So you are a black belt, that must mean you can beat me up right?

[evenflow1121]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)

[Jade Tigress]

Well, since I'm not a BB yet, I don't have an answer to that question. But that reaction from people seems common, and understandable. When you don't know any martial arts, and you hear that someone's a BB, that conjures up images of someone who can handle anything. It may make some people uncomfortable to think they could be helpless against you so they joke, or maybe taunt a bit to boost their comfort level. Then again, some people are just idiots...lol. Not quite sure how I'd handle it..I guess it would depend on my relationship with the person who said it. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[Xue Sheng]

I'm not a black belt nor am I a master, I train Chinese martial arts. But I have run into this and I generally say "No. I know better" If pushed I tell them I am certain they could kick my....well you get the idea.

They feel they have proven or accomplished something and I frankly would rather have them feel they are tough, right, scary, big and bad, etc. than having to actually get into a fight to prove them either right or wrong. If I am confident in what I can do I do not need to prove it to anyone.

But as I have gotten older, I tend not to tell many people I train martial arts, I seem to encounter fewer idiots that way.

[bluemtn]

I'm not a black belt, but I have ran into people saying "so, you can beat me up (or so-n-so up), right?" I've gotten to the point I don't tell many people about training, unless it comes up.

[MartialIntent]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)
I'd agree with Jade Tigress - this attitude is so commonplace it's generally accepted as a truth by those who do not practise an art.

I say use this perception. We all know that possession of a BB in no ways gives us either the capability or the desire to "beat the crap out of anyone" but at the same time it can be a useful reputation to have. Because when push comes to shove [literally!] avoidance of confrontational situations is possible I believe purely by the understanding that, if provoked - you can indeed beat the crap out of anyone. Whether this is subsequently true or not is irrelevant, aggressors are often unwilling to attempt a "disprove" of that perception!

I've seen this black-belt-perception effect used well in a fellow-practitioner's work situation - where often the threat from an aggressor is not physical. Once the possession of a BB fact became common-knowledge, the agressor did indeed slink away.

Interesting thread...

Respects!

[Drac]

I've heard a different version that of which I am equally sick of.. Someone will admit that they study the MA and some idiot will ALWAYS say "I know a guy that kicked a black belts ass."

[Kenpobldr]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)

When someone finds out that I train in the Martial Arts, they usually don't ask for my rank and I don't offer it. Sometimes someone might say "Hey you could kick the crap out of someone." or something to that effect. My general response is.... Mabey but I would never under estimate my opponent. This doesn't happen very often since I am 37 years old and associate with more mature people.

[evenflow1121]

I've heard a different version that of which I am equally sick of.. Someone will admit that they study the MA and some idiot will ALWAYS say "I know a guy that kicked a black belts ass."

I have to agree that attitude is quite common.

[Adept]

I've heard a different version that of which I am equally sick of.. Someone will admit that they study the MA and some idiot will ALWAYS say "I know a guy that kicked a black belts ass."

I've heard that a lot as well.

Being a bouncer, I also get a lot of similar situations. Some people defer to you in, well, I'm loathe to use the word 'fear', but I guess it is. They defer to you for fear of what you might be capable of. Then you get others who want to toe the line to prove to themselves they are just as tough as a bouncer. You have to weigh each situation up individually and determine the best response to their behaviour.

Just tonight I had to give a warning to a guy for some bad behaviour. My sister, who works behind the bar in the same venue, tells me a few minutes later that this guy is boasting about how I was lucky I didn't try to kick him out, because he was going to 'mess me up' (well, he worded it a bit more strongly, but you get the idea). Later that night I did have to kick him out, and I was preparing myself for a forceful ejection. Instead this guy goes all submissive and walks out quiet as a lamb. I guess his beer muscles had deflated a bit when push came to shove.

I developed a bit of a reputation at my last local watering hole as the crazy killer kung fu guy. Where I lived was a very small rural community (a dozen houses, a general store and a pub) and everyone knew I did martial arts because I had the garage set up as a gym, and practiced my patterns on the front lawn. When I got a few drinks in me, people would press me to show them stuff, and I would oblige. It was a bit of a two edged sword. All the regulars and the staff were friends, but occasionally blow-ins would cause trouble, and more than once I had to calm things down. People would expect me to be right in the fray, but instead I'd talk the regulars down.

"Come on, we can take them! You're the kung fu guy!" they'd say.

"Sure, but then what? You want to get charged for assault? And even if we win, whose to say we don't get hurt, or pick up some kind of disease? You feel like getting heptatitis tonight? Trust me, the best fight is the one you aren't in."

Most of the time I think they were relieved they didn't have to fight.

[tsdclaflin]

I teach Tang Soo Do in a small town. A lot of people introduce me as a "black belt". It gets old, but I try to turn the conversation to the advantages of practicing martial arts.

[Rich Parsons]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)


While in an engineering environment, working around lots of cables on the floor and strong just above the floor in a tight area, one guy pushed me.

I fell and landed jsut fine. got up and asked him why the hell did he do that? He replied I thought you were a black belt, you could defend yourself.

My reply, "I did, I did not get hurt, but do you know what went through my mind when you pushed me? I could have brought you with me and then I might have gotten hurt with you fallen on me. I might have hurt you if your head hit something on the way down. I could have brought you with me and put you on the bottom making sure I did not get hurt but almost ensuring that you would get hurt. So, I chose to fall and no one got hurt and no paper work and no one looses their job. Next time I will make sure you fall also."

[CuongNhuka]

I don't really tell people my rank. Coung Nhu rank is to hard to explain to outsiders. I do tell them I do a Vietnamese style of martial arts. Past that I let them figure it out for themselves.

[Kacey]

I've been in this one as well - and I tend to talk less about my involvement in TKD than I used to because of it - especially with the middle school students I teach... after a while, I got tired of being asked if I could break a student desk.

In other settings, I have had similar problems - not from people asking me if I could beat up individual people, but if I could win over 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 people... against 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 people with knives... with guns... if attacked while asleep... etc. I usually answer that there is always someone smarter, faster, stronger, better trained, more flexible, armed (which I'm not, unless you count a miniature Swiss army knife that I keep in my purse... with a whopping inch-long blade) and that I will, therefore, avoid fights whenever possible.

I was at a friend's house one day and her husband decided to startle me to see what would happen (by goosing me in the ribs from behind)... luckily for him, I realized what was going on in time to stop the back snap kick I had aimed at his groin. He's never tried that one again.

[DeLamar.J]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)I just tell people that anyone can get a black belt nowadays, and that its nothing special at all these days to have one from most schools.

[MA-Caver]

The only time I ever tell anyone of my MA skills, experience(s), abilities is when I find that they too are MA-ist and/or have expressed an interest in Martial Arts. Until then I say nothing and let them think what they want to think.
Whenever I have come across someone who brags, boasts, or thinks their third leg is bigger than mine, I relent and bow (internally) to their (imagined) "superiority" and let them be big boys. I will hold my hands up peacefully and back off quietly letting them win whatever supposed superiority contest they think they're in. I have a line that I don't let people cross, I will extend that as far out as I can given the circumstances. If they're friends and just fooling around then they'll know when to back off as well. If strangers (i.e. in a bar or other public gathering... which I don't go into bars anymore so the point here is moot), then I'll switch to a defense mode and wait for the opportunity to whatever to get out of whatever the situation it is building up into.


I've learned that basically... it's none of my business what anyone else thinks until they express their thoughts to me. And then, I'll listen to what they are saying and go from there.

[TigerWoman]

I just tell people that anyone can get a black belt nowadays, and that its nothing special at all these days to have one from most schools.

That statement is WAY over-generalized and very demeaning to the black belts who have earned their rank and all that goes with it, ie respect.

I don't know how many good schools are out there, probably a good many. I run into alot of reputable black belts both here on MartialTalk and at tournaments so you can't lump everyone into the same pot.

As far as getting that statement, I take it as an opportunity to educate the person stating it. I tell them no, we don't go around beating people up, that is not the purpose of learning martial arts. If anything we learn to avoid confrontation/conflict more. I tell them the tenets of TKD, courtesy, integrity, self-control, indomitable spirit and perserverance. That's what we mostly deal with while we are learning all that technique in TKD and oh yeah, we could beat someone up, but only in self-defense. TW

[DeLamar.J]

That statement is WAY over-generalized and very demeaning to the black belts who have earned their rank and all that goes with it, ie respect.

I don't know how many good schools are out there, probably a good many. I run into alot of reputable black belts both here on MartialTalk and at tournaments so you can't lump everyone into the same pot.

As far as getting that statement, I take it as an opportunity to educate the person stating it. I tell them no, we don't go around beating people up, that is not the purpose of learning martial arts. If anything we learn to avoid confrontation/conflict more. I tell them the tenets of TKD, courtesy, integrity, self-control, indomitable spirit and perserverance. That's what we mostly deal with while we are learning all that technique in TKD and oh yeah, we could beat someone up, but only in self-defense. TWSorry if that comes out wrong, I dont mean to group up the reputable black belts in my statements, just the mcdojo types.

[dianhsuhe]

Pretty interesting topic-

My older brother (I am 35 he is 49) has always been a tattoo-ed biker-bar guy and he occasionally boasts about confrontations he has had and how everyone at that bar thinks he is a Karate Zen tough guy- He has no real training, Then he tells me to be careful if I ever go in there (which I don't), because even though I am a BB he says, I would be no match for those folks.

I suppose I may never know and that is fine with me, but I think it is funny since he has not seen me do any martial arts since about 1991 when I was a 21 yrs old orange belt in TKD- Also, I know size does not make a big difference but I am 6'3", 235 lbs. I laugh it off and go train while he gets another dragon tattoo-

[Gemini]

I always just say yea, and them beat the crap out of the guy, just so we're "clear"...



Okay seriously. I always just say, naw, I'm harmless. :wink2:

[MJS]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)

Most of the time, I avoid talking about my training due to the fact that these as well as other non-serious questions, usually arise. If someone is serious about their question, I have no problem discusssing the arts. As for the question you mention above, I usually say that a BB does not necessarily turn you into a Superman. Granted, you should have an edge over the average person, but it does not mean that you can't be beat.

Mike

[terryl965]

When someone ask me about it I usaully say something like Yea I have Black Belt and also own a brown belt but my best belt is kinda of a biege color and then I start to laugh at them and chuckle and they start also.

I have only been in one circumstance where the individual wanter to test me and he was so drunk that when he swang at me he fell and hit his head on the bar stool and that ended the fight, for about two week everybody thought I hit him that quick where nobody could see it. Everytime I tell that story I chuckle because he probaly still thinls I was that good.
Terry

[searcher]

This may seem to simple, but it has worked for me. I just ignore the question and eventually it gets dropped. I live in a small town where Myself and My students have gained a rep as "ones to not be messed with." This is very funny since I and my students try to give any sort of public display. We just keep our mouths shut and let them think what they wish. I think that going out and giving any kind of show is fruitless and potentially harmful for your own well being and that of your students. Fight one fight against the local bad boy and you will be fighting for the rest of your life. Having done this while traing in other towns and schools, it gets old very fast. You should only answer reasonable questions and not ones that will lead to confrontation. JMHO.

[IcemanSK]

This doesn't happen very often since I am 37 years old and associate with more mature people.[/quote]

I'm 38, but I can't say that I associate w/ more mature people. A lot of friends are MA-ists, too.:)

But you're right, it does change as you get older. People tend to a bit more mature about such things. They don't to their police officer friends, "Are ya gonna arrest me?" etc.

[cali_tkdbruin]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

I reached Black level after years of training, but nobody knows about it except my immediate family. Can I go out and kick all ass? Uhh, NO. That's not happening sports fans. But I can do OK,

[D.Cobb]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)

I usually get, "Oh so I'd better not pick a fight with you then...", and I always ask, "would you pick a fight with me if I wasn't a black belt?":rolleyes:

--Dave

[Makalakumu]

I work and teach MA in a very poor part of town that has alot of crime.

At work, I teach an MA class, so there is no way to keep it a secret. My students have been labled "at-risk" and there are certain sets of behaviors that are associated with that. One of them involves asking inappropriate questions and acting out inappropriately. Thus, the question above comes up alot and it is usually accompanied by a threatening gesture or some sort of posturing.

My response is to stay totally calm look them in the eye and invite them up to join the TSD class at school or come a train at my dojang down the street. Then I smile tell them that if they train with me for three months straight and earn their first rank they can find out for themselves.

At my public dojang, the rules are completely different. In school, the environment is controlled and the kids are conditioned to a certain extant. Outside of that environment, anything could (and often does) happen. Dojo-storming is a very real possability...particularly the type that involves some disturbed yahoo from the streets. My response is to lock the door when we are training with a note indicating that new students are to contact the instructor before enrolling. The other thing that I do is that I only advertise via word of mouth. This creates a little work for people who want to find me because they have to chase trail of rumors...that is they are in direct contact with one of my students...which is what I prefer anyway.

So, I guess the bottom line in this post is that I take this attitude seriously. There are alot of people surrounding me that think either "he's a blackbelt so he can kick ass" or "I don't care if he's a blackbelt, I'll kick his ass." The former flows right into the latter with some people because now there is a threat in the hood and for liability sakes, we as MAists just can't deal with it in the "Old School" way anymore.

[BlackCatBonz]

I am just curious if any of you all have been in a similar scenario where you expose your rank (not particularly showing it off) you could have known the other person for a long time, and you get certain responses like: so that means you can beat the crap out of anyone, or that must mean you can beat my tail sort of thing.

If this has ever happened to you, I am curious as to how you have dealt with these or similar scenario's.

=)

i always say in a quite serious tone, yes.

[searcher]

I usually get, "Oh so I'd better not pick a fight with you then...", and I always ask, "would you pick a fight with me if I wasn't a black belt?":rolleyes:

--Dave

Very nice response and post.http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[rompida]

Man, I hate when people say/ask things like that. It makes you feel bashful about something you would normally feel proud of. when I was younger, I had "friends" that would try to get me into fights just so they could see what I could do. Nowadays, I don't have too many instances of that.

But, when asked that, I just tend to say something along the lines of "it just means that I have learned alot, and that black belt doesn't/shouldn't necessarily mean the person is Jet Li."


But, I've heard things like...

Aw, I'll just shoot his @ss!
Do you think you could take "insert name of a big dude here"?
Don't make me come over there and show you something!

and my personal favorite..

"I don't need that stuff, I streetfight"

[D.Cobb]

Very nice response and post.http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

Hey, thanks very much. :D

[Hand Sword]

On top of others thinking that I thought that I could beat the crap out of them, I would usually get " I used to do what you do too" and it always seemed that they out ranked you. If you were a black belt, then they were a second degree, etc...

[D.Cobb]

On top of others thinking that I thought that I could beat the crap out of them, I would usually get " I used to do what you do too" and it always seemed that they out ranked you. If you were a black belt, then they were a second degree, etc...

It's kind of like my favourite saying, "The Older I Get...The Better I Was!!".

--Dave:rofl:

[Drac]

I've heard that a lot as well.Being a bouncer, I also get a lot of similar situations

Dude, I've been there..I'll bet we could spent hours swapping old bouncer stories..

[bushi jon]

I usualy say I can but I dont like touching cr-p!

[kelly keltner]

I don't recall being in that situation but, I'd problably say yeah then walk away from the schmuck.

kk

[Adept]

Dude, I've been there..I'll bet we could spent hours swapping old bouncer stories..

Heh, it is one of the perks of the job. Just when you think you've seen it all...

[Korppi76]

Sometimes I have been asked that can I beat someone up and I usually say "probably not" and then they usually goes like "Oh, ok then".

[Tony]

Well in my opinion no one is invincible whether you are a grandmaster or a street thug. I know I will live longer than someonoe who is boastful of their skills because there is always someone better and more aggressive.
I'm a brown sash in kung fu and have been training for 7 years and in 2 months I am grading for my black sash but by no means woudl i say i was dangerous or hard! I avoid confrontation at all costs and even if i became a much higher grade I would still try to keep my training a secret!
I will only discuss what i do to people who are MAs themselves because I love learning about other arts and people such as close friends or people who are genuine.

[Drac]

Heh, it is one of the perks of the job. Just when you think you've seen it all...

I hear ya there..I was going to write a book called about my years as a bouncer..The problem is NO ONE would believe the crap we've seen, most would think I'm making these incidents up..We would know better...

[hong kong fooey]

well I am not a blackbelt but I have run ito people who find out that I am into martial arts and they say stuff like ohh so you could just beat the crap out of me right? so I try my best not to let people know my rank

[shesulsa]

I get this when my husband points to me and mutters from the side of his mouth, "she's a black belt."

Then I get that question, "oh, so I guess that means you can kick my ass, eh?"

To which I answer, "I dunno, but I get to kick his now for telling you."

[cali_tkdbruin]

Well in my opinion no one is invincible whether you are a grandmaster or a street thug. I know I will live longer than someonoe who is boastful of their skills because there is always someone better and more aggressive.


Right on! You nailed it exactly.

[swiftpete]

I'm not a black belt yet but I've been training for a few yrs now, along with my friend. Last night in a bar a lad we both know was asking us about the training and if it meant that we were really great fighters now and could handle anyone etc. I prefer to say, I'm ok, there are people out there that are much better and harder of course, but i'm not too bad. As i always say to anyone that asks. My friend is the same grade as me (3rd kyu in bbt if you're interested!) and he was totally different, with his response being along the lines of 'oh yeah, no one should mess with me or I'll mess them up' etc.
It just made me think a bit about how we're the same grade but look at it differently, I personally don't like chest puffing as i think you just look a bit silly, whereas my mate loves it.
But anyway, the thing is, this lad was looking at us with complete awe when we were just describing some of the normal stuff we do in training, it really made me chuckle, as its not that incredible really but he thought we were supermen! I was expecting him to ask for some sort of demo in the bar, but thankfully it didn't come to that.

[Kensai]

I've heard that a lot as well.

Being a bouncer, I also get a lot of similar situations. Some people defer to you in, well, I'm loathe to use the word 'fear', but I guess it is. They defer to you for fear of what you might be capable of. Then you get others who want to toe the line to prove to themselves they are just as tough as a bouncer. You have to weigh each situation up individually and determine the best response to their behaviour.

Just tonight I had to give a warning to a guy for some bad behaviour. My sister, who works behind the bar in the same venue, tells me a few minutes later that this guy is boasting about how I was lucky I didn't try to kick him out, because he was going to 'mess me up' (well, he worded it a bit more strongly, but you get the idea). Later that night I did have to kick him out, and I was preparing myself for a forceful ejection. Instead this guy goes all submissive and walks out quiet as a lamb. I guess his beer muscles had deflated a bit when push came to shove.

I developed a bit of a reputation at my last local watering hole as the crazy killer kung fu guy. Where I lived was a very small rural community (a dozen houses, a general store and a pub) and everyone knew I did martial arts because I had the garage set up as a gym, and practiced my patterns on the front lawn. When I got a few drinks in me, people would press me to show them stuff, and I would oblige. It was a bit of a two edged sword. All the regulars and the staff were friends, but occasionally blow-ins would cause trouble, and more than once I had to calm things down. People would expect me to be right in the fray, but instead I'd talk the regulars down.

"Come on, we can take them! You're the kung fu guy!" they'd say.

"Sure, but then what? You want to get charged for assault? And even if we win, whose to say we don't get hurt, or pick up some kind of disease? You feel like getting heptatitis tonight? Trust me, the best fight is the one you aren't in."

Most of the time I think they were relieved they didn't have to fight.

Think that's one of the smartest things I've heard said on any MA forum.