What grinds your gears???

[Si Dei]

A guy at my work did that karate kid stand on one leg thing and make a Bruce Lee like sound. I acted impressed and said that it was from a littel know style in the equine system.He got a happy look on his face tell I said it was called Jack Ass stands on one foot.

[Subitai]

I guess this could be considered just as much a compliment as something that is annoying.

* One time a local Karate school, had some guys come watch and then participate in one class.

Later one of my students saw one these "undercover agents" on campus of his college. He found out that the reason they came to the school was to get some new material, namely: Drills.
I think that's cheesy, they won't really understand what they are doing from the context of Hung anyway.

But I've had another guy who was visiting my area (tourist during summer) and was open about calling me. Telling who he was, what his school does and that he wanted to get in quick private lesson. No problem, honest is always the best policy.
So apparently, his school (somewhere in Pennsyvania) is very honest about sending out intructors to other schools and then when they come back....they all get together and add to the depth of their knowledge.

I said, so long as your honest about it...cool. I don't care. Hey privates and seminars are good for business anyway.

[ironpalm]

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

[Daifong]

Hmm, Nobody ever heard that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"?

I'm cool with that, I'm used to it. People can imitate my drills all they want, if they haven't got the spirit, they aren't going to get it. H*ll, people imitate whole styles...

All of the phoney Hung Ga that we keep seeing should be case enough in point!

Still, I would definitely have more respect for a guy that comes and introduces himself as a martial artist, and further says, "I like your drill, I'd like to use it", than somebody who just sends his guy around to "acquire" whatever it is they think they need...

(Anyway, if somebody can "get my skill" by "stealing my drills", then I would have to say that he deserves it!)

Now, how about those guys, I know that we've all seen them, you know, the guys with all those questions and/ or opinions about M/A that are "lousy"...

...then, somebody who is actually good introduces himself to the forum, bringing courteous, stimulating and insightful topics of debate...and nobody will so much as even talk to the fellow?

LMAO, what is up with that?!



Best,

Michael

[TenTigers]

yeah, and how many times have you heard, "Yeah, but while you're doing this, I can ..." Completely forgetting that, While I'm doing this, I'm punching the shit out of you. duh.

Of course the whole MMA crowd ranking on Kung-Fu....
or ...how people dropping all their technique in their system in favor of kickboxing, and then justifying it by saying that "well, we have jab, cross, uppercut, hook, etc in our system.." or, "When in actual fighting, it boils down to basic technique" sure, but is that all you have? Then why not just quit Kung-Fu altogether. Of course, some people have, but that's a whole other Pandora's Box...
don't get me started...

[ginosifu]

[TenTigers]

ok, here's something.
So, after much deliberation and egging on by my students, and tai-chi buddies, I decided to start a small Yang Tai-Chi class.
So..when I teach, I stress application. I feel it allows Tai-Chi students to better understand their movement, and if even though you just want it for health- yi leads ch'i, then you need to know application. Otherwise your Tai-Chi is just one step above bedsores.
So...after a free intro class, nobody ever signs up. Even though many of the people are blown away, they really enjoy it-and you can see it in their eyes, they don't return.

The awful truth is, they actually WANT the lame, only for exercise, David Carradine, granola Tai-Chi.
I'm disgusted.

[Subitai]

[TenTigers]

[Daifong]

Ok, this just doesn't sit right with me, and probably never will:

Instructors who, in effect, play "God", by attracting those susceptible to such manipulation, and running their school for all intents and purposes as some sort of a modern-day "cult".

Such instructors do not even particularly need to have much skill, just have a flair for "pageantry", and run their little "program" on susceptible minds.

From what I have seen, the main reason that they get away with it, is a lack of understanding by the students as to what constitutes a normal teacher/ student relationship. As the student continues in this fashion, all ordinary boundaries are eroded, with the result being that the student has, effectively, been brainwashed.

Character is important in a position of trust, and the means must be consistent with the end. Students who feel that they are being isolated ("our school is the best-and-only, everybody else is baaad...don't associate, stay awaaay!"), denied personal dignity ("you are nothing, you are disrespectful.. don't make trouble, or you'll be kicked out!"), and otherwise prevented from effectiveness (participation, learning, future potential) should definitely take a serious stock of their situation.

There are other variations on being manipulated and used, including getting "buttered up", and offered position and reputation if you just so happen to be skillful or are just big and strong (by no particular doing of that school), and start to feel more than somewhat taken advantage of.

The good news is, last time I checked, there is a wide, wide world of opportunity awaiting, with a reasonable system of checks and balances in place, and gainful, wholesome training in the martial arts!



Best,

Michael

[Subitai]

[ironpalm]

[Daifong]

I think we can all agree that those are bad. Now, here is a whole new gear-grinder:

Once a student realizes he's been cheated, that the material he's learned is fraudulent, and that the teacher isn't who or what he claimed to be, what does that student reasonably do?

Does he:

A) Quit immediately, find a proper teacher, grateful for the chance to learn correctly from the beginning (and if that student has already started teaching, does he also let his students know)?

B) Quit and find a proper teacher, to "correct his system", then busy himself with "looking and sounding as close as possible" to what is (apparently) being taught, all the while maintaining that his previous foundation is somehow valid, therefore his instructor status is still perfectly intact, take some pictures, then disappear as soon as he has done the bare minimum to get away with fooling the average 1-3 year student?

C) Check his investments, think better of making the honest change, collude with the instructor who cheated him, and so just continue to perpetuate the fraud?

We all come across examples of these from time to time, it's a wonderful exercise in ethics, and food for thought!



Best,

Michael

[tokyojef]

belts hold up your pants... LOLZ thumbs up