Don't You Dare Lie To Me!!

[sensei8]

Fool me once; shame on you...fool me twice; shame on me!!

[Dobbersky]

The thing is it's their journey, if they're not ready to grade due to lack of practice, then it's their issue. Kata is where it counts as the basics can be utilized through Kata. I tend to sacrifice Sparring for Kata practice because through Kata also one can learn to fight

[FangPwnsAll7]

I think its bad when a student lies. I would, tell the truth

[kensei]

I hate it when students lie to me, but I also take it a different way....If I ask if they think they are ready to test, they say yes...I ask if they have been putting in time at home....they say yes and I am fairly sure that they have not because that means eighter A)they really are not getting it, or B) they are not telling the truth...I tend to remember that I have a very old black belt strapped around my torso and they have a much newer color belt...actually my belt is much older than most of my students...and it can be kind of scary to be chatted up by a Senior black belt who is asking questions of your training regement...even and short Welshman with more white in his Goatee than black!

If its a kids I tend to correct them and get them to tell the truth or explain why they have not really progressed, and I let them off the hook a tad...catch and release as it were! If its an adult however I always make a mental note to not trust what they say.

The other thing, If they have not been training at home and they tell me so...End of conversation. As a Karate instructor you can request, suggest and inspire...but NEVER can you demand, badger or bully a student. If you do...I hope and pray that some day you find yourself all alone on the Dojo floor and all your students are with more careing and understanding instructors. I know no one here would bully students!

I Have seen a life time full of bullies on the Dojo floor trying to push students around and force them to accept their way of thinking. the worst part is, for the better part, those instructors tend to have been people who were not very tallented instructors and just stuck it out till they got high ranking black belts and have the skills to DO Karate but not TEACH Karate...and being a bully of students is the first step to proving that issue correct.

As an instructor we need to inspire not demand things. make Karate so darn fun that they want to rush home to practice (Kids) and for adults we need to inspire them to get past the real issues they face and take the time for themselves. Karate should be an outlet for them to go and practice, decompress and destress themsevles. If they ever even want a black belt that is fantastic...but the act of doing something good for themselves in a day filled with bullie bosses, financial issues, marital problems, raising kids, debts, forclosed homes, parents that are now sick and aged, the issues of paying for their kids schooling while supporting a retired family member....we should be the place they come to work out, forget all this for an hour or two and train with others who are like minded and trying to come in out of the stress into a nice relaxed environment and shut off thier mind, and work their body to the point of exhaustion.

Getting off my soap box let me say that this was just my take on why people tell untruths in the Club when an instructor asks them "that question" and not pointed at anyone person...been mistaken as attacking people in the past and this was not an attack in any way shape or form on the original post. I to hate being lied to...just take it a different way.

Oh, and if they dont train at home, and you dont see progress...fail them on the next test...let them know why you failed them (no improvement) and that they would benefit from actually working out at home!

[Stewie3345]

That's a really tough subject. I haven't had to deal with that but I really like your approach. It shows who is in charge and what the students are expected to do and be able to achieve.