Yo -- Gay hapkidoan here

[Hapki68]

Hap ki, everyone.

37 yo, good looking, gay guy in the DC area who's big into martial arts. Practiced some judo and aikido in college and now working towards a black belt in hapkido. (I expect to be a blue belt with red stripe in a week or two.)

I enjoy talking about the MA, techniques, history, movies, etc with everyone. However, I'm particularly interested in finding other gay or bi guys into the MA because, I seem to be the only one on the whole planet.

So that's me.

Nice to meet you.

[Tant01]

There were a couple of homosexual men in the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu academy here a few years ago but for some strange reason no one wanted to grapple with them...

[Thai Bri]

Tanto, maybe it's because the other people in the club were neandethal homophobic wankers?

Just a thought.

Welcome Hapki68. Don't ask if I'm gay or not, as I don't feel it's relevant to any fighting arts discussion. But I hope you find what you're looking for!

[Britt]

Nice to meet you too. I know some gay women into MA (even whole schools around San Francisco), but not many gay men. I'm sure you're not the only one on the planet, but I'd wager quite a few keep it on the down low or even stay closeted. Hey, even U.S. figure skating had to wait until the 90's until they had an openly gay male competing. Anyway, enjoy the boards.

[Hapki68]

Thanks for the Welcome

Thanks, everyone, for the welcome I look forward to chatting with you about the "arts."

Britt, good point about the figure skaters.

Thai, thanks for the defense. But I'm always thrilled when I hear observations like those of Tant01. I wish those guys had been in my class. There's nothing better than sparring against a person who fears you.

Poor, frightened straight boys pretending to be warriors yet afraid of little old me.

Hapki

[Garland]

Hey buddy....welcome to the site!

The only thing I'll give you shit for is hapkido...sorry...I'm not a huge fan.
Nice to have a little diversity here...for once.

[Thai Bri]

I echo that! I've not seen much Hapkido that looked all that great.

[Boxer12345]

hmmm....

What is the relevance of you stating your a gay MA?

[Hapki68]

Garland, thanks for the welcome. I'm actually surprised by the thread I saw about some people not impressed by hapkido. I was going to weigh in but didn't get around to it.

From my experience, any art is only as good as its practitioner. I like hapkido cause it's very efficient, and I believe effective. Plus, I like the theories, culture and history that go with it. Ultimately, if you're not impressed, it's better that you not practice it. The grappling sports look fun to me... but a lot less sophisticated. I put them more in the same league as boxing. It works, but not my style.

Thai, I think the Korean military trains in hapkido. If that's true... you may want to look there. I have a feeling you'd be impressed.

Boxer, the relevance is that to not state it is to let everyone think you're straight, which isn't accurate in my case. I'm not into the don't ask, don't tell bs. Or maybe you're just lucky and everyone assumes you're gay.

Hapki

[Thai Bri]

"Any art is only as good as its practitioner" is not true, though it is a great sound bite. You put a top level semi contact Karate guy in the ring with an average boxer. Guess who'd be lying on his back looking at the ceiling in about 3 seconds?

Being "more sophisticated" does not make something more effective. In fact the opposite is true. Who'd win the tennis tournament? The guy who gives the forearm shot or the guy who jumps up, spins around and then tries to somersault as he smashes?

Korean military train TKD, of which Hapkido has many similarities. But I'm rarely impressed re the unarmed stuff that the military do. In the main it is a myth that soldiers get great H2H training.

If you like the culture and philosophies etc. then that's cool. But be very choosy about what you train for self protection. 99.9% of martial ars out there are no good for that at all.

[Hapki68]

Thai, it sounds to me like you found an art or sport that works for you, and one you like. That's a good thing.

And I was wrong about the Korean military using hapkido. It's the Korean police.



hapki

[knifethrower]

Thai, it sounds to me like you found an art or sport that works for you, and one you like. That's a good thing.

That's what I keep thinking........

[Warrior189]

Try talkin to nutter. I think hes gay cause 1) Look at his username n 2) He made some thread about some dudes penis size. So you should check him out.

[Hapki68]

Warrior, I just read your profile.

Strength without wisdom is not the way of the warrior. Remember that. You might want to read about bushido... or change your username.

You might also want to read about the samurai, who were very active participants in homosexuality. If you think homosexuality = weak, you're wrong. In fact, I'll bet I scare the hell out of you, just as the samurai would have.

Hapki

[darrianation]

"Any art is only as good as its practitioner" is not true, though it is a great sound bite. You put a top level semi contact Karate guy in the ring with an average boxer. Guess who'd be lying on his back looking at the ceiling in about 3 seconds?

Being "more sophisticated" does not make something more effective. In fact the opposite is true. Who'd win the tennis tournament? The guy who gives the forearm shot or the guy who jumps up, spins around and then tries to somersault as he smashes?

Korean military train TKD, of which Hapkido has many similarities. But I'm rarely impressed re the unarmed stuff that the military do. In the main it is a myth that soldiers get great H2H training.

If you like the culture and philosophies etc. then that's cool. But be very choosy about what you train for self protection. 99.9% of martial ars out there are no good for that at all.

Great points!