I caught my Grand Master Smoking

[Pacificshore]

We are all human beings, so unfortunately we will never be perfect

[ZeRo]

there are two things i can say.

 

1) if a man like bruce lee can smoke canabis and still be like he is then i think it isnt such a bad thing.

 

2) your GM should be promoting good health so smoking isnt setting such a good example.

 

(also canabis and normal ciggrarettes are very different so i spose my first comment doesnt really count) Plus GM are people too and are aloud there own life.

[BlueDragon1981]

I think that they do have their own lives. If they smoke however they should never tell their students not to. That is hypocritical. I mayself dont smoke and never will. I drink on very rare occassions (New Years, Independance Day) even then I do not get drunk. A few drinks and im done. (although when I was 16 I did get drunk a few times) So if i had my students I would say no smoking and light drinking with responsibility. I never would tell a student to not to do something if I do it. (well %99.9 percent of the time)

[ramymensa]

My sensei doesn't smoke If he did and didn't admit it ... and I caught him "red-handed" ... I would tell him in the most friendly way he acts like a hypocrite Guess he'd be angry ...

 

Seriously now ... I never saw anybody as a seper human ... thus my sensei could do anything for all I care. He might be a womaniser, smoker, drinker (well not this because I really hate them ) ... when he comes to classes I expect the very best of him ... If I don't get this ... there's always another club.

 

And to come in terms with the others here ... Our teachers are humans and have their OWN life.

[Tigerclaw]

Keep in mind that we as Martial Artist are not gods,we are just simple people who choose to train ourself both physicaly,spiritualy and mentaly.Keep in mind that if we were perfect,we would not need to train.(Grandmasters still train to...hopefully)

[aes]

It is funny that this topic has just come up on this message board. I recently noticed that most of the 3rd Dan and up instructors are pretty heavy smokers. I made a joke to some of my fellow students asking at what belt level do you have to take up heavy smoking? We had a bit of a laugh about it and wondered if there was any katas that includes smoking.

 

I think one of the 3rd Dans overheard my comments. I feel bad about this as she is an excellent Sensei even if she smokes a lot. I feel bad about making this joke.

 

I was a heavy smoker many years ago. It now has been about 10 years since I have quit. I know how hard it can be and how it gets a hold of you. It is very addictive.

 

That being said, it is their business if they smoke. As long as I am not breathing in their second hand smoke.

[MSPav]

Can you talk to your grandmaster about it? If so, that would be the best approach. If you have one of those masters who are in the "don't talk to me, you lowly non-10th dan" category, then you might wanna start looking for another place to learn.

[karatekid1975]

OMG!!! This is an old thread LOL. I was still a yellow belt in the old school ..... sheesh hehehehehe.

 

Anyways, my instructor now is a health freak. He doesn't even eat meat for crying out loud. But he doesn't tell us not to eat meat or force us to. But yet he never looks down on us because we won't.

 

My opinion stays the same from a year ago (yes this thread is a year old). As long as they don't smoke in class, or tell the students not to when he/she does, I don't see a problem with it.

[hobbitbob]

In Japan and Okinawa, and most of Europe, smoking is the norm. When I was an impressionable beginner, I atended a summer camp sponsored by the Colorado JKA, where one of the guest instructors was Osaka Yoshiharu. Imagine my chagrin when I saw someone I considered to be above reproach smoking!

 

Now I know better. I think the habit is repulsive, but it doesn't make someone a bad person. Even in the US the habit is accepted regionally. In Baltimore it seemed like evreyone smoked! Yuck! Here in health conscious Colorado fewer people smoke, and there is a fairly comprehensive ban on smoking in public places. Smoking seems to be coming back among the younger set, which I find regrettable.

[wcnavstar]

Yip Man, Bruce Lee's Wing Chun teacher. And one of the most respected and well known martial artists of the modern age, was a chain smoker.

 

Nuff Said.