Does it annoy you when people refer to everything as a 'Karate <>".

MattofSilat

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I am not even I student of this art, and I'm not going to lie, it does not interest me as much as some other martial arts. So you may be wondering, 'Why is this fool posting in this section', although I doubt you read the title if that is what you are thinking. In which case, you should probably do so now.

I was heading up the Gym at my local leisure centre today, and I heard a mother go to her children, 'Don't karate kick eachother!'. Upon hearing the mention of martial arts in a social context, I turned to see the source. It turned out that the two children were basically wildy flailing their legs in what appeared to be some attempt to kick, but their legs didn't go rigid at all (they were all floppy, not relaxed) and they were 'kicking' at about knee height. I understand these youngsters could do karate, I really do, but they're have to be pretty damn crap at it to be bad to this degree.

So, this made me think. What do you think when people refer to any horrible display of any sort of combat strike as a 'Karate <(Chop, Kick, Punch, Elbow, Earsmash, Tickle, Hairpull, Slap)>. I, for one, don't mind it when the untrained, uneducated (In martial arts, that is) and uninformed may confuse styles, such as confusing a Muay Thai kick with Karate. I can understand this. It just peeves me off when people call the worst excuses for kicks as a 'Karate Kicks'.

I don't have this issue, almost all where I live don't know that Hapkido and Silat exist, but it annoys me as a martial artist.

What do you think? I know there's not much that can be done about it, but regardless.
 

MAist25

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If something as simple as that annoys you, then you gotta get some thicker skin my friend. Karate is a generic term for martial arts in America. If something looks, in any way shape or form, to resemble some sort of martial arts technique, there is a good chance it will be called a "karate move".
 

Dirty Dog

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Why should it bother me? It's as good a "generic" term as any, and better than some.
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to "xerox" something, if the copy machine wasn't made by that company?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to take an aspirin (formerly a brand name for the Bayer CO)?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to soak in the jacuzzi, if the tub wasn't made by that company?

Expecting a layman to know the difference between arts would be like me expecting you to know the difference between a mayo, a metz, an iris, a miller and a mac.
Can you tell me what those five things are, without using google?
 
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MattofSilat

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If something as simple as that annoys you, then you gotta get some thicker skin my friend. Karate is a generic term for martial arts in America. If something looks, in any way shape or form, to resemble some sort of martial arts technique, there is a good chance it will be called a "karate move".

Why should it bother me? It's as good a "generic" term as any, and better than some.
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to "xerox" something, if the copy machine wasn't made by that company?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to take an aspirin (formerly a brand name for the Bayer CO)?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to soak in the jacuzzi, if the tub wasn't made by that company?

Expecting a layman to know the difference between arts would be like me expecting you to know the difference between a mayo, a metz, an iris, a miller and a mac.
Can you tell me what those five things are, without using google?

Good points. I see what you mean now, and I understand. Case closed, I suppose you could say.
 

ST1Doppelganger

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I don't get annoyed when an acquaintance refers to my Kung fu as karate but do when a friend or family member does when you've explained the difference to them several times.
 

wingchun100

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I don't get annoyed when an acquaintance refers to my Kung fu as karate but do when a friend or family member does when you've explained the difference to them several times.

I was just going to say that. 20 years down the road, it gets old having to say I do wing chun, not karate.
 

Dirty Dog

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I don't get annoyed when an acquaintance refers to my Kung fu as karate but do when a friend or family member does when you've explained the difference to them several times.

I was just going to say that. 20 years down the road, it gets old having to say I do wing chun, not karate.

Do you guys get upset if someone offers you a "soda" or a "pop' (depending on regional choice of generic term) rather than your specific choice of carbonated soft drink? After all, I'm sure your good friends know what you drink...

Why get upset about something that obviously is immaterial to those people?
 

wingchun100

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Do you guys get upset if someone offers you a "soda" or a "pop' (depending on regional choice of generic term) rather than your specific choice of carbonated soft drink? After all, I'm sure your good friends know what you drink...

Why get upset about something that obviously is immaterial to those people?

Yes. Then I knock them down with wing chun techniques...NOT KARATE, FOR THE 80 MILLIONTH TIME!!! LOL
 

ST1Doppelganger

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Do you guys get upset if someone offers you a "soda" or a "pop' (depending on regional choice of generic term) rather than your specific choice of carbonated soft drink? After all, I'm sure your good friends know what you drink...

Why get upset about something that obviously is immaterial to those people?

Yes id be upset because all my good friends would know If I drink soda (maybe once a month) its a coca cola and I despise Pepsi.

But a perfect example of what I was talking about if an acquaintance gave me a Pepsi when they asked if id like a soda I wouldn't be upset but if a friend did I would be like our you kidding me.
 

Buka

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For some reason it bothered me when I was starting out in the Arts. Bothered me for a few years. I But I'll be damned if I can remember why.
 

Michael89

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it does bother me little bit. When people asked me or use "Karate". I always say "oh you mean "Korean Karate"" right?
 

jks9199

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Why should it bother me? It's as good a "generic" term as any, and better than some.
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to "xerox" something, if the copy machine wasn't made by that company?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to take an aspirin (formerly a brand name for the Bayer CO)?
Does it bother you when someone says they're going to soak in the jacuzzi, if the tub wasn't made by that company?

Expecting a layman to know the difference between arts would be like me expecting you to know the difference between a mayo, a metz, an iris, a miller and a mac.
Can you tell me what those five things are, without using google?

Easy to tell the difference.
Mayo - white condiment made from oil and eggs.
Metz.... Not sure, but it's gotta be the one that's none of the others.
Iris... Getting g tricky. Could be the coloured part of the eye, a girl, or a hurricane.
Miller... Might be my pal Rory or a guy who grinds grains.
Mac... Computers for snobs.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

K-man

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Easy to tell the difference.
Mayo - white condiment made from oil and eggs.
Metz.... Not sure, but it's gotta be the one that's none of the others.
Iris... Getting g tricky. Could be the coloured part of the eye, a girl, or a hurricane.
Miller... Might be my pal Rory or a guy who grinds grains.
Mac... Computers for snobs.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I thought they might have been beers.
:hmm:
 

K-man

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God damn it! Did you have to post something so energetic? Just watching it makes me tired. I think I need a nap. :)

Actually part of what was shown in the video was in the Shaolin Kung Fu show we saw in China. Incredible athletes and some amazing feats.
:asian:
 
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Dirty Dog

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Easy to tell the difference.
Mayo - white condiment made from oil and eggs.
Metz.... Not sure, but it's gotta be the one that's none of the others.
Iris... Getting g tricky. Could be the coloured part of the eye, a girl, or a hurricane.
Miller... Might be my pal Rory or a guy who grinds grains.
Mac... Computers for snobs.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Wrong on all counts. But nice try.
 

Dirty Dog

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I thought they might have been beers.
:hmm:

Nope. Wrong..

They're all medical tools.
The first three are specialized scissors, the other two are used for intubating.
But to a layman, they're all medical tools. Just like we all do that karate stuff.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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- I still get annoyed when someone asked me, "Are you still doing that chop chop stuff?" Should you even bother to explain that MA is not chop chop stuff?
- Onetime I talked about Chinese wrestling with a Judo guy, That Judo guy said, "Why reinvent the wheel?" Should you even bother to explain that Chinese wrestling is much older than Judo?

Sometime people just forces you to argue with him no matter you like it or not. But should you spend you time to argue with someone who has no ... ?
 
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