I would def. ask your gf to kindly not spread that info about you being an MAist. It could be beneficial and also a bad burden. People love to test MAists and if they're successful .. another thing to make their heads bigger. But again ... someone can be a BB and can't lick their own lips. It's always the person and not the MA or belt. Eric
well anyone who has experienced English Chav culture will know that reputation is one of the few things that can protect you from being a target. I am very lucky in that my TKD school concentrates on 2 things, practical defence and applied TKD and Art form. So I get to train to effectively utilise TKD in live situations, against other MA's(we often get instructors from nearby schools and their students to come down and have some fun working as a group to try tings out and experience different methods, its always great fun). So on the three occasions where I have been forced to defend myself or others around me I have been completely successful. So now, even though I am far from tall or heavily built I can avoid conflict with my social peers and other people simply because they know wo I am what I can do and what I have done. (the third time one of my assailants-of which there were two- was arrested and presented with an A.S.B.O) so yes the reputation of being an MA can be great protection, plus loads of my mates took up MA's as well now so we can all train together.
1. I have never come across any martial artist I cannot hurt. I might need to sneak up behind them with a large stick, or use a car, but I can hurt them all.... 2. Would not Musashi have attended the schools attended by the kids of the samarai? These were attended from quite young and taught martial arts fairly heavily, along with reading, writing etc. If he did attend school as a samaurai child, then he would have had in the region of ten years of MA training for 4-5 hours a day by the time he hit 13....now that is a lot of sword wiggling and waggling...