Deluxe Martial Arts Forums - View Single Post - Official 'Asshole at your School' Rant Thread.

BB Wolf · 09-17-2003, 11:05 PM

Sorry to hear about your experience.
Granted, when you have a bunch of guys who have trained together for a while, there is a certain "esprit de corps" that is present. However, this sounds like it goes beyond that. Unfortunantly, there are some people who go into MA's because they have an axe to grind or something to prove. In addition to the already existant chip on their shoulder, they learn a few tricks,
have some success, and think of themselves as badasses. They think of themselves as part of an elite group and feel the need to take it out on the newbies or those they know they can take. They treat those people like they were in the Marines (or at least what they think the Marines are like). Their egos have control of them. They are probably insecure, when it comes down to it. That may be why they joined the class in the first place. Granted, I've come across a few people who were a bit arrogant but could kick ass and they knew it. Even most of those guys wern't truelly assholes. The biggest badassses I've known, true badasses: Spec Ops guys, MA/Combatives instructors who could truely wipe the floor with you, etc. are generally nice, gregarious, often softspoken guys. They don't do the whole macho, chest pounding thing because they don't have anything to prove. They know they can take you. They've often dealt with the reality of what many of us train for in a way very few of us can imagine, and see no romance in it. Its a "been there, done that" kinda thing. My wife used to date the drummer of a local punk band and was part of "the scene". It could be pretty political and fights would break out. She knew this one fellow who, as far as I know had no formal training, and was basically a nice guy, but could kick some serious ass. She once took his pulse rate after a fight. It was about 85 bpm. That is a guy you do not want to mess with. Talk to your instructor. Part of this is his fault for not squashing this attitude in his students from the get go. If he basically agrees with them. Train somewhere else. You should enjoy your dojo.

09-17-2003, 11:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
BB Wolf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 83 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sorry to hear about your experience. Granted, when you have a bunch of guys who have trained together for a while, there is a certain "esprit de corps" that is present. However, this sounds like it goes beyond that. Unfortunantly, there are some people who go into MA's because they have an axe to grind or something to prove. In addition to the already existant chip on their shoulder, they learn a few tricks, have some success, and think of themselves as badasses. They think of themselves as part of an elite group and feel the need to take it out on the newbies or those they know they can take. They treat those people like they were in the Marines (or at least what they think the Marines are like). Their egos have control of them. They are probably insecure, when it comes down to it. That may be why they joined the class in the first place. Granted, I've come across a few people who were a bit arrogant but could kick ass and they knew it. Even most of those guys wern't truelly assholes. The biggest badassses I've known, true badasses: Spec Ops guys, MA/Combatives instructors who could truely wipe the floor with you, etc. are generally nice, gregarious, often softspoken guys. They don't do the whole macho, chest pounding thing because they don't have anything to prove. They know they can take you. They've often dealt with the reality of what many of us train for in a way very few of us can imagine, and see no romance in it. Its a "been there, done that" kinda thing. My wife used to date the drummer of a local punk band and was part of "the scene". It could be pretty political and fights would break out. She knew this one fellow who, as far as I know had no formal training, and was basically a nice guy, but could kick some serious ass. She once took his pulse rate after a fight. It was about 85 bpm. That is a guy you do not want to mess with. Talk to your instructor. Part of this is his fault for not squashing this attitude in his students from the get go. If he basically agrees with them. Train somewhere else. You should enjoy your dojo.