If I was to see a single clip I could make my own judgements on whether or not I considered it good. And I would base that on how it matches up to all the numerous other demonstrations I've seen of martial arts performances both in my own dojo and many other dojos that I've visited. Even if I don't take classes at a dojo I sometimes will visit and observe the students perform, particularly the higher ranking students. I would also use my own knowledge and experience in the martial arts to determine if I thought the clip was good or not, how well the techniques were done, how good the form was, ect.
Okay, let's try this another wayā¦ in the following clip, is it good, bad, or something else? And why?
We may then try with other clips.
I want to point out, though, that I'm not trying to "out" youā¦ I'm trying to get a gauge on your perspective. So don't worry about how you'll be seen for your honest assessment.
If somebody who wants to advance has been at a rank for longer than the usual length of time I see two reasons why they're not advancing, either they're not working hard enough or they're not doing it right. All the hard work in the world won't do you any good if you're not doing it right. You will only get better at doing it the wrong way.
Again, though, there is the third reason that, frankly, they're not good enough (skilled enough, insightful enough, whatever) to move up in rank. You can have people put in all the effort in the world, but some levels of skill are just beyond some peopleā¦ and, much though a "feel good" ideology might dislike that, it's just reality.
So what you're saying is theres more to it than that, that some people just don't have the potential to reach certain ranks or levels and that no matter how hard they work or how much they try to do it right they will never go beyond their potential I take it?
Yep.
Just because you don't see it doesn't mean its not there. Then again, its practically impossible to know every little detail about somebody based on messages they post on a board.
No, but it is possible to see a lot more than you think you're showingā¦
Some posters but not all. Some people have said its disrespectful to ask such stuff and that you should just, as its said many times before, shut up and train. Shutting up is good when you actually are training but there are also proper times to ask questions, such as before and after class.
And you've misunderstood each and every time it's been said. The idea of "shut up and train" is that that's where you find your answersā¦ it's in line with your idea that, if you work hard enough, you'll get there. The "shut up and train" meme is in response to people who would tend to talk about training, then complain that they're not getting anywhere, rather than actually put aside their own thoughts and put in the work.
Yes, there are times to askā¦ and there are different ways to ask. But the main thrust has been that, if you're not getting where you need to be, and are going on and on about it, perhaps you're not putting the effort in where you should, and are instead wasting time intellectualising what should be discovered with sweat.
To know why you failed you might have to talk to your sensei, including asking your sensei why you haven't been told you could test yet.
If that's the way it's done in that particular school, maybe. But, honestly, this is a hypothetical based in your (likely) misunderstanding of the running of your own school, and is not the reality for many at all.
Well put it this way, I don't take it personally about what people say on the board. After all they don't know me from Adam and I don't know them from Adam so it would be silly to take what they say personally.
It's not about taking it personally, it's about hearing what's being said in the first place. And "taking with a grain of salt" is nothing to do with "taking it personally" eitherā¦ you're mixing your metaphors.
This is just an observation but you sure appear to prefer a very structured conversation, at least on the boards you do.
I prefer things to be relevant to the discussion, yeah. Sorry if logic and basic conversation structure eludes you.
Well you sure are very critical.
I'm old and grumpy, is what I am. I've been at this too long to be anything but.
Well lets face it, its absurd to take close to ten years to go up just one rank, isn't it?
Depends on the rank, and the person, really.
