No respect for age!

[UsagiYojimbo]

I'de bet that few people here have heard the expression "Hammering the nail back down", and even fewer probably know where it came from.

Yeah, I learned about this concept in my Japanese Religions class. Our professor was telling us that it is a far more common expression in Japan, mainly because the Japanese are very community- and group-based (if a nail is sticking out, it must be hammered back down). Here in the U.S., he was saying, we're far more likely to hear "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", as the U.S. is more focused on the individual. Different worldviews.

[mai tai]

i was at a seminar by maurice smith when he warned three times about going to hard to some idividuals. finally he went off on them.

[pineapple]

I just wanted to point out that my experiences with disrespectful youths are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most younger practitioners do show respect.

[scottnshelly]

I just wanted to point out that my experiences with disrespectful youths are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most younger practitioners do show respect.

True, but we've all been the disrespectful youth at one time or another. It's usually out of ignorance. You don't know until someone tells you, usually.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Sigh . . .

I guess few people know MA history or talk to older people any more.

This is NOT a current phenomena, this does NOT only happen in western countries.

I'de bet that few people here have heard the expression "Hammering the nail back down", and even fewer probably know where it came from. The only people in this forum I'd be willing to bet money on knowing the full meaning of this expression, I could count on one hand. Shorinryu sensei is one of them.

This is a decent expression, and very appropriate...I must say that one of my two majors in undergrad was Foreign Area Studies (East Asia) and the Master's Degree I'm currently pursuing is in East Asian Security Studies, so I get to hear all the stock phrases....

The other thing you have to understand is how future leaders in any given field are chosen in Japan, as a cultural norm. I mentioned in my post in this thread that those overeager students represent potential that could be channeled. In Japan, what they tend to do is take those individuals that show signs of some rebelling against the order (not too much...those are considered unusable) and sort of mold them to become leaders that have some independent action while still staying within the confines of Confucian norms. While seniority and rank is of course based upon time in grade, the development of leaders does tend to follow this process. In this case, the nail that sticks out only barely isn't hammered down heavily, but gently, so not to discourage the subtle difference between it and its peers. In this way, there is "managed creativity" of sorts in leadership. This is a relative term, of course.

Point being: Make sure you know when to hammer and how hard.

[A. Orstrom]

I agree.

If they really are giving it all they've got, give it back. They'll learn a valuable lesson.

Just don't injure them of course.

[unknown]

Just hit em' who cares?!

I'm 20 and there is this 16 year old kid at our dojo who is an idiot. When we spar after the kickboxing class I kick the crap out of him and when we grapple I make him tapout all the time!!!!!!!