MARTIAL ARTS MOMENTS
Ghostwheel's Top Ten Signs you're in a McDojo
10. You instructor has a Grandmasters Certificate. In Crayon.
9. The Senior Assistant Instructor is a 4 year old black belt.
8. The sign in the window says the school trains in more than 10 martial arts.
7. Its a Korean art. {g} [Ed. Note: HEY!!]
6. Your instructor tries to sell you Amway products.
5. While examining the schools tournament trophies, you find 3 for spelling bees.
4. Reading the contract for the school is considered a kata (and a long one at that).
3. No one sweats.
2. While at a tournament, your opponent finds out who your teacher is and high-fives his teacher.
1. When paying for your belt examinations, the instructor asks: "Do you want fries with that?"
The Top 13 Signs You've Joined the Wrong Martial Arts School
13> Your dojo's symbol is a bullseye target.
12> First demonstration consists of falling to the floor, curling into the fetal position, and whimpering pitifully.
11> Frequent pauses while instructor tearfully stops to right his spilled pocket protector. 10> The "gis" are used hospital gowns, and the "throwing stars" are just slices of old cheese. 9> The homework is always just to watch a Jackie Chan movie.
8> The techniques are only effective if your attacker is one of the Three Stooges.
7> Instructor's low fees enhanced by take from one-on-one "pop quizzes" in dark alleys.
6> Benihana has a restraining order against your instructor.
5> Local muggers gather in the parking lot waiting for class to end.
4> Current students bark out on cue the phrase "Insurance does not exist in this dojo!"
3> You take yourself to the mat 4 out of 5 times simply trying to tie your belt on.
2> Sensei's "ancient Chinese secret" required notifying the neighbors when he moved in. and the Number 1 Sign You've Joined the Wrong Martial Arts School...
1> Did Confucius ever really say he was "going to open up a can of whoop-ass" on someone? [ This list copyright 1998 by Chris White ] [ The Top 5 List top5@gmbweb.com http://www.topfive.com ] [ To forward or repost, please include this section. ] [ You like to receive credit for your work, and so do we. ]
This is really funny---but it's scary how many of these you hear from people, with the meanings like those above.
You Know You've Been In the Martial Arts Too Long When...
* you say to the salesman in the men's store, "Nice pants, but I don't thinkI can kick in them."
* when you want to say "I'm sorry" and involuntarily bow.
* you go to the shoe store to try on shoes.
* Instead of walking or jogging around the store, you practice pivoting,sweeps, stances and kicks.
* You check to see if the shoe has a sufficiently hard striking surface andwhether it protects the toes well
* and lastly, you don't even care if (and they probably are) the otherpatrons are looking at you funny. (That's the big clue)
* Now when every time you pass a wall you start to wonder:'Is thatstructural or drywall?' THEN you know you've gone overboard.
* When you hit your head on a low doorway or ceiling and kick it in angerand _damage_ it.
* "GAK! NO!
The left side of the bathrobe goes on top...."
* "What was I doing in my office when I was spinning around and flailing myarms and legs? Ahhhhhmmmmmmm....."
* when you're practicing your arm blocks while driving down the highway,notice someone in another car staring at you, and suddenly turn your blockinto vigorously fanning away an imaginary fly
* when you use various strikes to turn lights off and on;
* don your clothing with kicks, thrusts, and punches
* open and close doors with spinning kicks
* find yourself idly doing iaido and kenjitsu moves with the plastic knivesat the fast food place
* can't walk by anybody else from your school without casually exchanging aflurry of mock strikes and kicks
* haven't gotten over the phase of seeing everybody walking around with ablanket of little red cross-hairs on all their vital spots
* leap to your feet and shriek with indignation while watching "Kung Fu","Walker, Texas Ranger", and "Highlander" at home
* deliberately go to see martial arts movies in the theater so you can leapto your feet and shriek with indignation during the movie, out in theparking lot, and with all your friends the next time you're at class
* find yourself practicing bo staff techniques in miniature with your pencilduring dull meetings
* try to backfist the correct floor button on the inside of the elevator,based on your memory of the button's location, before you get in far enoughto see it
* notice you never stand with your arms crossed or your hands in yourpockets
* tend to keep at least one flavour of martial arts weapon close at hand byyour bed when you sleep
* buy shoes either because they're particularly flexible or have steel toes
* have at least one fantasy where you are a martial arts hero and end the fight by saying something *so* cool that you make Arnold Shwarzenegger andClint Eastwood look like nervous chatterboxes
* have begun to master the reflex to commit a very messy homicide when,directly after someone finds out you practice martial arts, they immediatelyask "Are you a Black Belt ???"
* Urge to bow every time I enter or leave a room? Uh, not anymore,thankfully.
* I used to accidentally call one of my favorite professors 'sensei' withfair regularity, and I don't think I'll ever stop saying 'hai!' instead of'yes!'.
* When standing in line you find yourself practicing some stance from yourart
* When you bow going into and out of the bathroom *
When you don't use any tools while splitting firewood.
* When you are introduced to someone and you bow to greet them.
* Whenever you see some wood or concrete, even things like stools ortables, and get excited while you picture just how you would go aboutbreaking it. Then you get funny looks as you feel it and give it a look ofhard concentration, then maybe measure off a few times.
I counted off how many of these I do----I'm embarrassed to admit to 21 of them.
Newbie Guide to Martial Arts Doublespeak
When people say.. They really mean... ------------------------------------------------------------
Japanese martial arts are the best.
I practice a Japanese martial art.
This art is thousands of years old. This style is decades old.
The martial arts are about building better people.
The martial arts are about sweat, bruises and money.
Chinese martial arts are the best
I practice a Chinese martial art.
High kicks are stupid.
I can't do high kicks.
Sparring is extremely important.
I'm good at fighting and I like it and I can't do much of anything else.
The martial arts are about building better people. T
he martial arts are about beating people up if they lay a finger on you.
Korean martial arts are the best.
I practice a Korean martial art.
Breaking techniques are very important.
We do a lot of breaking techniques.
I don't believe in grades.
Nobody ever gave me a high grade.
The martial arts are about building better evolved characters.
Like me.
Filipino martial arts are the best.
I practice a Filipino martial art.
Sophisticated arts like Tai Chi and Aikido are far superior.
Sparring frightens me.
He's a good martial arts teacher.
He's in my organization.
He's a lousy martial arts teacher.
He used to be in My organization but he broke away and I don't get any money out of him anymore.
My style is the best.
I don't know anything about any other styles.
Grades are not important.
There's a grading coming up and it's important.
Breaking techniques are useless.
I can't do breaking techniques.
I'm an innovative, free- thinking, modern Western martial arts teacher, doing my own non- classical thing.
I'm more interested in teaching than learning; and the Orientals ignore me because they know how ignorant I am.
Martial arts politics are the necessary result of official recognition by respectable associations to protect the public.
I belong to a large, well- established organization.
I hate martial arts politics.
None of the large, well-established organizations recognize me or have the slightest interest in my existence. I
n this system, we make the art fit the person.
In this system, we make the person fit the art.
Competitions are a waste of time.
I never won any competitions.
Forms or kata are the highest xpression of the inner essence of the martial arts.
I read that somewhere -- and I've had enough of tournaments.
Forms or kata are useless.
Bruce Lee said forms are useless and this relieves me of a lot of effort, so go argue with him.
One style is not better than another -- it's the individual that counts.
Don't go to another school it's the style we teach here that counts.
The techniques aren't important.
The techniques are important.
The principles are important.
I wouldn't know what else to do with the principles so it's the techniques that are important. Bruce
Lee didn't know what he was talking about.
I don't know what Bruce Lee was talking about.
Size and strength are not important.
Size and strength are important, especially if you're fighting somebody who's bigger and stronger than you are.
Science and leverage will always win out over brute force.
Except when he's bigger and stronger than you are.
The purpose of the martial arts is spiritual development and liberation from the ego.
I'm so humble and wise, it's terrific.
This is really funny---but it's scary how many of these you hear from people, with the meanings like those above.