On being tested by non-martial artists

[Omar B]

So over the weekend I was hanging out with some new friends of mine. A personal trainer, an ex-marine, two collegate wrestlers, an amature MMA fighter and a hockey player. I guess physical culturists hang out together a lot, I can usually divide my friends into my art friends (musicians, writers, comic book artists) and fitness friends.

In any case, after meeting for a morning run and some calisthenics in the park we started talking about our different ways of doing things considering the wide array here. Next thing I know, the hockey player (name withheld) decides he's going to test me for some reason. Out of nowhere he squares up and throws a looping right. Instead of blocking I used a bit of Sabaki and stepped around it and was standing next to him on his open side. He readjusted and did it again, so I did the same thing again. This happened 4 times.

He could not lay a hand on me and I would not hit him (he's related to my boss by the way), but I always wonder why regularly rational people feel the need to act violently just because they know the other person can fight. Also, why was I the target, marine, wrestlers, MMA fighter, all present but guess who he had to try prove something with?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

You need some more mature friends. Just sayin'...

 

[Omar B]

Yeah, that guy is 24. The rest of them are real grown-ups. He heard us planning the meeting so we invited him, I didn't know any tough-guy-ism was going to take place.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Yeah, that guy is 24. The rest of them are real grown-ups. He heard us planning the meeting so we invited him, I didn't know any tough-guy-ism was going to take place.

One of my senseis tells me that this happens to him from time to time. He doesn't like it at all. He says he warns 'em once. Then he takes them down and makes it hurt. No playing around. I guess I'm lucky; my friends are all in their 40's or older and we're just not into that kinda stuff anymore.

 

[ATC]

Maybe he felt more comfortable with you, that is why he choose you and not the others. As for why do it in the first place? He had nothing else to contribute so it was a simple way of participating I can only guess.

Same thing happened to my son the other day by a real adult. Went over a friend’s house to do some computer work for them and took my son along. The guy is nice and knows that they do martial arts. He started by asking my son how he was doing and if he is still doing martial arts. My son said yes sir. He then praised my son for some of his past accomplishments that he knew about. Then from nowhere he throws a punch while asking what would you do is someone did this. My son also stepped out the way and just giggled. Guess it was funny to see an older gray out of shape guy do that to him. The guy instantly stopped and said oh you would take me down easy I guess. I won’t mess with you.

Most people just don't have any knowledge other than what they see on TV about the arts so they act awkward and really don't know what to do or say. They want to say something but the dumb is the first thing that comes to mind. They see the arts as some magical thing and if you know it you must be a bad ***. Funny to me also.

 

[just2kicku]

Omar, looking at your photo, you look like your of a slim build. If you are the smallest in the group, maybe thats why he chose you. Or he didn't think you knew anything. Hard to say, some people are just morons!

 

[WC_lun]

I've run into this a couple of times myself. Its usually some young guy who equates not being a braggart about your training as somehow not being competant in that training. Thankfully, such people usually are so clumsy in what they do, they rarely offer any real threat, so they don't have to be hurt. It is annoying though.

 

[Carol]

Is this a guy thing?

 

[WC_lun]

Is this a guy thing?

Yes!! LOL

 

[Omar B]

Omar, looking at your photo, you look like your of a slim build. If you are the smallest in the group, maybe thats why he chose you. Or he didn't think you knew anything. Hard to say, some people are just morons!

Yeah, I am kinda thin, but I am also 6'2. My sister always says I am like Clark Kent you just can't really tell. There is a good story about that and a couple members of the Latin Kings gang.

He is my boss' step son and he caught wind of our morning meeting/workout from the personal trainer chick. He is a pretty decent guy but I should have known when he talked almost lovingly about a fight he got into once.

 

[Indagator]

Nobody knows I train I work very hard at keeping it secret, but it is worth it. To me, it is just the same as a knife, if an assailant or whatever knew I had it on me it would be far less useful to me than if they attacked in ignorance... and just like having a knife on you, nobody else needs to know about it right up until the moment when they feel it. Element of surprise and all that...

In the past during my time as a ring-fighter (muay thai) it never really came up. People were usually cool about it.

sounds like you handled it in an excellent manner, Omar. Good on you.

 

[Touch Of Death]

So over the weekend I was hanging out with some new friends of mine. A personal trainer, an ex-marine, two collegate wrestlers, an amature MMA fighter and a hockey player. I guess physical culturists hang out together a lot, I can usually divide my friends into my art friends (musicians, writers, comic book artists) and fitness friends.

In any case, after meeting for a morning run and some calisthenics in the park we started talking about our different ways of doing things considering the wide array here. Next thing I know, the hockey player (name withheld) decides he's going to test me for some reason. Out of nowhere he squares up and throws a looping right. Instead of blocking I used a bit of Sabaki and stepped around it and was standing next to him on his open side. He readjusted and did it again, so I did the same thing again. This happened 4 times.

He could not lay a hand on me and I would not hit him (he's related to my boss by the way), but I always wonder why regularly rational people feel the need to act violently just because they know the other person can fight. Also, why was I the target, marine, wrestlers, MMA fighter, all present but guess who he had to try prove something with?

Any time someone decides to test the( former active duty and vietnam vet) Marine, that lives next to me, they regret it.
Sean

 

[Omar B]

Nobody knows I train I work very hard at keeping it secret, but it is worth it. To me, it is just the same as a knife, if an assailant or whatever knew I had it on me it would be far less useful to me than if they attacked in ignorance... and just like having a knife on you, nobody else needs to know about it right up until the moment when they feel it. Element of surprise and all that...
In the past during my time as a ring-fighter (muay thai) it never really came up. People were usually cool about it.
sounds like you handled it in an excellent manner, Omar. Good on you.

I see where you are going with keeping things a secret. But the reason these people and I even got together is because a personal trainer, wrestlers, marine and karateka make for an interesting training partners.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

As a general rule people seem very interested in MA, probably because those that dont do it know nothing about it. If someone finds out I play guitar they dont really care, if someone finds out I have a business I run no one seems to care but if someone finds out I do martial arts they suddenly have a thousand questions and hang on every word, I dont know why but people do have a genuine fasciantion with martial arts. I think some people just show it in different ways.

 

[Balrog]

... I always wonder why regularly rational people feel the need to act violently just because they know the other person can fight.

Because people like that are not rational, they are just stupid.

 

[Big Don]

I accidentally laid out a coworker.
It was 4 in the morning, I'd been working graveyard for a while and was working in a waist high bin, bent over. Someone shoved my left shoulder hard, and I spun with a back fist and nailed him right in the side of his head. As soon as I felt contact I had an "OH S&%$! moment."
Luckily he, and management, thought it was hilarious.

 

[Talon]

Is this a guy thing?

I call it the "Captain Alpha Dog game"... usually played by the guy that drives the biggest truck and for some reason with the biggest mouth!

 

[Touch Of Death]

I accidentally laid out a coworker.
It was 4 in the morning, I'd been working graveyard for a while and was working in a waist high bin, bent over. Someone shoved my left shoulder hard, and I spun with a back fist and nailed him right in the side of his head. As soon as I felt contact I had an "OH S&%$! moment."
Luckily he, and management, thought it was hilarious.

Sweet! I usually sweep a problem employee. After that they keep their distance.
Sean

 

[BloodMoney]

Yeah I decided, after being annoyed by this carry on for a while, that if anyone did the "what would you do if I did....THIS!" thing I would show them exactly what id do, and in WC, its not very nice lol. Okay so I dont hit them in the face but I shear the attack as hard as I can and then chainpunch right on their chest or inchs from their nose.

After one or two of them friends stopped doing that. And as for strangers? Well I am fairly obviously in good shape and have quite a few visible tattoos, so for some reason randoms dont play the alpha male game very often with me

Helps that I dont associate with immature jock types too!

 

[Ken Morgan]

Geez...I feel somewhat left out....after almost 12 years of iaido/kenjitsu/jodo, not one person has ever asked me to try a sword technique out on them....

Maybe people aren't as dumb as we all tend to think?
:angel: