Orders

[Kieran-Lilith]

My friend would only get in trouble if I told. Ah well, I guess I give, nobody here knows who I am...if they do, I'm screwed, but oh well.

 

The situation is, is my friend can't get his purple belt until he gets several students under control. Gets them to be able to follow orders without complaint or hesitation. He's gotten everyone of them to do just that-except me. I'm very stubborn, I've never followed orders well. So, he still can't get his next belt. All because apparently, I don't follow orders well, even when I think I'm following them. I kinda should know that, because I do take things literally, but...that's not the point. The point is, is I was sworn to secrecy, because he wasn't supposed to let anyone know. He slipped up today when he lost his temper, and I bugged him (of course) until I got an answer.

[smr]

Nobody should be giving orders to anybody in a school of martial arts; not even the instructor. The instructor leads the class and provides instruction - not orders. Cooperation of the students is essential in order to achieve the maximum benefit of the their time with the instructor and classmates. They are expected to cooperate because they want to, not because they are ordered to do so. They do not owe the teacher their allegiance. In most situations, they only owe their dues. If a student doesn't wish to cooperate with the instructor and the class, then they can be asked to find another school. They are a detriment to the other students who want to have productive class sessions. No orders are necessary as long as the teacher makes it clear what the expectations of his students are and outlines the concequence of not adhering to the guidelines.

[kchenault]

How old are you Kieran-Lilith? His task should still not extend outside the dojo and that is one of the most ridiculous testing requirements I have ever heard of. Some people can be very hard to "break", and he obviously doesn't have what it takes to "break" you. This whole situation sounds re-tarded in my opinion. What say the rest of you out there? Anyone else ever had to "break" students to earn a belt? Help out here.

[smr]

In my opinion, he's overstepping the acceptable boundaries for a student-teacher relationship. An instructor is not a substitute for a parent. If the he or she doesn't like it, tough. He doesn't have to teach karate. In the case of adults, I suppose it's up to them, but I am who I am, and I don't need some instructor telling me that he's going to make me a better person. Maybe I like who I am. Maybe he's not that great of a person himself, and is in no position to tell people how they ought to be.

[Kieran-Lilith]

I'm 14. And I don't think it's Sensei who gave the order. I personally think that the person who "passed on" the order is telling the truth. He's a sankyu, soon to be nikyu, if you see my sig the quotes are from him. the sankyu is well known as someone you generally wish to avoid. I know my first impression of me doing everything within my power to stay out of his sight for 4 months. Then he took two months off. This is the first month I have to deal with him again. I can't say I know what to do about it. Yeah, I listen, I obey if I see it's appropriate to do so. But I think, personally, that everything is revolving around the sankyu. There's a lot that goes on under what everyone normally sees, I've picked up on that several times. But I don't know what to do about it. My friend feels his rank is threatened. I refuse to break, for anything (though after one class I might very well have, if I weren't so stubborn). I don't want my friend to possibly have his rank hurt. He showed me what to do and helped keep me out of trouble when I first joined. On the other hand, I don't wish to go through any sort of punishment with the sankyu. I've partnered with him once, and that was bad enough. My wrist hurt for a week, I'm not eager for anything else. Anybody got any ideas?

[kchenault]

This sankyu some kind of second in command at the school? If not, tell your head instructor about how he hurt you and then have your parents tell him to back off. NO ONE should be harassed or abused in any school, especially if you are paying them for instruction. You do have certain rights and in this case I believe they are being violated.

[Kieran-Lilith]

He is second in command, in the kiddo's class, and when the adult black belt isn't around...Nobody tells on anybody in our school. Dunno why. We don't lie, either. If anybody's looked at some of my posts, mine are things about orders, pain, and etiquette. I'm trying to find out what I can and can't do, without screwing up in class. I don't want to ask Sensei. We're supposed to just pay attention and learn that way. It's a very old school sort of deal. As in, we're being taught stuff the samurai were to know. It's hard work, and there's an atmosphere that says we are all comfortable there. I'm not always sure, though. My friend, the green belt, and I almost always work together. He's not there this month, henceforth my working with the sankyu. Hai, I learned what I was to learn, and could do it now with perfect accuracy, but it hurt to be learning. The sankyu-okay, I give up, that's confusing me. Craig. Craig teaches by pain. My friend had to learn with him a lot of the time, and he knows it. Sensei knows Craig abuses his power, henceforth the reason Craig is always the gineua pig. It was funny to see him get choked by Sensei, to me, because I dislike being kicked when I do wrong.

[VinnieDaChin]

Because youre in the wrong kind of martial arts.

[Kieran-Lilith]

Not really. It's a very strict, old style (henceforth me getting kicked, though that's not technically allowed as punishment). It's not a bad style, though. Just some of the people in it could have traits that are a little more desirable...Actually, orders, commands, requests, whatever you wish to call them, I don't think is the real problem. The mindset required for me to do whatever task it be is the problem, because I think too much. I know it, too. Just some of the people, and the way you can get talked down to is very hard to put up with.

[Grenadier]

You're not being a rat, if you tell the sensei about this guy's situation. You're improving the school, and also helping this sankyu learn how to be a better teacher.

 

Now, if he were doing this to another one of equal or higher rank, that's a different story, but in your case, he shouldn't be attempting to teach by pain, especially to a lower ranked student.

 

One of Karate's most important points, is the principle of courtesy. This guy is not exhibiting that principle, and might need some encouragement from sensei.