8]

Even if they are not used for fishing, tying fishing flies is also a lot of fun for the art of it.

I'd love to learn how to do that!! Looks amazing and quite relaxing to create something like that!!

[jaypo]

I deer hunt and lift weights. I like to think I'm pretty good at both!

[IcemanSK]

These are all great examples of how MAists often develop a kinder, softer side. There is a saying "Better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in a war." The majority of us are not LEOs who face the high probability of using our skills that we learn on the mat. The idea of being "a warrior in a garden" helps us develop our highest best selves.

You all are amazing group of people. I'm honored to be among you & to learn from you all.

[mazzybear]

I like to read, I just finished a book on Miyamoto Musashi, anything Japanese is my preferred subject matter at the moment.

I also love to bake with my 3y/o niece, and not to blow my own trumpet, I've actually discovered I'm not a bad baker at all Chilling with my 7y/o nephew and a star wars movie is up there too, geeking out over the Millennium Falcon and AT-ATs is hard to beat.

Mo.

[IcemanSK]

I like to read, I just finished a book on Miyamoto Musashi, anything Japanese is my preferred subject matter at the moment.

I also love to bake with my 3y/o niece, and not to blow my own trumpet, I've actually discovered I'm not a bad baker at all Chilling with my 7y/o nephew and a star wars movie is up there too, geeking out over the Millennium Falcon and AT-ATs is hard to beat.

Mo.

Outstanding!!

[JohnASE]

As for me. I've been in Christian ministry of some sort for most of my adult life, despite training MA for even longer than that. I have fairly pacifist tendencies.

Ha! That's not un-MA! At ASE Martial Arts Supply, we've had many ministers as customers. Aren't there two martial arts stereotypes, the aggressive guy and the humble guy? Cobra Kai and Mr. Miyagi? I think the latter is actually more common.

I've known so many martial artists from all walks of life, that I don't think anything is really un-MA, so I'll just list a few things that I'm into.

I'm a car guy. I love sports cars. I'm using the classic definition of "sports car" here. It should be small, light, and good handling. Most are 2-seaters and convertible is a plus. A Mustang is not a sport car. They have decent handling, but are too big and heavy. I love to drive, but don't wrench much.

My wife and I own an electric bicycle store, so I spend a lot of time working on and riding bikes. Ebikes are great! I've been meaning to start a thread to tell you all about this, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I love to read, mostly sci-fi/fantasy. That goes back to when I was a kid. I've done plenty of geeky things. I did comics and Magic the Gathering (like Zaine mentioned), D&D, and video games. When I say "did", I mean obsessively. In my early 20s, I remember getting blood blisters from game controllers. Most of that was decades ago, but it's still me.

Oh, and on the athletic side, I play a game called wallyball. Basically, it's volleyball played on a racquetball court. You string a net across the middle of the court and can hit off the walls (hence, wallyball). You usually play 2-on-2 to 3-on-3. You bump, set, and spike in a rhythm similar to beach volleyball, but faster, since the court is so much smaller.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Cooking is also quite a bit of fun...and venison is delicious!

[Hawkmoon]

There's a stereotype that all MAists do only intensely physical things and are "hard" people. What do you do that is counter to that stereotype? Paint? Write poetry? etc.

As for me. I've been in Christian ministry of some sort for most of my adult life, despite training MA for even longer than that. I have fairly pacifist tendencies.

Love this post/thread really do!

I was at a training coarse not so long back, a few weeks earlier I'd passed my Shodan grading and had had to fight 20 people at full knockdown to earn the right to wear that grade, yet on the coarse I was told I was not aggressive enough!

That image you refer to is an image that some people promote and yet other seek out, an image I dislike and where ever possible is not presented, rather I seek to keep out of the line of conflict.

My work sorry to say has me working in full tilt geek mode much of the day, IT security!

So when I'm not on an Xbox racing, in the dojo fighting or fighting the good fight, I read and watch films!

Reading allows me to switch of from the world and films makes reading soooo much easier .....!

[ashworth]

I play darts in a local amateur pub league, and also captain a pool team...

[IcemanSK]

I play darts in a local amateur pub league, and also captain a pool team...

I think of all the scenarios I've heard of from instructors over the years that start with, "a guy comes up to you in a bar or pool hall and...." I always thought, "I don't spend much time in either of those places, I'll never get to use this technique." lol But you must be the guy these instructors were with when they came up with applications for their lessons. Just Kidding. all in fun.