It has been a long month of frustration for some of us. The last blog post I shared dealt with some of the frustration, but it has been renewed now even greater than before. I have learned and believed ever since I was a young man that participation in martial arts was about much more than just fighting skill. Honor and respect were integral parts of my early training and indoctrination. In high school, one of my research papers was about the warrior codes of conduct, comparing the Code of Chivalry with its Samurai counterpart, the Bushido (directly translated as the way of the warrior).
This belief has carried over and only become stronger as I get older. To me, acquisition of the physical skill involved renders one as a technician, and without the social and philosophical aspects, one never enters the artistic realm, nor is one either capable of reaching mastery.
I have witnessed many martial arts classes and teachers, as well as their students. I am too often struck by the glaring lack of integrity exhibited. The instructor espouses respect, humility, striving for no ego, but then makes business and personal decisions driven by ego and pride, and shows utter disrespect for others.
I am not trying to imply that we as martial artists and instructors have to be perfect, we are human after all. What I am implying is that we have opted to a different route, and part of this journey is betterment of self.
Students are not served by:
Instructors stroking their own egos - I have witnessed this one alot. Instructors passing their classes off as better than someone elses. Telling their students how good they are, how great their classes are. I know of one person who even claimed his classes are better than his teachers...right in the same school.
Instructors showing lack of respect to their students or to others - This is a big one for me. I think most problems in the world are solved by applying respect. Yet I see instructors disrespecting their students & their parents, teachers and fellow martial artists by lying, causing drama and problems within their schools. Don’t get me wrong, I can certainly fathom how a person could unintentionally run afoul of protocol. That isn’t what I am talking about. I have seen blatant disrespect displayed by teachers, lies and backstabbing. It really baffles me how students choose to learn from individuals like this.
I guess what boggles my mind most is when teachers and “masters” allow such behavior to exist. At this point, I have to remember what a Chinese friend of mine once told me. He said, “Rich, you have this ideal about martial arts, that it is about honor, respect, and a refinement of self. The truth is martial arts was developed by thugs, bullies, ruffians, criminals and mercenaries.” I listened with a grain of salt, and did my research. There are ancient manuscripts showing that very early on in China, it was recognized that martial skills could be practiced towards the end of attaining enlightenment and personal development. Overall however, my friend was right. I am learning that most “martial artists” probably are thugs, bullies and ruffians.
