Zaine

Something that I like about Clarke's approach is that it's analysis. I've read enough history to understand the overview, there's only so much I can learn at a surface level. In all, I find that martial arts has fewer people critically engaging with the history than I would like. The why of history is really important, and we tend to focus on what happened. Even then, however, I find that a lot of the critical engagement is less about looking for truth and more about saying that this tradition is more correct than that one.

Congrats!

Congrats!

It's a lot of fun if you've played those games in the past. I found it fun revisiting some of my favorites.

Congrats!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

I didn't know that! I might look into it then, I like holding the magazine when I read articles.

They have moved to a digital only model, which is not how I like to consume my written media. I would take a look at some of the articles they have published recently and see if it's something that you're interested in. As far as I remember, they talk a lot about the MMA side of martial arts, which is not really what I'm into.

Absolutely. Culture of the school is just as important, if not more, than what you're learning. I would much rather go to a place that was welcoming and friendly than somewhere that had a reputation for good martial arts but bad attitudes.

That's a common trap. Don't focus on doing it perfectly. Focus on doing it better than you did it yesterday. Progress over perfection.

Nothing has been released as to the cause of his passing.

You're doing great! Keep at it!

I have not, though it looks very fun. It actually reminds me a little of my brother, who quit doing karate because our sensei didn't teach sparring with weapons. In my brother's summation, there was no reason to learn it if he didn't get to use it, so he walked away because he couldn't advance without learning bo.

Tales from the Western Generation by Matthew Apsokardu

This isn't actually a new thing, we just have a little recency bias. I was commiserating with a friend on this exact topic the other day and we, like you, seemed to notice a rise in people not wanting to put in the actual work for a belt. America, and the West in general, is full of consumers. We love our instant gratification. We love our same-day deliveries. However, instructors in the 60s and 70s were complaining about the same thing. I've recently picked up Tales from the Western Generation by Matthew Apsokardu. It's a book that is full of interviews from the people who brought karate from Okinawa to the U.S. in the mid 1900s. In it, multiple sensei detail that they had/have issues with students who wanted status without discipline and time served. I was surprised to find that they had much the same complaints as I did with my friend. I came up in the early 2000s. I got my shodan in 2007/8. Thinking back, I can remember there were a number of people not satisfied with their progress and so they left. Some left for easier programs, others left martial arts altogether. That it seems a more recent phenomenon to us might just be that we're in a position of leadership now, or our relationships with our sensei have become more casual and friendly than they were. We are now more aware of the problem because it effects us in a different way. So, to answer your question. It is a real thing. There are plenty of people who want to say that they're a black belt but don't want to put in the work. I've certainly encountered it in my community. There will always be people who join who don't intend to play by the rules. We just have to give them the same as everyone else. The long-term students will come.