More preconceived notions in MA

[SevenStar]

A few weeks ago, I noticed a honda in the parking lot that had an ATA bag, a bo and sparring gear in the back. I thought "Oh joy, someone in my building that I can play with!!"

Tonight, I was headed out to judo, and she was coming back from tkd. I was carrying my folded gi and she was wearing hers. (she's an ATA BB) We noticed eachother at the same time and said "Hey! another MA" in unison. I told her I was wondering whose gear I had seen, and she asked me what I trained in. I told her judo and bjj - didn't bother mentioning SC, as I was running late and wouldn't have had time to explain - and she goes "Wow! you're one of those guys who can REALLY fight!" we talked another few mins and went separate ways.

It concerned me that she thought I could REALLY fight, as if she knew that she couldn't or something....Something's not right there.

[Chang Style Novice]

Well, invite her to judo and bjj if she wants.

but I agree - that's not so good. I'm guessing ATA is something like American Taekwondo Assn?

[SevenStar]

yup - they're the ones that have the camoflauge belt ranking

[Chang Style Novice]

And dangit, I feel for her, too. I've never played as rough as I'd like to, so I don't really know what I can do.

[Cheese Dog]

I was in the ATA (American Tae kwon do Assn.) back in the late 80's and I couldn't fight worth a crap. I left right before they started the camoflage belt. And the system is even more watered down now than it was then.

If you take a system that is just average for sport karate non-contact sparring and water it down even more, what do you end up with?

You have to ask, if she KNOWS she can't fight, why is she still there?

[Gigante]

They use bo's in ATA TKD ??

[Chang Style Novice]

Originally posted by me

7* -

Connecting that idea to your thread from earlier this evening, I think it might be an okay arrangement if there were 'levels' of ma schools. And maybe there already are.

Beginners - learn forms, stretching, qigong, conditioning, general fitness. Light sparring, cardio. More or less a health club with a martial arts feel. No claims about self-defense are made, implicitly or explicitly.

Advanced - It's assumed you show up fit and ready to go. Drilling techniques constantly, full contact sparring at least once a week.

Expert - for the pros, more or less anyone who can't afford a personal coach/trainer but aspires to be a prizefighter in whatever format. I don't know what would distinguish this from advanced precisely.

The thing is, since my only experience is in a tai chi place where the teacher trained under a genuine well-known badass but doesn't like the students going at it full on, I don't know how other places work. Maybe what I've described above is standard. I have no idea.

Sevenstar's reply

levels of schools, or levels within the school? nevermind, I got ya. But, who would make the classifications?

My reply to that is: if it's all within one school, the school administrators and teachers. Students decide whether they want to move up or not. If someone in a lower level gets too rough for the others in that level, they get strongly encouraged to either move up or back off. If it's between schools, that's where (connecting to another earlier thread) gov't. regulation could take a hand. Since in practice there are already different levels of contact and fight-worthiness in ma schools, it would be useful to have different kinds of certification of schools so that it would be clearly understood what the prospective student is getting into. Let's call them "martial gym" "self-defense academy" and "fight training school." Naturally, as the most rigorous, a fight training school would be qualified but not obliged to offer classes in the less rigorous modes. As to who would be qualified to make the distinctions, I think that my previous suggestion of a diverse panel of well-known experts from various arts would be sufficient. Nearly anyone could qualify for martial gym status who had seen some Tae Bo tapes. Only proven fighters, coaches, military/police types would be likely to qualify for fight training gyms. The panel would have applicants demonstrate their knowledge and skill on the mats. The only downside I see to this right away is the expense - which I admit would be high, possibly unacceptably high. But if that hurdle could be overcome, I don't see how this could be a bad thing for the arts as a whole.

[SaMantis]

My nephew got his camoflauge belt from ATA. He's four.

[apoweyn]

i imagine she's still there, despite recognizing that she's not learning how to fight, because she's not particularly interested in fighting.

the prevailing view on this forum seems to be that martial arts are for combat, first and foremost. and i've got no complaints with that view. but it's far from universal. plenty of us are hobbyists, who do what we do simply because we find it rewarding. for some of us, that's not going to equate to fighting. or it's going to equate to a particular (and potentially limited) form of fighting.

i know plenty of people who like taekwondo simply because they find it more fun to kick. boxing and wrestling might be necessary components of a full game plan. (sorry. hand skills and grappling skills. not necessarily boxing or wrestling.) but certain people just aren't entertained by those things. and, really, in this day and age, if you're not enjoying your martial arts, i think you're wasting your time.

as for this woman remarking that sevenstar can really fight (and the preconceptions that reveals), i know how you feel. when i started eskrima, southeast asian martial arts were 'enjoying' the attention that MMA does now. if you knew eskrima, silat, bando, muay thai, etc. you were automatically assumed to be a killer. on the surface of it, that's not really a big deal. you just shrug your shoulders and move on.

but i kinda felt like it was a very... hollow compliment, i suppose. when people said that, it wasn't a reflection of me or my practice. they'd never seen me practice. they're just reacting to the public image. and that was inherently unsatisfactory to me, as someone who was actually sweating bullets several times a week in the art. appreciation based solely on reputation was actually just as irritating as the art or my practice of it getting no appreciation at all.

i think, if you're anything like me, you want to be judged for what you actually do and don't do, by people who actually recognize and understand what you do. anything less feels unsatisfactory. not offensive. but not really pertinent either.

[shrug] i don't know.


stuart b.

[Suntzu]

the real question is……… was she hott?!?!?

[KC Elbows]

Most annoying preconcieved notions:

Rank=fighting ability
Muscle=Skill
My Style>Style X

[apoweyn]

Originally posted by Suntzu
the real question is……… was she hott?!?!?

well, that's what i meant by... all that stuff i said.

[Former castleva]

"i imagine she's still there, despite recognizing that she's not learning how to fight, because she's not particularly interested in fighting.

the prevailing view on this forum seems to be that martial arts are for combat, first and foremost. and i've got no complaints with that view. but it's far from universal. plenty of us are hobbyists, who do what we do simply because we find it rewarding. for some of us, that's not going to equate to fighting. or it's going to equate to a particular (and potentially limited) form of fighting. "

Revolutionary post,somewhat.
Will be remembered.

[morbicid]

i agree that she probably isnt in it to learn how to "really fight"... otherwise she wouldnt still be at her ATA school.

a lot of people, especially females (not be sexist), dont place actual fighting high on their list of priorities.

a lot of those big commercial type schools may not offer a training program that offers combat effective training, but i must admit (as much as i hate to) that they have more to offer in the FUN department that they get together for (picnics, ski trips, hikes, public demos, etc etc). Probably they have more time for these things as they dont dedicate as much time to training as some of the other other "hard core" schools . (Personally, I would rather see my school put the time and effort into planning a seminar or something.) Also, due to their big "family programs" and such, they tend to have much more students attending, providing a bigger group in which to meet friends and all that stuff.

by the way, WAS she hot ? blonde? red head ?
it sounds like she might have been ugly since u were in such a "hurry" that you couldnt talk to her for a few minutes longer

[red5angel]

I think Ap is dead on. Not everyone gets in it to learn how to fight. Actually I have met very few women who get into MA to learn to fight. Most of those are for Self defense reasons, the rest are in it for something to do, or to get some excersise, etc..

Of course if you aren't in the MA to fight you are some sort of hippy....

and I still say you guys are underestimating those TKD peeps, sure most of them can't fight well but most of the people in my school cant fight well. I dont think everyone can, however in the couple of fights I have seen in the real world that involved the Martial Arts, they have all been with TKD peeps. I think part of what we loose sight of is, while we may know how to deal with those big kicks and the lack of hand use, MOST people on the street don't. As a matter of fact in two TKD encounters I witnessed, both were some pretty flashy kicks that both connected, and both ended the fight.