Am I a total jerk?

[sensei8]

It's not the belt- I agree with you, but to me it's more about aligning him in the dojo with the lowest rank, imagine your sensei wanting to get a work out in on vacation and they have him stand in the back of the rank with a whitebelt on. It would only be one step before they have him doing pushups because he crossed in front of sensei or something. Itsunnecessary, it's disrespectful.

There's no need for martial artists to treat each other that way. At most he should have told him "no coaching, no teaching, no correcting".

I have only had 2 real sensei's, I believe neither would have acted that way, especially regarding someone inthe same system.

Heck my teacher respects my prior training and treats me as a martial artist and I was no blackbelt and my training was in a different system.

My Dai-Soke would've done whatever was required of him because he would've been there for one thing and one thing only...train!!

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

Cheesfrysamurai and andym, thanks for your understanding. Now the opportunity has passed (I came back without training in that place) I feel a bit sad about it... Also, I am not really the Michael Jordan of Goju Ryu (not even in my dreams ) just an average guy who spent some years practicing. My sensei once mentioned that Karate is a road and some have traveled it a bit longer, but that doesn't make them better...

Anyway, I thought about the visitor belt: I'm sure in Amerido-te it is pink!

[Harkon72]

Master Ken might be a joker but there is a lot of truth in his jests. I'm about to visit a Dojo in a different town next week, it's a school of my previous style; Shotokan. I am not there to learn the style, I will go and share some Karatedo. I will wear a white belt for my sins.

[sensei8]

Cheesfrysamurai and andym, thanks for your understanding. Now the opportunity has passed (I came back without training in that place) I feel a bit sad about it... Also, I am not really the Michael Jordan of Goju Ryu (not even in my dreams ) just an average guy who spent some years practicing. My sensei once mentioned that Karate is a road and some have traveled it a bit longer, but that doesn't make them better...

Anyway, I thought about the visitor belt: I'm sure in Amerido-te it is pink!

The tenure ones traveled isn't a validation of ones ability because many things can be garnished on ones path. Knowledge can be misunderstood for something that it's not by just ones tenure. Knowledge against application knowledge is incomplete, imho; either one can or one can't!! Theory knowledge is incomplete unless it's brought under the microscope of analysis that's questioned over and over until it's proven.

Robert Frost said it best...

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

 

I took the one less traveled by,

 

And that has made all the difference.”

The longer one travels on their path, they must ask themselves one question over and over...

Is my path tainted? Answering that honestly will make all of the difference; now and later.

[Brooklyn Kenshikai]

If your aim is simply to visit and take part in a class or workout, while you're in town — i don't see why the color of the belt you wear should matter to you.

I've done the same — any time I've visited another city, I've called or emailed ahead, to ask if it was OK to visit and maybe take part in a class. I've always, as a default, worn a white belt.

Why should it matter to me what color belt the rest of the people in that dojo see around my waist? If I want them see what rank or level I am, it should be plain enough, in what I do in class, not what I wear in class! The perceived need to have others see that rank/belt around one's waist is nothing but ego and insecurity (myself included). I got over that real quick after a few dojo visits around the country.

IMO, It's good practice to wear the white belt — let your techniques tell the story. Humility, as another reply mentioned — it's a good thing!

-RB

[sensei8]

If your aim is simply to visit and take part in a class or workout, while you're in town — i don't see why the color of the belt you wear should matter to you.

I've done the same — any time I've visited another city, I've called or emailed ahead, to ask if it was OK to visit and maybe take part in a class. I've always, as a default, worn a white belt.

Why should it matter to me what color belt the rest of the people in that dojo see around my waist? If I want them see what rank or level I am, it should be plain enough, in what I do in class, not what I wear in class! The perceived need to have others see that rank/belt around one's waist is nothing but ego and insecurity (myself included). I got over that real quick after a few dojo visits around the country.

IMO, It's good practice to wear the white belt — let your techniques tell the story. Humility, as another reply mentioned — it's a good thing!

-RB

Solid post!!

[DWx]

If your aim is simply to visit and take part in a class or workout, while you're in town — i don't see why the color of the belt you wear should matter to you.

I've done the same — any time I've visited another city, I've called or emailed ahead, to ask if it was OK to visit and maybe take part in a class. I've always, as a default, worn a white belt.

Why should it matter to me what color belt the rest of the people in that dojo see around my waist? If I want them see what rank or level I am, it should be plain enough, in what I do in class, not what I wear in class! The perceived need to have others see that rank/belt around one's waist is nothing but ego and insecurity (myself included). I got over that real quick after a few dojo visits around the country.

IMO, It's good practice to wear the white belt — let your techniques tell the story. Humility, as another reply mentioned — it's a good thing!

-RB

Great post. My thoughts exactly.

[GojuRyu Bahrain]

If I go to train somewhere, I want to train at a relevant level.

If I'm told to wear a white belt, I expect to be treated as white belt and learn things like Oi Zuki and Age Uke, which is a waste of my and the instructors time. (I can workout more efficiently in the hotel gym, without renting a car, driving for an hour etc..)

If I wear a white belt and am treated as a black belt, I can wear my black belt as well.

If I come with a white belt but expect to be treated as a black belt I'm a hypocrite.

If I want to humiliate myself I wear a pink belt.

[Harkon72]

A great karate student will always have the Beginner Mind; when I am taught oi zuki or age uke from a new Sensei I can have a feel for their karatedo on the basic level and as a window to their most advanced techniques. Kihon Kata for example is always a Kata to return to. It is the first Kata to be taught and the last to be mastered. Karate is a never ending cycle, when your black belt turns white with age, when all the blood sweat and tears are washed out; the color means nothing; the Budo is in your soul, the belt is an honorable accessory, nothing more.

[cheesefrysamurai]

Harkon,

your right of course. But again this is a system hes been practicing for 25 years. I am sure that many of you blackbelts senseis dont have 25 years ma experience let alone in one system!

Its not the "a wise man can learn something from anyone" thing. Its disrespectful. This is not about humility, its about not respecting his hard work.

I have been in the dojo several times where a sensei (who very well may be a lower rank) in a different or same system visits, my old sensei would bow to him and call him sensei xxxxxx, and introduce him to the class.

Like I said, my sensei respects my prior training and I was no blackbelt.

Bahrain wasnt asking to take the class over, wasnt trying to show up their sensei, he was simply visiting.

A great karate student will always have the Beginner Mind; when I am taught oi zuki or age uke from a new Sensei I can have a feel for their karatedo on the basic level and as a window to their most advanced techniques. Kihon Kata for example is always a Kata to return to. It is the first Kata to be taught and the last to be mastered. Karate is a never ending cycle, when your black belt turns white with age, when all the blood sweat and tears are washed out; the color means nothing; the Budo is in your soul, the belt is an honorable accessory, nothing more.