This was originally going to be about self-confidence and what it does to the safety of you and those around you. Unfortunately something occurred in the last few days to bring about an impromptu addition of “When and When Not To.”
This is how I feel about fight clubs:
I would also like to note that in the movie Fight Club the fight club in question was started by a schizophrenic sociopath. Also, the film itself was about much more than a bunch of dumbasses beating the crap out of each other. Excuse my “French” but I feel very strongly about this.
So, by now you may have guessed that one or more of my teenage students participated in this idiocy and you would be right. This has happened twice in my martial arts tenure and the result was the same both times: the student was kicked out of the school.
And rightly so. You could argue, weakly in my opinion, that kicking the student out would be counter-productive, that the school should help rehabilitate the student rather than sever contact. My response is simple – there is a line that was crossed and the student must take responsibility for their actions. This isn’t the case of an eight year old miss-using his or her martial arts on the playground. That has happened as well and that is a time that you want, and need, to keep the student in the school because they are still learning. Even then, they know they messed up and learning is already in progress.
But in high school after years of training as a martial artist? No, you know what’s right and wrong. To willingly, intentionally harm another person is opposite everything we teach. I can say with absolute certainty, “I didn’t teach that!” I take it personally as an insult to my teaching and everything the school stands for.
Did I fail the student? No, the student failed me. Harsh? Yes. Arrogant? Possibly but there are times when this sort of thing is true.
Do you give up an the student? Do I give up on the student? No, but I will admit I’m human and this affects me greatly. Mostly I’m angry and in order for me to move forward I will have to get past that and in instances like this it will take a little time I’m sad to say.
I’ve never said this before but feel I need to now. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not reflect those of anyone else including my Chief Instructor, fellow instructors and those that I teach. I always welcome comments and criticism because I feel those who make it, should be able to take it.
