karate philosophy VS. female vanity.

[CloudDragon]

WOW! my first * the word I was using that was so dirty was a word that means jerk in Hebrew. Just insert it there.

[ramymensa]

That was plain unbehaved from her. I should find some nice persons there and they'd help you. And as it has been said before, if you feel they're all against you, seek another place.

 

As for being well looking ... they're envious. As long as you don't knock them down with the perfume and don't paint their gis with the colours from your makeup, I really don't know what their problem is, really. I'd rather work with a person that seems too taken care of than one whos dirty and stinky. I don't wear make up, but I sometimes show up dressed a bit more nicely than it's expected for a trip to the gym. I wear a discreet perfume and I am always picked by the instructors to demonstrate something that requires close contact.

 

So just do your styff. Let them know you are for real and they'll eventually stop being obnoxious.

[White Warlock]

Wee, a fun topic.

 

I wish you would work out with me. Later, we can go out for a dinner and a movie.

 

Kidding aside, there are a few things to consider... but first i would like to address this rude woman who failed to answer your question. You are new to the school and instead of assisting you with the answer, she blew you off. That was exceedingly impolite and opportunistic of her. She essentially exploited your insecurities.

 

Let me say that, unlike a job where you have to swallow a lot of guff until you figure out your niche and everyone's powerbase, with a school... you're paying for it. Other students are other customers. Granted, they may have received some ranking authority while on the mat, but it doesn't apply in the locker room.

 

A proper response to someone saying, "it should be obvious" would be something like, "Well it isn't. Could you explain it to me?" If they continue to be rude at that point, then make a note of it and don't waste your time with them in the future.

 

Now... to the subject of makeup and such. If you go to the gym to workout, that's what you're there for. If your makeup interferes with your level of willingness to get physical, because you're concerned the sweat might make your eyeliner run... then you definitely need to readjust your priorities.

 

As lucky mentioned, any jewelry whatsoever can pose a health risk to you and/or others, so absolutely do not wear any... no matter how much of a memento it may be. The exception to this would be 'plain' wedding rings. Wedding rings with stones in them can seriously disfigure a partner's face, or cause your finger to get caught in someone's sleeve during a technique.

 

Also, how you setup your hair may be an issue. Definitely don't have anything 'in' your hair, as this may come out and hurt someone's foot, or the items may scratch your scalp if the item ends up between you and the floor. If your hair is long, it's a good idea to keep it tied up, either in a braid or a restricted ponytail. Lots of reasons for this, most of which should be obvious... but i'll get into it if it's not.

 

Martial arts is a physical activity. It is also a contact activity. That means you work closely with others and frequently make physical contact with them. Thus, it's important to realize that not only are you in a gym, but you are going to frequently have to get in people's personal space.

 

Earlier advice about makeup smearing and perfume is important due to this intrusion into the personal space of others. One of the biggest things to understand is that working out in the martial arts has a lot to do with trust. Trust is increased when someone clearly shows they respect the fact they are being allowed to intrude on another's personal space.

 

And what do i mean by trust? Well, you're practicing how to hurt, maim and kill. Since that's what you're practicing, and not actually trying to do... wouldn't it be nice if the other person was also not trying to hurt, maim, or kill you? There's where the trust comes in.

 

Trust, respect. They kinda go hand in hand.

 

Another important note: The martial arts is a most violent study, as i hopefully made it obvious with the comments above. Because of this, a significant amount of concentration is required in order to ensure you don't get hurt, or others don't hurt you. Unfortunately, 'intentionally' looking pretty can be a rather huge distraction for the hormonely challenged (teen males). You working to be attractive directly translates to 'trying' to be noticed by those of the opposite sex. These things don't change just because you're in a dojo.

 

So, what does that mean?

 

Well, basically, it means that by intentionally prettying yourself up, you are actually slightly increasing the likelihood of injury... throughout the entire dojo. Someone gets distracted for just a second, and teeth go flying all over friggin' place.

 

And finally, other women in the dojo, who are 'not' working to look all prettied up, may very well feel somewhat challenged by you... because they're being considerate of the safety of others, and therefore not prettying themselves up for class, while you're giving these women the impression you're looking for a mate. In such cases, their feelings may very well be torn... and they may just express this in somewhat snippity fashion (as you experienced in the locker room).

 

Hope this helps

[k4karate]

thank you for all your feedback, it has been very helpful.

 

i would like to state again that my make-up is VERY light.

 

even after a hard 2 hours of class, nothing is running, and i don't wear eye-liner or mascara, just a little face powder for work.

 

i don't however understand why being well-groomed would signify that i am looking for a mate. as i stated before, my mother raised me to be very japanese, even old ladies put in a big effort to look nice at all times,

 

and not for the purpose of looking for a mate. but this brings up an interesting subject, since i am studying karate in north america and not japan, should i change the way i look and dress at my dojo to respect the less fashionable north american values of dedication?

[Jussi Häkkinen]

Please, remove even that light make-up before training. It is unnecessary - and doesn't "look good" in a karate dojo. At the dojo, there is a different code of "looking good" - no make-up looks best at the karate dojo. It reflects respect towards the other students and the seriousness you put in training.

 

If you want to look good at dojo: No make-up. No jewelry (yes, remove the earrings too - including the wedding ring). No watch. No fragrances. Just you and your clean do-gi.

 

Even the little make-up can stain the do-gi. It doesn't need to run - I've cleaned mascara from my do-gi too many times after throwing some girls (and heck, once after throwing a dude - that was a weird thing to notice...).

[aefibird]

Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, as long as it isn't getting in the way of your karate training. Just remember, though, that you are at the dojo to train in karate - everything else is secondary.

 

I'd agree with the other posters about removing all of your make-up before training. Keep a packet of those facial cleansing wipes in your bag - a quick wipe of your face will only take a few seconds and it will stop your make-up from becoming an issue.

 

Yes, dedication is a good thing, especially in the martial arts. Trying to make major changes to yourself and your personality in order to 'fit in' with certain values may not be a good thing, but there are areas in which you should be flexible, especially as a new student in an unfamiliar environment among people that you don't know.

[SaiFightsMS]

Sounds like some of those girls are jealous. It may help for you to remove your makeup before class. In fact I think that is a fairly universal recomendation.

 

In all my years in the gym and in the dojo I really see very few people working out in makeup. In fact in the middle of class many people wipe sweaty faces off on their gi sleeves.

 

If you have questions see if you can ask the instructor before class if you can get their before the snobs do.

[Kamiya]

If you work diligently at your martial arts studies, eventually maybe your appearance can work to your advantage.

 

"Heh, a cute girl, this should be eas---"

 

POW!!!

 

Just thought I'd present another angle which I don't think anyone else has mentioned.

[Drunken Monkey]

but um, isn't it 'traditional' to be free from ANY sort of adornment in the karate dojo, a tradition that over-rides any other that the normal everyday outside world has, regardless of the culture/country?

[k4karate]

but um, isn't it 'traditional' to be free from ANY sort of adornment in the karate dojo, a tradition that over-rides any other that the normal everyday outside world has, regardless of the culture/country?

 

i would like to know if this is true. as i've stated before, i am new to karate, so i don't know all of the rules.

 

as for the "snobs", i was told by everyone i talked to (mostly senior belts) how warm and friendly the other people at my dojo were, but obviously there are a few bad apples which are an exception. i know one always has to deal with hostility everywhere, but is is difficult to concentrate on trianing hard when you know some of your classmates don't exactly want you there, especially when you are new. got any tips on staying alive? i would like to stay a full year at my dojo, i don't want to give up so quickly.