sado-masochistic tendencies in TKD

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do' started by d33pthought, Nov 19, 2004.

  1. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    True, but the one or two students will also effect the intensity and concentration of some of the other members. They will take valuable instruction time away from the other members that the instructor has to use trying to get them in line again.

    If the instructor is seemingly picking on one or two students, then there is likely a reason for it. If they constantly disrupt the class or otherwise cause problems, there should come a point where the instructor should ask them to leave the class (if they are not able to change the behaviour), or he should push them to the point where they will either conform or drop out (which it sounds like he may be doing). In the end, if they conform they will turn out to be one of the strongest members and if they drop out then no real loss.
     
  2. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    Nice to see that the great traditions of instructors bullying and physically abusing still exist in some martial arts classes, even if we're managing to get rid of it in schools.
     
  3. Ikken Hisatsu

    Ikken Hisatsu New Member

    well our instructor hits us when we spar of course, but apart from that theres no physical abuse. as in, he doesnt hit us for having the wrong stance, or put people down etc. of course you get a smack on the side of the head if you drop your arms, but everyone does that (and if they dont they should), and he kicks damn hard so the pad holder usually has sore arms.... but actual bullying is a no no.
     
  4. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    Definitely. Most of my instructors are very cool about not having to reprimand anyone not in the children's class (A testing purple belt kid rolled his eyes at one of the instructors and she flipped out. Made him do ten pushups, which is rather hard for a nine year-old.) No actual physical abuse goes on, though they hardly let anyone get away with not paying attention.
     
  5. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    I don't see that as rather hard...the child showed absolute disrespect and was made to drop and give 10. If doing 10 pushups for that is to be considered hard, then I would say the school is way too soft.
     
  6. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    We don't habitually do pushups, though a few instructors like to warm up with them. Kids are usually exempt from pushups altogether; they like to run around more for warm up. I think the yelling at he got in front of his parents and other people watching the test was harsh enough.
     
  7. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    Well, if it is the type of Dojo that is fairly easy and slack, then sure...why not. But if they are at all serious about the whole martial arts concept then respect is the first rule.

    If 10 pushups is considered harsh over and above what I hope was at least constructive yelling and not just venting, then I would say it must be a fairly easy going school, and perhaps it was an unexpected punishment. In our school it is known what will happen when the students are slacking off...and it usually starts with 100 pushups (higher belts, even kids), so I guess that is why I say that your school is slack.

    I know that instructors can often come across as being too harsh, but when you see how these kids or teens turn out when they are older...it is worth the punishment. I am always amazed and impressed with the amount of character building a little bit of contructive strictness can create...even in troubled kids.
     
  8. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    That's certainly true, and we are a pretty laid-back dojang.
     
  9. Kangaroo

    Kangaroo New Member

    Yet some reject it utterly, and are lost when an instructor cannot see past this method of discipline.

    A blanket measure of discipline might seem fair, but measured flexability is needed in order to be truely fair. I have seen some turn out of absolute reverence for character. Others require a harder approach.
     
  10. taekwondobob

    taekwondobob New Member

    if you want taekwondo without the punishment, then mcdojo it up or dont go at all lol! j/k

    but yer...taekwondo is at its best when you are getting pushed your hardest. there is always a method to someones madness, and in this case, his whacking you with a stick and kicking you when you kicking him, has the potential to keep you in line ans focused, because when you kick him, he'll kick you, and when he kicks, i gather that it hurts, hence you wont kick him as frequently lol.

    I had a teacher who used to get us to do our stances, and he'd come and stand on your leg....theory being that if you have a strong stance, it will support him. initially my leg used to always give way and he'd get off, then i'd get pushups for having poor stance lol. but after a few times i was able to make a strong stance, because in my mind the thought of "i dont want pushups" was spinning around. In another case, we were doing what was supposed to be non contact sparring. When i was a blue belt, i used to spar full contact all the time. This particular case, i was sparring the instructor, and i kept kicking him as hard as possible, he soon fixed that by doing an effective round-house kick to my head. I blocked it, but still got knocked over, and i had a sore arm for the rest of the lesson lol. Despite the pain, it pulled me into line and i always controlled myself after that.

    I do think that whacking wit ha stick is starting to go too far, but the odd kick and such is good, as long as he aint abusing you with it and breaking your bones :p
     
  11. Lanakin

    Lanakin It's all about discipline

    You guys sure have harsh instructors. We're **lucky** if our instructor demonstrates a self defense technique on one of our members, but getting whacked with something is unheard of. Probably because parents would have a problem. And this IS America.

    :woo:
     
  12. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    Um..how do you know how a self-defense technique works if you never get to feel it done right? As for this being America, training is supposed to be hard. If parents object to the discipline necessary to master martial arts, then they signed their children up for daycare rather than fight club. Granted, light swats with random equipment for bad form or sloppy technique is all I'm talking about. It's not as if the white belts have "Whipping Boy" written on the back of their jackets or anything. That's more for us greens, truthfully :p (I am regularly called on to be the training dummy for self-defense classes :D)
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2004
  13. neryo_tkd

    neryo_tkd Valued Member

    hm...I'd love to hear your definition of the word ''punishment''!
     
  14. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    I know the type of punishment I'd be after. :D

    Oh come on, someone was going to degrade the thread at some point anyway.
     
  15. taekwondobob

    taekwondobob New Member

    ok....let me rephrase that, because i meant used the term "punishment" because someone else called it that.

    what i meant was more along the lines of discipline and hard work. Because taekwondo, like any martial art, is not meant to be easy. some people pick it up quicker then others, thats all good, but no one finds it 100% easy. i find that, the harder i push myself, and the harder my instructor pushes me, the better i do in the long run
     
  16. LilBunnyRabbit

    LilBunnyRabbit Old One

    What is this obsession with everything having to be hard? What's wrong with an easy life?
     
  17. Lithanwif

    Lithanwif Human Punchbag

    I remember going to a brand new hapkido class for a while, and having some experience in falling/being hit I was always the training dumbass, I mean dummy.

    In one night, I was dropped after being shown a pain hold on my lower lip ( which went up like a balloon afterwards ) Then thrown a few feet by the nipples which was an amazing amount of pain, truly excrutiating. Now I've had my knee shattered and that didnt hurt as much as this, Brain goes into shock, endorphines kick in...'its a flesh wound, I'll take you all'. But after being thrown by the nipples, I can honestly say I was lying on the ground for a good five minutes rubbing my pecs like a wimp. Muttering. And all my breakfalls went out the window too, so bouncing hurt as well.
     
  18. Neo_Hybrid

    Neo_Hybrid New Member

    I really dont see what all the fuss is about. if you do a wrong stance, then your foot swept. best way to learn is through example. you need to learn why what you are doing is wrong. with lower grades your given a chance to correct but past a certain belt,green and above, if its outa place your going down! I believe this is the best way for people to learn, you touch something hot, you dont touch it again. its just common sense.
     
  19. Lithanwif

    Lithanwif Human Punchbag

    Not really true, If I touch an inanimate object and it hurts me, sure I learn not to touch it. If you whomp me to the ground because my stance is slightly out, all I learn is that you are maybe stronger than I am ( or that you got me unawares ) and possibly enjoy putting me down. Perhaps take the time to explore why they keep getting it wrong? if it's slacking sure fifty push ups, the pain that keeps giving.
    Maybe they didnt understand it properly first time, Maybe they need a little extra help. 2 years is about most peoples expanse in MA, after that they either go all the way or drop out ( obviously Im not counting the guys who leave after six months because you didnt turn them into Bruce Lee ).
    I have been practising MA for 23 years and it still surprises me how sometimes people tell me something and it's like a light coming on in my head. Oh right, now I get it, damn I've been going through the motions for years thinking one way and it's actually this way. Sometimes even a white belt can surprise a black belt

    Basically dont tell me to do something, then hit me when I dont understand. Tell me why I do it that way and make sure I understand, it's the sign of a good instructor. of course if they are slacking, I refer you back to my fifty push ups. Or as one of the black belts in my old class had a student do 500 sit ups, he said their ab's must have been on fire for a week after that. And sure enough, they showed major commitment next time asked
     

Share This Page