WMA and moral code

Hi LilBunnyRabbit,
You actions are your own responsibility. My driving instructor doesn't check up whether I drink and drive or play death race 2000 on babies in prams (which I don't, honest!!! ). Why should a martial arts instructor have this responsibility. If people want to harm others you can find a lot quicker and easier ways to do it than spending years learning a martial arts.

Dave.

 

Well, allthough we live in democracies and all persons have rights and free will, it will still be up to the instructor and his moral code who he wants to teach his knowledge to. I'll not be able to enforce my wiev on you lot, and in the end there's probably no way of knowing who will abuse what they learn (to fight on the streets, etc).

But there's still now way in hel's place (Did you know that the english/scandinavian word for where the devil lives originates in norse mythology; "Hel"; queen of those who died of natural causes) -any of you are gonna persuade me into teaching neo-nazis about viking reenactment/I-33!!!

 

Nothing wrong with that Stolenbjorn. What I find is that it sorts itself out for you anyway, and have been pleasantly surprised. Our initial training is quite boringly repetitive and consists mainly of footwork, falling, body mechanics, very basic strikes and very basic grappling.
If someone who comes along is not interested in what we practise wishing to find a quick answer to how to become best fighter on the street we find that they leave within the first month. Those people that are interest in the long haul tend to stay.
For me, it is within those first four months of training with us that I am able to get a fairly good idea about the person and if something makes me feel uncomfortable about them then I ask them to leave if necessary. This has not happened so far as everyone who I have felt uncomfortable about has left by that point anyway.
I do not think anyone here has suggested that you teach those people that you feel will abuse your art in whatever way, but rather has said that they feel it is not their place to include a moral or social code within their training program.
On the other hand, when I found martial arts as a youngster, I was a trainee thug and ne'er do well, and it was through practise that I gained a respect for myself first and a respect for others second that kind of worked so that those things that I used to get up to no longer gave me the kind of kicks that they once did. I do not think that mine is a unique case but rather indicative of the sorts of benefits that practising MA can give people both psychologically and physically.

Regards
Rob

 

I like what you say, and I really don't have any arguments against it. What I add to your arguments (what I wrote in an earlier post), is about that there's the public to regard as well as the ones actually attending classes, and that a journalist infiltrating your classes might not attend long enough to see how your filtration-system works...

In Norway i see how WMA /reenactment is by some regarded as a dubious activity for nazis/ex-hippies(how the think out how theese two fractions come along together is somewhat puzzeling) that never grew up and wants our children to become fighting lunatics. Therefore, I am very focused on how to stop this wiev from become the standard prejudice of WMA in Norway. Boxing is allready branded as an activity for brain-dead half ciminals that haven't got the skills/abilities to learn the real arts(EMA). I don't want my beloved and advanced Fiore-system to suffer the same fate.

In addition; when it comes to Fiore del libere and his Flos duellantum, I find it honourable and stylish to try to keep the cultural offprint alive as well as the actual fightinginstructions (the bit where he brags about his achievements and only train the ones the duke clears) This does not have to mean the entire WMA, as WMA is as diverse as butterflies.

 

Stolenbjorn,

OK, I can understand your fears and perspective, just don't let that become too much of a hang up.

Stolenbjorn, where does it say in the text that he only trains the ones that the Duke clears? I have translated all the introductions from the three surviving MS and in no part does it say that. It does say that he will only train those that have taken a sacred vow not to divulge his teachings and those that are trusted students and close family members who have also taken this vow.

Regards
Rob

 

I've got it from memory from a Bob Cherrone-seminar over 2 years ago, so I'd say that you should regard my sources as somewhat...non-reliable (my head, and not remembering what was Bob's interpetations, my interpetations of his lecture and what was really written)!