Seniority

[Zanshin]

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We line up in order of rank, highest rank to instructor's right. No particular way of tiebreaking and no-one really makes an issue of it if someone is out of order occasionally.

well you have a very humble school sir. can you maybe share the humility with mine? they don't seem to get it

That’s a shame NewEnglands_KyoSa, it's not about that, as you obviously know. What stance is your instructor taking over all of this?

Is he/she happy to let this go on? I doubt it. Sort of detracts from the whole reason to train really.

[IcemanSK]

In the TKD org. that I belong to, we wear one braid on our left forearm sleeve for every four years that we've trained on our dress uniforms. Now, despite my being a 3rd Dan, I've trained for 25 years. At big events, I try to move toward the end of the line among folks my rank, but always get sent to the front of the 3rd Dans.

I have younger & senior BB's calling me "sir" because of my time in. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's nice to get the recognition, but it's hard when I just want to learn from another 3rd Dan or just be "one of the guys."

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

In the TKD org. that I belong to, we wear one braid on our left forearm sleeve for every four years that we've trained on our dress uniforms. Now, despite my being a 3rd Dan, I've trained for 25 years. At big events, I try to move toward the end of the line among folks my rank, but always get sent to the front of the 3rd Dans.

I have younger & senior BB's calling me "sir" because of my time in. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's nice to get the recognition, but it's hard when I just want to learn from another 3rd Dan or just be "one of the guys."

as much as you don't seem to care for the system, i think thats a good idea actually, because seniority doesn't necessarily mean rank, its also time too. thats one of the problems we have, we have a black belt transfer at our school who we let keep rank, and has no humility towards those who have been here before.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

/

We line up in order of rank' date=' highest rank to instructor's right. No particular way of tiebreaking and no-one really makes an issue of it if someone is out of order occasionally.[/quote']

well you have a very humble school sir. can you maybe share the humility with mine? they don't seem to get it

That’s a shame NewEnglands_KyoSa, it's not about that, as you obviously know. What stance is your instructor taking over all of this?

Is he/she happy to let this go on? I doubt it. Sort of detracts from the whole reason to train really.

well as i said earlier, none of us like it, all the seniors of the school shake our head when we see this occur, we have brought it up to our master and he told us how disappointed he was too, but wasn't sure if he was seeing all of it. so now that we have all seen the this occur we're trying to figure out ways to go out 'fixing' this black mark in their training. that's why im trying to get feed back as to how certain styles define rank and what not, and how they hold their ranks.

[Shotokan-kez]

Well we get this quite a lot but only from the youngsters. They make me laugh cos they race and push and shove each other just to get the best place. I personally don't care, most of the dan grades just stand where is closest, unless of course there are higher dans. Funny there is one guy in our dojo that reckons he owns the place and tries to get before everyone...i mean a 40-odd yr old guy...stupid really

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Well we get this quite a lot but only from the youngsters. They make me laugh cos they race and push and shove each other just to get the best place. I personally don't care, most of the dan grades just stand where is closest, unless of course there are higher dans. Funny there is one guy in our dojo that reckons he owns the place and tries to get before everyone...i mean a 40-odd yr old guy...stupid really

oh yeah. i've seen the type. and no offense fellas but its usually the guys. we have the older guy, who thinks because he's old as dirt, he owns the dirt we all walk on. we have the big muscle man, who has no finese at all and because he's big, all the space in the room is his. and then there's the kids who just push and shove and its ridiculous, for them the answer is easy, throw a few pushups at em once or twice and then don't do it again, the problem is with the black belts they've all got this self entitlement attitude that makes them all our chiefs right hand man. and with adults, its a humility issue, so giving push ups wouldnt even help...ridiculous. i still have no idea what im going to propose to do with these people. but let me tell yah it happens while im teaching tonight im likely to crazy. so if any of you guys are watching the news and see "karate instructor goes wrong" thats me, and the problem has still not been solved

[IcemanSK]

I have a good friend who is the #2 man in his system of karate (at 7th Dan). He teaches & has his students simply call him, "sensei" rather than shihan or other such terms. He has an interesting take on a lot of folks who like to lord their rank over others.

He really feels (& I've often found this to be true) that folks that lord their rank & position on the mat over others often have nowhere jobs &/or otherwise just feel lousy about themselves outside the training hall. So, the training hall is that one place where they are "important" in any way.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I have a good friend who is the #2 man in his system of karate (at 7th Dan). He teaches & has his students simply call him, "sensei" rather than shihan or other such terms. He has an interesting take on a lot of folks who like to lord their rank over others.

He really feels (& I've often found this to be true) that folks that lord their rank & position on the mat over others often have nowhere jobs &/or otherwise just feel lousy about themselves outside the training hall. So, the training hall is that one place where they are "important" in any way.

WOW. now that i think about the people we're having difficulty with, you are right on the mark. they all feel inferior in some other part of their life, that a black belt makes them feel on top of the world, wow, you are absolutely right

[ps1]

Wow. I never realized this was an issue in some schools. Of course I've seen the kids do it. But never the adults. It's always gone in order of rank and time. It's always been well known who is the higher or more senior rank. If I was ever in doubt...I just went made sure there was plenty of room for people to get "ahead" of me in line. Then, if no one took up the space, I would just close it up when it was time to bow in. But this was only an issue at seminars where I may not have known everyone.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Wow. I never realized this was an issue in some schools. Of course I've seen the kids do it. But never the adults. It's always gone in order of rank and time. It's always been well known who is the higher or more senior rank. If I was ever in doubt...I just went made sure there was plenty of room for people to get "ahead" of me in line. Then, if no one took up the space, I would just close it up when it was time to bow in. But this was only an issue at seminars where I may not have known everyone.

yes, i dont know what it is, something in the water or whatever, but theres about a half a dozen black belts who are regularly there who regularly make higher ranks very angry. i just hope its a phase, im quite sick of it. although i thought there'd be problems in other schools, now it makes me feel like im surrounded by ego-maniacs