Perceptions and mis-Conceptions

This story is about two conversations, one I had back in 1978, and one I had around 2005, both dealing with the martial arts and training.

Back in 1978 while serving in the U.S. Navy in Japan, I tested for black belt for the first time, in a Tang Soo Do class. I failed. Miserably. I waited about 6 months, re-tested, and passed. Here's where the first conversation comes in.

I was riding a bus downtown to the hot baths and a Japanese fellow noticed I had a gi with a black belt tied around it.

Him: "Oh, you are a judo student?"

Me: "No, karate. I really enjoy it. Do you also study?"

Him: "No, my parents never let me because they thought I would turn into a

gangster."

Me: "A gangster?! From karate training?"

Him: "Yes, you know, judo produces gentlemen, but karate, if you aren't careful, you could get really caught up in the training, and it could change your life."

Him: "Do you do anything else?"

Me: "Yes, I also study Aikido, but I have only started recently." (

Him: "Ah I see. You are a Buddhist?"

Me: "No, I'm Catholic, why?"

Him: "You will never go far in Aikido, without a basis in Buddhism. It doesn't work any other way."

The second conversation took place in 2005 in Taiwan. The weather was hot and very humid. People tend to sit in lobbies or in building foyers, out of the sun, where it’s cool. In the foyer on the 6th floor where I was living, two elderly Taiwanese gentlemen were sitting and enjoying the relative coolness of the hallway. I thought, what the heck, they're neighbors, lets see if I can chat with them, and practice Chinese, and maybe elicit a little information about Taiwan martial arts. So, imagine this conversation taking place (in Chinese):

Me: (to the first guy), "Old mister, how are you?" (to the second guy), "Old mister, how are things today?" "Old Mister (Lǎo Xiānsheng in Mandarin) is a polite but not stuffy title.

Old guy 1: "How are you?"

Old guy 2: "Very good, and you?"

Me: Old misters, can I offer you a cup of tea?"

Old guy1: "Ah......what kind?"

Oold guy2: "Tea....tea.....American tea?" (Because of course, American tea is weak, flavorless, and if I offered them our Lipton tea, it would be a very bad start to things)

Me: "No, I have Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy - very popular), and Pu'er

(another kind of tea also popular), and I can prepare either in the proper manner."

Old guy1: (just looking at me)

Old guy2: (looks as though he would like to run away)

Old guy1: "Okay, ah...Tie Guan Yin, you said?"

Oold guy2: (taking his clue from his buddy): "Yes, Tie Guan Yin is good."

So I make tea for all three of us, and as we are sipping tea (I know its a hot day, but tea is always acceptable), and then I pop the questions.

Me: "Old misters, did you study martial arts?"

Old guy1: "What, you mean Chi-gung?"

(Chi-gung is very popular here, but it’s just the healthy exercises, no real martial art applications. The Taiwans, like Mainland China, consider working with Chi to be something not necessarily connected to the martial arts.)

Old guy2: "What, you mean like Tai Chi?"

Me: "Well, I mean more like Shaolin, or White Crane."

Old guy1: "You know, Shaolin is very hard on the body, you should study Tai Chi. Its very good for you."

Old guy2: "And Chi-gung, its very good too, and if you can't study Tai Chi, you can still learn Chi gung."

Me: "Well, I can study Tai Chi and Chi-gung sometime, but while I am here in Taiwan, I kind of wanted to study Taiwan's martial arts, like White Crane boxing."

Old guy1: "You know, this Tie Guan yin is very good, who taught you to make it?"

Me: "My Mandarin language teacher, she also taught me to make tea."

Old guy 2: "Why do you want to learn Chi-gung?"

Me: "No, old mister, please excuse me, I would like to learn something like Yong Chuan, or White Crane, something more....martial."

(Yong Chuan is the Mandarin pronunciation for "Wing Chun")

Old guy1: "Was your teacher from the mainland? Because your accent sounds like Beijing-dialect."

Me: "No, she was from Taiwan, but everybody learns the Beijing-dialect because its considered the standard. Sorry, it must sound rather harsh to you."

Old guy 2: "So, how long have you studied Tai Chi?"

Me: "I studied Wu family Tai Chi a long time ago, but the teacher moved away. But about Taiwan martial arts...."

Old guy 2: Because, you know, Tai Chi is really good for you."

Old guy1: "Yes, you want to stay away from the hard arts, things happen to your body if you aren't careful."

Well, we were finished with the tea by then, and they declined a second cup. As they got on to the elevator, I heard Old guy1 say, "he's a good boy, but a little hard to understand."