GREAT teacher, BAD Person...

[Himokiri Karate]

I am wondering if anyone of you guys have come across an instructor like that???

I had a boxing coach like that in the beginning who rented space in an mma gym, he was very good at teaching boxing and himself was in an AMAZING shape for his age and he did spar with us and made sure not to hurt students in sparring.

All and all he was a good coach when it came to teaching the art of boxing and as student-teacher he was very polite towards us. But aside from that...Hitting on female students, calling mma guys bagget with an F,cursing nonestop,

That and him picking fights with people outside of training and saying if your breaking someones jaws,ribs and orbital then your doing it right...

I left the guy because I found another great coach, but what I am wondering is, would you put up with a guy who has exceptional talent to teach,spar and turn people with low talent to pretty good boxers but with this type of thug attitude???

I hate to say it but, if I never have found my current coach there would be a chance I would probably have stayed with him since he really is a good coach!

[andym]

You are looking at it from the oriental martial arts point of view. There is a fundamental difference between a coach and a sensei ! From the view point of modern coaching, his behavior outside of coaching is irrelevant. All that counts is coaching ability. Within the oriental martial arts the sensei needs to have a good coaching ability, but must also be an exemplar of the behavior required, both inside and outside the Dojo. A lot of us fail in this. This is the whole concept of BUDO.

[DWx]

You are looking at it from the oriental martial arts point of view. There is a fundamental difference between a coach and a sensei ! From the view point of modern coaching, his behavior outside of coaching is irrelevant. All that counts is coaching ability. Within the oriental martial arts the sensei needs to have a good coaching ability, but must also be an exemplar of the behavior required, both inside and outside the Dojo. A lot of us fail in this. This is the whole concept of BUDO.

Well there is that but if the guy is trash talking all the time and showing little respect for female students could you put up with somebody like that? Me personally, I have very little patience for people like that. Yeah there is this divide in attitudes between eastern vs western martial arts but in both situations, even if I agree/disagree with what a coach or sensei's personal views are, I wouldn't want to hear them during training. I don't pay them to preach to me so I probably wouldn't train with him. If the coaching really was miles above what anybody else could give me I might stay with him but it'd have to be really good for me to withstand the earache.

[Himokiri Karate]

You are looking at it from the oriental martial arts point of view. There is a fundamental difference between a coach and a sensei ! From the view point of modern coaching, his behavior outside of coaching is irrelevant. All that counts is coaching ability. Within the oriental martial arts the sensei needs to have a good coaching ability, but must also be an exemplar of the behavior required, both inside and outside the Dojo. A lot of us fail in this. This is the whole concept of BUDO.

Well there is that but if the guy is trash talking all the time and showing little respect for female students could you put up with somebody like that? Me personally, I have very little patience for people like that. Yeah there is this divide in attitudes between eastern vs western martial arts but in both situations, even if I agree/disagree with what a coach or sensei's personal views are, I wouldn't want to hear them during training. I don't pay them to preach to me so I probably wouldn't train with him. If the coaching really was miles above what anybody else could give me I might stay with him but it'd have to be really good for me to withstand the earache.

That was my dilemma, even my current boxing coach who despises him has refered to his coaching as "Exceptional" and a one of the best when it comes to helping students understand and realize the importance of basic boxing and becoming the master of the basic moves in footwork and jab.

Its just the womenizing attitude as well as him picking fights with anyone who resembled a guido was getting out of hand. The latter didnt bother me, in my twisted ways I rationalez his guido hate but him hitting on chicks while being in his 40s was very very Disturbing to me...

[Dobbersky]

Yeah

I've known of a few in my time.

Great teacher's and I fully respect them as instructors; but as individuals, I wouldn't give them the time of day. Shame but it shows that instructors are normal people just like anyone else. They're not demigods to be put on pedestals like most do.

[Zaine]

I would put up with it depending on the extent of the personality. If they weren't good to students I think I would leave but otherwise I'm pretty good (or bad depending on how you look at it) at being able to not care who they are as long as I, or someone I care for, aren't affected. It all comes down to what you can put up with.

This all being said, I think that as an instructor your attitude and what you do outside of the classroom is just as important as how you act inside the classroom and when an instructor doesn't act exemplary it tends to rub off on the students.

When it all comes down to it what matters is what you're able to look over and put up with.

[tallgeese]

I would put up with it depending on the extent of the personality. If they weren't good to students I think I would leave but otherwise I'm pretty good (or bad depending on how you look at it) at being able to not care who they are as long as I, or someone I care for, aren't affected. It all comes down to what you can put up with.

This all being said, I think that as an instructor your attitude and what you do outside of the classroom is just as important as how you act inside the classroom and when an instructor doesn't act exemplary it tends to rub off on the students.

When it all comes down to it what matters is what you're able to look over and put up with.

I agree, I've known one or two (fortunately very few in relation to how many places I've trained at) who were amazing martial artist, but had issues being human beings. That said, I still trained with those people because they had a skill I wanted.

It's the cost benefit thing that you have to figure in.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with tallgeese and Zaine. It depends on if the value you can gain from them is worth putting up with their character flaws. If you really can't take associating with someone that you have problems with their morals and ethics, then its time to part ways.