Strict vs Laid Back schools?

[PhotonGuy]

I disagree entirely

The BJJ instructor at the gym I do kickboxing in is a BB thats is fairly disrespectful, to both TMA's, the boxing coaches for not being at every class because of things like sponsorship meetings and setting up cards, heck even to some of his own students if they start missing class. He's just always trash talking something or someone, everytime I've come in to work on my TSD kicks before the boxing coach gets there. Its pretty off putting, its depressing because hes the highest ranking BJJ instructor within 3 hours of my area.

The BJJ side of the gyms profile picture on FB was him and Kurt osiander flipping off the camera.

Thats cool for your own profile, but thats a very unprofessional way to run your school. Especially when you're calling your school a place to learn "respect" or "discipline"

Theres more to rank than the physical.

I dont care how good your side kicks are, if you're using them to kick dogs, bully kids, or just be a punk in general, Im not promoting you.

Nobody in my association would, and rightfully so

OK I agree with you, there should be more to rank than physical proficiency. There should be also mental proficiency and also when a student obtains a rank they should take on the responsibility that comes with it. Being a bully and acting the way that you describe the BJJ instructor at your gym is not taking on the responsibility that comes with rank.

What I was talking about when I mentioned rank should be based on proficiency and not time is that a student shouldn't necessarily be required to hold a rank for an X amount of time before they can be promoted to the next rank. If they've met the requirements of physical and mental proficiency, maturity and being responsible than there is no reason to hold them back. Just like I don't think a student should be automatically promoted just because they've been at a certain belt for an X amount of time, they also shouldn't be held back just because they haven't been at that belt for an X amount of time.

 

[Drose427]

OK I agree with you, there should be more to rank than physical proficiency. There should be also mental proficiency and also when a student obtains a rank they should take on the responsibility that comes with it. Being a bully and acting the way that you describe the BJJ instructor at your gym is not taking on the responsibility that comes with rank.

What I was talking about when I mentioned rank should be based on proficiency and not time is that a student shouldn't necessarily be required to hold a rank for an X amount of time before they can be promoted to the next rank. If they've met the requirements of physical and mental proficiency, maturity and being responsible than there is no reason to hold them back. Just like I don't think a student should be automatically promoted just because they've been at a certain belt for an X amount of time, they also shouldn't be held back just because they haven't been at that belt for an X amount of time.

The time in grade ties directly to the mental aspects though

 

[PhotonGuy]

The time in grade ties directly to the mental aspects though

Well yes it does take time to develop the physical and mental attributes for a belt but time in and of itself should not be its own requirement, just my opinion.

 

[Buka]

Also - there are exceptions to the rule, or any rule of any organization. They are few and far between, though. But some people are considered phenoms. BJ Penn earned a black belt in three or four years in BJJ.
Jow Lewis earned a black belt in Karate, in Okinawa of all places, in seven months. But I don't consider either of them human.

 

[Langenschwert]

I prefer things laid back but well-structured. We tease people for rolling in late, but folks have jobs and kids that are certainly more important. When I teach I watch the clock and keep things moving so folks don't get bored. Everything goes in half-hour chunks. For example, my 2 hour "advanced" class looks like this: 30 minute warmup, 30 minutes of standing grappling, 30 minutes of sword, 30 minutes of sparring. Then pub.

For formality, we always salute/bow when entering or leaving the training area. We salute at the beginning and end of class. We have a few rules that the penalty for breaking is just 5 pushups (and good-natured teasing), just so we have an excuse to do more pushups. Those would be: failing to salute entering/exiting the salle, saying "sorry" in the heat of training (we Canadians are too polite), handing a weapon back to a person (small weapons are placed on the floor, larger ones are balanced on their point), and helping a person back up after a takedown (unless there was an actual injury, of course). We salute before sparring both as etiquette and as a way of saying "I'm ready". You don't want to swing a weapon at a sparring partner if he or she is unprepared. Safety first!

The Judo club I go to is fairly strict on etiquette, but very laid back otherwise.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Also - there are exceptions to the rule, or any rule of any organization. They are few and far between, though. But some people are considered phenoms. BJ Penn earned a black belt in three or four years in BJJ.
Jow Lewis earned a black belt in Karate, in Okinawa of all places, in seven months. But I don't consider either of them human.

Im not familiar with BJ Penn but as for Joe Lewis I believe he might've had experience prior to training in Okinawa. Prior experience will often give a practitioner a leg up.

 

[Buka]

Im not familiar with BJ Penn but as for Joe Lewis I believe he might've had experience prior to training in Okinawa. Prior experience will often give a practitioner a leg up.

You're right, bro. He studied wrestling from the age of fourteen. Joined the marines at eighteen and put in for Okinawa a year later.

 

[Hyoho]

A bit difficult to push a student hard enough until he drops nearly every day and be too informal. We can have good laugh about it afterwards.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Well anyway, years back on this other martial arts message board I remember this guy writing that getting a black belt requires patience. There is more to getting a black belt than just developing good enough physical skill you also have to have patience and that's why at his place you're told when you will test rather than choosing to sign up for scheduled tests at your own discretion because the instructor has to see that you're patient enough aside from just being skilled enough for a belt. Therefore if the instructor decides you have to wait more than you have to wait more because he wants you to be patient as well as skilled so by having you wait more even if you're skilled enough to pass you also have to be patient.

Well here's the thing. Yes it does require patience to get a black belt, or at least to earn a black belt at a dojo that has good standards for earning one. Any dojo that requires a high level of skill to earn a black belt, a new student with no martial arts experience whatsoever is not going to be at that skill level on day one. Its going to take years, YEARS of hard training for a student to develop their skills, knowledge, and ability to the level of a black belt and so its going to take patience. Such skills are not developed overnight and so if a student has developed their skills to the level of black belt than that means they do have patience because it took patience to obtain such skills. So an instructor does not need to require patience to get a black belt because patience is already a requirement if high skills are a requirement as I've explained. So there is no point in making a student wait to be promoted because you want them to be patient if they have developed the skills, by developing the skills they used patience, so there you have it.

 

[Hyoho]

You need to work hard and get 'pushed a lot' for your body to accept fighting as a relaxation rather than tension and aggression. Its doing something with attitude 10.000 times is not enough that instills natural ability. Some people think about things far too much instead of getting on with it. Free relaxed practice is fine but you need to go to your sensei and get your medicine every day.

 

[drop bear]

A bit difficult to push a student hard enough until he drops nearly every day and be too informal. We can have good laugh about it afterwards.

You create an environment where the student and the coach are working together. And not one of conflict.

We do a drill called the gauntlet which is possibly the the worst thing you can do to a person. I don't think there is that much motivational banter. You just do the Thing.

 

[drop bear]

Well anyway, years back on this other martial arts message board I remember this guy writing that getting a black belt requires patience. There is more to getting a black belt than just developing good enough physical skill you also have to have patience and that's why at his place you're told when you will test rather than choosing to sign up for scheduled tests at your own discretion because the instructor has to see that you're patient enough aside from just being skilled enough for a belt. Therefore if the instructor decides you have to wait more than you have to wait more because he wants you to be patient as well as skilled so by having you wait more even if you're skilled enough to pass you also have to be patient.

Well here's the thing. Yes it does require patience to get a black belt, or at least to earn a black belt at a dojo that has good standards for earning one. Any dojo that requires a high level of skill to earn a black belt, a new student with no martial arts experience whatsoever is not going to be at that skill level on day one. Its going to take years, YEARS of hard training for a student to develop their skills, knowledge, and ability to the level of a black belt and so its going to take patience. Such skills are not developed overnight and so if a student has developed their skills to the level of black belt than that means they do have patience because it took patience to obtain such skills. So an instructor does not need to require patience to get a black belt because patience is already a requirement if high skills are a requirement as I've explained. So there is no point in making a student wait to be promoted because you want them to be patient if they have developed the skills, by developing the skills they used patience, so there you have it.

One of the factors that instructors may not get is that people can be inherently crap.

The instructor may be more talented which is why he became the instructor and can teach at his own pace. Rather than the students. And that can take patience.

 

[Hyoho]

You create an environment where the student and the coach are working together. And not one of conflict.

We do a drill called the gauntlet which is possibly the the worst thing you can do to a person. I don't think there is that much motivational banter. You just do the Thing.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with conflict. Its about trusting your teacher to push you to levels you cannot reach on your own. A good teacher knows what you are capable of and taps into your innermost physical ability and spirit to show you that your capabilities are far greater than you imagined. Good or bad at it we all should love what we do. Even for the most inept some of it does rub off eventually.