karate philosophy VS. female vanity.

[Luckykboxer]

I guess the next question that comes to my mind, since i get two different impressions from your posts is who did you ask this question of?

 

your instructor? or a teacher?

 

or another begining belt student?

 

if you didnt ask an instructor maybe the person you asked had no idea the answer to the question either.

 

I highly recommend you ask questions directly of the instructors. You are paying money for their tutelage, I think it is definitely best to take advantage of it. If you have good instructors they are nto going to make you feel bad about asking questions.

 

As for the rest of your last post I give up.

 

I am not going to get into an argument with you, I think i stated all i wanted to state in my last post.

 

I stand by every comment I have made to this point.

 

Once again I hope you find your peace in this class and I hope you get all your seeking out of it and more.

[Ti]

hi all,

 

i am a young female who recently started to attend a suburban dojo

 

in my small community. i am new to martial arts and knew that it would be both a mental and physical challenge. i chose to enter it hoping i could better understand myself and improve my mental outlook.

 

i do believe that i am in good company at my dojo (many students show hard work and dedication), however, i feel like an outsider because i know most of the students feel as though i am nothing more than a vain female who wants to take part in karate simply as a novelty. i do wear make-up to class and am most always well dressed, but that is how i present myself everyday. i am struggling to re-evaluate my priorities and goals, and chose karate to help me with this. i notice that the other female students are not this way, they do not focus so much on there apperence. i've always been thought to take pride in what i look like, but does this go against the philosophies taught in karate? is it really so important that i change my mind set on beauty in order to focus more on my art form?

Get to know them.

 

Simple as that.

 

Once they know you, this feeling of yours will go away as they will see your true motives.

 

As for the makeup, I can care less. Maybe cause I'm on the west coast, we don't care.

 

Just don't look like a baboon.

[sandramikelova]

hi my name is sandra mikelova i am 14 years old

 

i had started karate few weeks ago and iam a white belt i also resived my gi a pit big for me

[aefibird]

Hi Sandra. Welcome to Karate Forums!

[markusan]

All the best with your training sandra. Have fun.

[angelica d]

Hi guys, I've been on holiday and so there's a lot to catch up wihth here! I've been reading this thread with interest, and quite a lot of good points have been made. But I'll add my own point of view:

 

It has been assumed here makeup = attractive, or at least trying to be!

 

I wear makeup to work, because it fits in with my image there, and I like to look neat and well-presented. But I do not feel particularly attractive. I feel at my most attractive/sexy when I've been for a five-mile run/do a 2hr intensive karate workout. Yeah, I'm red in the face, sweat dripping all over me, aching, but I feel really really good! I love that feeling, and to be honest I think the men (at least one in particular anyway)love it too! (Although I don't do it for their benefit).

 

So, I guess my point is, I understand that you want to look groomed and attractive - that's only natural - but different situations require different looks. Although I wouldn't act any differently towards a student wearing makeup, I do think that it looks a bit odd in an exercise environment. I find that it looks better when people forget about having a perfect complexion, and focus on perfecting their karate instead.

[aefibird]

Welcome back Angelica! Good to have you on KF again.

 

Did you have a nice holiday? (you lucky person )

[1st KYU]

im not sure whether students are judging you, or YOU are judging yourself.

 

you have only been there what four times? you may just not feel tottally comfortable there yet.

 

you are thinking too much, go to karate and just do karate nothing else. no one else matters, if somone THINKS you are not serious about training what does it matter? is it true? NO.

[Kaos666]

i may be late on this, but i see a similar situation in my dojo

 

we have 3 girls that attend fairly regularly and work hard (although not always), in many ways they outpace the guys that are there and that are of a higher level...

 

at any rate, at least a few guys do look down on them, as if they do not belong in the dojo or in MA at all... thank goodness it's not all of them

 

i myself joined the dojo a little later than them but am currently at the same green belt level and i have had a pretty good look at how they have grown; i have t say that even though they do seem too childish and distracted at times, they have outpaced most people in overall determination and commitment...

 

as for the commets being sent their way by some guys, i just think that it is quite simply fear... yes fear... they fear that being somehow physically 'worse' (don't ask how) teh girls will be better then them at karate, or MA, or life in general... in a few words it's fear and ego. I've been talking to those particular guys and they seem to come about on the issue and see things in a more objective and positive light. I also help the girls themselves in training so that they may be more confident of themselves

 

in your case, i'd recommend just ignoring the negative feedback you get, but never to the point of hostility or agression, and simply work on yourself, after all that is what you have joined for right?

[k4karate]

after reading the pile up of posts, i think it is safe to say:

 

the opinion of make-up in the dojo will vary. although

 

it isn't a prefered look, if it is controlled, it can be tollerated.

 

i don't wear too much, and my sensei has not approached me

 

with any complaints. if and when i do, it will come off.

 

thanks to all the peeps for your feedback.

 

PS, in my 6th week of training, things are going well.