Keeping it fun?
Last nights class was excellent. Renshi's classes are always good. The BB pretest is tomorrow night so we are still reviewing kata kata kata and all the bunkai that can go with it. Tomorrow I am going to go to the dojo before the pretest to help out M. There will also be another woman testing for shodan. This one concerns me. She's quite a crybaby. Seems to always have one injury after another. And they're never injuries that are visible to the human eye. Don't get me wrong, she is a very nice person, but always seems to have an excuse for why she can't do something. she actually cried the other day when she found out that she needs to know Kusanku Sho for the pretest. CRIED and then left the dojo w/o going to class because she was so upset. a wee bit over dramatic too say the least. AND ITS KARATE! there's no crying in karate. Not like that. As far as I see it, bottom line is that it should be fun. If she's crying now when the cycle hasn't even started yet, I cannot see her surviving a whole testing cycle. So I'm sure she'll be there wednesday before the pretest practicing along with M and I. I hope she can keep this all in perspective.
6 comments:
OH, my! We have one of those in my dojo as well. When she first started, every time we would kiai during a kata, she would run off the floor crying. When she spars, she looks like she is dancing--very slow and bouncy. She's never taken a hit of any kind. It'll be interesting to see her black belt test. The board won't baby her like sensei does. She is a san kyu now, and may test for shodan sometime next year.
No crying in karate. I always tell Big I there's no hugging in karate. She's such a love bug she's always trying to hug me in class. That woman sounds like she's got some issues.
That's awesome. I'm not sure I understand why they are there when they are wrapped so tight.
I've been thinking about the whole "crying" thing. I realize that men have this "no crying" philosophy, and since many of the teachers in martial arts are men, they have set forth this concept as concrete. However, I know that women are not genetically, mentally, nor physically built like men. The more that we understand our feminine strengths and weaknesses, the more we can take advantage of them. A scientific study showed that women's emotional centers are activated by pain, while pain will affect a men's outer logical center of the brain.
I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but I find that letting go a few tears actually revitalizes me.. I find extra energy, and strength when I cry a little. I don't mean that self-depreciating, or the "please pity me" type of crying.. but a healthy dose of "yes.. this is hard.. but I will go on.." type of tears. It's like my inner stress is instantly calmed, and I become centered on my goals.
If one sees a tear come out of me, then they'd better watch out because the next moments will be thunderous, and extreme.
Have you felt this sort of thing?
"Have you felt this sort of thing?"
Yep. I'm a very soft, posed person. That is of course a follow-up to being a bit restrained. I have found through the years a way to let out a bit more of anger before it explodes that way.
It is very human and very common to feel that way. However, the way we express those feelings remains the main thing.
One has to be careful how he behaves when the mind goes *click* in order to have a simple *click*. Not a *bang bang BOOM* thing.
About the crying... Personnaly, I've heard friends tell me how they cried in the locker room because of Sensei's hardness. Traditionnaly, karate was reserved to men. The first boy of a family being taught. Now, everyone goes in a class.
All dojo have someone a bit like you described. An excuse for everything. Sooner or later.
Bottom line is who cares? The way I see it, by now you've had time to adjust to her behavior. If really it upsets you, talk to her about it. Sensei cannot do everything and it's often the senior's jobs to assure that fellows know how to behave.
How about talking to Sensei about it? Or asking how to approach it?
Communication is the key. You'll find a way around it. If you haven't already. You've said it : put it in perspective. Maybe you can help her there.
Karate is hard. Training is hard. Maybe she puts a lot of pressure on herself. What's going on in her life? Who knows.
Until you talk to her, you just won't know.
Be well and best of luck!
Oh I've talked to her. I get along very well with her as a matter of fact.. She's just a crier. :)
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