How to deal with young martial artists?

[tshadowchaser]

I’ll make this a personal statement:
Any showing off (doing flying kicks in public) is showing off. If a student dose not know any better than to make a public display of his ability then maybe their instructor or parents need to sit him/her down and find out if they are serious about learning or just want to be able to show off to impress those around them.
The arts are not for showing what you can do to impress people UNLESS you are in a demonstration being given by your school

 

[Tez3]

I’ll make this a personal statement:
Any showing off (doing flying kicks in public) is showing off. If a student dose not know any better than to make a public display of his ability then maybe their instructor or parents need to sit him/her down and find out if they are serious about learning or just want to be able to show off to impress those around them.
The arts are not for showing what you can do to impress people UNLESS you are in a demonstration being given by your school

The problem is that we haven't seen him 'show off' so what we have is the OPs idea of what showing off might be, it may not actually be that at all. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for what the OP thinks he saw but because he wants someone to train up to his exacting standards he may be over reacting. He also hasn't mentioned how old this student is, he says he's a child in mind but teenager in body so he could be as young as 13, I suspect that's maybe the case, that we are talking about a very young student who should be guided by a proper instructor not castigated by people who don't know him or the circumstances.

 

[KELLYG]

I understand that a good training partner is worth its weight in gold, however I don't understand why you expect this young man to behave in a manner that you think is appropriate? We all are individuals. Are you thinking that his actions in gym are more of what you want and think that he should behave this way always, including on his own spare time? I am a bit confused.

 

[Tez3]

I understand that a good training partner is worth its weight in gold, however I don't understand why you expect this young man to behave in a manner that you think is appropriate? We all are individuals. Are you thinking that his actions in gym are more of what you want and think that he should behave this way always, including on his own spare time? I am a bit confused.

Exactly!

 

[Xinglu]

I am reminded about the story of the scorpion, we don't blame the scorpion for stinging us, that is it's nature. We blame the guy trying to pick it up expecting it to change it's nature. :wink:

Youth are rambunctious by nature. You are not a good match for training partners, that much is clear, and you will never change him. He will eventually grow out of it, but expecting him to leave his youthfulness behind because it suits your needs is an excursive in futility.

 

[Tez3]

Remember too that word of mouth is the best way to get new members into a class, he may simply have been telling his mates about his great class and instructors ie 'we learnt this really great kick like this' and 'we do moves like this', it could merely be youthful enthuisasm which should never be discouraged just channeled. He could also have been doing some out of class training which has been misinterpretated, this did take place in a gym after all.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I’ll make this a personal statement:
Any showing off (doing flying kicks in public) is showing off. If a student dose not know any better than to make a public display of his ability then maybe their instructor or parents need to sit him/her down and find out if they are serious about learning or just want to be able to show off to impress those around them.
The arts are not for showing what you can do to impress people UNLESS you are in a demonstration being given by your school

I don't know. I don't have a problem with someone taking joy in what they do. I think people need to take it seriously when their safety or someone else's safety is at issue. But I feel like, when we push this "austere and serious" card too far, we're losing a bit of perspective. And when we start "narcing" on our peers because they're not acting in accordance with a seemingly arbitrary sense of appropriateness, then I think we've overstepped our bounds.

Besides, culturally, there are precedents for this sort of public "play." I don't think it necessarily reflects a lack of seriousness or a primary desire to show off. I think it's natural for people to want to share those things that bring them happiness.

But, like you, this is solely my personal take on the matter.

Cheers.


Stuart

 

[kingkong89]

It sounds like this young martial artist you have been being partnered with is suffering from what some of us call the green belt syndrom where this is either the second or fourth belt that they recieve and being so young they believe they know everything there is to know give it a while and that feeling will wear off

 

[Steve]

I’ll make this a personal statement:
Any showing off (doing flying kicks in public) is showing off. If a student dose not know any better than to make a public display of his ability then maybe their instructor or parents need to sit him/her down and find out if they are serious about learning or just want to be able to show off to impress those around them.
The arts are not for showing what you can do to impress people UNLESS you are in a demonstration being given by your school

Then I take it you disagree with any school doing a public demonstration? These carefully choreographed shows are little more than thinly veiled vehicles for recruitment and amount to little more than showing off.

I think tricking and XMA type stuff is very neat. I envy the kids their athleticism and strength and I'd totally do it if I could. As long as the kid understands the difference between that and self defense, let him have his fun.

And suggesting that the other kid basically tattle on him is putting both kids in a weird, awkward position.

 

[Tez3]

The kid could have been told to practise in his own time or perhaps wanted to practise in his own time, don't you? And people jump to the conclusion that being young he must of course been showing off. He was in a gym, an ideal place to practise of course, he wasn't on the street or in a school playground.