UsagiYojimbo Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 So, I had my first karate class again tonight, after being away on vacation for two weeks. Before I left, my sensei had given me a kata to work on over my vacation. And I did work on it. There was a specific area I'd been having trouble with (stances), and I did a lot of work on that, as well as working with my strikes, as I'd been directed. And I thought I had made good progress on my own. So I came back to class tonight, and the class performed the kata together as a group. At the end, our sensei said, "The white belts owe me push-ups. You told me you were going to practice over break." (The only white belts in there tonight were me and a fellow, who had also been on vacation.) So, of course, I did the push-ups without argument, but I couldn't help but feel slighted. I had worked hard on that kata, and I feel like my work went totally unrecognized. And if the punishment was really directed at the other person (no, I'm not saying it couldn't have been directed at me), I don't think it's fair to make me do pushups as well. I just sent her an email asking her why she felt I hadn't made sufficient progress; we'll see what she says. Anyway, there's no real point to this, I suppose, just venting. Has anyone else here dealt with something like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeygirl Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Sometimes that can be part of the personal growth and maturity you will gain. Maybe your instructor doesn't like to "baby/spoil" students with lots of praise, and perhaps goes the other route by being a little tougher...demanding perfection and rarely acknowledging it. Although this can be frustrating, if you are patient and keep trying, eventually you can become sort of independent...you don't need someone to tell you you're doing a good job; you self-motivate and are stronger because of it. Failure may not faze you as easily. It also makes the instructor sure you are really dedicated.Although I was brought up more in the "praise-correct-praise" school, the "tougher" method is also perfectly legitimate. If done correctly, either will produce many similar results: dedicated, self-motivated, skilled martial artists. 1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsagiYojimbo Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Yes, I'm sure you're right and I'm taking it far too personally. I'm just a bit flummoxed, because I felt I did what was asked and apparently that wasn't good enough. I'll just have to try harder next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger1100ky Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 80% of martial arts training... is building the character, and spirit the student...15% is kicking and punching5% can be attributed to things like tournaments and whatnot...White belts need something besides a good kata, and good techniques and stretching...White belts have muscles that need to be trained, so that those muscles will start to become ready for more advanced techniques over the long haul.Pushups, situps, kicking from the bar... leg lifts and so on, come into play.The instructor is not gonna sit there and hold your hand while he tries to 'motivate you' to do good pushups...It's a lot easier to catch you a touch off guard... maybe get a little resentment going in you, to make you 'put out more of an effort' without even REALIZING that you're doing so.Not to mention... it also gently challenges your self control a bit... and reminds you that while you may do good work the day before.... TODAY... RIGHT NOW, is what matters...Also reminds you, that life isn't always 'fair', and that HOW YOU REACT TO THAT... will have a very big influence on how much success you earn for yourself later in life.Just because the sensei peeves you today... doesn't mean taking and acting out of 'offense' is a good idea...What if you had shown lack of self control? Would you not have perhaps 'cut off' your access to martial knowledge, by getting your instructor put off enough to suspend you from training in his dojo?By keeping your control... you're showing him the character that a sensei wants to see in a student... a willingness to 'forget' minor misunderstandings, and to get 'get to the matter at hand'... That skill, is one you'll use for the rest of your life... imagine how many fights can be prevented, by 'forgiving the misjudgement of others toward you'?You think he perhaps 'hosed you' a bit there...Perhaps that's what he wanted you to think... to challenge your patience a little... to see how your 'inner student' reacted...He probably thought, "Hey... he put in some good work in his external technique... How's he doing INSIDE HIMSELF??"I'd say you did well... you did your job... and now have opened up to maybe learning a valuable lesson about how you sometimes 'internally react' to others when they 'don't recognize your efforts outwardly'...Knowing that about yourself... you can work on that and become a better student for it.Keep at it! You're doin good!Paul "Tournaments are the least important aspect of martial arts..." Pat E. Johnson--Technical Advisor and "Chief Referee" for the Karate Kid movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger1100ky Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Oh... a couple of fast asides here...Pushups (exercises of any sort) that are presented as 'punishment'...Don't look on those as 'punishment'... Anything that is designed to make you a better and stronger student, should be considered a prescription... or a 'pull up'...The instructor isn't punishing you... the instructor is doing you a FAVOR... trying to make a you stronger student, inside and outside.Believe me... if an instructor wants to punish their student... that's easy... 'ejecting the student from training outright' or 'suspension' is how an instructor 'punishes' students...Everything else... is more like, "instructional physical training'. (I know military types will recognize that phrase) "Tournaments are the least important aspect of martial arts..." Pat E. Johnson--Technical Advisor and "Chief Referee" for the Karate Kid movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battousai16 Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 remember, "lifes obstacles aren't meant to paralyze you, rather to let you see what kind of person you really are". you did what i'd have done; you bit your tounge and later asked your instructor what you should do to get the kind of improvement she wants. way to be. "I hear you can kill 200 men and play a mean six string at the same time..."-Six String Samurai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 after doing any pattern we [the bbs generally] do pushups if we made a mistake - if we think we didnt make a mistake we do it in front of the class, and they point them out for us - then we do pushups, lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shotochem Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 LOL!!! Welcome to the world of MA!!!You will soon find out that you will do a good deal push ups every class.The only thing different is that your teacher will think up new and more interesting reasons for you to do them. (Its not punishment its all part of your training and conditioning.) Pain is only temporary, the memory of that pain lasts a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UsagiYojimbo Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Thanks all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
younwhagrl Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Oh... a couple of fast asides here...Pushups (exercises of any sort) that are presented as 'punishment'...Don't look on those as 'punishment'... Anything that is designed to make you a better and stronger student, should be considered a prescription... or a 'pull up'...The instructor isn't punishing you... the instructor is doing you a FAVOR... trying to make a you stronger student, inside and outside.Believe me... if an instructor wants to punish their student... that's easy... 'ejecting the student from training outright' or 'suspension' is how an instructor 'punishes' students...Everything else... is more like, "instructional physical training'. (I know military types will recognize that phrase)I"m in agreeance with that! of course..I like to do push ups! That may sound funny but I like them! We do push ups before class, and sometimes we switch it up and do diamond push ups and judo push ups...the fun stuff! •JUST TRAIN•Student of the Han Method"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's allready tomorrow in Australia" Charles Schultzhttps://www.YounWha.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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