Opinion on Teaching certain students

[tempus]

I finally have an update. I taught class last Wednesday, but he escaped before I could ask him.

This evening was a small class of just me and two sensei's, one of which is the one that has trained me from day one. I asked him if he has ever asked the guy why he does not strike. The sensei stated yes. The answer from the guy was "Because I do not feel the need to stike, nor do I feel the need to learn. I feel that I should focus on the technique and the energy and that is all that I need."

The guy is an adult and can train how he sees fit. However, the sensei stated that we he gets into trouble he still points out the strikes and presses that if that was the real world you could be dead.

During the class I had taught last week a big guy grabbed him from behind and the guy did not react fast enough and was struggling to get out. I stopped the attack pointed out a back heel kick up to the groin, instep on the shin (if you had shoes on), stomp on the foot would loosen the guy up for you to go into a technique, he starred at me and went back in line.

I guess all you can do is try and let everyone make their art theirs and hope it works out well for them in the end.

-Gary

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I finally have an update. I taught class last Wednesday, but he escaped before I could ask him.

This evening was a small class of just me and two sensei's, one of which is the one that has trained me from day one. I asked him if he has ever asked the guy why he does not strike. The sensei stated yes. The answer from the guy was "Because I do not feel the need to stike, nor do I feel the need to learn. I feel that I should focus on the technique and the energy and that is all that I need."

After reading this and the other postings about your student, I think I would be to the point of telling him to leave and go find a school that would make him happier.

AoG

 

[theletch1]

Maybe it's just the mood that I'm in today after a grueling day at work, but... invite a boxer over to the dojo and have him beat this guy to a whimpering pile then ask him if he still feels that atemi is useless. GRRRRR!!! It burns me up that someone who is evidently very enamored with the art of aikido is pissing away a huge portion of the art simply because of a MYTH about Ueshiba. :cuss:

 

[shesulsa]

It's pretty simple, really. If there are any strikes ... at all ... in the entire system, he would likely fail his next rank test, no? And continue to do so if he did not demonstrate his ability and understanding of the required curriculum?

Personally I think you have either a pacifist or a mental patient on your hands.

 

[tempus]

I can only give my input on the matter. I am not the owner and I just started the test for my black belt (just finished the 50 techniques classically and now on to applications of them). This could be the reason he has had the same belt for the last three years. I have thrown a lot at him and he has struggled. I now give little or no resistance because it is not worth the effort nor injury. The next belt level he will need to do a defense line for his green belt. It is going to be a rough one for him if he gets to that point.

-Gary

 

[theletch1]

Gary, not to hi-jack the thread or anything but....
Congratulations!! Keep us posted on how the testing process is going for you. Having finished up the 50 classics successfully you shouldn't have any problems at all with the apps. That attack line is gonna be a bear.

//now back to your regularly scheduled thread//

It sounds as if your instructor has already caught on to the inability of this student to fully accept all that NGA, or any form of aikido, has to offer and is withholding testing in an effort to get him to leave. If he's been at the blue belt level for 3 years and continues to come back it seems that coming to the dojo is more of a part of his routine than a real effort to learn the art.

 

[Rich Parsons]

It's pretty simple, really. If there are any strikes ... at all ... in the entire system, he would likely fail his next rank test, no? And continue to do so if he did not demonstrate his ability and understanding of the required curriculum?

Personally I think you have either a pacifist or a mental patient on your hands.

I was leading towards mental.

He has this mystical opinion that he will be able to Aikido and never have to touch anyone with pain. That their own energy will do all the work. He could have a misplaced conception of the art in question.


for example I had a woman ask me to teach her a self defense class. I told her I coudl set something up for her and a friend or her husband. What she really wanted was not to work out, but to get a certificate that said she had passed some self defense class so now she could defend herself and nothave to put any work into it at all.