Common Myths

[Quick Sand]

Hey guys, looking for some help here. :)

I'm trying to make a list of some of the common (completely groundless) myths out there about martial arts in general. So far I've thought of:

"Black belt is the highest rank possible in all martial arts."
"All martial arts have origins in Asia and that area of the world."
"Only young fit people can join martial arts."

I'm writing short explainations about why the statements aren't true and putting it in a project.

What other myths can you guys think of?

Thanks for any help. :asian:

[yilisifu]

Back in the 40's and 50's, it was believed that you had to kill a man (with your bare hands) to achieve black belt rank.

Really!

[Disco]

Check this web site for additional Martial Arts Myths.
www.streetselfdefense.com

This is not meant to be an endorsement of the site, just a venue for some information.:shrug:

[tarabos]

god...let's see, these should be HELPFUL to people i think, not just some style bashing "mcdojo" revealing thread.

i'd say...

the fact that there are very many different martial arts, and different styles and associations within those arts, not just the select popular ones the most people know of..."Karate," TKD, etc...

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Quick Sand
Hey guys, looking for some help here. :)

I'm trying to make a list of some of the common (completely groundless) myths out there about martial arts in general. So far I've thought of:

"Black belt is the highest rank possible in all martial arts."
"All martial arts have origins in Asia and that area of the world."
"Only young fit people can join martial arts."

I'm writing short explainations about why the statements aren't true and putting it in a project.

What other myths can you guys think of?

Thanks for any help. :asian:

And, of course, "black belts have to register their hands as lethal weapons."

Mike

[Roland]

...you know, for those lethal hands of yours, once you get you black belt!





Damn, you must have just beat me to the punch, lol.
Good one.
;)

[GouRonin]

My @ss is lethal after a few bowls of chili and my BJJ instructor will attest to that.

[Yari]

A myth was to catch a sword with your bare hands for your black belt grading.

Another one was that all the girls would love you when you got your black belt :D (or maybe that was just my own idea?).......


/Yari

[theletch1]

I remember hearing when I was a kid that in order to toughen up your arms, hands and such that bones were broken repeatedly and reset in a "special" way.

If you want myths just ask some of the ninjutsu guys what they have to put up with!!

[James Kovacich]

Originally posted by tarabos
god...let's see, these should be HELPFUL to people i think, not just some style bashing "mcdojo" revealing thread.

i'd say...

the fact that there are very many different martial arts, and different styles and associations within those arts, not just the select popular ones the most people know of..."Karate," TKD, etc...

Thats not a myth. Evolution is inevitable, if there is substance they will remain present, if not they will dissapear as quick as they came like all the ninja schools of the "80's.

A myth, which some schools I've heard still claim to do is that to earn a black belt, you have to beat 3 blackbelts of your peers, sometimes one on one and sometimes all 3 of them at once. And some even say to earn a 1st black you have to beat even higher ranked black belts. Must of been some crappy black belts.

Common sense, IF they really were black belts and continued to train, MAYBE one of them would be beaten by the upcoming brown belt.

[James Kovacich]

Originally posted by Roland
...you know, for those lethal hands of yours, once you get you black belt!





Damn, you must have just beat me to the punch, lol.
Good one.
;)

A guy I know still believes that one!

[Nightingale]

well, the myth I hear a lot is:

"You can't do karate! You're a girl!"

[sweeper]

hmm.. well if a brown belt keeps fighting a black belt eventualy he will beat him. But I can't see a brown beating 3 blacks..

[Kirk]

My instructor had to fight black belts, 12 different fights, one 2 on
1, to get his black belt. He didn't have to win though. Sounds a
lot like being jumped into a gang if ya ask me.

Incidentally, Pat Burleson was his teacher .. I hear he was
STRICT!

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Kirk
My instructor had to fight black belts, 12 different fights, one 2 on
1, to get his black belt. He didn't have to win though. Sounds a
lot like being jumped into a gang if ya ask me.

Incidentally, Pat Burleson was his teacher .. I hear he was
STRICT!

Yup. This is what my instructor does. We didn't have to win, just had to do our best. And it was at the very end of the test, after we're already wiped out physically and mentally.

More a show of "heart" than anything else.

Mike

[chufeng]

And, of course, "black belts have to register their hands as lethal weapons."

I knew a guy who used to carry a card in his wallet saying his hands were registered...His teacher took care of all of the paperwork, of course...wonder how much he had to pay for that?

Of course, even back then, I knew he was full of crap.

chufeng

:p

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by nightingale8472
well, the myth I hear a lot is:

"You can't do karate! You're a girl!"


Thats not a myth.....thats an ******* :shrug:

[Jill666]

Originally posted by yilisifu
Back in the 40's and 50's, it was believed that you had to kill a man (with your bare hands) to achieve black belt rank.

Really!

:erg: You didn't have to?! *mutters*

[pesilat]

Oh yeah ... and all the alleged "death matches" between various masters.

This is a common one in the FMA, at least. Though from what I understand, these were actually challenge fights with no protective gear where death was a distinct possibility. Few (if any) were actually "fights to the death." But that's how a lot of the younger generations have chosen to interpret the term (or, in some cases, I'm sure, it's how the older generations propogated the term).

Mike

[Kirk]

hehehe .. {doing my best Old Disgruntled Hunchback Man voice:}

"In my day, we dipped our hands in glue, then in nails
and had to fight for our black belts that way. We didn't have
pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb
tacks, and hot fiery coals, and we were damned glad to have it!"

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by Kirk
hehehe .. {doing my best Old Disgruntled Hunchback Man voice:}

"In my day, we dipped our hands in glue, then in nails
and had to fight for our black belts that way. We didn't have
pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb
tacks, and hot fiery coals, and we were damned glad to have it!"

HA! Thats nothing......in MY day we had to dip our hands in SUPER glue and then in RUSTY nails and had to fight for our Black Belts THAT way. We didnt have Pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb tacks and hot fiery coal AND fire was set up around the ring! While our instructors threw spears at us! We were damned glad to have that!

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Master of Blades
HA! Thats nothing......in MY day we had to dip our hands in SUPER glue and then in RUSTY nails and had to fight for our Black Belts THAT way. We didnt have Pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb tacks and hot fiery coal AND fire was set up around the ring! While our instructors threw spears at us! We were damned glad to have that!

Boy, did you guys have it easy. We had to fight 10 black belts on a 2' x 2' platform set afire and suspended over a pit of venomous snakes, and there were pointy spikes lowering down from above. We were naked and oiled up with the instructors around the pit cracking us with whips, hurling knives, axes, spikes, shurikens, spears, rats, and scorpions at us. If we got scratched, cut, stabbed, bit, stung, or bruised, we failed and had to take the test over later.

Not only were we glad to have it, we paid an exhorbitant amount for the privilege. You guys are a bunch of softies!

Mike

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by pesilat
Boy, did you guys have it easy. We had to fight 10 black belts on a 2' x 2' platform set afire and suspended over a pit of venomous snakes, and there were pointy spikes lowering down from above. We were naked and oiled up with the instructors around the pit cracking us with whips, hurling knives, axes, spikes, shurikens, spears, rats, and scorpions at us. If we got scratched, cut, stabbed, bit, stung, or bruised, we failed and had to take the test over later.

Not only were we glad to have it, we paid an exhorbitant amount for the privilege. You guys are a bunch of softies!

Mike

........*Mumbles* :shrug:

[Despairbear]

I had some one tell me once will all seriousness, that MA's only work aginst other people who know MA's.




Despair Bear

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Despairbear
I had some one tell me once will all seriousness, that MA's only work aginst other people who know MA's.




Despair Bear

Yeah. That one's generally spouted by people as an excuse (or, in their words, "reason") not to train.

Another along that line is, "I'd love to train, but I'm not in good enough shape."

Not a myth in itself, but it implies that you have to be in good shape to train in MA ... and that belief is most certainly a myth.

Mike

[Johnathan Napalm]

Originally posted by Despairbear
I had some one tell me once will all seriousness, that MA's only work aginst other people who know MA's.
Despair Bear

Actually there is a lot of truth in it. I would say, far too many MA people who only train inside their dojo and compete with others from their own style, they would get their ass kicked when they come across someone NOT from their art. The really good ones would improvise and adapt fast enough. The rest (yours truly included) would just roll over and play dead. lol

[pesilat]

Originally posted by Johnathan Napalm
Actually there is a lot of truth in it. I would say, far too many MA people who only train inside their dojo and compete with others from their own style, they would get their ass kicked when they come across someone NOT from their art. The really good ones would improvise and adapt fast enough. The rest (yours truly included) would just roll over and play dead. lol

Agreed. That is one of the few areas in which that statement has merit. But, often, I think it's not used that way.

Mike

[GaryM]

Training in asia is far superior.

[GaryM]

Anyone who studies (insert style 'x' here) can kick a** on anyone who studys ( insert style 'y' here).

[Elfan]

All martial arts teachers have to be called sensei.

[James Kovacich]

Originally posted by sweeper
hmm.. well if a brown belt keeps fighting a black belt eventualy he will beat him. But I can't see a brown beating 3 blacks..

When I trained under my brother-in-law and I was a Sankyu, I had to spar my 2 seniors at the same time. They were a Nikyu and a Shodan.

They were all over my A$$!

[Cliarlaoch]

Originally posted by akja
A guy I know still believes that one!

Hey, I STILL believe that one.

The one that I always thought was corny was the one propagated by every major style that their's was the only legitimate style out there. Oops, sorry, trade secret given away there, eh? "No, Mr. Taylor, Karate is not a legitimate art form. They smash boards with their heads. We do it with our feet."
Gee, big difference.

(j/k, Karate folks, don't flame me)

Seriously, there's a lot of bs out there about the MAs, which is probably because, no matter how many Jet Li or Van Damme flicks have been made, we're still on the outskirts of the mainstream. So, of course, rumours beget myths beget legends beget folk lore. "If you don't go to bed right now, the Kenpo-man will get you, little Johnny." Hey, that'd be a good one! :P

(see previous comment in paranthesis)
((of course, I'd crack one about TKD, but everybody knows we couldn't frighten a 90-pound 12-year-old who'd never even heard the word "fight" before in his life. Hey, there's a TKD joke, muahaha!!!))

[Arthur]

All martial arts are from Asia.

Arthur

[Cryozombie]

Ninjas are fake.

Only a ninja can kill another ninja.


AND, back in MY day we had to dip our hands in Caramel and then roll them in M&Ms and Gummy Worms AND THEN fight to the death.

[theletch1]

Seriously, there's a lot of bs out there about the MAs, which is probably because, no matter how many Jet Li or Van Damme flicks have been made, we're still on the outskirts of the mainstream. So, of course, rumours beget myths beget legends beget folk lore. "If you don't go to bed right now, the Kenpo-man will get you, little Johnny." Hey, that'd be a good one! :P

around here I AM the kenpo-man and it works less every day.:shrug:

I always got a kick out of the old "If your instructor isn't oriental then you're not really studying MA"

[Kenpo Yahoo]

We used to jokingly tell our students that to test for their blackbelts that they would have to wear a trenchcoat over their gi, walk out onto the dance floor of the meanest honky tonk in our area, take off the coat, say something like " who wants some", and then try to make it out the front door alive. We had a few of 'em going for a little bit and they looked scared.

:D

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by Technopunk
Ninjas are fake.

Only a ninja can kill another ninja.


AND, back in MY day we had to dip our hands in Caramel and then roll them in M&Ms and Gummy Worms AND THEN fight to the death.

Bah, your training was inferior to mine, Pesilats or EVEN Kirks! :p

[rmcrobertson]

How about:

a) if you get into a fight and you've trained hard enough, you won't get hit or hurt;

b) if your technique's right, and you go up against a guy with a knife, you won't get cut;

c) sparring, fighting and self-defense are the same things.

[D.Cobb]

Originally posted by pesilat
Yup. This is what my instructor does. We didn't have to win, just had to do our best. And it was at the very end of the test, after we're already wiped out physically and mentally.

More a show of "heart" than anything else.

Mike

I had to do this for my Green belt in EPAK, except it was only 4 guys and also, I didn't have to win, it was more to do with heart than physical prowess.
--Dave

:asian:

[D.Cobb]

Originally posted by pesilat
Boy, did you guys have it easy. We had to fight 10 black belts on a 2' x 2' platform set afire and suspended over a pit of venomous snakes, and there were pointy spikes lowering down from above. We were naked and oiled up with the instructors around the pit cracking us with whips, hurling knives, axes, spikes, shurikens, spears, rats, and scorpions at us. If we got scratched, cut, stabbed, bit, stung, or bruised, we failed and had to take the test over later.

Not only were we glad to have it, we paid an exhorbitant amount for the privilege. You guys are a bunch of softies!

Mike


Originally posted by Master of Blades

HA! Thats nothing......in MY day we had to dip our hands in SUPER glue and then in RUSTY nails and had to fight for our Black Belts THAT way. We didnt have Pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb tacks and hot fiery coal AND fire was set up around the ring! While our instructors threw spears at us! We were damned glad to have that!



Originally posted by Kirk
hehehe .. {doing my best Old Disgruntled Hunchback Man voice:}

"In my day, we dipped our hands in glue, then in nails
and had to fight for our black belts that way. We didn't have
pads, or mats, the floor was covered in broken bottles and thumb
tacks, and hot fiery coals, and we were damned glad to have it!"



(In a really bad Yorkshire, England accent)

Aye, but you try telling that to the young folk of today, and they won't believe ya!!


:rofl: :rofl:

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by chufeng
I knew a guy who used to carry a card in his wallet saying his hands were registered...His teacher took care of all of the paperwork, of course...wonder how much he had to pay for that?

Of course, even back then, I knew he was full of crap.

chufeng

:p
I have a CCW Permit

[Cryozombie]

Originally posted by Master of Blades
Bah, your training was inferior to mine, Pesilats or EVEN Kirks! :p

How do you figure? Have you ever tried to fight to the death while being swarmed by Sugar Crazed Children, Ants and Bees???

No, I think NOT. Besides... It was good enough for Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots, so its Good enough for ME! :D

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by D.Cobb
(In a really bad Yorkshire, England accent)

Aye, but you try telling that to the young folk of today, and they won't believe ya!!


:rofl: :rofl:

What are you trying to say about people with really bad Yorkshire English accents! :mad:

:rofl: :p

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by Technopunk
How do you figure? Have you ever tried to fight to the death while being swarmed by Sugar Crazed Children, Ants and Bees???

No, I think NOT. Besides... It was good enough for Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots, so its Good enough for ME! :D

Well if it was Good enough for the great Charlie Sheen then I will allow you........for now :ticked:

[D.Cobb]

Originally posted by Master of Blades
What are you trying to say about people with really bad Yorkshire English accents! :mad:

:rofl: :p

Only that they talk funny.
Also, it was a reference to the Monty Python skit, you know the one about, "shoe box, in't middle of road".

:D

--Dave

[muayThaiPerson]

My style is better than yours

[Jotaro Joestar]

If you don't wear a peasant uniform then you are not learning CMA

[Bod]

If you are wearing a peasant uniform then you are learning a CMA.

[yilisifu]

*Van Damme really was a kickboxing champion.

*The only real masters have to be Oriental.

*and of course, Judo is what you make bagels out of.....:D