Talking to parents about martial arts

[ninjamessiah]

Here's a convo I had with my dad over dinner the other night that made me laugh the more I thought about it....

Me: ....yeah I get hurt sometimes, usually no big deal though, like this bruise on my neck.
Dad: what's that from?
Me: probably getting choked when spar-
Dad: Who choked you?!
Me: I was sparring after class with my teacher and-
Dad: He choked you?! That doesn't sound like a karate move to me!!
Me(trying to hold back laughter):well for one I'm not learning karate, two most of what I do involves chokes and jointlocks. I had a choke going on him as well but-
Dad: Why didn't you just knee him in the nuts?

haha...okay I dunno if anyone else found that funny but I thought I'd share it. Does anyone else get that? no matter how often I tell people, "I'm learning jujitsu", it ALWAYS gets turned into karate or taekwondo. Then they imitate kung fu moves. Maybe I'll take up karate or taekwondo one day and pepole will ask "hey how's the aikido class?".

[Carl Elder]

Yeah i get that all the time Im glad you didnt knee me in the nuts though. most people assume martial arts = karate or tae kwon do. At my old martial arts school we even put up a neon sign that said karate even though we didnt teach karate there I thought it was silly at the time but I can see that it doesnt really matter now. Another thing that annoys me is how many people mispronounce karate including 8th degree black belts in karate
Usually when i tell people I do martial arts they strike some kung fu pose and do the Bruce Lee "Waaaaaaaaa" at me. I usually just laugh and try to educate them or just laugh and that the end of it (mostly depending on the precived intellegence/ intrest.)

When i first started martial arts i started in an art called toeido which means way of the sword and shadow. Which was a "ninja art", ninjitsu was huge in the 80's and i started at close to then end of it and the beginning of the MMA phase in 96. Toeido is composed of sevreal diferent arts, although primarily wado ki karate currently. But in the begining we did a lot of really cool stuff like sentry removal, and ways to rip out the larynx and stuff like that. Well when I told my mom about stuff like that she would of course freak out, but now shes fairly educated about the arts and why I do them. So basicly she doenst think im in some "ninja cult" anymore

[ninjamessiah]

Though being in a ninja cult would be pretty cool

[ninjamessiah]

Mom: You still do your krotty stuff?
Me: Yeah, I got my orange belt not too long ago actually.
Mom: Cool, does that mean you can Hi-yah somebody now?

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Dad: Your nephew here does karate.
Me: Jujutsu!
Dad: I think Japanese Karate is the best.
Uncle: I agree.

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Dad: I took "Aikaydo" for 7 years.
Me: err...Aikido? Aikido's philosophy is you harmonize with your opponent and-
Dad: No, the philosophy is strike first strike hard no mercy!


hee hee....I know they'll never care enough to understand more about martial arts, but these things make me chuckle regaurdless.

[Agwolf]

*teh hehehe*

my mom keeps trying to hit me now that im taking jujutsu. i dodge and walk away.... or sometimes i just dont react. (too many years with abuse friends TT_TT)

^____^