is it just me...

[apoweyn]

is it just me, or does anyone else noticed that when it becomes apparent that you know martial arts, everyone else around you suddenly knows them too?

i teach out of a health club right now. so i'll be warming up before class, and there are people all around me doing stretches, crunches, etc. and without fail, no less than three people a night will spontaneously jumb up and start throwing round kicks at the mirror. or they'll turn to me and ask me questions about what i do, before telling me about their extensive experience.

very often, it's not a bad thing, that said. i've met some nice enough people that way. if people want to chat with me about it, that's cool by me. it's just funny to me how many people used to train this and that, and then feel the need to start throwing their favorite techniques just because i'm around.


stuart b.

[shaolinboxer]

It is a good thing that you can inspire people to remember their skills. You make them feel comfortable to express themselves in a way they normally repress or simply don't think about. Who knows, perhaps some of them will return to their practice. At least their having fun, and you are the root cause.

[apoweyn]

well, that's a good way to look at it. cheers shaolinboxer.

[red5angel]

They crawl out of the freakin woodwork! Since it has got out that I am studying MA at work quite a few people have stopped by to discuss it,and how they have been, had or want to get into it!

[dezhen2001]

Then you hear the usual saying "i'll have to get back in to it someday", but u know they never will... :)

david

[chingei]

Originally posted by apoweyn
is it just me, or does anyone else noticed that when it becomes apparent that you know martial arts, everyone else around you suddenly knows them too?

i teach out of a health club right now. so i'll be warming up before class, and there are people all around me doing stretches, crunches, etc. and without fail, no less than three people a night will spontaneously jumb up and start throwing round kicks at the mirror. or they'll turn to me and ask me questions about what i do, before telling me about their extensive experience.

it's just funny to me how many people used to train this and that, and then feel the need to start throwing their favorite techniques just because i'm around.


stuart b.

they are challenging you. you should jump up and kick them in the head right away.



:D

[Budokan]

Next time start playing with yourself and see if they all start doing that, too.

[apoweyn]

budokan,

i tried that. as it turns out, iron body kung doesn't work against tazers. just a little advice from your uncle stuart.

[apoweyn]

chingei,

i'd consider kicking them in the head only after dropping the weight plate on their foot. far, far easier that way.


stuart b.

[myosimka]

It's always so ****ed awkward too. "I practiced [martial art xyz] for about 3 months." They say it like it's a conversation starter and I never really have a response. They think it's something we have in common and I think it's the difference between us. People that have never studied and are curious are more interesting for me to talk to then people who tried it and don't like it. I just sit there with a that's nice smile and try to back away.

I get this same thing with skydiving. People that are fascinated but too afraid I understand. People who think it's too expensive and frivolous I understand. People who just aren't interested I understand. People who came out and try one Tandem jump, say it's awesome and then never come back...them I do not understand.

Analogy: Talking today with 2 people. One has never seen the Matrix. I know it's blasphemous. I told her it was awesome and set up a time for her to come see it.(surprisingly I have the DVD lying around) The other, she didn't like it. "Hunh?? Can you repeat that again because you were clearly speaking Swahili and it just sounds like English. The sentence you phrased, 'I didn't like the Matrix', is nonsensical in English."


The good thing about these people everywhere is it serves as a motivator for my students. You get to be a good martial artist as a result of attrition. Perseverence is far more important than talent in MA.

[apoweyn]

myosimka,

i'm a huge matrix fan too. i hear ya.

i'm far more comfortable with the people that ask me the questions. that's fine. i certainly don't mind answering them. and i've had some good conversations that way.

i tend not to ask them questions though. if someone starts kicking or asks me my background, i'll ignore the former and answer the latter. but if i feel like whatever they're doing is designed to make go, "hey, what do you study?" i don't. i don't like the fishing, i guess.


stuart b.

[Suntzu]

cant stand to watch the Matrix anymore… but will go see the sequals… my mother knows more kung fu than stiff azz Keanu…

I'm just glad those guys don’t try to stick around and spar… that could be scary for the both of us… and where are the women that USED to take xyz… it's always some dude that's like 40 goin thru his mid life crisis or some 18 y.o. that thinks they are JC Van Damme...

[apoweyn]

i've sparred with a couple of people, but they actually did know what they were doing. boxers both. (one is actually a hell of a kicker too, as it turns out.)

i've even bumped into alumni of my first eskrima school there. (i learned eskrima just outside of baltimore, in pasadena. suntzu probably recognizes what i'm on about.)

one guy watching my class asked me what i taught. i told him i was kind of a mutt. and he looks at me and says, "ah. no way as way." nodding knowingly the whole time. "er, yeah. but not quite that profound", was all i could come up with by way of response.

the dude told me he did jow ga kung fu. it's not like i didn't believe him. but he's got to 'convince' me by regurgitating bruce lee quotes.

ah well. like i said, i've met some really decent folks that way too, so i can't say i'm ranting really.


stuart b.

[Suntzu]

yeah, that's what I mean about scary for the both of us… your not quite sure exactly what they know… so they might end up being a killa or bein killt… cant say I'm too familiar with Pasadena…

[DragonzRage]

IMO, people who think that they're in on some big secret just because they do martial arts need to wake up and smell the coffee. The truth is that just about everyone and their friggin' grandma has had some degree of MA experience. A friend of mine told me about a survey he read that says something like 1 out of 5 people has had some MA training. However, this of course does include those guys who took a year of karate when they were in junior high. Nonetheless, the number of at least somewhat competent practitioners is still higher than some of us may imagine. In my fraternity house alone there are a bunch of people who have extensive high school wrestling experience, two of whom were ranked very high on the state level...and if that's not enough, another guy was ranked very high on the national level. And to me, that kind of background indicates a much more dangerous ability than the vast majority of "martial artists" one would meet. We also have a brown belt in Shotokan Karate, a near blue belt in bjj, a guy who did kung fu for four years and has a belt in "Sobak-Do" (don't ask me), and of course myself.

Even for the modern MMA arts (Bjj, etc) the cat's definitely out of the bag. If you really pay attention, you'll see guys with TapOut shirts, Bjj club sweaters, and Vale Tudo window stickers just about everywhere.

[red5angel]

I like when the conversation goes something like this?

"Hey you know Martial arts? I used to do (inset martial art here)way back in high school, I think I can remember some of it."

Me - "Yeah? how about I take you out into the oarking lot and we put your 3 months against my two years. We can go first blood or until unconciousness"

Awkward silence follows..........

[respectmankind]

well, i loved the matrix, but only because of the philosophy, i hate the type of fighting and special effects in the movie. but it is in my top ten because of story and philosophy. no won topic, i used to be one of those people. unfortunately, you can't not become one of those people in alaska unless you have the mind to train yourself because few people up here can.

[apoweyn]

respectmankind,

well, i'm not condemning the behavior. as i said, i've meet some good people that way and had some interesting conversations. besides, i'm guilty myself on occassion. and if your motivation is to actually find potential training partners, it makes all the more sense.

as i said, there are a couple of boxers at my gym. the one apparently competes in the tough man contests, though i don't know how far he's gotten. anyway, the other one was sparring with someone the other day, and i asked if he'd mind going with me for a little while, because i could really use some pointers.

we sparred for a bit and had a great time. (i ate entirely too many right hooks though.)

there are a couple of ways this can play out: you're doing it to show off OR you're doing this to make a connection. the former is a waste of time, but the latter is perfectly legit, to my mind.


stuart b.

[apoweyn]

suntzu,

my old eskrima school was on route 2 (ritchie highway). it's technically in pasadena, though it's basically at that point where glen burnie, pasadena, and severna park converge (near the old jumper's hole mall).

that may still ring no bells, but there you have it. it's not a particularly memorable area. [smile]


stuart b.

[Suntzu]

I'm a lil familiar with Ritchie Hwy… there's a shooting range that I go to sometimes out that way… I suck… I need to spend more time in that place… a lil outta my way but as u say 'there I have it'...

Glen Burnie was on the news the other day about there street gangs... who'd of thunk it...

[scotty1]

I'm going home now, but Ap - its not just you.

Everyone I know has done something

[KC Elbows]

Here's my favorite story ever told me by one of those people who "used to be in [fill in blank] martial art:

"Our teacher could do a move where he could grab your thumb, pull up, and yank it off all the way to the shoulder."

I have yet to meet the opponent who had skin with the same qualities as a banana peel, but as soon as I do, they're ****ed.

[Suntzu]

not to highjack or anything but this kinda fits and is burinin me up…
but a couple week ago me and a buddy, we chillin probably playin video games. Prolly Madden and he's kickin my azz…some how we get to talkin about fightin… I think he almost got in a fight with some dude and was ventin to me… I'm like if u wanna get it out come to the gym with me and go a couple of rounds... dude never done any tpe of MA... he's like nah and some excuse like he's couldnt hang with me or some self defeating BS... so he statrs askin me about what i do, what's involved, throws?? punches??? kicks??? i'm givin him some theory... if u attack like this i could do this type BS... so after a minute of this he's like if i would do MA i wouldn't do that i would do something like BJJ(he got friends at work that into it, i know one of the guys and he is kinda dangerous)... i'm notta x is better than y type guy, so i'm like that's cool they got some cool stuff that i would like to know about... and he goes on about they UFC record and how fights always go to the ground and he says "That how real fights are"... and than he says to me all serious "You must do your style for the "art"... WTF!!!!???? for the 'art'??? if he wasn't my friend... i felt like stompin his intestines out just so i could show him just 'how fights end up on the ground'... but he's my boy so i let his ignorance slide... but the nerve of some people that only fight using joysticks... video game allday playin azz...

wooooooo!!! I fell a lil better now… thatz been burinin me up for a while… but I hate virtual fighter more than anyone that atleast took the free intros… atleast they have an idea of what goes on…

[KC Elbows]

You should have peeled that dude. That'd learn 'im.

[Suntzu]

I wanna see some of the muscle heads at the gym come in and spar… they spend all that time swellin up… tryin to look nice for the ladies but can they work wit all dat mass…

KC- I shoulda peeled him but he got the PS2 hooked up to the big screen…

[KC Elbows]

Good thinking.

[dezhen2001]

good 2 c u got ya priorities straight! :D

david

[Suntzu]

friends ARE important… ya know…

[guohuen]

Apoweyn, I like to say that if your driving south on US1 you can hit your brakes in Arbutus and pretty much slide all the way to Greenbelt.

[apoweyn]

LOL@guohen.

nearly moved to greenbelt once.

nearly


stuart b.