Cautionary tales of "normal" martial arts behaviour.

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Tom bayley, Sep 3, 2017.

  1. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Had a great training session in the park. Passed the supermarket on the way home. Remembered I needed some milk. Was about to walk in. when I realised I was carrying a staff. In the past I have forgotten and done a shop with a broadsword and two butterfly knives sticking out of my bag. Not a good thing in today's climate.

    Different people have different ideas of what is normal behaviour.

    Many years ago I had a job where I had to meet a daily quota. One of my colleagues had finished his quota early. I was behind on my quota for the day. He thought it would be fun to muck about with the things on my workbench. I repeatedly asked him to stop. I was seated at the bench. He lent past me and changed a setting on my machine. Without thinking, I gently placed two fingers onto his throat, applied a very light pressure to the his windpipe and lightly pushed him away from the bench. A very minor compliance technique that caused discomfort rather than any pain.

    Oddly, some people do not find it normal to be poked (even lightly poked) in the throat. The guy flipped. He tried to punch me out. Luckily he had no practical experience of fighting what so ever. I was able to simply fend him off until he got himself under control.

    But it taught me a valuable lesson. What is normal for martial artists is not necessarily normal for others.

    Anyone else have any similar experiences?
     
  2. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    I always take double underhooks when people hug me!
     
  3. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Same!

    Just don't try to pass missionary!
     
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  4. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    Not a biggie or probably surprising, but bodily contact and closeness when standing with someone comes to my mind.

    I never thought about that before I read in another forum, that most people have problems with close bodily contact during training.
    I never had that, because I never minded when someone stood close to me or touched me.

    After I read that in the forum I paid attention for a day and realized I tend to stay closer with some people, neither of minding or even realizing, than others seem to do.

    When my judo teacher and I are talking we often could head bang the other with the slightest movement, whereas other people seem only be able to touch the other on the shoulder.

    I'm not sure though whether that's a "me-problem" and might be abnormal after all :D
     
  5. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Hmm, I don't really have a story to share, I think, but I wonder... You can't enter a shop with a staff? I knew it was prohibited to carry knives and stuff around in the UK. But a staff?
     
  6. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    the staff I carry is for the practice of a demonstration sport - wu shu. It is intended and adapted for that purpose. it is not designed, adapted or intended for use as an offensive weapon. However it could be mistaken for an offensive weapon. This could alarm or distress some people. I do not wish to inadvertently cause alarm or distress.
     
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  7. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    I trained with a guy who did this, he would end up chasing me around the gym whilst trying to have a conversation, it's also why a lot of people thought he was aggressive, I imagine if your female and stand too close to males, you would have a lot of men trying to ask you out.

     
  8. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    I always find lumps, bumps, scrapes and bruises to be a part of 'normal existence' but I can tell by the look on my friends faces, as I describe with a joyous expression how said blemishes came to be, that I am possible alone in that belief...

    Travess
     
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  9. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    We had a student who moved away. She came back and visited the school. Joined in on some classes. Several of us were all excited to have her join in on sparring class, but she didn't bring her gear. We were all very disappointed. Suddenly it occurred to me that normal people don't want to greet old friends by wanting to fight them.

    To us, "hey great to have you back- let's fight" was perfectly normal!
     
  10. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    The first part actually made me laugh lol

    But to be more of useful answer: It's not that I pet people everywhere or something ;) , but to me it's perfectly normal to tap at peoples shoulder, arm, leg or something.

    But to add to this: I hardly ever am the first person to start a talk or even go stand within a group.
    I think that knows here too.

    I also know, that most people think it's weird, so I only do that with people I know well - which aren't many.
    And those I do know and spent time with either don't mind or just do the same in return.

    People I don't know or don't know well, I hardly talk to, let alone stand with them somewhere or would touch them.
    In addition, I tend to play around with my fingers or have something in my hands, because otherwise I don't know what to do with them, so that adds not touching all the time ;)

    So, I'm not a groping lunatic or something :p

    And, no, I never got asked out lol


    I also give a +1 to the bruises.
    Right now I have a little one on my chin, and the biggest fun I have with figuring out, where it might come from.
    I still have no idea :D
    Yesterday, after a seminar, my partner and I exchanged our bruises on the arms - usually I bruise easily, but she had a clear win there :rolleyes:
     
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  11. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Yeah, that's always 'fun' too - Often my 1st awareness of my bruises is when I hear 'What the hell happened this time' coming from my Wife...

    Travess
     
  12. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    At a restaurant, or really anywhere, I have to sit facing toward the direction of the most people. That's usually towards the door, but restaurant shapes can vary. The problem is that I'm terribly bothered to the point of constant distraction to have people moving behind me, unseen. I like to know where the threat is, I guess. :shrug:

    I've been told policemen and combat veterans have the same, er ... "issue."
     
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  13. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    I prefer having a wall to my back too, but I never connected to MA.
    On a bad day, I have my tics coming in otherwise too :mad:

    My mom has it too, but in my opinion can handle it better; I heard it might be connected to PTSD, which she has.
    I don't though.
    I think; I wasn't diagnosed it so far anyway ;)
    And I don't know if that's actually true.
     
  14. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    A good friend of mine. Now sadly no longer with us. would always sit with his back to the wall. It had nothing to do with martial arts or with violence. If you can't see the room you can't see when an attractive lady enters the room and you can't make eye contact.

    Make love not war :)
     
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  15. Rataca100

    Rataca100 Banned Banned

    Anyone else have a hot fuzz imagination for the supermarket? XP What job do you work as to have a designated workbench? Throat for me is not normal, no touchy the necky or i bity.


    @aikiMac I do that, but its natural behaviour of me now and edventually became mainstream, i do it more than less now days. Not drilled into me by martial arts, self defence or getting hit from behind.
     
  16. Latikos

    Latikos Valued Member

    Not entirely sure how much of it is still natural behaviour.
    A friend and teacher of mine makes fun of me due to that behaviour.
    He and most others, if not all so far, I went to a restaurant with never cared what was behind their backs.

    But I think we're drifting Off-topic here, sorry.
     
  17. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    Interesting. For me, it definitely was martial arts. Back in time when kung fu fighting stopped being something that I was just doing "because," and it became my hobby, I started paying attention to what is going on around me, where people are, how they're standing, how they're walking. I realized how little of the world I'd actually been seeing and hearing up to that point. :eek:

    Oh, and, to the OP, I might have poked his throat, too, for that jerk move. Kudos. :D
     
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  18. Rataca100

    Rataca100 Banned Banned

    simple defence method, i only saw it in a active self defence channel but i have naturally started doing it. As for seating that ahs nothignt o do with martial arts and has no possible conenction to them. When i can i usually stand back to soemthing if i am in a psoition to do so or an angle to the wall so its not fully open. When you are iffy about people being behind you, you pick it up fast. :p Not like i learnt it or picked it up doing on off TKD.
     
  19. Vince Millett

    Vince Millett Haec manus inimica tyrannis MAP 2017 Gold Award

    I played softball for several years and had my own bat.On one occasion, I was in Victoria Station in London, maybe 10pm, and two guys were starting a fight outside WH Smiths. They looked drunk and it didn't look too serious. I was just heading over to attempt to calm them down when I realised I had my bat with me and if the thing had kicked off I could get into a very sticky situation. I left them to it.
     
  20. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Involuntarily bowed with my hands together like a monk to a guy who let me past him. Took me a second and then I was like "why did I do that?"
     

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