What's middle-America's problem with MA?!

[major_motoko]

The reaction I always get when I say "I do karate" is "ooo I'd better not p*ss you off then".. like what the hell? You think I'm gonna start beating you up just because I do karate?

 

They don't understand that doing MA actually makes you a LESS agressive person!

 

Then there have been one or two who just take the micky, making all the over-the-top Bruce Lee "wooooooo" sounds and putting their hands up in the stereo-typical "karate chop" motions!

 

I think they're just jealous that we have a hobby (well lifestyle really) that to them is mysterious and different.

 

motoko

[Kirves]

I always say "I have done some karate" or "I often go to some karate classes when I have time". First, many people don't see karate as "tough" at all, so they don't get intimidated or feel they need to say anything. If anything, they underestimate it and say "oh, that stuff, you know it doesn't work in a fight" to which I reply "I just do it for the fun and sport of it, I'm so lazy I have to do something and I like karate". Then I make them talk about their stuff and knowledge and I just "ah" and "ooh" about it. Nobody loves to talk about themselves as much as a martial artist who thinks he has found the best art.

 

I try to keep low profile about my MA training and when I tell about it, I use the household name "karate" (though I have trained in several arts) so I don't have to explain anything, people just go "oh, that" and they drop it as it's probably a boring subject to them.

Edited August 27, 2003 by Kirves

[monkeygirl]

I try not to tell people that I do MA/have a blackbelt, at least not when I first meet them. Here's the reactions I used to get:

 

"Oooh I better not make you mad!", "Hey can you beat so-and-so up for us?", "Oh yeah, I bet I can beat you up!". It's died down some since I stopped telling people about it.

 

Eventually, it may come out that I have a blackbelt. Most of my friends are cool with it...I've never met anyone that says to me: "How can you, in good conscience, do something like that???".

 

The biggest problem is that the immature boys (is there any other kind?) will constantly pick until I'm forced to do something. Two weeks ago, for example, one of my friends attacked me with a stick. I blocked it rather easily, and told him to stop. But he kept coming at me, and when he got quicker and almost poked me in my bad eye, I said "enough". I grabbed his arm and pulled him into a roundhouse kick to his gut. It was fast but not hard, and I stopped it short instead of carrying through like I would have normally done. Still, I let it make contact. I took advantage of his shocked expression, held my leg there and said "You know I could have thrown that a lot harder and a lot lower. Next time, I will, so stop it now."

 

He got serious very quickly...I don't think I'll have to worry about him in the future

 

I especially don't like to tell people I just met that I have a black belt, because if they turn out to be jerks, it ruins the element of surprise. If I'm in a bank when it gets robbed, for example, and I'm wearing a T-shirt that says "I'm a blackbelt" in big bold letters, who do you think the robbers will shoot first?

 

I only know one person who truly hates martial arts, and that's my friend's stepdad. But that guy hates everything.

[battousai16]

you have a bad eye too ? for the longest time i thought i was the only martial artist who had a bad eye (i had a tree thorn shot all the way through it when i was in 6th grade) and it's been giving me trouble in the martial arts ever since. and not because i'm worried about getting hit or anything, but because people go easy on me because they think i can't see them, or the reverse, they get really worried i'll hit them to hard. my depth perception is not that bad! ah well. good to know i'm not alone

[cross]

Mostly by people who are ignorant to things they know nothing about. e.g. this guy said "don't try any of your chinese sh*t on me".. funny becuase i do karate.

[Tal]

when i tell people that i do MAs, most of them are like 'cool!' and ask me all about it and ask me to show them some nifty moves and stuff. some people react negatively to knowing that i do MAs; its mostly bigger people. even people that i know well and would never get into a real fight with, because they know they cannot even play-fight with me becuase i'll kick their a**. no one's ever reacted really negatively by me telling them that i do MAs, some just seem a little 'bugged' by it.

[Kamidake]

Most of the people I know are couch potatoes so they don't care one way or the other. I think there are more couch potatoes in the Internet age than there were before. (I'm 43 so I remember when there was no Internet.)

[Stold]

Interesting. When I tell people I box their respect for me usually doubles, and some people want to put on some gloves and throw down for fun.

[aznkarateboi]

boxing is held in much higher regard then any traditional martial arts

[Gino]

I don't except that Boxing is held in much higher regard than the martial arts at all.

 

It all depends on the person your asking.