Line #5 Main/BlackBeltInOrigami


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4	->'''Ella:''' Look, I think it's only fair to warn you that I'm practiced in the ancient art... of origami.\
5	'''Thug:''' Paper folding?\
6	'''Ella:''' I was hoping you wouldn't know what that was.
7	-->-- ''Film/EllaEnchanted''
8
9	A character is being threatened with violence, and tries to tough-talk their way out. Only, they can't legitimately claim to [[IKnowKarate know karate]] or anything remotely scary, so they threaten the opponent with some [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign random foreign-sounding words]] as a bluff, hoping the enemy will be too dumb to understand. The most common variant involves origami, the Japanese term for paper folding art, but just about any foreign word will do.
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11	In fiction, this actually tends to work at least half the time, with the opponent backing away nervously, or at least hesitating long enough for the BigDamnHeroes to arrive. This can easily be subverted, however, if the opponent actually turns out to know what origami/Hitachi/Franchise/{{P\|okemon}}achirisu actually is.
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13	Compare/Contrast MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels, AsLongAsItSoundsForeign, IKnowKungFaux. Not to be confused with OrigamiGag. If the character actually ''does'' have a black belt in origami, it's MartialArtsAndCrafts and/or PaperMaster. Pity the opponent who [[MuggingTheMonster mistakes either one for this trope]].
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15	----
16	!!Examples:
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18	[[folder:ComicBooks]]
19	* In an issue of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'', Spidey (Miguel O'Hara) warns an attacking cyborg samurai assassin: "I know karate, kung fu... and several other dangerous words."
20	* Variant: in ''ComicStrip/{{Mafalda}}'', Manolito describes how [[{{Seppuku}} samurai stab themselves with their own swords]] "and make the Ikebana". Once Mafalda disses him off saying that is a flower arrangement, he tries to save himself with "It's the funeral, stupid!".
21	* ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'': During a ''Hacknoia'' campaign, Bob maxes out his character's skill in Tai Chi -- thinking that it is a kickass martial art -- because it is cheap. It is only after he gets into a fight that Sara explains that it is a form of moving meditation. [[note]]Sara is, in fact, incorrect. Tai Chi is a legitimate martial art. Unlike other martial arts, however, practicing kata for Tai Chi is done slowly. In a fight, Tai Chi would be executed quickly. Think [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Waterbending]] without the water. It's also the case that many Tai Chi classes do teach it purely as a meditation/exercise routine, and that even as a martial art, it's a largely defensive one.[[/note]]
22	* Played with in a ''Lupo Alberto'' strip where [[TheFool Glicerina]] would go around throwing karate chops in the air, shouting, and singing, because he had decided to become a black belt in ''karaoke'', much to everyone else's confusion.
23	[[/folder]]
24
25	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
26	* In ''WesternAnimation/RecessSchoolsOut'' is the TropeNamer where TJ yells about his knowledge of origami at the {{Mooks}} dragging him off from his escaping friends.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
30	* In ''Film/EllaEnchanted'', Ella encounters {{Mooks}} bullying the elf Slannen. After he (semi-unintentionally) orders her to help him, she threatens the {{Mooks}} with origami. Unfortunately, one of them actually knows what that is.
31	* In ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII'' when the Turtles get sent back to feudal Japan, Donatello greets someone by saying 'Konichi wa Wasabi' which Raph immediately lampshades by confusedly asking 'Hello Mustard?'
32	* In ''Film/Transformers2007'', when being taken in for questioning, one of the characters claims that he has a black belt in karaoke.
33	* In ''Film/TradingPlaces'', Creator/EddieMurphy's character tries to impress some inmates in jail by claiming he is a "chain belt in Kung Fu". He then goes on to perform his [[https://youtu.be/frT6TKyJ_cw?t=13 Quart of Blood technique]].
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Literature]]
37	* In the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresTransit Transit]]'', the Doctor gets past some Japanese {{Mooks}} by using the court dialect of the Japanese royal family. They recognised it, but didn't understand it, which was just as well, since he said "Make way, for I am the official keeper of the Emperor's penguins and his majesty's laundry basket is on fire."
38	* ''The Captain's Daughter'', a Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse novel by Creator/PeterDavid, has the same line as Spidey 2099 almost word-for-word. (Not a big surprise, as David was the co-creator and writer of Spiderman 2099.) It also gets lampshaded as an old joke, much to the disappointment of Demora Sulu, who thought her father made it up.
39	* In one of Beverly Cleary's ''Ramona'' books, one of Ramona's classmates wants to "prove" that [[IKnowKarate he mastered karate]] over the summer on the first day of school, so he jumps in front of her and shouts "Ho-ha!" (instead of "Hai-ya!")
40	* In book two of ''Literature/TheTrialsOfApollo'', Calypso attempts to scare away Commodus' {{Mooks}} by pretending to curse them. Apollo notes that her chant is really a recipe for pancakes [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld in ancient Phoenician]].
41	[[/folder]]
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43	[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
44	* The ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "Cash and Curry" might feature the oldest-recorded use of this exact phrase, used by Del in an attempt to bluff an ability in martial arts. Oddly, he manages to beat his foe just by uttering the word "police", [[spoiler: which causes everyone present (including the camera operator) to turn to look in the other direction, giving Del just enough time to [[GroinAttack knee his opponent in the groin]] and then resume standing casually, as if nothing out-of-the-ordinary had occurred.]]
45	* At one point in ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Ross insists that he knows a martial arts technique called "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unagi Unagi.]]" Rachel and Phoebe, however, know what the word actually means and spend much of the episode after making jokes about it.
46	* Inverted in a ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' episode. Ted knows that his girlfriend practices "krav maga" but assumes that it's something like yoga. [[spoiler:He finds out that it's a fighting style the hard way.]]
47	* On one episode of ''Series/TheSlammer'' the Governor employs a robot warder called Wardrobe 2000 who is expert in "karate, jujitsu and the macarena".
48	* In an episode of ''Series/{{Passions}}'' Luis and Sheridan walk in on Julian and Rebecca in a compromising position. Julian claims to be showing Rebecca an origami move. Luis snarkily responds, "Yeah, I heard you had a black belt in origami."
49	* In ''Series/{{Soap}}'', Billy threatens his girlfriend's ex with Tai Chi.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
53	* Patsy from ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'' claims to have a black belt in ''bok choy'' (Chinese cabbage).
54	* The origami version appears in the AnimatedAdaptation series of ''The Faraway Tree''.
55	* Subverted by ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' in the "[[MemeticMutation omelette du fromage]]" episode. Dexter could only utter this phrase, which served him not only scare away bullies, but also ace tests, seduce women, win gameshows, create world peace, and release a solo album, among other things... except for [[Main/InventionalWisdom entering his lab]].
56	* Played with in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' episode "Beyond a Reasonable Scout". When threatened with violence, the scout Phil retorts that he is highly trained in the art of first aid. Instead of this being a counter martial art, he explains that he'll be able to heal whatever injury he might incur.
57	* A ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' episode has Shaggy trying to bluff a Chinese ghost by saying "I know Judo, Chop Suey and Chinese checkers!"
58	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons:'' Homer tried to bluff his way into getting a veteran's discount by pretending to have served in Vietnam. He shouted several Asian words (up to and including Creator/MargaretCho) as reference to specific battles he was supposedly involved with.
59	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / BlackBeltInOrigami