My master always says he wants to raise the martial artist, meaning that at one time actors were just mere toys for the wealthy but are not highly respected. He’s like to see martial artists wisen up and become more dignified.
It was something I never thought about until Sunday. I just got back from a fight that I had won and feeling good and I showed my landlord because I train his young son.
Later that day I went to his Memorial Day BBQ and there were a ot of people and he introduced me to this older woman who immediately said, “Oh, you’re that karate guy” and went into a karate pose and started chopping at the air with bladed hands.
It kind of turned my stomach the way she viewed me. Here I was so high on a technically flawless victory – and kind bud – and this lady made me feel like a fool.
Normally, I don’t care what people think. But I could see this wealthy Long Island lady looking at me as a) a piece of meat and b) like some dumb jock.
I don’t think you can to non-MA. What we do is looked at as silly, exotic or crazy. The best thing to do IMO is don’t let it get to you, don’t take yourself too seriously and let people get to know you as a person and not a martial artist.
You should have said “no, It’s kungfu” then sweep kicked here with the follow up of putting a hotdog in her nose then finished with a quippy “get it right next time ya old douchebag”.
I’ll bet you a dollar over a donut someone would have handed you a beer after that.
Whenever someone says, “dont you know karate” I just say “nope” and leave it at that, sometimes they say “oh thats right, its that other thing”, and i say “what other thing” sometimes they will remember sometimes they wont, but it never fails and they always say “its all the same though isnt it” and i say “nope”
I think if you want to change the way people view martial artists is to first educate them about the basics. Knowledge is the light that will burn away the darkness of ignorance.
No offense meant Ray, but it’s kind of funny when a guy gets uncomfortable about being looked at like a piece of meat. I’ve learned that the best solution to something like this (only if she is reasonably attractive) is to:
Hump them
Leave them
Never talk to them again
Since this lady was older, you have to do the next best thing. Hump her daughter.
Works every time!
“Oh, you’re that karate guy” and went into a karate pose and started chopping at the air with bladed hands.
I hate that. I mean REALLY hate that. There should be a law allowing martial artists to kick those people in the head.
FWIW, my experiences have change A LOT over the past years. about 6 years ago, we would train in the park, and people would make the bruce lee noises, comments, etc. in recent years - I guess now that mma is more in the spotlight - if I tell someone I do thai boxing and grappling, it’s like “Whoa… are you one of those ultimate fighter guys?”
Usually I take it as a queue to talk about martial arts and educate them a little on what I do. Most of the time it’s a pleasent conversation and you get a few students out of it, some times you get involved in the “what if I had a gun?” or “can you really fight?” type of conversation and those can be a bit tense at first but can be highly entertaining later… not as often but sometimes you can start a conversation with a hottie that can take you to other places with phrases like “If you would like I can show you my Shaolin long pole penetrates the Jade gates technique”…
I remember John Wang complaining that one of his relatives would do that to him (the chop chop thing), and that people in general didn’t understand his dedication or what MA means to him. So you are in good company. But, my wife has made me realize that MA is pretty tangential to any of the normal goals we have in our modern society. Estas feliz porque te dieron un poco de golpes, eso es lo que mas te gusta she would say after I came home happy from sparring or competition. And she is right, and I do dig getting beat up by my fellow martial artists. You shouldn’t take yourself so seriously. MA is cool but for most people, it is not life and overdedication to it for a non-professional martial artist can detract from your obligations, especially once you have a family.
I tell people, when they ask, I do carotty. I tried to pronounce it correctly once, but that led to more poor Bruce Lee squeels and dumb accented mockery.
I get a lot of people telling me they “heard Joe Rogan say on the Ultimate Fighter that mixed martial arts is the pinacle of martial combat, and that ‘traditional’ stuff just doesn’t work in today’s reality.” That is usually followed by a “why do you do it, since it doesn’t work anymore?” I’ve found saying this helps with that:
Me - “You know, I have a lot of people tell me the same thing.”
Dummy - “So, why keep doing it if it doesn’t work?”
Me - “Because no one’s been able to show me it doesn’t work.”
Dummy - “Whatever. Take me; what if I had a gun or a piece of rebar? What’s karate going to do about that? Chop me?”
Me - “Yeah. Okay. You ever work legs?”
Dummy - “No, got a bad knee.”
Me - “Okay, so you’ve got a bad knee. I’d kick you in your bad knee then take the rebar and the gun.”
Dummy - “Whatever, dude. My knee ain’t that bad.”
Me - “Then why don’t you squat?”
That’s actually a conversation I’ve had.
But really, I try to avoid the discussion when I see the know-it-all, ain’t-it-cute smirk comes out.
Normally I can talk to someone and explain that no, I do Kung Fu, but it’s internal Kung Fu so I’m not really associated with Karate or Kung Fu. And then they think of Tai Ji and that aint really correct either – because of how people look at Tai Ji.
I just didn’t want to say anything because I know my landlord was probably talking about the vid I just showed him and I want to seem arrogant or anything … I kind of just wanted to chill out after worrying about being good before a fight for 3 or 4 days.
But it would be nice, if someday martial artists could be respected as skilled warriors carrying on a tradition of unarmed combat but also a moral code of being true to your word, speaking your mind and standing up for folks whp can’t stand up for themselves.
It sounds ideal, but that’s what I think of when I think of martial arts. I think of my teachers, and I hold them in such high esteem. To me, they are most eceptional people. When I’m around then I become quiet to listen and learn.
But it would be nice, if someday martial artists could be respected as skilled warriors carrying on a tradition of unarmed combat but also a moral code of being true to your word, speaking your mind and standing up for folks whp can’t stand up for themselves.
Well, for the most part, I think people don’t respect martial artists to this degree because martial arts really come from a
more sinister background. Martial arts are historically closely associated with professional soldiers, bodyguards, criminals, and criminal organizations–not really the bread-and-butter of polite, civilized society.
I think most people outside martial arts circles these days consider fighting to be uncivilized and fighters to be thuggish, uneducated brutes.
I’m no killer, but you should see the way people talk around the office when I show up covered in bruises (grappling leaves my arms dotted with small bruises) or with an occassional split lip.
Martial arts are historically closely associated with professional soldiers, bodyguards, criminals, and criminal organizations–not really the bread-and-butter of polite, civilized society.
I don’t think the average Joe see us that way at all. We’re either a poormans prize fighter or a bunch of geek Bruce Lee wanna bees.
But it would be nice, if someday martial artists could be respected as skilled warriors carrying on a tradition of unarmed combat but also a moral code of being true to your word, speaking your mind and standing up for folks whp can’t stand up for themselves.
Slip into some long johns, get a cape and a mask and get busy. Or better yet you could join the Marines!
