First Months???

[noob]

I noticed that there's a lot of piss taking in my Wing Chun class, focused on how "fat" and "bald" specific people are. There is a lot of emphasis towards the negative aspects of members and their appearances or lives in general. While this can be amusing, I am wondering if this is normal? Is it like that in your classes? Or is this a bad dojo? Or is this what martial arts are like in general?

I am interested to hear your views

 

[mook jong man]

I noticed that there's a lot of piss taking in my Wing Chun class, focused on how "fat" and "bald" specific people are. There is a lot of emphasis towards the negative aspects of members and their appearances or lives in general. While this can be amusing, I am wondering if this is normal? Is it like that in your classes? Or is this a bad dojo? Or is this what martial arts are like in general?

I am interested to hear your views

Normally the students should be so engaged in what they are doing that they shouldn't have time to be worrying about what other people look like.

Bit hard to not concentrate on what your doing when someone is swinging punches at your head.
Sounds a bit like the instructor is not working you hard enough if people have time to stand around and gossip.

I would go and find some place else , seems like that mob aren't too serious about their training it would seem to me.

 

[noob]

Good points, thank you. It's also the instructor during warm up.

I usually have the belief that martial arts are for personal growth and not for ridicule. Do you agree? IMO that doesn't really aid in personal growth. Maybe I am wrong here though.

I was generally trying to be less critical of people but the class is actually making me more so since I started...

 

[mook jong man]

Good points, thank you. It's also the instructor during warm up.

I usually have the belief that martial arts are for personal growth and not for ridicule. Do you agree? IMO that doesn't really aid in personal growth. Maybe I am wrong here though.

I was generally trying to be less critical of people but the class is actually making me more so since I started...

You can have a bit of a joke around for sure , but then you have to get straight down to business.

As an instructor you feel that there's never enough time to cover all the material that you want to in class as it is without people wasting time like that.

 

[WC_lun]

Seems that your instructor isn't working you guys hard enough if you have breath to waste on ridiculing others. I'd go train elsewhere.

Oh, Chinese martial arts schools are not called dojos. They are "kwoon."

 

[noob]

Cheers I didn't know they are named "kwoon".

 

[hunt1]

An instructor should never ridicule or allow anyone in the class to be ridiculed by another. Occasional jokes by friends are fine but there is a line not to be crossed. To learn you need to be comfortable and relaxed .

 

[noob]

Thanks everyone for your advice

 

[WCman1976]

You can have a bit of a joke around for sure , but then you have to get straight down to business.

As an instructor you feel that there's never enough time to cover all the material that you want to in class as it is without people wasting time like that.

I agree. Sifu was talking to a new student about how we used to do a cardio warm-up, stretches, push-ups, and a hell of a lot more before class even started. He said, "I dropped it because I have so much to teach."

As for noob's question, I think it is a bad school. That kind of behavior usually stems from the top down. Example: in my school, I have a Sifu who is very humble, polite, approachable, friendly, etc. Every now and then we get people who come that want to be bada$$es, talk bad about other people, and the whole nine...but they last only a few months. I think the Sifu sets the tone for the school.

 

[noob]

Every time I ask a question it feels like I almost get laughed at by the bloke in charge. It's odd how it's taken me so many months to realise this is a bad school!

Live and learn I guess...

 

[Domino]

You learnt something.
Some people like to turn it into coffee morning and wonder why they then don't remember this and that, find another school perhaps.

 

[Jenna]

Every time I ask a question it feels like I almost get laughed at by the bloke in charge. It's odd how it's taken me so many months to realise this is a bad school!

Live and learn I guess...

If there are students at this school then perhaps they do not think it is a bad school for them.

The point is that if a school does not suit you, as has already been advised, move on and find one that does. You would not cook your food in a way that is disagreeable to your palate, correct? No different for the way you practice your MA. I wish you well in finding a school that better suits what you are looking for.

I would suggest that in some instances, gut feeling counts for a great deal. I think in choosing a martial arts school or instructor, that instinct is valuable.

I wish you well in your endeavours. Let us know how you get on and when you find a better alternative!

 

[noob]

I'm already looking at one which has better credentials. I also found a good link that helps rationalising for "sane" people when choosing a school or wondering if their current school is any good. http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/sanity.htm

 

[Vajramusti]

An instructor should never ridicule or allow anyone in the class to be ridiculed by another. Occasional jokes by friends are fine but there is a line not to be crossed. To learn you need to be comfortable and relaxed .

---------------------------------------------
Agree completely.

joy chaudhuri

 

[mograph]

An instructor should never ridicule or allow anyone in the class to be ridiculed by another. Occasional jokes by friends are fine but there is a line not to be crossed. To learn you need to be comfortable and relaxed .

This is true for any leader-driven group dynamic, whether martial or not. If the leader allows that sort of ridicule, he is a bully, not a leader, certainly not a teacher, and is more concerned about showing his power.

 

[ETinCYQX]

Good points, thank you. It's also the instructor during warm up.

I usually have the belief that martial arts are for personal growth and not for ridicule. Do you agree? IMO that doesn't really aid in personal growth. Maybe I am wrong here though.

I was generally trying to be less critical of people but the class is actually making me more so since I started...

Keep in mind context, as well. That's the type of motivation I usually thrive on, maybe some particular classmates of yours are the same way and the instructor is in tune with this. Just another perspective, but an instructor/sifu/sensei/sabum/whatever should not make a student uncomfortable, upset or feel unwanted.

 

[WCman1976]

Every time I ask a question it feels like I almost get laughed at by the bloke in charge. It's odd how it's taken me so many months to realise this is a bad school!

Live and learn I guess...

This only confirms my original impression. If you don't understand something, you are going to be too intimidated to ask because you don't want to be laughed at. I wonder what the teacher of that school's sifu would think if he knew what his pupil was up to. Sounds like he might not have even gotten approval to run his own school, nor has he earned the moniker "Sifu" from anyone.

 

[noob]

Thanks again.

Another thing is that Wing Chun is supposed to be a simple martial art and easy to learn if you try. There are people there who have been there for a year and are still on the first form and "sifu" keeps telling them how rubbish they are.

I get the gut feeling that information is being held back to keep students as slaves, so they end up staying much longer than they need to. Most likely, this is something prevalent in loads of martial arts.

That's the type of motivation I usually thrive on.

You thrive on someone mocking yours and others faults? Interesting perspective. I don't. I guess everyone is different.

I thrive from learning the skills and getting them right and generally try to relate to people with a courteous demeanor. It's fun to hear stories of other martial arts and share knowledge and experiences. That's how I was brought up. I don't take the piss out of people, I would assume it is not appropriate behaviour. That part could stem from empathy.

Or is it that there are an awful lot of extremely thick people out there who don't have the intelligence to make conversation and they are so patheticly insecure that they have to put others down to make themselves feel big and clever and important.

Ha, one more point I just remembered is the question I asked in the final class. "Do you want to keep your students?" The reply I got was: "pfft"

 

[noob]

I found another good link that helped me. Thought you lot might be interested as it might help other unsuspecting people that might have similar problems http://apittman.com/blog/teaching/martial-arts-abuse-by-teachers

 

[Jenna]

The good thing from the point of view of a student is that -unlike relationships, education or work- not only are you free to walk away from a situation which does not match your personality, but also the time and effort you have invested in the formerly unsuitable situation is perfectly transferrable to another school irrespective even of whether it is the same style or not. The skills you have accrued in your MA journey will allow you to hit the road running as soon as you find another school (provided it does not take you all day to find it ) Now get out there browsing around what is available to you and find yourself something that suits the person who is noob More footwork and less reading I say! the world is waiting for you. Wishes, Jenna.