Smoking, Drinking?

[Shorinryu Sensei]

As an instructor (my feelings anyway), it isn't my job or responsability to tell adults how to run their lives. If they want to smoke, drink, have unprotected sex, drive over the posted speed limit....whatever, that is their choice, not mine.

 

If a student comes to class smelling of alcohol or marajuana, and this has happened a few times, I send them home and tell them not do show up that way again. If they had a cigarette just before class...I don't have a problem with that (have a mint though please)..as that is their choice as an adult.

 

I feel the same with religion. Some classes I've seen have a prayer before/after class, or teach Buddist principles. Sorry, I leave that to your priest or the monk down the street...not my job.

 

I'm here to teach them karate. Period. I don't teach morality, weight loss, religion or lifestyles.

[WapCaplet]

Isn't karate a lifestyle?

 

(I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate here Shorinryu, no offence intended at all)

 

Wap

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Isn't karate a lifestyle?

 

(I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate here Shorinryu, no offence intended at all)

 

Wap

 

*smacking Wap alongside the head*

 

Well, sure it is. I guess I need to clarify. I'm not in the business of dictating lifestyle choices..such as being gay, drinking, smoking...that sort of thing. Better?

[Drunken Monkey]

well, karate might be a guide

 

but at the end of the day it is up to the individual to follow or not.

 

after all, we're not in fuedal japan and we don't follow the code of budo.

 

the modern teacher doesn't give orders.

 

he guides.

[aefibird]

I don't smoke and never have done (smoking and asthma don't mix well...), but I do drink alcohol.

 

At my dojo there are people who smoke, people who drink, people who do both and people who do neither. Sensei has never made it an issue that the smokers should quit smoking or those who like a drink should give up alcohol - it's our own personal choice.

 

As Shorinryu Sensei has said, generally the Sensei is there to teach martial arts, not preach about the dangers of alcohol or nicotine.

[thaiboxerken]

I'm not sure what to say, want to go to the pub and talk about it over a few brews?

[Shane]

I dont smoke, but I do drink on occasion. I took up smoking before, while deployed in the middle east after returning to the United States I found that my running time had droped and I was having a heck of a time on my runs. So I droped that habit fast.

 

I will say that a few of my students that smoke are currently trying to quit. Just the other night I had one tell me that they feel a lot better while working the mitts in our kickboxing class and thats only after being off the smokes for 3 weeks. I never drink during my work week because I need all the energy I can get to run my classes and I cant afford to be run downed at all, but yeah on the weekend Usally a Sat after training I might go home and have a few. Now when I make my own home brew watch out I like to enjoy more than a few of those!!!!!!!!!!