The misconception

"No, i can't beat everyone up", "no i don't kick trees", and "no i'm not going to the UFC" that last one always cracks me up. I often have to answer questions about training and fighting which I love to do. However, just because I am a trainer and fighter it doesn't mean i'm ready to open a can of whoop ass if someone looks at me funny. In fact the real truth is due to my training I am way less likely to fight outside the gym at all. Also, I am not invincible. I have seen many times guys with no skills whatsoever beat a guy with years of training by a simple lucky punch. I would agree that fighters are definitely a little intimidating but ravenous scavengers of the untrained...I think not. Here's an example of how training can backfire. When I was about 11 years old i was a green belt in Taekwondo. I went to visit my cousins in the projects in Chicago. For whatever reason they exclaimed to their friends that I was taking Karate and that I could beat up everyone. I was then challenged to a fight by one of the kids, I immediately declined. After massive amounts of peer pressure, name calling and so forth I decided to take the challenge, besides i know all of my forms to a "T" and i've been known to break a couple of boards in my day. So I got in my best stance and prepared for battle. The kid then grabbed a mop handle leaning against a nearby wall and whacked me squarely across the head. Lesson learned.
Just because we train hard with blood, sweat, and tears doesn't mean we can beat up the world. I think it definitely gives us an advantage in a street fight but we are human. Again, most of the time we don't want to fight in the street anyway. How do we earn any money or have the ability to even take a fight if we're nursing a broken hand from smashing Billy Badass over a parking space.
In closing, try your best to maintain your humble demeanor or fighter's karma may come back to whack you in the head with a mop handle.

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