Japaneese taboos...

[Don Roley]

One that I believe was mentioned, however should be repeated.
Remember you are not in the US anymore. The laws, and customs, and social behaviors are different.
You are a guest.
Be respectful, polite and behave conservatively.

By conservativly, I think you mean that even if someone does not tell you that something is bad- you consider that maybe it is and refrain.

Yeah- don't wait until people tell you to stop doing something or that you are an idiot. They are not big on things like that. I know of one guy who was told by a Japanese shihan I used to train under to not come back anymore to training. (Rare case.) But numerous times this same Shihan used to tell stories about how big an idiot certain students were and let it be known that they were not worth the sweat over teaching them the important stuff.

So don't think that until a Japanese person tells you to stop that you can do whatever you want. Put yourselves in their shoes and think about how what you do might be offensive. Better to err on the side of caution.

 

[davidg553]

To me as well. But it is based on things that really cannot be measured or counted. I find Kreth's comments about not looking people in the eye a little strange too. I never noticed it and it does not seem to be a problem.

If you were the typical Japanese person having to talk to Kreth, I'm sure you'd look at this chest too. I'm not sure if its because of the the scary biker look or if its because he's so damn ugly! :asian:

 

[Don Roley]

Here is a big taboo for Bujinkan members. I just heard the story today and was floored by it.

Ok, I think I have talked about letting the Japanese teacher do the teaching. I was mainly talking about people trying to teach their partners what they thought the teacher was doing instead of asking the teacher directly.

But I just heard a story today that surprised even me.

Some people do something else when they can't do what the teacher is doing and justify it to themselves as being adaptable. I once heard Nagato say, "It is nice that you guys can adapt when you can't get things to go the way they are supposed to. But to get better in Soke's art you need to do things as Soke shows them."

The story I heard today was of a guy who went to a dojo and was not able to do what the teacher was doing. Not only did he not try to figure out how to do it correctly, but he started trying to get his partner to do the variation that he came up with instead of what the teacher was showing.

He had done many stupid, rude things prior to this and he was told not to come back after that.

Take a lesson. You are not the teacher. You should do your best to do what the teacher is showing because he is showing it for a reason. If you don't want to do learn what the Japanese teachers are showing, don't take time away from the students who are trying their best to learn what they can.

 

[DuckofDeath]

The biggest taboo is misspelling "Japanese."

I once got my reputation dinged with "You are most certainly a moron." and didn't let it bother me.

 

[DuckofDeath]

I once got my reputation dinged with "You are most certainly a moron." and didn't let it bother me.

I'll be darned. I checked my comments to see if I had offended anyone lately and saw that the "You are most certainly a moron." comment had been removed. That was my favorite!

 

[DuckofDeath]

I'll be darned. I checked my comments to see if I had offended anyone lately and saw that the "You are most certainly a moron." comment had been removed. That was my favorite!

It's back! Thanks, Dale!

 

[Shogun]

Ok, I think I have talked about letting the Japanese teacher do the teaching. I was mainly talking about people trying to teach their partners what they thought the teacher was doing instead of asking the teacher directly.

But I just heard a story today that surprised even me.

Some people do something else when they can't do what the teacher is doing and justify it to themselves as being adaptable. I once heard Nagato say, "It is nice that you guys can adapt when you can't get things to go the way they are supposed to. But to get better in Soke's art you need to do things as Soke shows them."

I have a story kinda related to this type of free thinking, as some would call it.
When I was on the range one day with a sheriif deputy, he was showing me something he "thought" he learned from the instrcutor. now, the instructor I am talking about is considered the top in the state. I told him that I have trained under this teacher only a week before this incident and what he was showing me was most certainly false. The deputy proceeded to tell me that "the way he adapted it to fit himself would work better for this and that" and made up a bunch of excuses. one of the senior deputy told me that I should be doing it the correct way I was shown and basically told the other deputy to quiet his yap. This type of scenario plays out all the time in which someone tries to pass off "adapted" knowledge as cannon. So, as for Bujinkan (and everything else) if one adapts something, it may work, it may be new, but its no longer bujinkan and should not be labeled as so.

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

So of hanbo or jutte techniques are adapted to use with an ASP, they're not juttejutsu/hanbojutsu anymore?

 

[Cryozombie]

So of hanbo or jutte techniques are adapted to use with an ASP, they're not juttejutsu/hanbojutsu anymore?

<Sarcasm>
Yeah... it means if you use a Baseball bat as a Hanbo instead of a bat, its still a bat... and the Bujinkan doesnt teach baseball bat, therefore its not a Bujinkan technique...

</Sarcasm>

 

[rutherford]

<Sarcasm>
. . . and the Bujinkan doesnt teach baseball bat

Hmm. Let me channel Nimravus for a minute. "Are you sure about that?" :uhyeah:

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

I have trained with/against baseball bats, if that's what you were wondering...?

 

[Cryozombie]

So you are telling me the Aluminum Baseball Bat is a Traditional Battlefield weapon???

I was making a sarcastic example of applying a Traditional Technique to a "Modern" tool... thats all.

(We train with a bat too.)

 

[Dale Seago]

It's back! Thanks, Dale!

Pleased to be of assistance. :lol:

 

[Dale Seago]

I have a story kinda related to this type of free thinking, as some would call it.
When I was on the range one day with a sheriif deputy, he was showing me something he "thought" he learned from the instrcutor. now, the instructor I am talking about is considered the top in the state. I told him that I have trained under this teacher only a week before this incident and what he was showing me was most certainly false. The deputy proceeded to tell me that "the way he adapted it to fit himself would work better for this and that" and made up a bunch of excuses. one of the senior deputy told me that I should be doing it the correct way I was shown and basically told the other deputy to quiet his yap. This type of scenario plays out all the time in which someone tries to pass off "adapted" knowledge as cannon. So, as for Bujinkan (and everything else) if one adapts something, it may work, it may be new, but its no longer bujinkan and should not be labeled as so.

Law enforcement defensive tactics is a different sort of animal: Particular techniques are taught and executed in particular ways less, sometimes perhaps, for their effectiveness than for their legal defendability. If as a LEO you use some technique which wasn't taught you by your official trainers, you may be opening yourself and your department/agency to liability.

 

[Shogun]

So of hanbo or jutte techniques are adapted to use with an ASP, they're not juttejutsu/hanbojutsu anymore?

Oh my bad I didnt phrase it right. I meant, before you adapt something for yourself, you must learn the basis (obviously). What I was refering to is when something doesnt work for someone and the "make up" something that does withoout actually knowing "why" they are doing that particular technique in the first place.

Law enforcement defensive tactics is a different sort of animal: Particular techniques are taught and executed in particular ways less, sometimes perhaps, for their effectiveness than for their legal defendability. If as a LEO you use some technique which wasn't taught you by your official trainers, you may be opening yourself and your department/agency to liability.

Dale totally agree. but I was comparing and contrasting it to Hatsumi showing something, the student applying it incorrectly at first, and then bending it to work without having any idea of the original technique.

its the same reaon many MMA fighters have crappy Jiu Jitsu. climbing a ladder but skipping rungs.