Disrespectful act

[jaypo]

Okay. The test went down Friday evening. There were 5 people testing- 1 from orange to green, 2 for purple, and the one in question testing officially for blue. As the test went on, she did fairly well. She improved a lot since her last test, but she still has a lot of issues she needs to work on. Her stances and moving forward and backwards in them needs a little tweaking. She needs to work harder on completing the step before the counter is launched. Simple things that I can fix with 2 weeks of training. The other student that started at the same time as her ("C") knocked it out of the park. She performed almost flawlessly. She even got a clean point on me in Kumite!! (without me letting her!!!) However, "K" performed a level below "C". And in her kumite, she was put against the Nidan that she questioned earlier. He did not try to humiliate her, but he did show her that she has a lot of holes in her game. That was done by design. And after, he pulled her aside and coached her as to what she needed to work on.

When the grading took place, she was presented her blue belt, because honestly, she performed to blue belt level. She performed 2 katas above what she needed, and she knew the bunkais to go along with them. During the grading, she was told that if she showed the dedication to fix the few little things she needed to over the next few weeks, she may be able to obtain the advanced ranking. The Nidan that she questioned offered to take her under his wing and work with her. As we were leaving, she mentioned that she will be out of state for a month. When she had left, the M.I. came by and said that he feels that we'll lose her as a student. If that's the case, it won't hurt my feelings. I'm one that used to have to do pushups on my knuckles if I didn't focus 100% on class, so any act of disrespect makes my skin crawl. If she happens to return, I would gladly help her to achieve her goals because she does put in the work. She just needs to realize where she truly is. She is so worried about "C"'s training that she forgets where she actually is.

Thanks for the discussion, guys. I'll probably post an update in August when she returns to the wonderful state of Louisiana!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Im looking forward to hearing about it.

For kata you only have to show the kata that is required and none of the prior ones?

[jaypo]

No, you have to know all prior ones as well.

The way our system is, we learn all heians according to JKA and all pinans according to Shorin Ryu guidelines. We also have association katas that we learn. So for her test, she literally had to know heian shodan, nidan, sandan, and yodan as well as Pinan Nidan, sandan, and yodan. She also had to perform 4 association katas.

She did well with the katas, but her kihon and bunkais needed some work. She has spent a lot of her time working on just the katas, but not everything else. I feel that if she spent a little more time working on perfecting the stances and how to use the angles while moving in the stances, she'd do very well. I think that if I had her for private classes for 3 weeks, I could drastically improve her as a martial artist. But I think that her ego will affect her decision to quit because she's unhappy with the rank she was given.

[kensei]

Regardless of her skills in Karate she never should have been allowed to test...period. I recall one time we were out at camp and one of MY students tested for Orange with his mom, Grandmother and sister. He was by far better technically than her big sister and he passed.

That night my instructor came to my hut (we were on a island) and told me that one of the other instructors witnessed him disrespecting his grandmother and mother, he failed the test based on attitude alone! My instructor is no joke and he passed that on to me. I wont take sass from juniors or students, joking around is good but you have a limit and that lady jumped all over that line in my mind. she would be invited to find another dojo if she were in my class!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Kensei I agree. There is indeed a limit to when students can joke around. I joke around but I know when not to and not to disrespect others. But when I train at other dojos I do not dare do that. Because I obviously want t treat the school with respect and show that I am serious about my training.

[jaypo]

That was part of my discussion as well, but my M.I. handpicked her to train, and I think he has a soft spot in his heart for her. He initially saw a lot of determination in her, and in the beginning, she trained with purpose. When she complained to another student, I believe that my M.I. was hurt more than anything. Myself and the other black belts on the council were upset. We all train because we respect the art and what it does for us. I believe that she is training to show everybody the color around her waist.

I personally think she's done with the club, but we'll see in August whether or not she returns when she comes back to the states.

[kensei]

jaypo, I hope for your clubs sake that this lady chooses to take up Taebo or what ever is the latest exercise craze and just drops your club from her training. I would have had words with her a long time ago!

We used to have "meaningful conversations" with people when this kind of thing happened, if that did not work we would spar with them and show them that they had to straighten up, and if that did not work my instructor would sit them down, give them back their fees for the month and show them the door.

Never be afraid to lose a member when it benefits those that say!

[jaypo]

Our M.I. chose the Nidan that she had the issues with to spar with her. He basically showed her that her skill level is not where it needs to be. And the sad part is that I can tell how much she has worked since her last grading. She has the determination that I appreciate, but it's for the wrong reasons. We're about 99% sure that she won't return to class. But in the slim chance that she does return, I'll be the one to take her aside and let her know what's expected from that point forward.

[jaypo]

So today, things took a huge turn for the worse. Tonight, the Nidan that basically runs the operations of the club told me that "K" has been informing the parents of some of the students that she is being unfairly targeted. She claims that in her kumite for her test, she was hit intentionally and it caused a slight concussion (nevermind the 3 kicks to the Nidan's "man parts" that she dealt out prior to that). She approached our M.I. and informed him of this and basically said that she's thinking of filing charges against the Nidan. I'm not quite sure if it was an ultimatum to have him removed from his position of authority within the club, but the Nidan has resigned from his duties at the club for fear of having this person ruin the club. He will now train only as a student but will have no authority or voting power in the club. He feels that this is the only way to avoid giving the club a "black eye" for lack of a better term.

I was present at the test, and I was literally 6 feet away when that "hit" occurred. (I put "hit" in quotations because it wasn't a hard enough strike to hurt my 5 year old- they both attacked at the same time, and the Nidan's strike got there first- he tried to shorten the strike, but the student had committed forward, but was trying to lean back) The Nidan was wearing thick padded kumite gloves, and the hit occurred as the student was moving backwards and was done slow and with no power and certainly not intentionally. 10 minutes after that "hit", the student's daughter ran and fell head first into the wall of the same room, and she did not suffer a concussion! After the test, the Nidan actually offered positive encouragement and offered to help the student achieve the rank she desired. Which is why I am floored after hearing what I heard tonight.

I have no other words. I've never come across this kind of childish garbage in the martial arts.

[Spartacus Maximus]

I wouldn't be worried about her suing the dojo or Nisan in question unless she has tangible evidence that she suffered a concussion. That means a medical report, not just her word. Her petty and vain vindicative behaviour is something your dojo doesn't need. Keeping her will poison your dojos training atmosphere. Get rid of her QUICK! Let her leave and don't allow her back. Nothing is worse than a person who won't accept being taught and has an overblown sense of entitlement.