Anyone can learn a Martial ARt?

[Tony]

No matter who you are, your religious beliefs, age,gender or whether yuo have ahd a criminal recaord, you can turn up at your local Martial Arts class and learn, no matter what your reasons are for learning as long as you pay your money on time you can learn new skills and practice them and even show off to your friends and people who you want to deter from trying any nonsense with you.

Many years ago teh old masters woudl never teach anyoen who woudl ahve miused their training. Exercises like carrying water, sweeping floors woudl have been usaed to humble apprectices in teh Shaolin temple and in old Karate schools i suspect people would go through the same boring drills for months on end before they were taught anything else. But because we in the west don't have time due to busy schedules, school, work etc, so instructors will take less tiem to teach the interesting and cool stuff. And this can attract all sorts of undesireable people who use the martial arts to their own means. I want to become a better person and be able to defend myself and not be such a door mat for others.
I have a friend who has been training in Taekwondo for 5 years now and he claims he started to get fit and it was somethign he coudl do inside!
But i don't believe him as he enjoys sparring and generally fighting people. He has been warned many times by his instructor for excessive force whiel sparing and because he has hardly any flexibility he will use a lot of hard punches so has no self control. He is preparing for his black belt as well which makes me wonder after all this time he should ahve calmed down and if he were in my class doing this, he woudl be asked to leave! When he is sparring someone, i never hear him say the other person used great techniques but rather calling him names for using hard kicks against him!
The problem is there are so many people liek him practicing Martial Arts and teh instructor cannot be everywhere watching us make sure we don't misuse our skills to fuel our own egos!

Please don't think i'm putting down Taekwondo as I'm not, because I have friends who train in this Art and are very humble people! I just wish instructors could vet people before they train with them but i am told in my style people have the wrong attitude leave because they cannot handle the training or the philosophy. My friend seems to think taht Kung fu is not as deadly as Taekwondo but i will leave him with his own ignorance. I once declined to spar wiht him in my friend's house because i was scared because he is very agressive and i just think he wanted to do that because he was on a power trip. Other people i ahve sparred with we have both exhanged comments about our skills and compimented each other and even if i lose in class i congratulate the other person for a good match and likewise! I am fortunate to be in a class where everyoen is friendly and tehre are no egos but there are those people who enjoy going to tournaments and thinking they're invincible because they scored more points! Whenever I spar i'm told not to use certain techniques because i woudl get disqualified in a real tournament but i don't think iw oudl enter a tournament! Maybe I should but they are too far for me to travel to and you ahve to wait for ages for your match!

There are so many people who could benefit from learnign a martial art such as people with lack of confidence, disable people, old people and women. But there will always be tose people who learn martial arts, boast about their skills ans use them against other people! Its so sad!

 

[Henderson]

Tony,
Congratulations. You seem to have a very good attitude toward training. As far as your friend is concerned, he should have probably been asked to leave the school a long time ago if what you say is true. But, I also feel confident in saying that there is always someone stronger, faster, younger, and more aggressive waiting in the wings to knock him down a few pegs. What goes around comes around.

Respects,

Frank

 

[DeLamar.J]

You will always have these types, it goes with the territory of martial arts. Just keep up the good attitude, and keep training. He will get his, and then he will quit or learn from it.

 

[Kacey]

I would agree with the previous posts - there will always be practitioners who think they are invincible, and will continue to think so until they run into someone who proves them wrong... then they will either quit over "the unfairness of it all" after someone pounds on them the way they've been pounding on others, or they learn from their experience and become a better martial artist (and, often, a better person).

To answer your question specifically, I think that yes, nearly anyone can learn a martial art - but not every martial art, or even any martial art, is for every person. Also, not everyone learns all the lessons a martial art should be teaching about the moral side of the art; that is, how and when to use the skills you have been taught. Sometimes this is the fault of the student, sometimes the fault of the instructor, sometimes both.

People join martial arts for a variety of reasons, and some find one (or more) that fits their needs and personality, and some don't. I don't see a problem with your friend's reason for initially joining TKD; I started TKD because my then-boyfriend and I were looking for something we could do together that was exercise and that was cheap. He had taken TKD in high school, about 10 years previously, and gotten to 4th gup blue belt. He talked me into trying it (something that NEVER would have occured to me on my own) and nearly 19 years later I'm still actively training, and have been instructing for nearly 15 years.

Like many people who think they are invincible, your friend is headed for a time when someone younger, faster, stronger, smarter, better trained, is going to take him down a peg or two... and based on your description, he won't understand why he lost.

While I understand your concern about instructors vetting students, there are a couple of problems with it. First, even an experienced instructor can't always tell who is going to have an ego problem, who is going to stay or quit, who is going to learn self-control early or not at all... and not all instructors are that experienced. Also, this type of problem can evolve over time, as the student becomes more experienced and realizes the skill s/he now possesses. Second, depending on where an instructor teaches, s/he may not have options in who to accept - for example, I teach at a YMCA, and the only guidelines they put on the class participants are minimum ages and following the YMCA's general rules. If someone signs up for the class, I have no choice but to teach him/her - although I have had problems on occasion that would have led to the Y refusing to renew membership in a class if the student hadn't dropped out before the end of the session. Third, it takes all kinds - and most kinds can benefit from martial arts training, even if it doesn't seem so at the time.

I have students now who are developmentally delayed (one has cerebral palsy on top of it), one who has a schizo-affective disorder, one with a permanent back problem that led to surgery; I have had students in the past who were bipolar, diabetic, had obsessive/compulsive disorder, had a genetically malformed left arm and leg (left side smaller than the right side), was on oxygen and deaf... which of these students should I have excluded? It turns out it was the one who was a transfer from Karate, which he had been out of for 15 or so years after being a champion in high school and college; turns out he was a stalker, and he's one of the very few students I've had who had significant previous experience, having been in Karate for several years - the one who had obsessive/compulsive disorder, although it wasn't diagnosed until after he'd started - and he was diagnosed because he knew I was a special ed teacher, and he asked me for information about adult ADD, which he was also diagnosed with - after I was able to refer him to a doctor for it. So even he benefitted, although I'd prefer to avoid that particular scenario again; it wasn't pleasant. But with his experience when he joined, how was I to know? He eventually quit over my repeated refusals to date him... but that's a whole different story!

I do think that martial arts are for everyone - but not everyone is suited to be a martial artist, and often the only way to know is to let them try. Certainly, when I started, no one (least of all me) expected me to stick with it - but here I am! Therefore, I will give everyone a chance - but not everyone will be allowed to stay, although it takes quite a bit before I will tell someone not to come back - and, in fact, the man I described above was about to reach that point (being asked to not return) when he quit - but he's the only one that's ever reached that point. Not knowing your friend, it's hard to say if he should have been asked to leave or not - Kobra Kai (from The Karate Kid) instructors exist, as do Mr. Miyagi's, and a continuum between them - and students cover the same continuum. Some instructors don't mind, some are willing to change students, and some want the money - among other reasons for keeping students in class if their attitude is not optimum.

 

[Sin]

Times have changed this is true, and we all have to deal with the Mcdojo's and the bad apples, that is why you shop around, find a good school and you stay with it...Then you will find people that you didn't even know existed....and now it would be tough to do without them, because you have had so many close experinces with them, through training, and extracirriculars and such. You can chose your friends, its not hard to do, you can't really do anything about the "bad apples". Instructors can give them menial tasks and use them for showing techniques, and sometimes that knocks some since into them, but most times...You just have to avoid them...If they are truely a good person and truely dedicated to the art, they will stay with the training, through thick and thin, hard days and easy days...and when they have been there with you though it all...They gain the respect that they deserve...

Now anyone is capable of learning martial arts, at least the physical aspect of it. But it is the ones who find good teachers who get the true training...

When it comes down to it, its the Head instructor who takes responsiblity when it comes to the mental/emotional/spirtiual/physical training of the martial art, and if its down incorrectly...Sensei is to blame...But Sensei isn't perfect, so it is the job of senior and junior students to step up and help.

 

[jdinca]

You've got the right attitude.

It's up to the school to weed these people out. We've terminated a couple of students because of this very thing. For the most part, we try and weed them out during the introductory lessons but some still slip through. Unfortunately, many schools will tolerate their behavior/attitude because they need the money. At least your instructor is warning this guy that what he's doing is excessive.

 

[Sin]

Well I wouldn't say "weed" then out...I say that you should teach them the true way of the Martial Artist...and somewhat Censor your teachings, and keep it simple with those with questionable motives.

 

[jdinca]

Well I wouldn't say "weed" then out...I say that you should teach them the true way of the Martial Artist...and somewhat Censor your teachings, and keep it simple with those with questionable motives.

If a student in a light contact class continues to use too much force, even after numerous warnings, or continues to show disrespect to instructors, even after numerous warnings, what do you think should happen?

As for weeding out in the introductory lessons, this usually happens on its own. We not only teach some material, we also talk about the school philosophy. That alone can "weed out" the student who is merely looking to learn how to fight. That's not what we're about. We had someone take these lessons, even though he said he was really into what we were about, whose goal was to learn some stuff so that he could kick someones butt who had just beat him up in a bar fight. Guess what, he didn't make it past the introductory lessons.

There was one young man who happened to be assigned to me as a student. He considered himself a "freedom fighter" and was extremely disruptive. He even went so far as to put his hands around my throat during a class and ask "what would you do if an attacker did this?". That does not fly in our school. He also felt that he had the right to use foul language. It was his "1st ammendment right". And when asked to please stop, he would fly off the handle, start swearing about how his civil rights were being violated and storm out of the school. It happened a number of times. He admitted to drug use before coming to the school because pot made him relaxed and he felt he was able to learn better. This behavior happened around kids and parents. What do you think should have happened? I was actually surprised that he made it through the introductory lessons.

In the broader sense, you are spot on but there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[Sin]

Hence the reason Martial Arts is ran by Higher ranked and experinced Martial Artists, that if they had good teachers, they know everything there is to know about situational circumstances....This child you mention in your previous post, would have private lessons with the instuctor at my school, seperate from everyone else, until he can learnt he respect that is needed to be a student of strong stature...now, theres nothing you can do to keep from him walking out, but you can state him the fact that if his behavior is not improved he will then be asked to leave, and he is no longer welcome back to the school until his attitude ahs changed. My father always told me that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink...All we have to do as intructors is to lead the horse to the water

 

[Grenadier]

If a student in a light contact class continues to use too much force, even after numerous warnings, or continues to show disrespect to instructors, even after numerous warnings, what do you think should happen?

If someone disregards an order once or twice, perhaps it's an honest mistake. However, if that person continues to disregard orders, then it's likely he is one who will not listen to conventional words, and could be headed for disaster. Sometimes dealing with such people can require something more drastic.

It was his "1st ammendment right". And when asked to please stop, he would fly off the handle, start swearing about how his civil rights were being violated and storm out of the school.

It's a private school. First Amendment rights and freedom of speech simply aren't options. If he can't understand that, then that's his own fault. I've had one student try this, thinking he was destined to be some great lawyer. After I had enough of his assertions, I simply told him that if he wanted to engage in such behavior, that he'd better open up his own school.

This behavior happened around kids and parents. What do you think should have happened?

I would have given him enough chances, but make no mistake about it; once someone proves to be unregenerate, I have no qualms about shredding his contract. There comes a point where too many outbursts like that, will negatively affect your other students, and this is when you're at a point where it's simply better to kill the cobra when it's still in its egg.


The world of martial arts can be a wonderful thing for its practitioners, indeed. It requires an honest effort from both teacher and student, but a lot more of the burden falls on the student, compared to the established teacher.

 

[jdinca]

Hence the reason Martial Arts is ran by Higher ranked and experinced Martial Artists, that if they had good teachers, they know everything there is to know about situational circumstances....This child you mention in your previous post, would have private lessons with the instuctor at my school, seperate from everyone else, until he can learnt he respect that is needed to be a student of strong stature...now, theres nothing you can do to keep from him walking out, but you can state him the fact that if his behavior is not improved he will then be asked to leave, and he is no longer welcome back to the school until his attitude ahs changed. My father always told me that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink...All we have to do as intructors is to lead the horse to the water

Without going into my life history, let's just say that I feel very comfortable with my ability to deal with "situational circumstances". There were two students in my examples. One of them was 22, the other was 19. Young adults, but not my definition of children. Were they truly children, the approach would have been quite different. All of our students have a private instructor, whose job it is to guide the student through their training. Yes, more private lessons may be needed to help the student get on the right track but to me, nothing but one on one training would be rewarding bad behavior.

The decision to terminate was not mine, nor was it made in a vacuum. It was made by the people who own, run the school, i.e. a 10th degree Grand Master, a 5th degree Master and a 2nd degree BB. There's about 85 years of martial arts experience between the three. The decision came after talking to a number of instructors who had had problems with these students.

When somebody doesn't respond, and is a continuous disruption to school operation, drastic measures need to be used, such as termination.

 

[Tony]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for your posts! very interesting comments! Let me give you some background about my friend! He is very highly strung and and i don't think there is a day when he doesn't lose his temper over something! He suffers from highy blood pressure so takes pills for that. Both his parents are dead and his father died recently, he was bullied at school but finally fought back when one of his tormentors destroyed something he had worked hard on. He like sto keep fit by cycling and has done taht for many years! One of his friends goaded him into taking up Taekwondo so it wasn't really his decision but he was persuaded and i guess after going along to the first few classes he felt like it was deadly and saw my kung fu as a joke because i showed him some of my punches and he said i wasn't very fast which annoyed me. This happened one evening when he came round with my other friend telling me he had just started taekwondo and thought it was the best thing since electricity and after his negative comments i felt very low! To be honest i don't think he should be doing any martial art because he has issues which i don't believe Martial Arts address. He has been allowed to continue for a few years now and still he has this bad attitude.

But tonight was my first class after the holidays and although it was hard it was fun! I was so pleased to see more people and even an older woman givign it a go too. Just goes to show you are never too old to start a sport or Martial Art! My friend started Taekwondo when he was in his early 30s and now he is 35 and still no where near as flexible as he should be for someone approaching black belt. In fact I don't think he can kick above the waist! He likes to how people what he has learnt and how devastating certain techniques are and i don't think he fully appreciates the responsibility he has as a Martial ARtist. He shoudl be more humble and modest only using his skills when absolutely necessary.
Sadly there are too many people like him who are allowed to get really high grades in Martial Arts. I woudl love for him and people liek him to be humbled by a true master and to learn and become better people.

There was a story i read in magazine not so long ago about a man who became an expert in Eagle Claw Kung fu. He became cocky and picked fights with people in his village and after he had beaten eveyone up he became very pleased with himslef thinking himself supreior to everyone else. One day though an old man was walking down the road and the young man knocked him out of the way, then a couple days later the young master had severe pains and was at deaths door. He discovered he had been struck by a master of the Death touch (the old man) He woudl die soon so his brother found te old man and the old man healed him. The young man saw the eror of his ways and became a student of his and made amends with all of the otehr villagers

I am sorry i rambled on but i hope you enjoyed the story!