martial arts and lunatics: like a moth to the flame

[Flying Crane]

Just sharing a story here. Seems that the martial arts attracts a lot of wingnuts, it just sort of goes with the territory.

I was in class last night, we train in a side room adjacent to a church owned by the father of two of our students who is the pastor. He allows us to use the space, so we do not maintain our own independent location, altho our training is in no way connected to the church or church activities. The room does have large windows, so people walking by outside can see what is happening inside, but we aren't open for the general public to just walk in off the street on a whim. Nevertheless, that does not always stop them...

A young guy walked in last night to check out what we were doing. I and one of the other shodans walked over to talk with him. He expressed an interest, and we told him that we don't always have an opening for a new student, but he could go to the school's website and get the contact information for our head instructor (he was not there last night), and discuss his interest with him. So far, so good. Everything seems normal. And then, he departed the text...

The story unfolds: He tells us that his father was a boxer, and trained him when he was young. He suggests that he could come into our school and start sharing his boxing techniques, to improve (fix?) our kenpo. He's got some great stuff, afterall. Example: he says he can see a punch coming, and he knows how to reach out and grab the arm and rip the bicep off the arm. He also knows how to block a roundhouse kick in such a way as to tear up the ligaments in the knee. Clearly, this is stuff that we could use.

And it gets better...

I'm not sure why, but he starts telling us about his samurai sword. Beautiful piece of work, with "gold" buddha and dragon on the handle, real sharkskin or something, and best of all, he can cut thru three-inch tree limbs with it. But there's a problem: the police took it away from him. They won't give it back, but he's gonna get it back from them because it's his property and they have no right to take it from him and it's f-***ing bull****, those ***holes, the police, they can't even take a joke and they took his sword from him!! The outrage.

My classmate asked him his name, and we sympathized with his plight, and wished him well.

Gotta love it. Where do these people come from?

 

[Omar B]

I think the first sign of crazy was him walking into your space uninvited off the street.

 

[Flying Crane]

I think the first sign of crazy was him walking into your space uninvited off the street.

possibly true, but I don't think it's completely unreasonable. We are fairly visible (I'd like to have some curtains put up so we can close off the windows) and it's not like we are hidden away in a basement or something. It doesn't happen very often, but once in a while someone will stop in and ask a few questions.

 

[Stac3y]

One of our training locations is in the same building with a basketball league for teens with developmental disabilities. Once in a while we get uninvited guests who stray from their parents and coaches and say some out-of-whack things a la, "I'm gonna join your class and be a ninja, HI-YA HI-YA HI-YA. I'll kill people with my kicks!" We usually have one instructor gently shepherd them out the door and speak to them in the hallway, thanking them for dropping by and giving them any information they directly request, (though not encouraging them to return) while sort of drifting back toward the basketball group so the parent or coach can find them.

 

[Flying Crane]

One of our training locations is in the same building with a basketball league for teens with developmental disabilities. Once in a while we get uninvited guests who stray from their parents and coaches and say some out-of-whack things a la, "I'm gonna join your class and be a ninja, HI-YA HI-YA HI-YA. I'll kill people with my kicks!" We usually have one instructor gently shepherd them out the door and speak to them in the hallway, thanking them for dropping by and giving them any information they directly request, (though not encouraging them to return) while sort of drifting back toward the basketball group so the parent or coach can find them.

yeah, it helps when you already know that you are dealing with the developmentally disabled in a controlled situation. You know where to send them, and you know they will be taken care of.

people off the street tho, can be reall whack-jobs.

 

[Omar B]

possibly true, but I don't think it's completely unreasonable. We are fairly visible (I'd like to have some curtains put up so we can close off the windows) and it's not like we are hidden away in a basement or something. It doesn't happen very often, but once in a while someone will stop in and ask a few questions.

Oh I think it is unreasonable. If there's no sign over the door I would assume it's not a business open to all comers but a private thing. Just like if I were having a backyard party I would not expect people to just walk in because they saw or heard us from the street.

 

[Flying Crane]

Oh I think it is unreasonable. If there's no sign over the door I would assume it's not a business open to all comers but a private thing. Just like if I were having a backyard party I would not expect people to just walk in because they saw or heard us from the street.

Good point.

Most people who do drop in are respectful so it's not been an issue on the rare occasion when it does happen.

But yeah, absent a sign out front advertising the services, I think I'd hesitate to just walk in as well.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Fortunately I do not get too many strange inquiries. However,......... I recently have gotten a few of the next UFC champs coming in. They usually last half a class realize this is really, really hard work and then never come back. Oh and I guess a few have been a little loony!

 

[Omar B]

Common Brian, you gotta give more details on these wanna be tough guys with all the bravado that can't hang with an hour beginner class.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have not run into this for years but back when I was part of a multi-style sparing group one came in from time to time and usually they were a ninja (nothing against Ninjutsu it is, sadly, just the style they appeared to like to pick) none lasted more than one session, if that. We also got one alleged "use to be" a high school wrestling champ that decided not to join in after watching because he didn’t want to hurt anyone

 

[Knives]

These are some crazy stories. I haven't witnessed anything yet (still really new), but when I do I hope it's as funny as these.

 

[Omar B]

There was this guy once who came into our dojo off the street yelling "Hey" over and over to get our attention during class. He then walked onto the floor in his shoes and asked if he could test one of us out to decide if he would join. Sensei was not there, the class was being run by his son so it was more loose, so we asked him to show us some of his movies. The guy proceeded to perform the most hilarious set of movements I have ever seen. It was as if he tried to learn from Jackie Chan and Ninja Turtles. Lots of yelling, spinning, general lack of balance, always on the cusp of falling over. Heck, he eventually did fall showing us how to do a flying spin kick!

My favorite part:
"What style you guys do?"
"This is a Seido Karate Dojo."
"Oh, so you don't know like monkey and tiger style."
"No we don't"
"Any of you guys ninjas?"

 

[Jaspthecat]

Sorry, but I don't have anything to contribute to this thread other than ROFL.

I love these hilarious stories.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I have not run into this for years but back when I was part of a multi-style sparing group one came in from time to time and usually they were a ninja (nothing against Ninjutsu it is, sadly, just the style they appeared to like to pick)

Sadly, you are right. So far we haven't had any visit our dojo though. It is not visible from the outside, so anyone who finds our site or sees our flyers passes by the sensei by default.

These days, when anyone asks, I just say I practise ju-jutsu. It's technically true, since I have registered in the KJJR. And this way, I don't have to explain a) what ninjutsu is or b) that we don't dress up with black masks and run around in the forest at night.

 

[arnisador]

I often ask my instructor if he and I are the last two sane people in the martial arts.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I often ask my instructor if he and I are the last two sane people in the martial arts.

Well, then there would be 3 of us, since I am sane too.

And so is that pink elephant that just unicycled past me, wearing a black keikogi

 

[ap Oweyn]

Oh I think it is unreasonable. If there's no sign over the door I would assume it's not a business open to all comers but a private thing. Just like if I were having a backyard party I would not expect people to just walk in because they saw or heard us from the street.

Meh, I'd probably at least consider stopping in and watching. Bottom line is that a church and a backyard are two different things. There's an expectation of privacy with a backyard. But in front of an open window in a public building...

That said, I'd obviously approach it with some level of courtesy.

By the same token, I don't discourage people from stopping in and asking questions when I teach either. Haven't met any loonies that way in a while. And I have gotten into contact with people who have studied FMA elsewhere and are interested in getting back into it.


Stuart

 

[girlbug2]

God help the sensei that has to operate his dojo next to a pub or a strip joint.

In fact I do know of one case where this was so, and drunks loved to wander in and challenge instructors. Nobody wanted to sign the waiver first however, so nothing came of those incidents. However there were some parking lot confrontations that ended violently.

 

[Nolerama]

I like the people that act really tough and do the war-cry-psyche-out-tough-guy roar prior to the warmup, try to act tough in isolation drills...

and then "sprain" themselves as soon as they hit the sparring session. usually at the first shot to the face, or their first tap out.

 

[Omar B]

Meh, I'd probably at least consider stopping in and watching. Bottom line is that a church and a backyard are two different things. There's an expectation of privacy with a backyard. But in front of an open window in a public building...
That said, I'd obviously approach it with some level of courtesy.
By the same token, I don't discourage people from stopping in and asking questions when I teach either. Haven't met any loonies that way in a while. And I have gotten into contact with people who have studied FMA elsewhere and are interested in getting back into it.
Stuart

You make a point, but I firmly believe that private is private no matter where the meetings may be held. There's a TKD group that works out near my house. It's on a commercial building with a Pizza Hut on the front but at the side facing the alley is the entrance to a small TKD gym. Never in my wildest dreams would I think just to walk in off the street, especially when they are working out. I met one of the members on the street who I recognized and asked to be invited.