Attitude and learning.

[thaiboxerken]

Have you ever had those students that take martial arts just a little too serious? You know the guys that are gung-ho and never smile in class. I HATE that. These guys are usually the slowest to learn and will never relax. THey get angry if they can't learn the techinique in a day and sparring with these guys is a nightmare. I don't even know why these people are there if they aren't having fun. Usually they last about 3 months then I never see them again.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't run a "No Mercy, Cobra Kai" dojo. I love to teach and give out good stuff. I push my students to the limit, but I also keep it a light atmosphere, especially when sparring. This is the best way, I feel. If you aren't having fun, you aren't learning is my motto. Whenever I roll on the mat in BJJ or spar in Muay Thai, I do it with a smile on my face (win or lose). Because to me, we are just training, learning and having fun.

 

This is the attitude that I've always had and I feel it's the best one. It maintains a positive atmosphere that keeps students coming back for more. What are your opinions?

 

 

[Kickbutt]

I feel exactly the same about learning - it should be fun, otherwise why the hell do it? I had to learn how to relax when I first started - I was so PO'd at myself every time I couldn't get something right the first time - I have since learned to relax and take it as it comes. If you have fun doing something, chances are that will outweigh the work required and you will stick with it and succeed. Life's too damn short to take so seriously!!!

 

 

[thaiboxerken]

Have you ever had those Kung Fu geeks come in to train? You know, the guys that wear the kung fu garb everwhere and think they are Bruce Lee. These guys are the worst. They've seen too many martial arts movies and try to emulate the hero's they see in them. The seriousness of their training is so intense that it makes me laugh. These guys get very angry if anyone laughs at them or if anyone is smiling while training with them. I hate these dudes. The Bruce Leroy's need to stay home until they learn that fun is better than none.

 

Oh, they tend to be the worste students with the biggest attitudes and want to always win when sparring. I could go on and on about em. My favorite thing to do is to make them look absolutely stupid in class, maybe I'm just too harsh. Oh well.

 

 

[thaiboxerken]

Or how about those geeks that come in thinking they are Kwai Chan Kang? They are so over polite that it's sick. But when the training starts, they are back to being Bruce LeRoy. Where do these nut-balls come from? I've found alot of TKD stylists are like this. Maybe it's this "discipline" thing that they keep telling me about. Oh well, I think these people need to stay in the Cobra Kai where they came from.

 

 

[Karateka]

People train for different reasons. Since they probably belonged to a boot camp of a dojo, they probably weren't very good. They can't get over the lax that some schools do, and they want to prove themselves. They are just self-concious. If they have the perseverance to stick with it, it goes away.

 

 

[Angus]

The dojo i go to now is like a big family, it's pretty cool... I just have to get over my ego i think, because although i know how to fight i don't know how to fight in the Goju Ryu system. I have to remember that in the Goju system that the black belts are my superiors and i am still a white belt at the moment. I found myself telling a blackie how to do stuff the other day, then i woke up to what i was doing. Oops...

 

Angus

 

 

[Kato]

I agree with thaiboxerken as well. If you can't have fun while training then there is no point in doing it. The dojo I currently belong to is like a family and we are all friends, the instructors create a positive atmosphere where we are encouraged to do our best and we are never scolded for making mistakes (after all this is a part of learning). We have had some people that took the whole process way to seriously but they never really got along with anyone else in the dojo and none of them have stuck around more then a month. I have trained in the boot camp style of dojo and it is not as good a learning environment. I think that often these dojos produce people that are too uptight, which is a shame because they never seem to get the same pleasure out of the MA's that people who can have fun and learn at the same time do.

[thaiboxerken]

Ever meet any of those dorky white-boys that wear chinese kung-fu outfits and try to speak with an accent? These guys are the most fun to toss around, they get very angry and frusterated.

 

 

[Tim Greer]

On 2001-07-05 16:52, thaiboxerken wrote:

 

Ever meet any of those dorky white-boys that wear chinese kung-fu outfits and try to speak with an accent? These guys are the most fun to toss around, they get very angry and frusterated.

 

Wow, it seems like you've had your share of the goofy one's. Dressing the part, is bad enough. Trying to act all mystical is worse, but trying to speak with a Chinese accent on top of it? That's too funny. Get me some video and audio tracks of that next time, please.

 

 

[Taesujutsudrw]

Well, I'm glad you are one big family.

 

First I am one of the geeks you talk about..my first system was Wing Chun.

 

Second my students enjoy the same strict disipline that I was tuaght. Since I have never lost a student unless they opend their on scool..I would say I am doing ok.

 

Third..I do not believe that a Dojang should be a family..to many in that family will seek to take advantage of the relationship. I have seen that happen many times. I teach that it is. I do not get personal with my students.

 

In short...it isn't right to condemn or make fun of..what you truly may not know about. If you don't agree with some schools are run fine. But condemnations should stay out of it. After all, there are those who seek the disci-pline, and not so much fun.

 

Peace,

 

Tae