My New White Belt, In My OWN Dojo..?

[CredoTe]

Since joining KF, I've read a handful of threads regarding experienced MAs donning a white belt when they visit other dojos. Well, yesterday evening I started down a new path in my MA journey, and it started in my own dojo with me donning a new white belt.

For the past 6 years or more, I've been searching for the core of our Karate, the soul of our Karate, the root of our Karate; and I don't mean historical roots, per se. And, by "our Karate" I mean the Matsubayashi-Ryu that we practice in our dojo. I began this trek 6 years ago because something wasn't right with our then current Karate style (by this I mean the "style" in which we executed waza, kata, etc.) The way we were doing things just didn't make sense.

My journey led closer to Osensei Nagamine's true way of Matsubayashi-Ryu, which led me to a distinct discovery of a tiny tip of treasure poking up through the ground. This tiny tip revealed to me that it (this buried treasure) was, in fact, what we were missing.

Fast-forward to just over a year ago... An MA expert whom I knew from my past re-entered my life and became a part-time recurring instructor at my dojo. He's an expert (I would even call him a Master, but he would chuckle and brush it off) in many MAs and MA concepts, including the buried treasure I stumbled across. He gave a name to this buried treasure: he called it "Te (Ti)", and from his explanations, the tiny tip I stumbled across would turn out to be a vast store of buried treasure. I've read about Te before, about it being some indigenous / native art in Okinawa before To-te, before "karate", but at the time, I didn't really understand what it really is.

Over the past year, this MA expert, indeed Te (Ti) expert, helped us synergize bits and pieces of Te (Ti) into our Karate. What a difference it made... When I was fortunate enough to have accidental private lessons with him (no one else could make it), he would show me larger chunks of Te (Ti)... but not too much, because he didn't want to step on the toes of my chief instructor.

The other day, I received one of the best calls in my MA journey. This Te (Ti) expert personally invited me to train with him and his family (at my dojo), to be a personal student (no, I'm no deshi, not yet anyway). He is ranked in Matsubayashi-Ryu, and follows it to a Ti (sorry, couldn't resist that pun ), and honors Osensei & Soke, but he uses Matsubayashi more as a vehicle for teaching Te (Ti). His method of training / teaching is so different from what I've experienced in my ~25 years of MA, it's great. More importantly, though, is the fact that I truly began my journey of putting Te (Ti) into my Karate because of him, because he invited me to be his student.

Because of that honor, because of my respect for him and the art of Te (Ti) / Matsubayashi-Ryu, because I truly want to preserve the art and do it right, I gladly, gratefully donned a new White Belt in my own dojo. And, I'll wear my White Belt when training with him until he tells me otherwise...

(*Exhales long-winded dialog*)...

[sensei8]

Since joining KF, I've read a handful of threads regarding experienced MAs donning a white belt when they visit other dojos. Well, yesterday evening I started down a new path in my MA journey, and it started in my own dojo with me donning a new white belt.

For the past 6 years or more, I've been searching for the core of our Karate, the soul of our Karate, the root of our Karate; and I don't mean historical roots, per se. And, by "our Karate" I mean the Matsubayashi-Ryu that we practice in our dojo. I began this trek 6 years ago because something wasn't right with our then current Karate style (by this I mean the "style" in which we executed waza, kata, etc.) The way we were doing things just didn't make sense.

My journey led closer to Osensei Nagamine's true way of Matsubayashi-Ryu, which led me to a distinct discovery of a tiny tip of treasure poking up through the ground. This tiny tip revealed to me that it (this buried treasure) was, in fact, what we were missing.

Fast-forward to just over a year ago... An MA expert whom I knew from my past re-entered my life and became a part-time recurring instructor at my dojo. He's an expert (I would even call him a Master, but he would chuckle and brush it off) in many MAs and MA concepts, including the buried treasure I stumbled across. He gave a name to this buried treasure: he called it "Te (Ti)", and from his explanations, the tiny tip I stumbled across would turn out to be a vast store of buried treasure. I've read about Te before, about it being some indigenous / native art in Okinawa before To-te, before "karate", but at the time, I didn't really understand what it really is.

Over the past year, this MA expert, indeed Te (Ti) expert, helped us synergize bits and pieces of Te (Ti) into our Karate. What a difference it made... When I was fortunate enough to have accidental private lessons with him (no one else could make it), he would show me larger chunks of Te (Ti)... but not too much, because he didn't want to step on the toes of my chief instructor.

The other day, I received one of the best calls in my MA journey. This Te (Ti) expert personally invited me to train with him and his family (at my dojo), to be a personal student (no, I'm no deshi, not yet anyway). He is ranked in Matsubayashi-Ryu, and follows it to a Ti (sorry, couldn't resist that pun ), and honors Osensei & Soke, but he uses Matsubayashi more as a vehicle for teaching Te (Ti). His method of training / teaching is so different from what I've experienced in my ~25 years of MA, it's great. More importantly, though, is the fact that I truly began my journey of putting Te (Ti) into my Karate because of him, because he invited me to be his student.

Because of that honor, because of my respect for him and the art of Te (Ti) / Matsubayashi-Ryu, because I truly want to preserve the art and do it right, I gladly, gratefully donned a new White Belt in my own dojo. And, I'll wear my White Belt when training with him until he tells me otherwise...

(*Exhales long-winded dialog*)...

Great story!! I bow to YOU!! This will reach the hearts of your students as well as they see the evidence of your MA journey right before them. Not all of your students will understand what steps you've taken, but in time they all will!! The betterment will not be yours alone, but your students as well.

[mal103]

Excellent!

This task to learn and eventually pass on this knowledge is your responsibility, soon there will be less of the original masters available, then less of their direct students so it is in our hands to learn what we can and preserve what they sought.

[CredoTe]

...

(sensei8's quote of CredoTe redacted by CredoTe)

...

Great story!! I bow to YOU!! This will reach the hearts of your students as well as they see the evidence of your MA journey right before them. Not all of your students will understand what steps you've taken, but in time they all will!! The betterment will not be yours alone, but your students as well.

And:

Excellent!

This task to learn and eventually pass on this knowledge is your responsibility, soon there will be less of the original masters available, then less of their direct students so it is in our hands to learn what we can and preserve what they sought.

Thank you both for your responses. They offer support and wisdom...

[CredoTe]

So... There's been an unexpected and unfortunate development...

Recently, when training with my Ti instructor (I had my white belt on), my CI stopped by the dojo to drop stuff off. I was up front with him about training under my Ti instructor, so he knows I do this. He came and left without saying anything, but, last week after class, he confronted me and was angry with me for wearing a white belt.

He said that I shouldn't be wearing a white belt, that it undermines his instruction and promotion of me to my current rank, and asked if my intention was to receive my instruction and rankings from now on from my Ti instructor. He then made it about business, saying that if someone were to stop by the dojo with inquiries, it wouldn't look good for one of the dojo's instructors to be wearing a white belt.

The only thing that I could get out of my mouth before becoming dumbstruck speechless is that I told him that what he told me is not why I wear a white belt...

...Uh....er.....um.... Anyone have any ideas or have dealt with a similar situation that you may advise...?

[wagnerk]

While I see why you did what you did, I agree with your CI in principle...

After all you've trained under him for X amount of time, then basically wearing a white belt under another instructor in the same art (however please correct me if I misunderstood), in the CI's own dojo. See it from your CI's point of view, basically it sounds like you've just told your CI that what he's taught is either wrong or useless (it's different if it's a different art).

From what I can see, you have a few choices before you...

1. Communication - Open up a dialogue with your CI, explain to him that you didn't mean any disrespect and see where that takes you.

2. Leave your CI and just train and grade (if poss) with the re-occurring instructor (however you have to realise that while you may be learning something different, if this instructor is only part-time and/or just re-occurring is the possibility of him leaving greater).

3. Leave your current association and find another.

There are probably more options, but at this time of the morning, I can only think of those 3 main ones

However it pans out, I do hope it works out for you

[mal103]

Go with option 1 from above, you may have to then explain to your Te instructor that you need to wear your normal belt as your CI prefers it.

At the end of the day it's just a colour, you know you are always a student learning and the Sensei's know they are also students passing on their knowledge.

I was keen to train with another club a while ago after an invite, mainly to compare and to see how they do it. My CI pointed out that they may use that against us, or it may be them trying to poach me and my students.

It's good to learn new and to train with others but we have to be careful with politics and business etc.

Good luck in building bridges...

[cheesefrysamurai]

First off I want to congratulate you on your epiphany.

I would also choose route 1. Explain your loyalty to him is not a question. That you feel you want to add additional training to you regiment to further build character and knowledge. I would tell him that you putting on this white belt does not truly reflect your rank in this instance but, more you humbling yourself in order to transcend a hurdle. That you aren't seeking rank, you are seeking a form of enlightenment that is only possible because he led you to this point.

Good luck

[sensei8]

So... There's been an unexpected and unfortunate development...

Recently, when training with my Ti instructor (I had my white belt on), my CI stopped by the dojo to drop stuff off. I was up front with him about training under my Ti instructor, so he knows I do this. He came and left without saying anything, but, last week after class, he confronted me and was angry with me for wearing a white belt.

He said that I shouldn't be wearing a white belt, that it undermines his instruction and promotion of me to my current rank, and asked if my intention was to receive my instruction and rankings from now on from my Ti instructor. He then made it about business, saying that if someone were to stop by the dojo with inquiries, it wouldn't look good for one of the dojo's instructors to be wearing a white belt.

The only thing that I could get out of my mouth before becoming dumbstruck speechless is that I told him that what he told me is not why I wear a white belt...

...Uh....er.....um.... Anyone have any ideas or have dealt with a similar situation that you may advise...?

Imho...

Your CI has missed the forest because of the trees.

One is not the same as the other! Does your CI own you? Does your Ti instructor own you? Is your CI that insecure as a MA instructor? Is your CI not complete in his MA totality? I can see why you were dumbstruck speechless. Imho, your CI has lost his bearings as a MAist as well as a CI. Sheech and good grief Charlie Brown.

What wagnerk speaks about is solid, and worthy to consider.

Maybe your CI was just having a really bad day...maybe!

[DWx]

Your CI has missed the forest because of the trees.

One is not the same as the other! Does your CI own you? Does your Ti instructor own you? Is your CI that insecure as a MA instructor? Is your CI not complete in his MA totality? I can see why you were dumbstruck speechless. Imho, your CI has lost his bearings as a MAist as well as a CI. Sheech and good grief Charlie Brown.

See I can see why his CI might be offended. I'm just postulating, but up until recently CredoTe, you were happy to wear the rank he gave you and one presumes wear it with pride? How must your CI feel if another instructor shows up on the scene, begins giving you private lessons, and you suddenly discard your belt? Perhaps he sees it as you saying that the rank he gave you is worthless or of little value and subsequently his teachings too? Might be a little slap in the face for him to suddenly have his student's valuing another instructor's teachings more than his own so much so that they say that his blackbelts are worth as much as whitebelts.

I would honestly talk with your CI and explain why you have chosen to train this way. It might even mean taking your private lessons with your Ti instructor elsewhere and off dojo premises.