Taking Pride or Perhaps Ashamed?

[Alan Armstrong]

It is great Lupin 1 that you are speaking up on your embarrassment, when you were a pre-black-belt, having to listen to ignorant comments.

Ignoring ignorant comments is a a part of your growing pains, to fight with every one being ignorant, isn't going to change or educate them, more often than not, a belt ranking can seem intimidating to them, they are just displaying their insecurities that's all.

Teaching usually generates a positive response, just because everyone has had some kind of teacher student relationship to base their reactions on; which has alot of respect connotations associated with it.

A martial artist needs to believe in oneself no matter the color of the belt, as the belt doesn't define what I am or what you are.

I was recently asked if I could beat up Jean Clude Van Damme, would any answer realistically satisfy such an incredibly ignorant question?

[Trailer_Ape]

I told my wife that if anybody asked her to explain who I was, after I am feeding the worms, all she would have to say was: "God, Family, Martial Arts" because that pretty much sums up my existence. When I open a door, it is with two knuckles, a spear hand, or a a palm heel. HOWEVER, I have stopped trying to introduce all my friends to the happiness I've found. It kind of hit me one day - imagine one of my friends constantly reminding me that I have TWO colleges within 45 minutes of my house and how awesome it would be if I got a formal education. That would get annoying. I do not want to go to college and they do not want to train. Mutual respect dictates we do not force each other into the lifestyle we prefer.

As for "ashamed" - my training/experience goes beyond what is typically considered "Martial Arts". I've worked in LE and security for a long time. The most accurate definition of my skillset would be - I'm good at breaking nouns. I'm not proud of that but I'm not ashamed either. It is what it is, we all play our role

[singularity6]

I haven't commented on this thread because I think both ends are a bit extreme. Pride and shame are very strong words, with very strong connotations.

Pride might not be the worst word to use for some. But I am not proud of my training or my accomplishments. Pleased, maybe. But any of my accomplishments are simply that... my own! I do not hang my certificates or diplomas on walls. Nor would I want any titles that come with my training or education. I go by my first name to my students in the classroom, and if I were to teach martial arts, it would be the same.

Shame? Well... If anyone is doing any thing that they are ashamed of... hmmm. Yeah, this just doesn't fit.

[Alan Armstrong]

I haven't commented on this thread because I think both ends are a bit extreme. Pride and shame are very strong words, with very strong connotations.

Pride might not be the worst word to use for some. But I am not proud of my training or my accomplishments. Pleased, maybe. But any of my accomplishments are simply that... my own! I do not hang my certificates or diplomas on walls. Nor would I want any titles that come with my training or education. I go by my first name to my students in the classroom, and if I were to teach martial arts, it would be the same.

Shame? Well... If anyone is doing any thing that they are ashamed of... hmmm. Yeah, this just doesn't fit.

Are you pleased questions, doesn't exactly bring out the "True Grit" or "Gung Ho" passionate side of people.

Having extremes "Strong words" is only a way or method to put a broader perspective on any subject, it also makes for a more sensationalized heading, as in "Made you look made you smile"

I have a personal preference for this method, also as "This vs That" this isn't a we vs them to be taken literally, just a way to put up a broader net and get the ball rolling.

The alternative, is what many others use, something I dislike, headings that are ambiguous and misleading.

[singularity6]

I haven't commented on this thread because I think both ends are a bit extreme. Pride and shame are very strong words, with very strong connotations.

Pride might not be the worst word to use for some. But I am not proud of my training or my accomplishments. Pleased, maybe. But any of my accomplishments are simply that... my own! I do not hang my certificates or diplomas on walls. Nor would I want any titles that come with my training or education. I go by my first name to my students in the classroom, and if I were to teach martial arts, it would be the same.

Shame? Well... If anyone is doing any thing that they are ashamed of... hmmm. Yeah, this just doesn't fit.

Are you pleased questions, doesn't exactly bring out the "True Grit" or "Gung Ho" passionate side of people.

Having extremes "Strong words" is only a way or method to put a broader perspective on any subject, it also makes for a more sensationalized heading, as in "Made you look made you smile"

I have a personal preference for this method, also as "This vs That" this isn't a we vs them to be taken literally, just a way to put up a broader net and get the ball rolling.

The alternative, is what many others use, something I dislike, headings that are ambiguous and misleading.

The use of the appropriate word or words is really important. It better conveys the message one is trying to get across. It also helps convince others that one knows what they're talking about.

[Alan Armstrong]

I haven't commented on this thread because I think both ends are a bit extreme. Pride and shame are very strong words, with very strong connotations.

Pride might not be the worst word to use for some. But I am not proud of my training or my accomplishments. Pleased, maybe. But any of my accomplishments are simply that... my own! I do not hang my certificates or diplomas on walls. Nor would I want any titles that come with my training or education. I go by my first name to my students in the classroom, and if I were to teach martial arts, it would be the same.

Shame? Well... If anyone is doing any thing that they are ashamed of... hmmm. Yeah, this just doesn't fit.

Are you pleased questions, doesn't exactly bring out the "True Grit" or "Gung Ho" passionate side of people.

Having extremes "Strong words" is only a way or method to put a broader perspective on any subject, it also makes for a more sensationalized heading, as in "Made you look made you smile"

I have a personal preference for this method, also as "This vs That" this isn't a we vs them to be taken literally, just a way to put up a broader net and get the ball rolling.

The alternative, is what many others use, something I dislike, headings that are ambiguous and misleading.

The use of the appropriate word or words is really important. It better conveys the message one is trying to get across. It also helps convince others that one knows what they're talking about.

Which also shows that one is paying attention to what has been said.

Different versions of this quote below has been around for sometime now, here is a version I like.

Hope this quote is fitting and appropriate for this topic.

................................................................

In promulgating your esoteric cogitations, or articulating your superficial sentimentalities and amicable, philosophical, or psychological observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity.

Let your conversational communications possess a clarified conciseness, a compacted comprehensibleness, a coalescent consistency, and a concatenated cogency.

Eschew all conglomerations of flatulent garrulity, jejune babblement, and asinine affectation.

Let your extemporaneous descantings and unpremeditated expatiations have intelligibility and veracious vivacity, without rhodomontade, or thrasonical bombast.

Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous prolixity, psittaceous vacuity, ventriloquial verbosity, and vaniloquent vapidity.

Shun double entendres, prurient jocosity, and pestiferous profanity, obscure or apparent.

In other words, talk plainly, briefly, naturally, truthfully, purely. Keep from " slang"; don't put on airs ; say what you mean ; mean what you say. And don't use big words.

Dr R

http://editingmonks.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/dont-use-big-words.html?m=1

[LLLEARNER]

I don't bring it up much, but I'm not ashamed of it and I don't hide it. In fact, it's mentioned on my staff bio on my work's webpage and my Facebook profile picture is of me in my gi.

I find I'm a lot more comfortable talking about it now that I'm a black belt and help teach classes. I was a little embarrassed when I was first restarting as an adult. It is unfortunately perceived as a kids' thing by a lot of people and so to be an adult yellow or blue belt taking classes can draw some ignorant comments. Saying you're a black belt and you teach kids classes, on the other hand, is perceived completely differently. Again, it's very unfortunate that this is the public perception and I hope it changes.

I can understand being the adult white belt (now yellow).