Advertising your Abilities

I am a female and live in one of the bigger cities in the U.S. One of the primary reasons I started practicing the art was to protect myself in case I was ever physically assaulted.

Personally, I've always avoided having anything on me (outside of class) that might indicate that I practiced martial arts. (ex: MA T-Shirts, bumper stickers on my vehicle, etc.) To me, having a would-be attacker unaware of my abilities, makes for a higher possibility of defense and escape.

I have a few of my female classmates who do the opposite. Some have stickers on their cars advertising our dojo, some have martial arts trinkets on their key chains, and some wear their MA t-shirts in public. Some of the more younger and 'naive' ones even go around their school bragging about their abilities to their classmates. While the latter behavior shouldn't be encouraged, I can understand how those are proud of their affiliations may want to carry on them MA related items.

Do you think that sporting MA paraphernalia would discourage would-be attackers or encourage would-be attackers to be more 'prepared'? Can a balance between the two exist?

Your thoughts?

 

well maybe if they know u practice martial arts they wont try anything ..

just my thoughts

 

true but then if the attacker was determined to attack someone and see they have knowledge of ma then they will be expecting a victim who will put up a fight.. they might think oh well ill just whip out my knife or gun or whatever... it could go either way i spose.

 

Yah .. it could go either way.. it really just depends how persistent the attacker is.
And what he will do to get his way.

 

I have to agree with Buddroux somewhat .... although there are perps out there that may try to see just how well you can fend for yourself.

For example, after class I sometimes I stop into a store several buildings down to pick up a few things before coming home still wearing my gi.

Then there was the time I went to same store in plain clothes and decided to take advantage on their ice cream sale (buy 1 gallon get another for free) and had my purse ripped off as I was removing ice cream from freezer. I can't help but think that if I was wearing my gi and did not appear as an average mom shopping for her children, this guy would have never targeted me.

But then again ....

 

I would say most attackers would target people that they thought wouldn't put up a fight...

I mean there are plenty of women out there, why take the one that might be difficult.

Like a Beware of Dog sign, deters break ins.... even if there isn't really a dog in the house.

 

*looks down* I'm wearing my dojo sweatshirt right now. Heh.
I don't blare it out obviously, like bringing it up in conversation, but I don't hide it, either. I think it is more your attitude that makes you less of a target. Be too obvious about your training, and people will know you're insecure. Hide it totally, and you're not unlike anyone else.

 

maybe if it wasnt flaunted like you boast about it... and advertise but not constantly... youd be safe...

nvm, its not safe either way.. just hope the potential attackers are idiots..

 

I have had dojo T-shirts in the past and saw no problem with wearing them in public although my husband was questioned quite a few times when he wore his. No one ever challenged either of us and it was more out of interest than anything else that he was approached. My current sensei has given my daughter a lovely karate hat and my son a dojo pin which they both proudly wear - hasn't been a problem.

Have to agree it might actually deter some attackers who would be attacking for your purse or belongings, why make it hard for themselves?

 

I'm in the middle on this one. :Angel:

We have lovely dojo teeshirts and coats however I usually keep these to wear at MA weekend camps. I don't go about flaunting myself [as a MA practioner] generally however I do keep very aware when I'm out and about and keep my wallet and car keys as safe as they can be!

I tend to think that they prefer the easy targets rather than the hard targets so try to be a hard target. Look alert, look at people and be prepared is better than advertising IMHO. That way if anyone does try something, you have the edge because they don't know what you are capable of.

As one of my teachers has always said, train as though any attacker you may meet is a 7 Dan [or above] Black belt, that way you will react as you have trained. Train sloppy you will react sloppy, and your life is too precious to waste like that!

 

i Guess this applies more to guys than to girls...

but as a guy i'de be EXTREMELY unlikely to wear a sweatshirt or jacket advertising martial arts outside of class/the house/ similar event.
It's just asking for trouble. " think you're hard do you? "

i think its a pretty different case for women... i think it probably makes little difference to your chances of being attacked (unless your wearing a kendo suit) I wouldn't think about it as a deterent at all. it's just another t-shirt.

-Qis

 

I have no problem with it. Wearing your belt outside the dojang for my instructor is a big no no. But like Kickchick said, I often run into a nearby grocery in my uni and don't care what others think. I think other than a blind sided attack, my demeanor would deter anyone from wanting to fight me. Plus my size helps, I'm pretty big and that alone might keep someone from fighting me. But size AND MA's? It works for me.

 

It may go either way imo depending on the attacker. It may scare some but it may also provoke some. I don't like to wear my gi in public at all. I rarely wear a ma shirt, however I have dragons and tigers on my cloths . I just love dragons and tigers . Not sure if ppl would pic up on that at all. I do like those animals from kenpo and personal philosophy. Your cloths do express some of your personality and if you wanna wear a ma shirt I say go for it. It's cool if you don't brag to ppl. I keep the ma talk to ma friends (thats why I got lots of ma friends). I don't wear any tapout shirts because I refuse to be apart of that sort of fad. I do take an intrest when I see ppl with ma stuff on their cars and would start up a conversation with them. It could very well be a good social stance.

edit: Lol, just noticed i'm wearing a buttoned up dragon shirt with baggy pants with a huge tiger on the side.

this is a very valid point imo. I have never looked at it that way. I really don't like to advertise personally though.

 

Well first off I'm not a woman, but

I don't really advertise I take karate. It just has a way of getting out, when I tested for the first time a couple friends had asked me to go out with them, I said I couldn't they asked why, I said I had a test, they asked what kind of test on a Friday night. I explained, and they came up to watch and liked it. However they tryed to pull some stuff on me after class!

And today also, someone was looking at my phone which contains a phonebook entry titled 'karate'. They asked, I said it was my karate school, "Oh you take karate?". I wear my dojo shirt around the house but as far as public goes, it seems most people just know I do it, and I've never gotten in a (real) fight over it.

Maybe carriyng a MA keychain would be good to deter an attack, if it were sharp and all

 

if people know that you study martial arts you can't "suprise them" imho those few seconds of supprise could mean all the difference in the world. its just my opinion though.



good thread

 

I'm no woman either, but I don't advertise period. Religion, ethnic backround, hobbies, etc. I mean, if people really cared, they'd just ask me, right?

But, I don't think it's all bad that those girls do it. If a guys says he can fight, macho guy want to prove him wrong. If a girl says it, it might ward off would-be rapists (who are usually scrawny losers).

PL

 

as another guy, ditto that - I've had that happen to me - I was in a bar wearing my uni tkd top, and someone tried to start a fight with me just like that. fortunately he was more than a bit tipsy and nothing actually happened, the bouncer came across and the other guy ran off. don't think it's ever had the opposite effect, but then I wouldn't notice, would I?

 

I was mugged once while wearing my kwoon´s t-shirt. The opening line was something alone the lines of "You know jiu jitsu? Well, I have a gun, gimme what you have".

So I think it is really a moot point. But then I live in Brazil.

 

Classic!

Shouldn't laugh I know, but I've always been dead set against students wearing MA gear when they leave/are coming to training.

Talk about situational awareness?

That's just begging for trouble, never mind the inflammatory message on the T'shirt.

 

I'm a guy, but personally I don't think that it's a good idea to advertise your abiltiies too much. Wearing your Gi, or a t-shirt/sweater or whatever may just serve as a red rag to a bull to some would-be attackers. And, as estranged13 says, by not warning your attacker you may gain the element of surprise.

I think your best defence is a threefold thing: Be alert to your surroundings and those around you; be confident - walk with your head up, keep moving and know where you are going - or at least look like you do; and avoid any areas yu are uncomfortable with. Keep in the light from the streetlamps, stay away from the entrances to any alleys between buildings, look at the reflections in shop windows as you pass to see around corners or to see who is behind you.

Hope that's of some help.