Monday, February 11, 2008

Hi-Ya!

Here's a random thought that occurred to me while driving home earlier today: one of the advantages to our boys' being of Asian descent is that the annoying stereotype that all Asians are martial artists can work in their favor.


Consider this: when I was in fourth grade, a boy in my class approached me during recess and started making quasi-martial arts noises (you know, "chung chicka chung chicka chung chang chung chong!"). He then asked me if I knew karate. I took in his question as calmly as I could, all the time wanting to smash his face in.

"Yes," I replied coolly (ahem, I mean, lied).

You should have seen the reverence on his face. Shoot, if I told him I could fly a la Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he probably would've believed that, too. You never know what lethal powers and ancient secrets lurk beneath that Asian mystique. Either way, it was a certainty that he would never mess with me again.

In reality, I am considering sending our boys to martial arts' school when they're older simply because I think self-defense skills are useful to have in such a dangerous world as ours. If they reinforce the Asian martial artist stereotype, well, so be it. At least they'll have a fighting chance of walking away from a potential confrontation in one piece.

Heeeeee-ya! Wa-chee! Hi-ya!

1 comment:

Precious Wonders and Little Monkeys said...

Hehe! All my children will take martial arts for the fact that I won't always be beside them to protect them. People have said,"Your children are so cute, you need a gun to protect them"; my answer, "No, they need martial arts so they can protect themselves." You made me laugh. HIIIII YAAAAAHHH!

One guy my husband works with was sitting at a bar and watched some bouncers trying to stop a massive brawl. A young Asian man asked if they needed help which he was turned down. A few minutes later, a drink hit the Asian man so he jumped up and laid out 12 guys flat with crazy flying leaps and kicks! The co-worker was so amazed he said... You have to get your daughter in Martial Arts because that was the coolest thing he ever saw!