Is it disrespectful?

[tori]

I have a friend who trained with me in Shotokan for awhile. He is a pretty good guy, but left the dojo on "not so good terms". Currently he is training in another style all together and loves it. I am very happy for him, but he recently asked me to reteach him the weapons kata he learned from our instructor. He said that he wants to teach his current instructor and the other students the forms taught in our dojo. They actually have their own weapons kata and feel this is disrespectful. I have ill feelings about showing him these forms. For one, Shotokan weapons forms are rare, and feel that ours are unique to my instructor and the instructors before him. Weapons is actually not part of our requirements in the style. Had he practiced what he learned when he left, then whatever, but he cannot remember them. I feel it would be very disrespectful towards my instructor for me to show him these forms again. I already know that I am not going to do it. I just wondered if anyone thinks that I am wrong in my beliefs? I think that his current instructor would not be keen on him showing me their Isshin Ryu forms for me to teach at my dojo.

[white owl]

They are your believes and should be respected. Me personly I would not show him especially since he left the dojo on not so good terms and out respect for the dojo.

[unknownstyle]

does he have rank sufficient to know these kata?

[tallgeese]

I agree, it's your view either way and you should proceed as you feel you should.

As devil's advocate, I'd ask how protective your system is of their kata. Maybe it's no big deal to anyone involved. Part of it probibly depends on how bad the "not good terms" were.

I've always been a fan of training whoever wanted to learn, but you should act how you feel is appropriate. Not based on you respect for your school as much as honoring what you feel is the best course of action in the situation.

[tori]

Well unknownstyle, he has a brown belt rank in isshin ryu. He has been out of our program for at least 6 years. I do not feel comfortable reteaching him these kata, as he continues to bad mouth my instructor. As far as how protective we are of our kata - it's shotokan. You can go online and see any of the shotokan forms. However, the weapons kata are not shown, because shotokan is not infamous for weapons forms. If a dojo has them, they are usually passed down from instructor to student. One of our rules is, do not teach outside of the school. At first I thought that rule was a little harsh, but I have been on several websites of all different styles of MA, and that one rule seems to be prevelant throughout.

[pittbullJudoka]

Personally if he's bad mouthing my sensei I owe him nothing. I'm very loyal to my sensei if he said not to teach to outside parties I wouldn't. I wouldjust tell him the real reason I wouldn't teach him and leave it at that.

[unknownstyle]

i understand, there are things that i cannot show anyone i dont care if it was a judan i wouls=d still not be able to show them unless they have a rank in my system. and if he has no respect for the man that taught you he probably would not give the respect to the kata either. sometimes i will show people things from outside schools but i always change things in the kata so they dont really understand it and so they cant figure out the true bunkai of it

[Shotokan-kez]

I agree with all these replies. He has been out of Shotokan for 6 years! And you are right Shotokan weapons kata are rare. I have been training in Shotokan for years and have only ever done one weapons kata. Also the respect thing, I wouldn't be teaching them to him on principle, the fact that he left on bad terms and that he's bad mouthing your sensei. I don't mean to be rude here and i dont want to sound out of turn but sounds like he needs to have a little respect himself.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with the others. If it is the way that you feel, then who cares what anyone else thinks? I would also maybe mention to him that if he doesn't like the instructor, then that is fine, but that maybe you don't want to hear the negativity about it. People don't always see eye to eye, and that sounds like the case between him and your instructor. In the end, do what you feel is right, and feel good about it.

[ps1]

If you don't want to teach him...then don't. Seems that simple to me.

I don't think it has anything to do with respect at this point. Apparently he has enough respect for your school to think the kata are worth teaching others.