My Aikido Secret

Martial Arts were kept secret so as to not give up the element of surprise, or to educate the opponent. It's something that is not paid much attention to in the age of Aikido T-shirts, (I own a few).

If you don't want the questions, leave the weapons somewhere else. The Kanji could be 'office decorations', but removal will keep you below the radar.

Sanon, you've got it all wrong. You're supposed to spend your first year of aikido training walking around and saying "Hey! Grab my wrist!"

Obviously , carrying a big wooden stick to work with you, with no apparent explanation, is gonna make people think you are weird.

However, you don't owe anyone an explanation. If you want to keep it a secret for whatever reason, then go ahead. I dont personally understand why anyone would. This stuff about "all martial artists who arent novice will never reveal they are martial artists.." thats a load of crap. Sorry, but thats my opinion. The best martial artists in the world (obviously) have let people know they do martial arts. It's nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it egotistical to talk to people about it. If you ever plan on taking this art to the next level and becoming a sensei , then you are gonna have to tell people that you take aikido.

IMO, better sooner than later.

*Paige*

Bringing a Jo to work and doing jo kata and expecting people not to take notice? Tough luck!

This is the 21st century... Marketing and Exposure reign supreme. Donald Trump said, "There is no such thing as over-exposure".

How about wearing one of Horisan's creative work to work?



Boon.

"all martial artists who arent novice will never reveal they are martial artists.." That's exactly correct. You guys somehow missed what I said I said they are proabably practicing somewhere where nobody is around.

James Smith wrote: "all martial artists who arent novice will never reveal they are martial artists.." That's exactly correct.

So, by your logic, anyone running a dojo is a novice -- after all, if he were a real martial artist, he could never reveal himself enough to hang out a shingle. Anyone posting on AikiWeb is a novice, by the same reasoning.

Where's Ashida Kim when we need him?

I don't think my teacher tells people at his job he's an uber duber master.Aikiweb doesn't count. Ashida Kim tellls EVERYBODY that he is a ninja. Phil is also worst than a novice like Kim.

Lolz...

James Smith wrote: I don't think my teacher tells people at his job he's an uber duber master.

No, but that's not what we were talking about. He probably does tell people that he teaches aikido if he thinks they'd be interested to know that. (I'm guessing, but it's a logical guess.)

Aikiweb doesn't count.

Says who?

Ashida Kim tellls EVERYBODY that he is a ninja.

Well, it could be argued that he doesn't, because that's not his real name. Be that as it may, I was joking about his extreme secretiveness.

James Smith wrote: "all martial artists who arent novice will never reveal they are martial artists.." That's exactly correct.

Thats the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard.

No, it's not right to go around claiming you are a master or bragging that you know a few wrist locks. But it's also nothing to be ashamed of.

As a matter of fact, i would consider it egotistical to hold it in. Someone who keeps a big part of their life a secret? sounds like to me, you think you have some kind of big secret identity. Very comparable to Spider man even. Sorry, you're not a superhero, get over it.

Do you consider Bruce Lee a novice? Chuck Norris? Jackie Chan? I would really love to hear u call them a novice. I guess that would confirm my .... erm... suspicions about you.



*Paige*

Jo Adell wrote: Pretending to have no ego is far more ego driven than bragging about what you do or know, in my book.You are carrying your jo to work Specifically so people will ask you about it.

EXACTLY

could not have said it better myself.

*Paige*

Bruce Lee is totally overrated Jackie Chan is more of a dancer than a fighter. Keeping it a secret doesn't make me as cool as spider man or cool at all. It's just something I would not like to talk about.

James Smith wrote: Bruce Lee is totally overrated Jackie Chan is more of a dancer than a fighter. Keeping it a secret doesn't make me as cool as spider man or cool at all. It's just something I would not like to talk about.

I don't understand you. You say you don't want to talk about it but yet here you are on a website specifically designed for talking about it.

and Bruce Lee is overrated? What planet are you on? Yeah, he's definitely talked about waaay too much but, it's ridiculous to say he's overrated. Obviously he knows what he's doing. And who are you to say that? What makes you all-knowing? Have you ever met Bruce Lee? Do you know anything about him at all? No, i havent met Bruce Lee but i do know that he has started his own variations of different martial arts. And i know that he has trained since he was a kid.

It's fine if you choose not to tell people because you simply dont want to explain yourself... but DO NOT SAY that people who don't keep their training some kind of ridiculous child-like secret are novices! That is the stupidest thing i've ever heard.

Get over yourself.

"Bruce was a loner and was constantly getting himself into fights, with this in mind he looked towards Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught Bruce his basic skills, but it was not long before he was mastering the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do."

http://www.allbrucelee.com/biography.htm

"1958 (Age 18): ??? - Bruce enters the 1958 Boxing Championships and defeats the reigning three year champion, Gary Elms. "

"1963 - Fall (Age 23): Seattle - Bruce moves his Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute into a building (4750 University Way) near the university campus. He teaches any person of any race. (most Asian Martial Arts schools would only teach people of their own race). At Garfield High School, Bruce demonstrates the "One-Inch Punch". This is the punch he would later make famous at the 64' Long Beach Internationals and which was developed by him and James DeMile in Seattle. Bruce would hold his arm straight out, and with a shrug of his shoulder, knock a man straight across the ground.
1964 (Age 24): ??? Bruce meets Jhoon Rhee at the International Karate Championships. The two would remain good. (Jhoon Rhee will invite Bruce to Washington, D.C. to appear at tournaments.)
1964 - June (Age 24): ??? - Bruce discusses with James Yimm Lee plans to open a second Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute in Oakland, CA. "

http://www.allbrucelee.com/article/b...l_time_lin.htm


Is that enough evidence for ya James? There's more at the above links if you need it.

GO AIKIGIRL! GO... i too am a big bruce fan... his philosophical and pragmatic approach to fighting won me over years ago... this whole secret/secret knowledge stuff is just over mystification of the fighting arts... it feeds the ego of some people...
james... where are you in texas... i asked in another thread... i will be down in the spring to visit my brother in San Antonio... if that is in your area maybe you could direct me to some good schools, and maybe we could work out together...
the real question is WHY you would not like to talk about it... since you seem to be talking about it here... i don't make it central to EVERY conversation i have, but i don't avoid talking about it when it comes up... again WHY would you rather not talk about it?

Well, you can get some really weird reactions out of people when you tell them you do martial arts. A lot of them seem to expect you to be some sort of zen wizard or berserker ninja. One of my coworkers, on finding out I did aikido, asked me what my rank was and then backed away slowly when I told him I was a shodan, like I was a ticking bomb or something. I wasn't even telling him about it to be threatening. He asked me what was in the pannier bag on my bicycle and I told him it was my gi. When I explained that he would have to actually physically attack me before I would or even could do anything to him, he calmed down a bit. And then asked me if I had to register my hands as deadly weapons after I got my black belt. I must've gotten my point across though. When I got my nidan he stayed calm. :P

There's actually quite a few people in my department who know I train. Either it came up in a coversation, they say me in my gi taking class at the rec center, or they heard about it through the grapevine (lots of gossip-whores where I work, and, interestingly enough, the worst are men).

Rebecca... thats the kind of thing the Mcdojo's and frauds cause, as i am discussing in another thread... some people look at you as if you are a member of some kind of cult or gang, too... too bad there are so many misconceptions about the MA's... luckily they ease up when i say it is just for fun, exercise, and some self defense... after a while my friends and co workers kind of just forget about it unless they are aikidoka too... i met my best friend at work when he spotted my aikido t shirt, and asked me about it... seems he had done some and thus was our friendship started...

Paige Frazier wrote: I don't understand you. You say you don't want to talk about it but yet here you are on a website specifically designed for talking about it. and Bruce Lee is overrated? What planet are you on? Yeah, he's definitely talked about waaay too much but, it's ridiculous to say he's overrated. Obviously he knows what he's doing. And who are you to say that? What makes you all-knowing? Have you ever met Bruce Lee? Do you know anything about him at all? No, i havent met Bruce Lee but i do know that he has started his own variations of different martial arts. And i know that he has trained since he was a kid. It's fine if you choose not to tell people because you simply dont want to explain yourself... but DO NOT SAY that people who don't keep their training some kind of ridiculous child-like secret are novices! That is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. Get over yourself.

Aikiweb is a helll of a lot less personal than real life. Other people who practice martial arts are okay but only if they are serious about it.
I am from the Bay Area. You know him from the movies. That stuff is cheographied and he would not fight like that in real life unless he is an Kung-Fu idiot. He is the reason why many karate guys in the 70's did that stupid Bruce Lee yell. Shut up you aren't scaring anybody with that stuff. The one inch punch is a parlor trick.

This is for Bruce Lee fans who are viewing this thread.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...q=jeet+kune+do

Did you meet Bruce Lee? Talk/Train with him? if not then shut up... you know him no more or less than the rest of us... we were not talking about his movies, but about his martial philosophy... read his books and learn... one inch punch parlor trick okay... but also a demonstration of principles... i guess Orenei-te is a parlor trick too, that is used to teach principle... you haven't answered MY questions... why you picking on girls? i would lay my money on Paige since i know how she trains... as far as this discussion goes she's still got the upper hand on you...

I'm not familar with San Antonio you'll have to ask someone else. Sorry. I'm only picking on her opinion. Not the actual person. You do know I wasn't telling her to shut up right? I guess that sentence is hard to read. Read Bruce's Book's? I rather watch the video I posted.

i know you were not picking on her personally... Bruce's videos are good, i have seen that video before, but even the ones that we have are a very small part of what he taught... required for any serious martial artists library... Tao of Jeet Kune Do this is an awesome book that never gets old i get a new insight every time i open it... don't dismiss these guys based on the movies i have done some work with fight choreographers and it takes as much skill as the real thing, and Jackie Chan does his own stunts! the guy is crazy/awesome... and Bruce and Jackies physical conditioning is very impressive...

James, you have MAD SKILLZZZZZZ...

I think that reasoning for not telling anyone about you learning Aikido is something that people need to learn for themselves the hard way in some cases. The words "do not every tell anyone what you do" is not the first lesson in Aikido. People need to make that mistake and see why you shouldn't.

1. People will hit you with an annoying barrage of questions until the subject makes you sick.
2. People will test you to see if your on the ready.
3. People will grab you and flick thier fingers at your eyes to see if you blink.
4. If you give in and show someone, whilst thinking of thier safety and not doing a lock or something hard on them they will try to prove to you it doesen't work and jerk thier hand away. Afterwards say see- it doesen't work, you suck, Aikido sucks and run around thinking themselves a king. Who wants that, keep quiet.

Besides knowing in secret creates a quiet strength.

James Smith wrote: You know him from the movies. That stuff is cheographied and he would not fight like that in real life unless he is an Kung-Fu idiot. He is the reason why many karate guys in the 70's did that stupid Bruce Lee yell. Shut up you aren't scaring anybody with that stuff. The one inch punch is a parlor trick.

Um, excuse me... i do not know him from the movies. I will tell you honestly that i have seen absolutely none of his movies. Nor, will i ever. I have no interest.

But i will also tell you honestly that i have read numerous biographies about him on the internet and all seem to tell the same basic things.
1. He began martial arts as a teenager.
2. He broke into the entertainment business.
3. He started his own martial arts dojo for jeet kune do.


Yes i know that movies are choreographed... im not stupid. And the yelling is very "Hollywood derived" But that doesn't make Kung fu stupid. As a matter of fact i take shaolin Kung fu and i find it to be a very beneficial and effective martial art.

You can call the 1 inch punch a "parlor trick" but you could also call irimi nage a parlor trick. Then again you could call them both techniques. Which is what they are... genius.

Seriously... how old are you, 10? That is really the impression that i get from you. Martial arts are not meant to be some secret society as you stated in an earlier post. No one thinks you are special for knowing a few moves. The quicker you learn that you are no better than any one else the better off you'll be.

And you can talk crap all day and won't be able to back it up, so, keep talking, see if i care.

*Paige*