What do you tell people

Stealthy

Blue Belt
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
231
Reaction score
2
Location
Australia
I do..... "Breathing Exercises".:ubercool:


Unless I actually want them to know and then I say "Ninjutsu" with pride.
 

jmk7864

White Belt
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I stopped telling people Ninjutsu quite a while ago. Now, if people find out that I practice anything at all and if they ask, I'll just say "Taijutsu". Sometimes they ask if that's anything like Taichi and depending on whether I want to explain anything or not, I'll answer "yeah, sort of..." and hope they're satisfied. Then if they pry even more, I just say it's a lot like Jujutsu but has some Karate mixed into it and that does the trick most of the time.

Telling people that you practice Ninjutsu gets you all sorts of odd looks and bad jokes...
 
OP
Supra Vijai

Supra Vijai

Black Belt
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
660
Reaction score
9
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Interesting that you use 'Taijutsu'. I honestly would have thought that would lead to more questions or blank expressions. I've been trying a new thing recently where I just say Japanese mixed martial arts minus the sport and that seems to work. People nod wisely and walk off
 

Kevin Geaslin

White Belt
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
7
Reaction score
1
I just say "jujutsu and kendo", pronouncing it "jujitsu", since that's the way most people say it. If they're actually "in the know" and know the differences between kendo, kenjutsu, judo, jujutsu, BJJ, karate, sumo and kempo, then I'll tell them more about koryu kenjutsu, Japanese jujutsu, and how some of our schools use koppo, koshijutsu, taijutsu and ninpo. I try to avoid the N word unless they already know something about the Genbukan, the Bujinkan, etc.
 

Bruno@MT

Senior Master
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
3,399
Reaction score
74
Jujutsu. Or just 'traditional Japanese martial arts'.
I avoid the 'nin' association altogether. Too much questions and remarks from idiots.
 

Chris Parker

Grandmaster
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Messages
6,259
Reaction score
1,104
Location
Melbourne, Australia
When I'm feeling less serious, it's more often "I hurt people...." With a big smile, of course. Followed by "But it's okay, they pay me for it!"
 

jmk7864

White Belt
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
When I'm feeling less serious, it's more often "I hurt people...." With a big smile, of course. Followed by "But it's okay, they pay me for it!"

NICE!!! :D

It seems like a lot of people try to avoid saying "Ninjutsu" when they are asked what they do. Very ninja like! :) My thing is that if I have to answer that question about what martial art I study at all then I start thinking I'm not very good in the arts I'm studying. Occasionally though, if I think someone might be sincerely interested, I will go into a little more detail about koppojutsu, koshijutsu, kenjutsu, ninjutsu, 9 ryu, etc.
 

Jon-Bhoy

Yellow Belt
Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Messages
42
Reaction score
2
Location
Wilmingon, NC
I just say "Ninpo", most of the time they say "I havent heard of that"..

Then I say its like jujutsu, and they are satisfied.
 

EWBell

Orange Belt
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
84
Reaction score
1
Location
Huntsville, AL
I have no problem telling people I study Ninpo. I've never had a sneer or any kind of verbal jab from anyone. The people I work with have asked what it is, and I usually answer that with a couple of videos of Tanemura Soke.
 

Indagator

Blue Belt
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
244
Reaction score
7
The shidoshi of our dojo uses the term "ninpo taijutsu".

I have still managed to avoid anybody finding o9ut that I am training in the martial arts, so as already stated I still say I'm off to my fitness/exercise class lol.
 

nark0sys

White Belt
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I personally just let the people I know and trust know that information. You know, the people that when quizzed by LEOs (good term that one!), won't usually be the ones who say "Oh he trains in X". At least I think so. I've been lucky not to have needed any of my (very little) amount of training to diffuse or disarm a situation, though verbal diffusion's a good one.
 

Latest Discussions

Top