"Required for All Students: Because we are teaching individuals to handle weapons as well as to be a weapon, Adams Martial Arts requires that each student be in control of his or her actions. This means that our school has a zero tolerance policy on addictions. Students and Instructors are not permitted to smoke or drink to excess. Each person is expected to monitor his own life to avoid anything that would control him. For example, Sensei gave up Dr Pepper when he realized that he was drinking it compulsively, several times a day; his wife must discipline herself to not spend all day, everyday, curled up with a good book; one student realized that two pots of coffee a morning had become a crutch. Those who question if something in their life could be an addiction are encouraged to give it up, cold turkey, for 40 days. Usually this will tell you what place the item in question actually has in your life. Persons who are in the process of quitting an addiction are completely welcome in classes. Those who know that there is an area of their life that they choose not to attempt to control are encouraged not to apply for martial arts classes. Those who are wondering about why we would have such a rule are encouraged to contact us with their questions."
She then asked the group whether a sensei has the right to make rules like this, and whether this statement would keep you from training there. The general consensus of the group was that these rules are extreme, and most of us wouldn't train in that dojo.
Yeah, if he were talking about mind altering or mood altering drugs, including excessive consumption of alcohol, or illegal drugs that would be one thing. Yet his school has a zero tolerance policy on addictions. All addictions. Dr Pepper? Reading? Knitting? Should I be forbidden to train in Martial arts because I enjoy those things? Now, I'm not saying that caffiene isn't addicting, and that we are definitely better off limiting our consumption of soft drinks, but to exclude someone from the dojo because of it is a bit extreme. Under his rules, I could be excluded from his dojo because I take drugs every day. Would he expect me to give up my allergy medications if I wanted to train in his dojo? Thanks, but no thanks. I like breathing. Even better than karate.
Now, I definitely feel that controlling our addictions is a good idea, but it should be my call. Not someone else's. Not anyone else's and definitely not my sensei's. "You had three Dr Peppers this week. You are banned from my dojo!" No. He is definitely overstepping his boundaries there.
The natural question following such a discussion is, how much control over our private lives should a sensei have? How much should we let our sensei control our lives outside the dojo? The short answer, of course, is very little. Now, if a student were using his karate training to bully or harass people, then yes, the sensei can step in, but that's about it.
Personally, I feel that a lot of karate-ka give their senseis way too much power. I've known people who have left e-mail groups or message boards because the sensei disapproved of them being a member of it. I know others who feel that they have to ask their senseis' permission to do anything related to the martial arts. Recommend a good book to them? I'll have to ask my sensei if I can read it. Point them to a website? I'll have to ask my sensei if I can look at it. Invite them to a seminar? I'll have to ask my sensei if I can come. Want to discuss your latest kata? I'll have to ask my sensei if I can talk about it with you. Want to see them doing kata? I'll have to ask my sensei's permission to post a video.
Sometimes I feel like asking them if they ask their senseis' permission to breathe. On the other hand, there are senseis out there who do try to be this controlling. Fortunately, I have a sensei who is very open about such things. I don't feel I have to ask his permission, but I don't exactly keep anything secret from him either.
Every so often, I get myself so deep into a subject that I can't quite crawl out of it, and this is one of those times. So I'll just end here and open this topic up for discussion.
3 comments:
The natural question following such a discussion is, how much control over our private lives should a sensei have?
A: Absolutely frickin' NONE.
I've read some dumb things in my life, but that quote you put up is the dumbest thing I've read lately. I'm not into martial arts (marital arts, yes!) but I found that line of thought supremely insulting.
Apropos of something: That vid you couldn't watch over at my place is available now, Becky. I found an alternate source.
I found this an interesting train of thought to explore the first time around and it still is.
On the list of things (books, websites, tournaments), I would ask my sensei before I went to a tournament, and I probably wouldn't go if he dissapproved. Mostly because he knows the martial arts community in this area of the country better than I do and his judgements are usually sound. But I would not be happy if he forbade me, nor do I think he ever would.
Outside of that, which pretty directly relates to my martial arts practice, he has no more input into my private life than any other friend whose opinion I respect. I recommend books and websites to him far more often than the reverse, since I'm an inveterate reader and have the better web connection.
The amount of control some senseis assume over their students lives seems more like a hold-out from the days of apprenticeships than a reasonable modern teacher/student relationship.
While technically Buck is right, they don't really have any right over your life, as Perpetual Beginner, as I'm sure others in MA would agree, as a "sensei", their role is to be a counselor or teacher, thus providing guidance. I don't think it's unreasonable to set certain standards in your dojo/do-jahng-- but within reason! I am like you--giving up knitting, Dr. Pepper as well as any non-threatening "addictions" is silly. Giving up hard drugs or alcohol, at least when you are training (like, don't down a case of beers in the hour before you train), etc. is not unreasonable. It's a matter of being able to set a policy that protects the students, but at the same time doesn't infringe on their personal rights. It's a fine line that's sometimes hard to fine. I think that particular Sensei found it, and went WAY over the line. Part of learning is finding the right way after finding the wrong way. Sensei is guidance, not God.
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