Don't bring work/home to the MA school...

[Traymond]

Haha yeah, just so you dont end up looking like a idiot...haha. I can see myself now being the laughing stock of the dojo doing something like that.

[still kicking]

This is something that seems ambiguous to me. On the one hand, I agree that it is not a good thing to take out our anger and frustrations with work or whatever on other people in the dojo, whether in sparring or in how we relate to them. At the same time, I think that I do use what could be called the negative energy in my life to energize my training, and I don't know that this is a bad thing. For example, maybe I am feeling defeated by a problem at work or a longstanding personal issue, and in the dojo I can tap into my determination to not be defeated, and make my karate better. If I am particularly worked up about an issue it's probably safer to channel it into basics and kata rather than sparring, but even then, I think I can separate the fierce energy of wanting to win or do well from any kind of destructive feeling towards my opponent.

One thing does come up in the dojo that is hard for me to deal with, on an ongoing basis. There is one person in our school who really pushes my buttons, so to speak. She has been around for 16 or more years, and now outranks me by only one level. But her karate is really truly bad. She doesn't have a job and has nothing but time on her hands, so helps out around the school with all kinds of things. Yet in class, it's really appalling. When the advanced students are told to go off and work on our own kata for a while, the rest of us will do our kata over and over, maybe rotating out one round after doing it 2 or 3 or 4 times. This person will do hers once, then stand around with her hands on her hips for a good while, watching everyone else. She just does not push herself at all, and is just bad at karate. So I feel resentful that she is currently the highest ranking adult colored belt. My teacher is always emphasizing what high standards we have, and that's why it takes so long to promote, but then seeing this person at the top of the line just throws it all out the window. So anyway, sometimes it just bugs me so much that I throw myself even harder into my training, but it feels negative, like I'm trying to prove to my teachers how much better I am than her. This is not the proper karate attitude, I know it. Well anyway, I'm still struggling with this one, but in general, I don't think it's bad to use negative energy to fuel one's training. I suppose self awareness is the key. By the way, I have talked to my teacher about my feelings about this person, and how to deal with it in my training, but it's an ongoing discussion and as yet unresolved for me. It's all grist for the mill, I guess!

[bushido_man96]

Still kicking, I don't think that it is wrong to channel negative feelings/energy into training, either. Being really ticked off and angry can be a good way to really make you want to go all out and really work hard. I also think that it is still possible to focus when one is angry. One can be angry and still in control, I feel. If you can channel any kind of energy like that to physical work, I think it pays off, in the end.

[Traymond]

Still kicking, I don't think that it is wrong to channel negative feelings/energy into training, either. Being really ticked off and angry can be a good way to really make you want to go all out and really work hard. I also think that it is still possible to focus when one is angry. One can be angry and still in control, I feel. If you can channel any kind of energy like that to physical work, I think it pays off, in the end.

I agree with you, it can be productive to the kyu ranks, but how does a dan rank look (if he is the head instructor) and he is trying to teach students self control (And what ever else) How does he look to his students?. I fight better (of course) when I am mad, but I always wondered how I looked (Foolish or not) Doing all my techniques.

[bushido_man96]

I don't think it would look wrong in any way. You hear people say all the time "control your anger," not "don't be angry." I'm sure we hear the last one from time to time, but more important is controlling it, rather than suppressing it. I don't mind using anger like that. At times, I kind of like being angry...

[Traymond]

Oh so you mean channeling it into your strength more than just emotionally throwing punches at a punching bag?

[bushido_man96]

Sure. But, there is nothing wrong with doing it with intensity, either. Again, like I said, controlling it is a key factor.

[tallgeese]

And by letting it fuel you're movmements you're just asking to go from a person defending himself to one that is getting arrested for battery as well.

Will you be angry when you fight, yes, you'd better be. You've been assulted. You should be. However, controlling it and channeling your will to overcome a conflict is far more valuable than barely harnessed rage. It allows for adaptation and more importantly, it allows one to de-escalate when it's called for.

That's what will keep you out of court after an altercation.

[still kicking]

I fight better (of course) when I am mad, but I always wondered how I looked (Foolish or not) Doing all my techniques.

I didn't mean to imply that I think it's good or correct to be obviously rageful in class, whether sparring or doing basics or kata. But I think when I am angry, frustrated, or other related emotions, there is a lot of energy there, and I try to tap into the energy but in a controlled and focused way. I do think it would be a negative thing to be in a sparring match with someone who I was actually angry at, if it was so strong that I would actually be fighting with them in anger -- though that hasn't happened to me yet. Or even to be wailing on the bag like a banshee. It's supposed to be karate, not primal therapy!

I also like what Bushido Man said, along the lines that we should control our anger, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be angry. This is a particularly interesting topic to me, because I think that there is a tendency to be ashamed of anger, where it's just a normal human emotion. The key is to express it appropriately.

[Traymond]

I still dont see how some one can be angry, but yet they can control it...either they're angry or their not...how can you learn to control an emotion that is so hard to control...if its even possible...I have never been angry in my life...aggravated yes, I can control that but I have never considered myself to be angry.