Reaction when someone underestimates you?

[ManilaCrane]

Hey guys, i want an honest opinion on this (don't be shy, i won't criticize). How do you react whenever someone underestimates your ability to fight or to stand for yourself and defend against harm?

Sadly i still need to learn to control myself naturally since i have a lot of work when practicing in kung fu. Lately some people think that i lack the strength to cause harm because of my reasons not to fight.

Any thoughts or advice from a fellow martial artist?

[KC Elbows]

In fighting, being underestimated is obviously one of the greatest advantages one can have.

Socially, another deal.

I am a firm believer in being patient and letting time sort out the good from the bad. However, I only cross hands with people who will consistently, over time, cross hands. Some people seek a cheap victory against someone who is long term better than they are by going at a harder pace for one win, but avoiding further contact. They aren't worth my time.

I also seek to train with good people who still give me a hell of a hard time technique wise. I don't train with them to look good, but to be good.

I trust people to see the virtue in this. Those who can't aren't wise enough to train, anyway, and probably have no talent, or they'd get it when explained to them.

[ManilaCrane]

In fighting, being underestimated is obviously one of the greatest advantages one can have.

Socially, another deal.

I am a firm believer in being patient and letting time sort out the good from the bad. However, I only cross hands with people who will consistently, over time, cross hands. Some people seek a cheap victory against someone who is long term better than they are by going at a harder pace for one win, but avoiding further contact. They aren't worth my time.

I also seek to train with good people who still give me a hell of a hard time technique wise. I don't train with them to look good, but to be good.

I trust people to see the virtue in this. Those who can't aren't wise enough to train, anyway, and probably have no talent, or they'd get it when explained to them.

Thanks for your opinion KC.

One of the reasons that i never like to get into a fight is that fact that i don't want to cause injury to another person, otherwise there may be some liability in the injury caused...

[Yum Cha]

How bigg'a boy are you?

People who don't know you will judge you on physique, naturally.
The vibe you put off too..

Absolutely nothing wrong strategically with being underestimated.

If you are dealing with an aggressor who isn't showing the proper personal respect, well, that's a different question, and you need a strategy.

More to strategy than intimidation...

[KC Elbows]

Maybe I could put that better.

I don't relate to other martial artists in a way related to who is better, I relate to martial artists who can improve me, and understand when other martial artists want to improve from contact with me.

By this, I seek to make irrelevant the question of who am I better than. It is clear, because I help who I am better than in some aspect, and am helped by those better in some aspect than me.

Those who aren't mature enough to be part of that sort of dynamic, always opt out, because the rules are "no exceptions."

Even the man who taught me the system I do and I negotiate this process. He taught me the system, but he moves between several different systems while I focus on one, and that is his forte. He is first to say, in the system I do, he defers often enough, despite having taught it to me. And my kryptonite is another guy, who does mantis, and I respect him for the trouble he gives me, and tell others of his skill.

When our focus is improving, not on being at this moment the stronger, what defines stronger is much greater in the long run, imo. When facing those who define everything based on who is stronger at this moment, I am always aware of their inexperience in understanding how irrelevant this moment in their overall training or mine is, especially where I'm not training them.

[KC Elbows]

Thanks for your opinion KC.

No problem, hope it's occasionally helpful.

One of the reasons that i never like to get into a fight is that fact that i don't want to cause injury to another person, otherwise there may be some liability in the injury caused...

Training with equals is often the answer, imo, as you are in no position of authority.

Additionally, knowing who recognizes that this is an injury prone interest, and who believes it can be made perfectly safe. I try to know who I train with, but there's the ocassional difficult person who makes it through.

[TenTigers]

I occaisionally got this;
Them: "You're a Black Belt? Funny, you don't look like you could handle yourself."
Me: "Yeah, neither did Bernhard Goetz."

[David Jamieson]

I stab them, then kick them in the face.

Then I put a check mark onto my list of people who will no longer underestimate me.

[YouKnowWho]

Lately some people think that i lack the strength to cause harm because of my reasons not to fight.

How many ways can you finish a fight with your hands? You can:

- Punch your opponent's head into his neck.
- Kick a hole through your opponent chest.
- Choke your opponent to death.
- Throw your opponent down and make sure his skull is cracked.

Which "finish" moves do you train daily? The day that you can knock the sh!t out of your opponent with one punch, the day that those kind of comment will be stopped.

[EarthDragon]

manila are speaking about verbally underestimating or phsyical?

as KC said better to be underestimated.
I am big guy 6'2 228 and lean, so people automatically think im tough based on my size and not my ability, this is a disadvantage in some cases and can be a hinderance. smaller guys have less they have to prove so use it to your advantage.

verbally who gives a care, tough guys usually dont have anything to prove....

[bawang]

u ned to lift weights then u look tuff

[Lee Chiang Po]

Hey guys, i want an honest opinion on this (don't be shy, i won't criticize). How do you react whenever someone underestimates your ability to fight or to stand for yourself and defend against harm?

Sadly i still need to learn to control myself naturally since i have a lot of work when practicing in kung fu. Lately some people think that i lack the strength to cause harm because of my reasons not to fight.

Any thoughts or advice from a fellow martial artist?

Posturing and looking tough is bs. As long as people underestimate your abilities you have a distinct advantage over them. All my life I have had people look out across the top of my head and discount me. But they usually met with a big surprise. If someone thinks you are capible of harming them, they will then have an advantage over you in that they will always be prepared against you. Any time you fight, you take a chance of being injured or worse. Take any advantage you might have and literally crush an opponent before he realizes his mistake.

[Dragonzbane76]

Hey guys, i want an honest opinion on this (don't be shy, i won't criticize). How do you react whenever someone underestimates your ability to fight or to stand for yourself and defend against harm?

Sadly i still need to learn to control myself naturally since i have a lot of work when practicing in kung fu. Lately some people think that i lack the strength to cause harm because of my reasons not to fight.

Any thoughts or advice from a fellow martial artist?

honestly, who cares what other people think.

Does their opinion of you matter? Let them think what ever they will, in the end you know your limitations deep down.

[sanjuro_ronin]

People are stupid, this we know.
They tend to evaluate others based on what THEY THINK and and on physical appearance.

I am 5'-6", so I am shorter than average, I am also 175lbs with 16.5" arms and a muscular built, so people don't tend to underestimate me unless they are big guys.
When I bounced it was very easy to use my size, or lack thereof, to an advantage against those dumb enough to underestimate me.
But as time went by, people got smarter and it wasn't so easy anymore.


If people want to underestimate you, let them, you will always have the advantage over them.

[MightyB]

The biggest thing to stop them from underestimating you...

Develop Self Confidence and have some self respect. The minute you do that everyone will respect you.

My Sifu is 5 foot 4 and maybe 135 pounds. Nobody f***s with him. Even when he was in college in Canada having to deal with ginormous hockey jocks in the prime of their youth - they didn't mess with him.
----

Heck, do a physical MA like Judo, MT, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, San Da, or Shuai Jiao. After a couple of months of getting your arse kicked, you'll get tough on the inside. People will notice.