Gay and Martial Arts

LegacyUser

Just wondering are there any other gay guys or gals out there that are into martial arts. As far as I know there are none in the association that I am part off.

rainbow kirby

I did martial arts for 12 years (kenpo for 7 years and ITF taekwondo for 5 years - I'm a gay female), though I've not practiced in a few years. I know of at least 1 other LGBT-identified person who was a member of my TKD club. It was never, ever an issue when I did TKD.

On the other hand, one of the reasons why I quit kenpo was because my instructor was making openly homophobic statements in class - "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" and all that sort of crap.

easychair

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I did martial arts for 12 years (kenpo for 7 years and ITF taekwondo for 5 years - I'm a gay female), though I've not practiced in a few years. I know of at least 1 other LGBT-identified person who was a member of my TKD club. It was never, ever an issue when I did TKD.

On the other hand, one of the reasons why I quit kenpo was because my instructor was making openly homophobic statements in class - "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" and all that sort of crap.

Only knowing you from your posts here, I am surprised that you gave up something you enjoyed because the instructor made such silly remarks.

I have heard this before too, and the last time I replied "some say god also made the cliche" before giving a loud laugh and looking directly at the person responsible. That had the effect of shutting him up, but if it didn't I'd have no hesitation in reporting him to his boss. It's illegal to make such remarks in the workplace ( I assume he was wordkng as your instructor), and that should have made him think about not making such crass remarks in future, and also make him feel a little ashamed for making someone feel uncomfortable.

Actually, I am getting quite angry typing this, realising that this type of thing still goes on!

rainbow kirby

easychair wrote: »

Only knowing you from your posts here, I am surprised that you gave up something you enjoyed because the instructor made such silly remarks.

I was 17 at the time and had been contemplating trying something new for a while, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. 27 year old me would probably have handled it differently.

syklops

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I was 17 at the time and had been contemplating trying something new for a while, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. 27 year old me would probably have handled it differently.

By training hard and kicking his ass?

Moon Indigo

Think homophobia still exists in all its glory and sometimes people choose to be quiet about sexuality. I did alot of martial arts when I was younger. Started young 4/5 ish and continued on till I was 18. I have done Karate, Aikido, Kempo, Tai Chi (not sure that counts!), Kick Boxing, and some other strange hybrid style. I stopped ten years ago and at the time it was more that girls weren't taking serious in the sport in my opinion.
Oh I am female by the way.

deepseacreature

In my Martial Arts class there's one other guy who's gay and his parents are the instructors. Really cool actually.

L.Jenkins

Haven't really experienced homophobia when I was practitioner. I was in Karate, Nin Jitsu and TKD for 4/5 years, until I was badly injured. Thinking of going back to MMA :P

Sir Ophiuchus

I practised AIMAA tae kwon do for about eight years, but ended up giving it up when I came to college. I don't do martial arts any more due to a physical limitation, unfortunately.

easychair

Sir Ophiuchus wrote: »

I practised AIMAA tae kwon do for about eight years, but ended up giving it up when I came to college. I don't do martial arts any more due to a physical limitation, unfortunately.

I once saw Martial arts on the telly, but an not sure what that adds to the thread here were I to tell everyone about it?

Sir Ophiuchus

easychair wrote: »

I once saw Martial arts on the telly, but an not sure what that adds to the thread here were I to tell everyone about it?

Sorry, are you arguing that AIMAA tae kwon do isn't real, claiming that having studied martial arts for eight years is irrelevant because I no longer practise it, or just being an asshole?

Edit: Or did you mistake quote for reply, and not mean to quote me at all?

easychair

Sir Ophiuchus wrote: »

Sorry, are you arguing that AIMAA tae kwon do isn't real, claiming that having studied martial arts for eight years is irrelevant because I no longer practise it, or just being an asshole?

Edit: Or did you mistake quote for reply, and not mean to quote me at all?

As I have not the faintest idea what AIMAA tae kwon do is, I wasn't arguing that it isn't real. I didn't even mention it, or mention it's reality or otherwise in my post!

Sir Ophiuchus

easychair wrote: »

As I have not the faintest idea what AIMAA tae kwon do is, I wasn't arguing that it isn't real. I didn't even mention it, or mention it's reality or otherwise in my post!

Okay. What you did was quote my post, then say that you'd once seen martial arts on the TV but wouldn't see the point in telling everyone about it. Can you see how that remark, in the context of my post which you quoted, might give the impression you were comparing my telling people about my tae kwon do experience to your telling people about watching martial arts on TV? And then saying you wouldn't see the point of telling anyone about the latter? And do you see how I might be offended by such a comparison?

The point of quoting a previous post is to put your own in context. If your post wasn't a direct reply to mine, then it shouldn't have quoted it. If that was an accident, fine, we'll both go on with our lives. But it came across as you being sarcastic and giving me a put-down.

Although only loosely based on Martial Arts really, myself and my girlfriends do Capoeira. It is a dance form fused with martial arts that results in a discipline that is entirely useless in either a fight or dance floor situation.

It does however do wonders for the stamina and health, (much needed when one is in a truple not a couple for obvious reasons), looks pretty cool when you do get to demonstrate it, and being dance more than martial arts it tends to attract less phobic-macho types such as Rainbow Kirbys teacher and more accepting of alternate life style people. The girls and myself have been nothing but accepted in the classes.