MT: How do men treat you?

[Knowledge Bot]

How do men treat you? By Shaderon - Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:06:32 GMT

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Something I've often wondered about with other women, as a martial artist, how do your non MA men aquaintances treat you when they find out you do a MA? Do they mess about saying "oh I'll have to watch you" and wave thier hands around in a silly fashion, are they interested and ask intelligent questions? or do they shrug it off and say it's not ladylike?

I've had a mix of these reactions from different age groups and wondered if it's an age group thing, the way men are brought up or a culture thing... or indeed a mix.


I'd love to hear from the men about thier impressions of how non ma males perceive female MA's too although I realise they themselves are a teensy bit biased


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[Ahsen]

I love to see a women in MA and I don't feel intimataded or see it as a problem. I think its very important for women do such activities because anyone who has a girlfriend or a wife, knows that they can't always protect their loved ones all the time.

Also it helps you to protect your kids,
My experance, when I was only five, my mother took me home from school
3 Racist thugs came up started to shout at my mother. My mother has no MA
We ran and my mother was crying. Luckly they only shouted I could only imagine what they could have done if the situation was different. Since that day I always veiwed martail arts as being very important for women.

Also it gives a sence of confedence in women which I like.
I can't understand why its not lady-like, in my opinion its sexy for a women to learn martal arts.

If there is one thing I hate in a women in MA its arrogance
There is a fine line being self confident and over confident.
I hate women who think they are Bruce Lee. Women who do that are no different to those men who view women as weak.
With that attitude they will underestimate men

I had one in my Kick boxing
Yes she has 1 year more experince in Kick boxing than me
Her round kicks were pretty impressive
She fought with me twice, beat me in one (No suprise) and made a big issue of me being a male and she being a woman. Had no respect for me.
So when it came to the second fight , she dance round with her kicks
I managed to grab her leg whilst in the air. I tripped her and
she fell flat on her backside which embassed her in the class.


To be honest most men who don't do MA in my generation (thats 18 -35)
don't see this as a problem and find in the norm to see women in MA
Its only the older generation do cus the peroid that they grew up with
thought little of women who did combat.

As for culture you can't divide this as black and white
there are various cultures promote MA for women.
but some don't do it because of the people.

[cakegirl]

I can't count the number of times I've had the stupid response of "oooh [waving arms around in "karate chop" type poses] I'd better not piss you off then!!!"

My stock answer now is to cock my head and put a disappointed look on my face and say "awww, you already did!"

I had a friend who worked full-time in a martial arts school, and it got so bad while we were travelling together, with everyone saying "so, what do you do back in Australia" and giving the stupid response, that she started telling people she was a preschool teacher.

[GranFire]

I usually get this "Your Husband gotta watch out then ..." joke. But it is really funny, he is at least twice my size!

Everybody is a comedian...what can you do.

[Tom Yum]

I like women in martial arts; especially the ones that have been involved in them for a while. I've found them to generally be strong, positive, pretty laid back and less likely to be bitchy or catty.

[DickHardman]

i talked to some female judo blackbelts one time who all said similar things, that most men they meet seem to be either intimidated by the fact that they train or dont take them seriously.

[gregimotis]

One the other hand, men get those sorts of reactions, too. Some common responses:

- "Ooh, well I guess I better not piss you off (haha)"

- "I'd rather just have a gun (or something stupid like that)

- "Show me something" (honestly, isn't that just asking for it?)

- My favorite: "Oh yeah? I did karate for like three months when I was in high school" (monologues for ten minutes about 'karate').



So, if I'm unsure of the company, I just tell 'em I boxed for a while (or wrestled) and leave it at that.

[Troll Virus]

But it is really funny, he is at least twice my size!

Must be awful for him, when you're out and he wants to try on your clothes.

[DickHardman]

One the other hand, men get those sorts of reactions, too. Some common responses:

- "Ooh, well I guess I better not piss you off (haha)"

- "I'd rather just have a gun (or something stupid like that)

- "Show me something" (honestly, isn't that just asking for it?)

- My favorite: "Oh yeah? I did karate for like three months when I was in high school" (monologues for ten minutes about 'karate').



So, if I'm unsure of the company, I just tell 'em I boxed for a while (or wrestled) and leave it at that.

yeah this is true, us guys get weird responses too. i remember i told a girl one time that i train, and her response was " oh, so you could kill me if you wanted to??" lol. what kind of response is that?? yeah, i usually dont even mention i train unless the person i am talking to brings up working out and training.

[tamashi]

I usually get, the same remarks. "Your husband probably knows better than to make you mad" I just smile and say, actually he's a sixth degree black belt. Guys act a little strange after they find out your a martial artist. I usually don't bring it up.

[treelizard]

Depends on the guy, but honestly they should probably be more worried about my response. I just don't really have a whole lot of respect for guys who haven't trained at all and don't know how to carry themselves... AND I get tired of watching the door all the time. It always devolves into conversations like this:
me: Why don't you watch the door for a change?
him: But you have more training than I do
me: Maybe you should get some more training!
him:

Call me sexist but I think men (physically, biologically, emotionally) are better protectors. I'll do it if I have to but I'd rather hang out with real men...

[DickHardman]

Depends on the guy, but honestly they should probably be more worried about my response. I just don't really have a whole lot of respect for guys who haven't trained at all and don't know how to carry themselves... AND I get tired of watching the door all the time. It always devolves into conversations like this:
me: Why don't you watch the door for a change?
him: But you have more training than I do
me: Maybe you should get some more training!
him:

Call me sexist but I think men (physically, biologically, emotionally) are better protectors. I'll do it if I have to but I'd rather hang out with real men...

sounds like you like to complain a lot.

btw, what do you consider a real man?

[treelizard]

sounds like you like to complain a lot.

Nope. Just more concerned with the caliber of people I choose to spend my time with than what they think about me training.

btw, what do you consider a real man?

Someone who protects women and children.

Jeanette Winterson wrote in one of her novels "There are only two types of people: women and soldiers. Everything else is a lie. Everything else is temporary."

I would broaden the definition of "soldier" to "protector."

[DickHardman]

Someone who protects women and children.

Jeanette Winterson wrote in one of her novels "There are only two types of people: women and soldiers. Everything else is a lie. Everything else is temporary."

no offense treelizard, but you sound like you have a superiority complex. its ok though, many people who train in martial arts feel that way as well, as if they are better than others just because they train.

that quote is terrible as well. only women and soldiers? right, like thats really the only two kind of people we come across in real life.


there are plenty of men who protect women and children who dont have any training at all.

[GranFire]

Frankly, I don't need a protector, I need a partner.

But to each his/her own.