Misguided Minds...

[Genin Andrew]

OK,just curious whether you guys have any stories to share about the reactions you have got when you tell people your a martial artist(of any kind) and the things they ask you.I know alot of people who study ninjutsu ussually just say they do "budo taijutsu" or simply taijutsu to save themselves from a long and tedious explanation.When i'm around people who i know have very little knowledge in martial arts I try hard not to use the word ninja at all,and i'm sure alot of you have the same approach!

However this afternoon i was with my friend and was leaving to go to the dojo and some guy who was close heard me say the word 'ninja' and instantly engaged himself in a conversation with me,quite a one sided conversation.He said "ha are you a ninja?" and i replied with "no"i do karate(which i did for 4 years before starting ninjukai taijutsu(say what u want about the art dont turn this into a political thread)i used karate for easy conversation reasons.he then went on with...

"haha why do you do that,i thought most people grew out of that in grade 7" trying hard not to laugh i made a comment about his maturity level and with that he then taunted me and took the usual unneducated approach and said things like

"show me a chop man!,jump in the air and kick or something!" when he realised i was ignoring him he said
"why dont you people never show what you can do,you never do it when asked" he said that with a tone of sarcasm as to mock me.

i continued to walk to the dojo and he was quiet,but i was left with a feeling of annoyance,this guy was not drunk at all,he was a full grown man,and he was just so immature and lame...i dont ussually let little comments like that get to me but i found it disturbing.I just humoured myself thinking about what would have happened to that man if he were in 16th century Japan and treated a Samurai as he treated me

 

[Don Roley]

What kind of pyscological issues are you carrying around to let this type of thing happen and effect you so much? You would not take this guy on in a direct debate, but feel safe talking about it here behind his back among people you think will be sympathetic. Maybe you should be thinking about the problems in yourself rather than the ravings of just another jerk.

 

[Enson]

What kind of pyscological issues are you carrying around to let this type of thing happen and effect you so much? You would not take this guy on in a direct debate, but feel safe talking about it here behind his back among people you think will be sympathetic. Maybe you should be thinking about the problems in yourself rather than the ravings of just another jerk.

ah don't let it get you down. there are all kinds of stupid people around. i know it gets frusturating when a person gets stupid. it could have been about anything that, that person wanted to argue about. as the great norm used to say... (from the show "cheers") "will it change the price of beer? then what do we care?" don't let what stupid people say to you get you down. don is always saying that the newbies need help and how much he cares so i'm sure his comment was a word of encouragement. :asian: right don? hee hee! well you should never be ashamed of what you study. just straight up tell them ninjitsu. who cares? hope you aren't embarresed.
peace

 

[Genin Andrew]

haha thanks don,much appreciated. I am very much at peace with myself and what i do.I was just interested in your opinions and own experiances.This hadnt got me down in the least,i would never let something so small affect me,it was just an experiance that i wished to share and see how it compared to your own.But thankyou Don for your very deep and meaningful advice...

regards
-andrew

 

[Shogun]

I never use the term Ninja, because:
A-I am not a Ninja.

B-The one time I joked around about being a Ninja, I was in a comic book store. big mistake! this 26 year old fat Irish girl said I could be a Ninja because the were all 90 lbs so they could fly giant kites. (the recommended weight was closer to 132 according to Stephen Turbull) They also could be as white as me (I am 1/2 Native american, thank you very much), and how her Grandma was a ninja, and tells her stories of her Kunoichi days. When talking about martial arts to people, I simply explain the arts History, background, rank system, original purpose, techniques,etc. they become bored right around, "well, the system was developed during....." and leave me alone.

 

[hedgehogey]

*I* am that person. I didn't personally make fun of andrew...but I tend to be the shadow (in the jungian sense) that martial artists fear. And I *do* make fun of martial artists when I see them.

It's obvious most MAists fear and despise the common man. This elitist, secretive attitude only leads to insularity and stagnation. So I think andrew should try to figure out what he was doing that made him a target for mockery, instead of increasing the distance he puts between his deadly ninja persona and the rest of humanity.

 

[Shogun]

said I could be a Ninja

This was supposed to be could'nt.

Most martial artists (the ones that I know) will try to clarify the MA. If a "common" man doesnt have the patience, then ....there is nothing to be done really.

 

[Don Roley]

It's obvious most MAists fear and despise the common man. This elitist, secretive attitude only leads to insularity and stagnation. So I think andrew should try to figure out what he was doing that made him a target for mockery, instead of increasing the distance he puts between his deadly ninja persona and the rest of humanity.

That might be a bit harsh.

But the point is, why should you tell anyone that you study martial arts, let alone "ninjutsu."?

Using myself as an example, I can count the number of people around me who know I do martial arts on one hand. As far as I am concerned, it is none of their business and I do not like to be put into little boxes. I do not say a lot about myself in general, and almost nothing in regards to things that may make them think that I am anything other than plain vanilla.

There is another, deeper, meaning to the idea of invisibility. Charles Daniel wrote a good piece on it and I think it is on line somewhere.

But I have run across people who need to let people know they practice martial arts. I have also run across people who need to let people know they are NRA members, etc. I am convinced there is something that drives them to make people respect them as a person who can do violence. I can almost understand it. I think I probably had it when I was younger myself. At the time, I would not have admitted it, but now I look back at my early years as a new member of the military and wonder why I had to let people know that I was an infantryman rather than just another guy.

Introspection is sometimes the first step towards wisdom. But we have to be able to face the demons inside us and not try to explain them away.

Again, why should we let the world know that we are martial artists? If they do not have any relation to the subject, it just is not a factor. I am more willing to talk about my kids than my martial art background. (Heck- I have not been to class in a month due to a nasty c-section for my son this month.) If we are well rounded individuals, we should have no problem talking about things that others can relate to and not something that they have no common interest in.

 

[Genin Andrew]

wow,i think this time i agree with you alot Don,i'm not kissing a** or anything but i respect you for what you said in that last post,i'm not quite sure how to respond to it but there was alot of truth in that post and i will openly say that i very much agree.When i studied Karate when i was younger i used to tell all my friends and also had alot of friends that did the same,it was almost like the perfect conversation starter.But now apart from family and close friends its not an issue and i dont bring it up much,as someone mentioned before most of my friends dont have a real interest anyway.

"But now I look back at my early years as a new member of the military and wonder why I had to let people know that I was an infantryman rather than just another guy."

I'm not currently in the military but have always wanted to join the army and still plan on it when i finish this last year of school.I used to do Army Cadets which gave me a brief insight into the military world,i'm not sure whether you would agree Don but some see the Military as almost another world,you can look at it from a certain angle and it looks completely different to the civilian lifestyle,Its almost like civilians and military personal are two separate classes.The way they live,their experiances and the way they think.

To say that you are in the army says alot more than just that,people see all the things they "assume" you represent and the things they "assume" you do and i guess thanks to history and hollywood alot of respect comes with your title as a member of the Military(whatever country you represent).I guess for some people MA is very similiar,its a different way of life to what alot of people know and the need to let people know(especcially at a young age) is something some people feel they can do to gain respect and recognition.

People always ask 'why' i want to join the army,sometimes the same question is asked in regard to MA...At times it can be hard finding an answer...

Don if you find that piece By Charles Daniel i would be interested to read it.

i wont even comment on the remark made about me and "my deadly ninja persona" LMAO and the way "I" see humanity...

-much respect

 

[Enson]

its funny how some people (not all people) will actually avoid conflict with you if they know you study ma. i'm not saying what don said is wrong i'm just saying that some are afraid of ma practicioners. i wouldn't go around boasting that i study ma (although my t shirts state it for me hee hee! ((joke)). the fact is there is always someone bigger and better. or smaller and better. just steer clear of all altercations unless you think you can beat everyone. "rule a numba one, karate foe self defense only". hee hee! (i'm a movie fanatic)

peace

 

[Jay Bell]

I'd agree with that...to an extent. As an adult, if people hear through the grapevine that I study, there's a line that they won't cross when screwing around On the other hand, growing up in a small town, guys would find out you trained...and it was the same as having a "HIT ME" stamp on your forehead..

 

[Enson]

I'd agree with that...to an extent. As an adult, if people hear through the grapevine that I study, there's a line that they won't cross when screwing around On the other hand, growing up in a small town, guys would find out you trained...and it was the same as having a "HIT ME" stamp on your forehead..

lol! and another sign on your back! hee hee!

 

[DuckofDeath]

*I* am that person. I didn't personally make fun of andrew...but I tend to be the shadow (in the jungian sense) that martial artists fear. And I *do* make fun of martial artists when I see them.

Do you also lurk in bookstores and whisper things about the burakumin into the ears of the unsuspecting?

 

[Elizium]

I think you did very well. You walked away from an arguement that may have turned nasty and left the guy with the other option oftalking to himself.

Basically you took away his ammo for the arguement. One of my friends said to me about when the wife is giving grief to your actions: "Best walk away and leave them there for a few hours, for it is hard to argue when there is no one there.".

The guy wanted something, you just walked off and left him there looking like a moron from the planet Uranus. Give yourself a beer. :ultracool

 

[Kreth]

*I* am that person. I didn't personally make fun of andrew...but I tend to be the shadow (in the jungian sense) that martial artists fear. And I *do* make fun of martial artists when I see them.

*Snort* You might want to ease up on the Matrix marathons, champ...

Jeff

 

[Flatlander]

I think you did very well. You walked away from an arguement that may have turned nasty and left the guy with the other option oftalking to himself.

Basically you took away his ammo for the arguement. One of my friends said to me about when the wife is giving grief to your actions: "Best walk away and leave them there for a few hours, for it is hard to argue when there is no one there.".

The guy wanted something, you just walked off and left him there looking like a moron from the planet Uranus. Give yourself a beer. :ultracool

Actually, I'll give him a beer.

*flatlander gives Genin Andrew a beer

Here, everyone help yourself.

*gives everyone a beer

 

[Enson]

Actually, I'll give him a beer.

*flatlander gives Genin Andrew a beer

Here, everyone help yourself.

*gives everyone a beer

i'll pass i don't drink, but thanks anyway. hee hee!

 

[Genin Andrew]

i dont ussually drink,but hey the beers are greatly appreciated.
cheers
Guess that just means more for you guys.

 

[Han-Mi]

ahhh.... Ignorance. something that everyone has to deal with one time or another. except the most ignorant person on earth, I wonder who that is, he must have a blissful life.

 

[Don Roley]

its funny how some people (not all people) will actually avoid conflict with you if they know you study ma.

Wrong attitude to have as a martial artist. I can tell that you have been blessed with a lack of experience with serious trouble. Those that have had some serious problems can tell you that if someone does not think they can take you in a fair fight from the front, they'll come at you with friends, they'll come at you from behind, they'll come at you with weapons or any combination of the above.

But you probably do not think that you are letting people know you practice martial arts. Ignorance is bliss. You send out all these little signals and such and scratch your head how mistakes could have been made and now it seems everyone knows you are a ninja. The answer is because part of you wanted them to, maybe a part you didn't know about.

You don't have to go far in the martial arts to run across folks that want to think of themselves as killer commando types. They want to think they are killers and they want others to think they are bad **** killers. It is their self image that they want to present on the world for whatever reason they have. Probably a lack of personal power. There are a lot of damaged goods that walk into martial art studios trying to fight battles they lost long ago.

Bud Malmstrom wrote a little article in Ninja Magazine a long time ago. (It has not been in publication for over ten years so don't go looking for it.) He wrote that when he was young he joined the USMC and later joined ninjutsu while telling himself he was doing it to protect his family, country, etc. The truth he realized when he wrote the artcle years later was that his real reasons, the ones he could not tell himself at the time, was that he wanted to be a killer. He wanted people to look on him with the respect a killer gets. At the time he joined he would have never admited it. It was only after a long process of getting things out of his system that he was able to realize it himself.

Take a look at the following link,

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/tough.html#survivor_personality

Read the section, then the entire page, heck read the entire site if you can. These bad **** folks just love it when others look on them with the knowledge that they can do damage. Because of the image in the media, ninjutsu gets a hell of lot more than its fair share compared with other arts. Tai Chi gets almost none. But the guys with links to Japan tend not to keep these folks. We won't feed their fantasy if we can. The killer commando types drift off and find some young stud doing macho things or wrapped up in a dark warrior image.

The scariest people I know don't raise eyebrows as they walk past. When Takamatsu died his neighbors were surprised to find out that he was a ninjutsu teacher. Not only do they make themselves less of a target, they also seem to know, really know the type of damage they can do and do not feel a need to convince themselves by convincing others.

So, why let slip that you do martial arts? I am sure some people can give the same excuses as those that never diet do with the same conviction and lack of substance to it. Those that feel a need to have others treat them like killer commandos due to a lack of personal power and the like are never going to admit to themselves their actual motivation.