Chapter 10: I've just Realised...me, myself and I as an Aikidocca are all as one...spooky

You begin to realise that you may have become slightly obsessed with a martial art when you begin to no longer feel pain, or flinch when people sneak up on you and make you jump (which frequently happens in my workplace).
I used to think that maybe the Aikidocca inside of me would only come alive in the dojo and then lay dormant til the next session. How wrong I was.
I started to realise that my training was beginning to 'kick in' as it were when I longer flinched at sudden loud noises. Aikido training also comes in handy when you are on the train and a completely and utter stranger (who may be drunk) sits down opposite or worst, next to you and catters on. This frequently seems to happen to me... I must have the sort of face that's kinda honest and friendly (or else look like a complete mug) that makes people approach me. Now as a woman, this is quite frankly scary.. I mean, there are hundreds of other seats, why pick me? Anyway.. back to the scary stranger. The important thing I learnt from Aikido is not to panic or engage conversation - just ignore them...and hope they go away.
Oh yeah, teenage kids living around me seem to think that its great fun to walk around in large gangs and try and be scary by shouting in people's faces. Well, since I've started Aikido this no longer works.. I just stand my ground and glare and they back off. Quite interesting really.
You also find with starting a martial art that people (especially work colleagues) give you some stick or respect, depending on who they are. For example, I usually get 'You don't look like you do a martial art' and 'I would never picture you doing that kinda thing'. (What I usually do is grin real wide... and just ignore them, especially when they start saying 'Better not get on the wrong side of you' etc. and all the rest of it)But yes.. the stick does get a little irritating, but the fact is is that people are fascinated when they meet a martial artist, it has a air of mystery to it. So I'm now a woman of many mysteries at work, great- beats being the youngest anyway.