Asking To Test

[Flying Crane]

Man you should have tried visiting the Wing Chun forum 5 or 6 years back. Then you would have seen some ...real toxicity! And still, Martialtalk was a more civil place than most. By comparison, today's forum is like happytown. A regular love fest!

There is always Bullshido if you just need to be abused.

 

[PhotonGuy]

If it's an old discussion that's different than re-opening a thread that's still active.



So because life's short, bad manners are okay? Because other people do it, that makes it okay?

My goodness, it's teenager attitudes all around on this forum today.

Nobody's complaining about it except you.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Easy for you to say. I'm a slow learner.

Well depending on what you want to do and when you want to do it, you might not be able to meet your goal if you're too slow.

Whenever I have a goal, often if not always, part of the very goal itself is to get it done within a certain time limit.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Man you should have tried visiting the Wing Chun forum 5 or 6 years back. Then you would have seen some ...real toxicity! And still, Martialtalk was a more civil place than most. By comparison, today's forum is like happytown. A regular love fest!

From what I've been taught about martial arts, its supposed to be about courtesy and respect, at least that's what I've been taught where I train in the martial arts, not something that's supposed to have toxicity.

 

[PhotonGuy]

So getting back to Photon (at last) ...Photon, me lad, after all these years, are ye still havin' troubles talkin' with yer instructor 'bout whether it's time to test? What's this all about, now? Have ye missed another chance to advance in rank? Surely you can tell ol' Geezer!

As far as the rest of you guys go ...well, I can't be the only guy here wondering what's really behind Photon's ...er, ongoing fixation with this issue.

See post #243

 

[geezer]

See post #243

OK, read that. You have set a time frame. So the question remains, have you been meeting your goals?

... Or have you been frustrated by slower than hoped for rank advancement?

 

[dvcochran]

Well depending on what you want to do and when you want to do it, you might not be able to meet your goal if you're too slow.

Whenever I have a goal, often if not always, part of the very goal itself is to get it done within a certain time limit.

So, what do you do when you do not meet your timeline? I have lost a good amount of hair from it over the years but have learned ways to anticipate and handle it. I am still not a nice guy if a knucklehead (or knucklehead reason) causes it.
We do project work quite often so I get being on a schedule. It is our bottom line and reputation at stake sometimes when we do not meet a schedule. But often times you are working off a premise given by the customer and end up being confronted with changes. Navigating them with the customer is delicate work sometimes.
It doesn't always happen, for reasons that are usually out of my control.
Contingency is a major factor in surviving when doing project work.

 

[Buka]

Man, this thread took a strange turn. Everybody should relax and take care of their own manners.

It's all good. Makes me want to read old Rod McKuen books, like...

Kumbaya, all you sons a beaches.

 

[PhotonGuy]

For me, if you just walked up cold and asked "why haven't I tested" that would be bad form. There is usually at least a loose format of what is required for each promotion. If you feel certain you can check all the boxes and can respectfully argue your case then have a talk with your instructor. If they are unapproachable that may be difficult.
You should walk away with either an answer in the affirmative or a good explanation of why not and what you need to work on.
Either way, if done properly, it will be a good experience regardless of the answer. There is an emotional/maturation component at work here.

The above in bold is what I would want from an instructor if I was a student who wanted to earn further rank. If the instructor says Im not ready that's fine but I would want to know why, that way I will know what I need to work on. That's more or less what I would be asking for if I were to ask why I haven't tested, to know how I fall short, to know what I need to do to bring myself up to par.

Also, a good instructor should be approachable, an instructor is not a god, they're a human being like everybody else.

 

[PhotonGuy]

OK, read that. You have set a time frame. So the question remains, have you been meeting your goals?

... Or have you been frustrated by slower than hoped for rank advancement?

Sorry I took so long to respond, I've been really busy with some stuff so I've been away for awhile. Anyway, its the latter, or at least it has been.

In the past I've used the example of Eagle Scout in BSA as something where you have a time limit. Everything you do in Boy Scouts you have to do before you turn 18 up to and including being an Eagle Scout. Now, why would somebody want to be an Eagle Scout? Everybody who does want to be an Eagle Scout has their own reasons but that's not the point. The point is they only have so long to do it. Usually you start out as a Boy Scout around the age of 11 although in some cases you can start at 10, that means you've got around 7 years or 8 years at the most in which to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. You're certainly not going to be able to take 30 years to become an Eagle Scout as that far exceeds the time limit.

Everything has a time limit. You've got only so long to live, that's your time limit right there.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Also, a good instructor should be approachable, an instructor is not a god, they're a human being like everybody else.

I've seen too many instructors who didn't quite get that.

 

[geezer]

I've seen too many instructors who didn't quite get that.

What? I'm not a god?! ...Well, dang, that explains a lot.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I've seen too many instructors who didn't quite get that.

Any instructor who thinks they're a god I would seriously not recommend training under. A sensei should be like a teacher at school or a scoutmaster or a college professor. Those are all positions of respect but by no means is anybody in any of those positions a god to be worshipped and that includes senseis. A student should be able to talk to a teacher. A scout should be able to talk to a scoutmaster. By the same token a student of the martial arts should be able to talk to their sensei.

 

[Headhunter]

Any instructor who thinks they're a god I would seriously not recommend training under. A sensei should be like a teacher at school or a scoutmaster or a college professor. Those are all positions of respect but by no means is anybody in any of those positions a god to be worshipped and that includes senseis. A student should be able to talk to a teacher. A scout should be able to talk to a scoutmaster. By the same token a student of the martial arts should be able to talk to their sensei.

To many times I've Seen people worship their instructor and I just look at them like....why....I mean okay they're good in martial arts but that doesn't make them some kind of messiah. I feel sorry for people like that. Like martial arts are about self confidence but you're not confident enough to be your own person and follow your instructor around like a lost puppy. Well that's not my style...

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Any instructor who thinks they're a god I would seriously not recommend training under. A sensei should be like a teacher at school or a scoutmaster or a college professor. Those are all positions of respect but by no means is anybody in any of those positions a god to be worshipped and that includes senseis. A student should be able to talk to a teacher. A scout should be able to talk to a scoutmaster. By the same token a student of the martial arts should be able to talk to their sensei.

Some of them were good at teaching technique and discipline, but in the long run provided really piss-poor leadership examples. I wouldn't mind learning fighting from one of them for a while, but I'll never train for a significant period under one again.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

To many times I've Seen people worship their instructor and I just look at them like....why....I mean okay they're good in martial arts but that doesn't make them some kind of messiah. I feel sorry for people like that. Like martial arts are about self confidence but you're not confident enough to be your own person and follow your instructor around like a lost puppy. Well that's not my style...

A lot of that with founders of styles/arts, too. They were people, and got some stuff wrong, no matter how good they were.

 

[Headhunter]

A lot of that with founders of styles/arts, too. They were people, and got some stuff wrong, no matter how good they were.

When i say stuff like that people whine at me about respect....that's crap. I respect everyone wheter they're a white belt a black belt or no belt. I respect every man and woman on this earth unless they give me reason not to. I respect my instructors for their skills and accomplishments but I also will not worship them either. I'm not a religious man (nothing against it everyone's entitled to their beliefs) so if I don't worship any gods I'm not going to worship a martial art teacher

 

[Gerry Seymour]

When i say stuff like that people whine at me about respect....that's crap. I respect everyone wheter they're a white belt a black belt or no belt. I respect every man and woman on this earth unless they give me reason not to. I respect my instructors for their skills and accomplishments but I also will not worship them either. I'm not a religious man (nothing against it everyone's entitled to their beliefs) so if I don't worship any gods I'm not going to worship a martial art teacher

I have tons of respect for what the founder of NGA created and what Richard Bowe (who all current practitioners descend from) did for the art. I also expect both made mistakes, and are aware of some of them.

 

[PhotonGuy]

To many times I've Seen people worship their instructor and I just look at them like....why....I mean okay they're good in martial arts but that doesn't make them some kind of messiah. I feel sorry for people like that. Like martial arts are about self confidence but you're not confident enough to be your own person and follow your instructor around like a lost puppy. Well that's not my style...

Could you imagine somebody worshipping a school teacher or a college professor?

 

[PhotonGuy]

Some of them were good at teaching technique and discipline, but in the long run provided really piss-poor leadership examples. I wouldn't mind learning fighting from one of them for a while, but I'll never train for a significant period under one again.

Such as the fictional John Kreese I suppose.