Training in a public park

[evergrey]

OSU

Ever train in a public park? Ever teach or go to a class in a public park? If so, were you given any grief about it? How did the public respond? How important do you think it is to go wearing uniforms? My thought is that some gis would probably give the police and passers-by the cue that it's a class, not people fighting or yelling at each other.

Thanks!

OSU

[wullie]

Senshido's had us running through the town, bunny hopping up the biggest set of stairs in the town and various other things.
Planning a few out door sessions for my kickboxing class over the summer.
The local cops borrow our dojo now and again for their training seminars so leave us to our own devices. Uniform is the best idea though because as you said it lets people know its a club thing and not a brawl lol!

[powerof0ne]

I have, and I have mixed feelings about it. I primarily only like to do it if it was a run but I'm not much of a runner anymore!

One individual I was training under once decided to have taining int he park for a while. I got there to watch his ninjitsu class and two drunk guys came up and I wanted to bash both of their heads in right away because I could tell where it was going. However, the instructor humored them and had his top ninjitsu student actually spar one of them that said he was a wrestler...wrestler got tapped out fast many times. I didn't need to step in and looking back I think this instructor was actually trying to sell these drunks that what he does has worth.

I on the other hand wanted to slam both of their heads together and was itching to jump in but I was young and dumb. BTW, I also wasn't training ninjitsu LOL...this individual taught ninjitsu and kyokushin/kickboxing/judo/pencak silat also.

I've taught in the park but we were all wearing normal shorts or MT shorts so I guess we didn't stand out as much. The average age of people training was 22 and most were in good shape which I think deterred any morons from interrupting.

With all of that being said I prefer to train inside. Unless it's summer or wintercamp, etc. I wouldn't want to normally be going to the park with a few people in dogi performing kihon, kata, etc. because in all honesty this won't attract the average person and I think doing kumite in a public park can be viewed as showing off and might get the cops called LOL!
Osu!

[evergrey]

OSU,
We're going to train in the park because well uh... we cannot afford a dojo of our own! And I don't think we've been around the dojo we both train at long enough to start asking about adding a class or two. So, it'll be my Sensei teaching a couple of my housemates and I to start. No charging money or anything like that at this point. None of us have any, lol!

If the police come, I guess we'll invite them to come train too sometime.

[powerof0ne]

If you feel and everybody else feels comfortable training in a park, then that's great. I was just expressing my opinion on it is all.

The problem with a public park, at least in the USA is an issue of liability, legally. That park could ask somebody to stop training in martial arts although I have never seen nor heard of that happening. I'm also not one that supports that kind of legal liability issue but things are just so damn politically correct now, it's not even funny .
Osu!

[evergrey]

OSU,
That's a good point p01, and a real possibility here in the Bay Area. We went and did a short session last weekend, and all that happened was that the dog walkers cleared out in a hurry. I think they feared my pigtails of dooooom, haha!
OSU

[smoke]

I just ran outside today while doing my Shodan test. Yes, not park, but still public.

[MMX]

So did you pass Smoke?

[smoke]

[MMX]

Osu!

Congrats sir!

[senshido]

well done smoke... Osu!

[evergrey]

OSU smoke, congrats!

BTW our park class went great. Really glad I got a bottle of "Shout" for the grass stains, heheh.