Missed Opportunity?

[Alan Armstrong]

I believe my WC Sifu was self conscious of his bald spot and the baseball hat was a cover up for it.

Perhaps it looked like a disrespectful act with the hat but my Tai Chi Sifu was not bothered about fashion statements good or bad, he was happy enough just to explain and teach his Wu Style Kung Fu to those who wanted to know how it works.

Both sifus being very profound in their MA yet very different from each other personality wise, as the WC CI had difficulty smiling while the TC CI was always smiling while teaching.

[JR 137]

I believe my WC Sifu was self conscious of his bald spot and the baseball hat was a cover up for it.

Perhaps it looked like a disrespectful act with the hat but my Tai Chi Sifu was not bothered about fashion statements good or bad, he was happy enough just to explain and teach his Wu Style Kung Fu to those who wanted to know how it works.

Both sifus being very profound in their MA yet very different from each other personality wise, as the WC CI had difficulty smiling while the TC CI was always smiling while teaching.

When you're in someone else's house, you follow their rules. When you're in your own house, you make the rules. The rules can be very stringent or very lax, but they're reflective of the CI's priorities.

I wouldn't walk onto anyone's floor with a hat on. But if it that CI's rule stated I had to wear one or it was disrespectful not to, I'd assume there was a very good reason why it was worn.

[JR 137]

When I travel, I always check our organization's website to see if there's an affiliated dojo where I'm going or along the way. Even if I didn't have the time to actually take a class, I'd try to stop in just to say hi and see how things are done there. We have others from different Seido branches take a class and/or stop in to say hello every now and then. There's two people from different dojos who come in and take a class or two every year during their college reunion which is down the road from us.

Unfortunately, none of my travel destinations have had an affiliated dojo.

I haven't tried visiting an unaffiliated dojo. I don't know, I think maybe I'd be a distraction at best, or people might think I'm there to show them up. If there was a famous dojo, I'd most likely stop in and meet the CI and watch them teach if it was acceptable. If I'm ever in Denver, I'd make it a point to visit Joko Ninomiya's Enshin dojo, or Fumio Demura's dojo in CA or the like. But I wouldn't show up with a gi and ask to train. I'd call ahead and ask if that was acceptable first if I genuinely wanted to take a class.