Leaving a dojang/dojo.

[ilporko]

I'm not sure if this should go here on in the 'dojo' section, so mods move it where you want.

For those who are sensei or kwangjangnim in a dojo/dojang, how would you feel about a student calling into the dojang to tell you he/she is leaving that day?

I've paid my fees until April 17th, and my new dojang expect me to start on the 18th. My current subumnin (coach or sensei with less than 4th dan) knows nothing about this, because I've been out of the dojang for the last two weeks due to a fairly minor injury.

I was going to tell him todau, when I start practising again, that I'm leaving, but I'd sooner go to the new dojang now, rather than continue in a place where I don't want to be. (Not to run down a subumnin, but when I went to the dojang to tell him I was injured, and showed him the doctor's report, he told me I wasn't injured, and I thought I was, only because of my small mind. Now, even allowing for translation/language issues, that's not on.)

Of course, I'm just going to say that I have other obligations, and can't committ to the dojang on a daily basis, and maybe in future I can go back there.

How would you, as sensei or whatever, feel about a student turning up after two weeks out, and more or less saying 'I'm finished'?

[Lady_Kitsune]

I have to say IMHO, that nothing better than the truth. He can not get mad at you cos you want a change, that's personal and nobody can tell you a thing about that. If you want to change and sart all over on a new dojo, well, just tell him or give him a resignation letter or whatever do you need to stop being part of your today's dojo, but again he can not say to you anything, cos you're not doing nothing wrong.

[MAZ77]

How would you, as sensei or whatever, feel about a student turning up after two weeks out, and more or less saying 'I'm finished'?


I would say, "Go for it". But typically, in kendo, after 2 weeks, they usually dont say anything, they just dissapear.

[nonamehandle]

you are making a mountain out of a pile of dirt. from the other posts that you have posted here, it is apparent that you are overly cautious of making any sort of mistakes. i have said in my last post to you that in your situation and in your age, making mistakes is unavoidable. to you this seems like a big deal, but to the sensei there, you should be assured that he has seen it all before--others on the forum who are in similar situations will confirm. you are just dropping out of this dojang, no need to add such drama to it. yes, it might have been nicer to have done it in a more delicate and mannerful way (earlier, etc)--especially since you are in a sense "representing" foreigners to koreans--but what has passed has passed.

i obviously was not there with you when you spoke to your sensei, but knowing infinitely more of the language and customs of koreans than you, the phrase of "small mind" seems very strange. he might have meant that your "thinking is short", meaning that you are short sighted. and in view of your inexperience from the posts that you have written, there might be some validity to it. and as you can gather, language/translation or lack there of can mean a great deal.

find something that you can stick to which your physical happenstance cannot be used as a crutch and stick to it; you will gain much more from sticking to something than from any choice of a particular practice. and in your circumstance, i would think that something besides martial arts might be much more appropriate for you.

[Alison2805]

for gods sake, if you are going to quit, quit. All youve done for the last however long is bitch and moan about your dojo. Sooner or later they will find out what you are saying, so do what you think is the right thing, and then keep your trap shut.

[enkorat]

for gods sake, if you are going to quit, quit. All youve done for the last however long is bitch and moan about your dojo. Sooner or later they will find out what you are saying, so do what you think is the right thing, and then keep your trap shut.

Geez, that's sort of a harsh thing to say to a younger kohai....

Leaving a dojo because you need to under unusual circumstances, or because your sensei says "I never want to see you again" is never easy.

[Alison2805]

But advertising it on the internet constantly is bad etiquette.

[enkorat]

But advertising it on the internet constantly is bad etiquette.

But isn't that more a sign of a lack of confidence and a desire to "do the right thing" and be considerate and polite?

Sometimes with kohai, and with some dojos its hard to actually figure out what is "right" and "wrong" because of what a person of authority is telling you. Or what the peer pressure of the dojo is.

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking for advice from people not involved directly.

I've personally been in situations where I've had to leave dojos. I've had friends, sempais, and senseis I respect expelled from dojos, more than once.

Its not like we have a written FAQ about "how to leave a dojo", or "how to recognize a bad situation and thus requiring us to leave". We don't talk about it much, but it happens, more than we'd probably like to admit. Maybe we should talk about it.

Its great if you or I find a great set of people to practice and to learn from, but sometimes we're not so lucky.

Do you mean that we should "suck it up and suffer in silence" in the name of etiquette or reigi? If reigi is based on mutual respect and mentorship, and the senior member is clearly not upholding their side of the contract, is it a case of "bad etiquette" to ask around and figure out if indeed that is what was happening?

[ilporko]

But advertising it on the internet constantly is bad etiquette.

Which is why I said things like 'Not to run down a subumnin' and also mentioned the language issues, and tried to be fair to the guy. It's also why I'm asking more experiended people how they would feel about this, as I don't just want to leave (I could, but prefer to be polite).

From Nonamehandle:

"find something that you can stick to which your physical happenstance cannot be used as a crutch and stick to it; you will gain much more from sticking to something than from any choice of a particular practice. and in your circumstance, i would think that something besides martial arts might be much more appropriate for you."

Thanks for the reply (and the same to everyone who replied). I agree with you when you say stick to something. As for not doing MA, well really anything other than a hard hit to the head is fine, and once I get that checked out, it'll be time to decide just what I'm going to stick though.

[enkorat]

Here is my 0.2 nondenominational local monetary unit.

This isn't really about your injury. This is about losing your respect of your sensei.

I'm sorry that its happened. It is uncomfortable and unpleasant realization. Losing respect of your sensei can happen from a number of situations. I have seen, heard, experienced, everything from "losing faith in the system" to "being asked for sexual favors" to "being defrauded" to "being taken advantage of."

Once the respect is gone, the trust is gone, and its not really worth beating a dead horse. It ain't gonna get up again and give you a ride. Its time to leave.

Leaving is tough, particularly if you've invested a lot of time at that dojo and you have a lot of friends there, or in some cases your entire social life revolves around that dojo. Or you met your husband/wife there. Its tough.

Once that happens you have to take stock in a number of different things and decide whether or not doing this activity is worth it. Do you care if this sensei shows up somewhere else that you might be training? Do you love the art? Or do you do the art because its what your friends do, and thats what you talk about when you get together? Will the injury you have never heal if you keep doing the art? I've known plenty of people with torn ACLs and knees and ligaments and bad backs that have had to give up stuff. Again, very tough.

Once you decide to leave, most people just stop coming. This causes problems with things like rental bogu or equipment, and is noticable if your club is like 4-5 people. But life goes on, new people come and the old club will forget.

Writing a letter might seem polite, but are you doing it to burn bridges? If you burn bridges its pretty permanent. Most people say things like "oh, my new job has different schedules now", "I started school closer to the other dojo", or "I moved". If you write a letter detailing your grievences, or hinting at them, that will probably cause problems. Pretty big ones.

It might be a difference between Korean and Japanese culture, but making a fuss on leaving (which might be very proper in a Western sense, like the "2 week notice") means you intend on never coming back.

At the end of the day, you should do what you feel is necessary to resolve the issue for yourself. You shouldn't really worry about whether its "culturally sensitive" in either a Japanese or Korean or Asian way, and worry about your Western-ness. You will have to live with that decision for the rest of your life, so you don't want to look back on it and regret something because someone on an internet forum told you to do something. Once you decide on that action, you should do it with determination and not look back.

Good luck

[ilporko]

Here is my 0.2 nondenominational local monetary unit.

This isn't really about your injury. This is about losing your respect of your sensei.



Thanks for the replies, enkorat (and anyone else too).


I agree with your comment, and the rest of the post was good too. Oh, I know the injury has nothing to do with it; I just mentioned that to explain why I've been out for a while. Now that I'm leaving, I should have just said, with hindsight, this twoo weeks ago, though of course I didn't know that then for sure.

Mainly, I just don't enjoy going to the dojang, and that stops me motivating myself. I suppose I really could have gone yesterday, for instance, but I didn't. So, time to move. Because this subumnin is usually friendly, and he's a friend of a guy I want to stay on good terms with, and who introduced me to HDGD and reccomended this dojang, I wanted advice from other people before I left the dojang.

Best thing now is to just politely say that I can't go as often as I'd like, and have to move. Thanks for the replies people.

[nonamehandle]

Here is my 0.2 nondenominational local monetary unit.

This isn't really about your injury. This is about losing your respect of your sensei.



enkorat,

i am not sure that that is what happened. as for the rest of your post, in GENERAL i agree with you, but in this SPECIFIC case of ilporko, not sure whether it was on the mark. we also have to assume that some of the fault lies elsewhere other than this particular sensei.

in the korean context of things, getting a doctor's note is more of a formality than anything else: e.g. (in a school setting) i have the students get a doctor's note if they miss a class due to sickness etc. knowing full well that the doctors (or their pre-med friends) will write the note for them out of formality--but i ask for it because i want them to understand the idea of process. as to why ilporko felt a need to bring a doctor's note to the sensei for a volunteer activity, i am not sure. maybe he felt that it was the more "rei" thing to do. well it was neither "rei" nor "not rei", just superfluous. if someone practices sincerely in the dojo and the sensei knows it, there is no need for a note from the outside, just a simple, "sensei i have hurt myself, so i will limit myself to these activities only" would suffice for any korean sensei (private teaching dojos and other non-pro dojos).

though alison might have been a bit harsh with her post, i think she expressed something that some others might have felt as well...

[ilporko]

Nonamehandle. I brought the note to the subumnin because I already had it for my job, and I thought it would be easier for him to understand it than to have me try my limited Korean. Also, if I had been out for 'a' class, I'd just have said 'Yeah, I hurt my arm, and couldn't come to the dojang'. But this was going to be for a bit longer. There was no sense of formality or etiqutte, if I understand 'rei' correctly.

As for people thinking I should 'keep my trap shut', I've always thought it best to follow a simple rule: If you know from the thread title that the topic will be of no interest to you, or will annoy you, don't read the thread, and don't go over the top with your comments. If you DO read the thread, you shouldn't complain about its contents, or the fact it was posted.

[ilporko]

Can someone delete my previous post, as I can't edit it? The second post is a better reflection of what I wanted to say.

Nonamehandle. I brought the note to the subumnin because I already had it for my job, and I thought it would be easier for him to understand it than to have me try my limited Korean.

I thought the issue could be a bit delicate, and wanted some advice from more -experienced people. I've left a dojang before, ebcause I moved to a new location, and I just told the kwangjangnim. No bother. This one's a little difficult (I think), but some of you obviously don't feel the same way.

As for people thinking I should 'keep my trap shut', I've always thought it best to follow a simple rule: If you know from the thread title that the topic will be of no interest to you, or will annoy you, don't read the thread, and don't go over the top with your comments. If you DO read the thread, you shouldn't complain about its contents, or the fact it was posted.

[Kenzan]

I'm afraid Seppuku is your only option here.

[nonamehandle]

I'm afraid Seppuku is your only option here.

must get a note from the doctor first :D











sorry ilporko ;) but kenzan made me do it!
(this is in jest so don't take it personally)

[imnothere]

lol, I thought that doctors have been campaigning against seppuku??

seriously, since the guy is asian. a bow could go a long way, just ask him that if you can have a moment of his time, bow, then explain why you are leaving.

it is often best to leave on best possible term, after all, you will never know.

a letter is a bit too formal... it sounds like you are employed by the dojo? (or are you?) I did both the bow and the letter, but that was for my boss of 6 years when I resigned.

if you want to do seppukku, dont let kenzen be your second. That evil man-squirrel would only steal your nice katana.

[imnothere]

dissappearing without saying anything is extremly rude. this is what children do all the time. <- couldnt edit!

[ilporko]

[QUOTE=nonamehandle;322365]must get a note from the doctor first :D

QUOTE]


Ha! I don't mind this sort of comment. :)

If I were to seppuku, I'd never let a squirrel be my second. damn animals are too short to be able to see eye-to-eye with me, let alone to do the job correctly.

Imnothere, I don't work at the dojang; I work at a school, and they wanted a letter because that's the rule for this kind of school. If I take time off, even one day to go to the hospital, I need a letter.

Anyway, I went to the dojang a little earlier than usual, and one of the English-speaking students was available to help with the subumnin's questions. I just said that I no longer had the time to do gumdo as often as I felt was needed, so I had to leave the dojang. Maybe in future I could go back. The subumnin seemed Ok about it.

[imnothere]

Kenzen is a were-squirrel, he turns into a man when its full moon and back to squirrel when its not.

Fair enough, looks like its easier then you thought. See what I mean? Always leave on good term, unless the subumnin is acting like a hole.

A letter for everything? No wonder you would want to leave.

[aloe]

If you left the dojang to join another dojang in the same martial arts , what makes you think the senseis dont know each other. What if you meet during a compeititon or seminar or something. Isnt that more embarassing?

[ilporko]

If you left the dojang to join another dojang in the same martial arts , what makes you think the senseis dont know each other. What if you meet during a compeititon or seminar or something. Isnt that more embarassing?


Fair question, and one I had to think about (I mean the 'meeting the subumnin' part, and not the 'embarassing' part). The two dojangs are different affiliations, and different styles of gumdo, and don't compete together. In fact, the new dojang does not teach the same material as the old one. So I probably won't meet the subumnin.

If I do, I'll say that when my circumstances changed, and I was able to go back to gumdo, I made a choice based on which style I wanted to do. Anyway, if I meet the subumnin or not does not give me a reason for being impolite now. I left politely, and that will be good if i ever meet the subumnin again. (I'd hope.)

[Neil Gendzwill]

From my perspective as a club instructor: people leave all the time, and unless they are senior people I don't care that much. Of course we're always sorry to see someone go but it's just fact of dojo life. We appreciate being told, but most times people just fade away. We hate it when they do that with club equipment in their possession, so if you have any save them the trouble of tracking you down and bring it back.

The other issue of course is airing your grievances with your instructor on this forum, which is one of the most public places you could do it, whether you believe it or not. If your intention is to burn your bridges, this is a good way to do it.

[ilporko]

Thanks for the replies peeps.

Neil, I made sure to arrange the return of any dojang equipment, and I do have mu doubts about HDGD people reading this forum. Anyway, apart from the doctor's letter, there is nothing of note that I've said about my subumnin, and even there many people would agree that if I am worried about going back to the dojang, then maybe it's best to not go back until I feel I'm healed. (After all, my knowledge of some areas of medicine is comparable to that of a doctor, and I have to be honest with myself, so injuries mean no gumdo.)

Aloe, just re-read your post. The new kwangjangnim asked me about my gumdo experience, and when I named my dojang and subumnin, the kwangjangnim was at a loss. I'd be more bothered about meeting the subumnin, and I've addressed that already.

Imnothere... If any were-squirrels attack me, I'll do u-mako with sodosae and u-pegi, and that'll finish them off (I mean block, slide, and cut in one move, and weaken the left arm, or the neck, whichever is the best target.)

[Kenzan]

if you want to do seppukku, dont let kenzen be your second. That evil man-squirrel would only steal your nice katana.

Fact:
Seppuku secondry is a time-honored tradition among Squirrel-dom. (http://static.flickr.com/37/120336756_98577733e6.jpg)



If I were to seppuku, I'd never let a squirrel be my second. damn animals are too short to be able to see eye-to-eye with me, let alone to do the job correctly.


This is actually a myth perpetrated by our arch-enemies (http://japundit.com/images/ninja/ninja3.jpg).


Kenzen is a were-squirrel, he turns into a man when its full moon and back to squirrel when its not.


And now you know too much. (http://www.electricsquirrel.com/images/attack_squirrel.jpg)




Imnothere... If any were-squirrels attack me, I'll do u-mako (http://growhair2.web.infoseek.co.jp/Photos/Comiket0408/Umako04081301.jpg) with sodosae (http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/017th_issue/tokku1.jpg) and u-pegi (http://www.waterman75.com/Al%20Bundy/peg02.jpg), and that'll finish them off (I mean block, slide, and cut in one move, and weaken the left arm, or the neck, whichever is the best target.)

Yo feebow skiows ah noh match for mai Grand Ultimo fihst! (http://www.sugarbushsquirrel.com/image/8873542_scaled_360x259.jpg)

:D:D

[ilporko]

+rep coming your way, Kenzan.

[samurai80]

As for people thinking I should 'keep my trap shut', I've always thought it best to follow a simple rule: If you know from the thread title that the topic will be of no interest to you, or will annoy you, don't read the thread, and don't go over the top with your comments. If you DO read the thread, you shouldn't complain about its contents, or the fact it was posted.

Could you whine any more? You already had a thread addressing the same issue. What, didn't enough people pay attention to you, and feel sorry for you in that thread? Are you going to start a thread tommorrow called "Need Advice on If I Should Really Leave My Dojang"? That way the other twenty regular members on here can find out you're a drama queen, and a wuss. Then you can tell us stories about applying your begginer haedong gumdo "skills" to defeat several assailants, and prove that while you may be a giant wuss, you're also hardcore. Whoops...typo. Hardore is actually supposed to be spelled L.I.A.R. (my bad). Maybe whine some more about your injuries next, and how you can't do kendo, or kumdo, but you're on KW because you do haedong gumdo, which is SO respected by everyone here.

[Kenzan]

............................ (http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/getalong2.jpg)

[Lady_Kitsune]

lol, I thought that doctors have been campaigning against seppuku??

seriously, since the guy is asian. a bow could go a long way, just ask him that if you can have a moment of his time, bow, then explain why you are leaving.

it is often best to leave on best possible term, after all, you will never know.

a letter is a bit too formal... it sounds like you are employed by the dojo? (or are you?) I did both the bow and the letter, but that was for my boss of 6 years when I resigned.

if you want to do seppukku, dont let kenzen be your second. That evil man-squirrel would only steal your nice katana.

I sugest the letter cos I had to do that myself when I left my first club. I thought it was formal, but again this is Kendo and the ways are always formal and sometimes you explain things better on a piece of paper than alive.

[ccheck5]

Fact:




arch-enemies (http://japundit.com/images/ninja/ninja3.jpg).




:D:D
dam hes got some bling

[ilporko]

Could you whine any more? You already had a thread addressing the same issue. What, didn't enough people pay attention to you, and feel sorry for you in that thread? Are you going to start a thread tommorrow called "Need Advice on If I Should Really Leave My Dojang"? That way the other twenty regular members on here can find out you're a drama queen, and a wuss. Then you can tell us stories about applying your begginer haedong gumdo "skills" to defeat several assailants, and prove that while you may be a giant wuss, you're also hardcore. Whoops...typo. Hardore is actually supposed to be spelled L.I.A.R. (my bad). Maybe whine some more about your injuries next, and how you can't do kendo, or kumdo, but you're on KW because you do haedong gumdo, which is SO respected by everyone here.

1) I'm not looking for attention; I asked for advice. You see it how you want.
2) I left my dojang tonight, and on good terms.
3) I didn't 'defeat several assailants'; I unnverved one, and the rest followed his lead.
4) I've shown two HDGD videos, and a fair few people thought they were Ok, interesting, maybe even exciting, but not kendo.
5) Lastly, I'm not going to carry on the conversation, because you obviously don't want to either.

[absenteekendoka]

1) I'm not looking for attention; I asked for advice. You see it how you want.
2) I left my dojang tonight, and on good terms.
3) I didn't 'defeat several assailants'; I unnverved one, and the rest followed his lead.
4) I've shown two HDGD videos, and a fair few people thought they were Ok, interesting, maybe even exciting, but not kendo.
5) Lastly, I'm not going to carry on the conversation, because you obviously don't want to either.

I think theres only one solution to resolving this whole issue. It seems totally clear..............


GROUP HUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

It just gives me the warm and fuzzies. Not the kind I get when I think of Kenzan Squirrel San, but warm and fuzzie none the less.
:)

[ilporko]

Meh.

I left my dojang, and got advice from (some) of the people who replied. It's best to leave this issue now, right? If you all want to continue it, that's grand, but I won't be joining in.

(And I registered with a HDGD forum which I only found out about tonight, so I doubt I'll be posting here anyway.)

[ilporko]

My previous post wasn't supposed to be insulting to those people who gave good advice, or answered questions, or made funny remarks. Several people here seemed friendly, helpful, and funny, though a bit insane (Which can be good.) I've learned that *some* people can't seem to accept HDHD as a valid martial art, but still seem to enjoy slamming ninjers for being closed-minded. And of course, on a HDGD forum I can discuss the technical aspects of HDGD.

Though some of the private messages I've received on this forum would put me off kendo permanently. I get the impression that for *some* people the fact I even did HDGd would mark me out as a garden-variety ninja, even if I did decide to switch to kendo. So much for discussing kendo (which I like) here, while trying to find a HDGD forum.

[Lady_Kitsune]

Well, i have to declare that I'm ignorant cos i really don't know what HDGD is, but as long as you don't hurt someone or declare that you know everything (wich is what I hate about back yard ninjas) fine for me cos you're the one who is having fun and learning and everything.

XOXO

[Bokushingu]

My previous post wasn't supposed to be insulting to those people who gave good advice, or answered questions, or made funny remarks. Several people here seemed friendly, helpful, and funny, though a bit insane (Which can be good.) I've learned that *some* people can't seem to accept HDHD as a valid martial art, but still seem to enjoy slamming ninjers for being closed-minded. And of course, on a HDGD forum I can discuss the technical aspects of HDGD.

Though some of the private messages I've received on this forum would put me off kendo permanently. I get the impression that for *some* people the fact I even did HDGd would mark me out as a garden-variety ninja, even if I did decide to switch to kendo. So much for discussing kendo (which I like) here, while trying to find a HDGD forum.

I don't think that is the resaon at all why some may be apprehensive to you starting Kendo/Kumdo. IMHO, it is your display of commitment and lack of confidence. You need to at some point say to yourself, "I can!" or, "I Will!"

[ilporko]

I don't think that is the resaon at all why some may be apprehensive to you starting Kendo/Kumdo. IMHO, it is your display of commitment and lack of confidence. You need to at some point say to yourself, "I can!" or, "I Will!"

I had decided not to check this forum, but I have some time here.

Commitment and lack of confidence? I have to wait until I get medical clearance before I can even think of kendo-no matter how committed I am. What is uncommitted about my attitude? I did kendo until i had to wear bogu, decided not to do it because of medical reasons (serious reasons, unlike what some people here would say), and have always wondered if it would be possible to get fully involved in kendo.

[ilporko]

Besides, I was referring more to this forum, when i talked about negative comments, though also to kendo itself. My attitude towards kendo would be 'Why do it if so many people are going to regard my background as negative'? This board certainly demonstrated a fair bit of negativity, though I do court that because I'm argumentative and the fact is that peple don't like an argument.

Still, in HDGD, I know when to twist my left foot to the right in the sam-dan-pegi, and when not to (mainly do it when holding a chingum, and not so much with a mokgum), and I know what it feels like to slide bare-footed into dora-so-do-sae with chung-myeon-pegi, when your left foot slips on some sweat on the ground, and you practically castrate yourself. Maybe I should post the HDGD stuff on this forum I found, and forget about kendo? Mind you, I thought there would be certain attitudes, stories, feelings, experiences, that would be similiar, even if I don't know half the Japanese terms.

Oh, by the way, my football team undeservedly lost tonight in the biggest game of the season, so if some smarty-pants wants to say something (as opposed to being funny or constructive), don't bother. I feel like I'm ready to kick someone right now, and from experience I can tell you that I'm going to be very annoyed for days to come.

[Bokushingu]

...Someday, you will have to standup to yourself.

[Sparv]

Oh, by the way, my football team undeservedly lost tonight in the biggest game of the season, so if some smarty-pants wants to say something (as opposed to being funny or constructive), don't bother. I feel like I'm ready to kick someone right now, and from experience I can tell you that I'm going to be very annoyed for days to come.

It looks like you're excusing yourself in advance for being an asshole... Don't bother post around here then! If you know that you're gong to be an asshole, if you know why you're going to be an asshole, why are you still an asshole?

BTW, I'm sick, my life is a mess (I'm going to repeat my schoolyear, if that's the right term, and I'm pennyless), but hey, my computer works and I didn't put any drill in my finger!

Don't worry, be happy!

[Kenzan]

BTW, I'm sick, my life is a mess (I'm going to repeat my schoolyear, if that's the right term, and I'm pennyless),

You live in the South of France.
Boo-Hoo.
Cry me a river.

:laugh::laugh:

Edit:

Le Beuax-Heuax.
:D

[ilporko]

It looks like you're excusing yourself in advance for being an asshole...

Don't worry, be happy!


No, I am asking people to not bother being an asshole towards me, because if you behave like an asshole towards me, especially in the next few days, I'll behave like an asshole towards you. (If you've ever supported a sports team that was six minutes away from the greatest win of the season, and then lost, you'll know what I mean.)

[ilporko]

...Someday, you will have to standup to yourself.


Isn't kendo supposed to be about character development? Mental strength? Determination? How am I supposed to stand up to myself when, for all I know, one good shinai-induced smack to the head could cause serious damge? I think you're being unreasonable in your expectations.

[absenteekendoka]

I still say hugs allllll around! :)

[ilporko]

Isn't kendo supposed to be about character development? Mental strength? Determination? How am I supposed to stand up to myself when, for all I know, one good shinai-induced smack to the head could cause serious damge? I think you're being unreasonable in your expectations.

Just occured to me... In one sense am I not doing a better job than most people do of standing up tp themselves, because I have a fairly unusual problem? For all I know, if you get hit on the head while wearing men, you're OK, even if the aite (opponent?) whacks you. I have to do all the usual stuff, yet still do martial arts, with a head-related problem (which has been made fun of here on KWF), even though I have been hit so hard on the head, through ho-myeon, that I saw flashes of silvery-white light.

I do a martial art, even though I know it can potentially, realistially, cause very serious injury, while most people are OK. Just who is facing up to themselves here?

BTW, search 'porky boy' for a rather snide comment by one of our British brethern. So much for me being smart, eh?

[Bokushingu]

I'm not speaking about your physical limitations. I understand that you can't do kendo because of your Health situtation. I'm talking about you giving up your present dojo...

Some of your post are very confusing to me. So i'll just option out instead of having the wrong opinion.

[ilporko]

thanks for the reply, and thanks for clearing that up.

I left the previous dojang because it wasn't affiliated (a point I was told about in advance0, so anything I learned was not OK in Ireland. Also the classes were all kids, and the language barrier was huge, as my former subumnim would say.

This is not to criticise my former subumnim, because if I spoke fluent Korean he could have been very good. Plus, as I've said, he was a friendly and nice guy.

But, those things all together, plus my limited time, meant that I needed to look elsewhere.

Are you going to be critical of EVERYONE who has left a dojang? Better be prepared to be very critical indeed...

[nonamehandle]

hey kid,

can't say that i speak for the rest of the others on the forum, but i don't think negatively of you because you practice an art different from what i practice. i have no evangelical zeal to convert everyone to kendo/kumdo, so i couldn't care less whether you do kendo/kumdo; in fact in your condition it would probably be best if you do not do kendo (due to your medical reasons). what i am having qualms about is your lack of commitment in general. you also seem to believe that people should not bother to read your post or to reply to them if they cannot say nice and fuzzy things...that is interesting...people will not always respond favorably to you on this forum or in real life, to expect and to demand such is naivete multiplied by egotism to the upteenth power.

as i said before, do something that you can stick to and stick to it. kendo probably is not it: what will probably happen if you did kendo is that you will start and there will be many medical reasons (quite valid) why you should not continue, and you will quit. if HDGD is not strenuous for you and you can continue it for the long duration, then go for it. also, i would not mind learning about HDGD now and then in the "lounge" section or the "flames" :) section--just expanding my horizons...but please save the drama.

good luck in your practice

[ilporko]

hey kid,

as i said before, do something that you can stick to and stick to it. kendo probably is not it: what will probably happen if you did kendo is that you will start and there will be many medical reasons (quite valid) why you should not continue, and you will quit. if HDGD is not strenuous for you and you can continue it for the long duration, then go for it. also, i would not mind learning about HDGD now and then in the "lounge" section or the "flames" :) section--just expanding my horizons...but please save the drama.

good luck in your practice

Hey dude :)

I agree about the medical issues possibly derailing my approach to kendo, and also (as some have said) that I might be better doing full HDGD rather than half kendo. Plus I am already doing yi-dan (second dan) level cutting at 4th-gyup level. Of course, my guilty little secret, in sparring I beat a sam-dan (thrird dan) with a vicious cut to the throat. He was so outraged he refused to bow to me, while everyone else was amazed. I like the cutting and the sparring in HDGD. Mind you, the rest of my gumdo is not so good, and has to be worked on.

So yes, I have to think long and hard about what i will do, and maybe I will settle for doing HDGD, talking about sodosaes and the pullback needed for the magpie cut in the ssang-su chil-bon on the HDGD forums, and posting a video or two (with no comment) on thos forum.

[samurai80]

You beat a san dan in pretend fighting!?! Wow!!! You're pretend awesome!

[Tsunemori]

in sparring I beat a sam-dan (thrird dan) with a vicious cut to the throat. He was so outraged he refused to bow to me, while everyone else was amazed.
You have 12-year old sandans there that still chuck a tantrum when beaten?

[nonamehandle]

I still say hugs allllll around! :)

i wanna see a picture of you and a certificate of good health from your doctor before i start hugging you~~:laugh:

[ilporko]

You beat a san dan in pretend fighting!?! Wow!!! You're pretend awesome!


Do you get a kick from being stupid? Your 'pretend fighting' has been established as gyeuk gum, which is choreographed fighting. I'm talking about sparring, which is real.

[ilporko]

You have 12-year old sandans there that still chuck a tantrum when beaten?

I meant that the (adult) subumnim was shocked at losing and refused to bow. he went drinking with us all later.

[ilporko]

i wanna see a picture of you and a certificate of good health from your doctor before i start hugging you~~:laugh:

I do do.:laugh:

[Alison2805]

Plus I am already doing yi-dan (second dan) level cutting at 4th-gyup level. Of course, my guilty little secret, in sparring I beat a sam-dan (thrird dan) with a vicious cut to the throat.

Im looking forward to when your dojo-mates find this stuff on the net. Should be very entertaining.

[Anonymous]

Do you get a kick from being stupid? Your 'pretend fighting' has been established as gyeuk gum, which is choreographed fighting. I'm talking about sparring, which is real.

If it was anything that could possibly been considered sparring, he would have been in the hospital. Very light or no contact is not really sparring.

[Mr. T.]

Yo Porko,

OK, you left your dojang, for several reason, I only read half the thread (I'm a lazy bastard), stop whining about it. Be a man and just go to your new dojang, tell your former subumnim and just GO. Honestly I don't care how great you (think) you are. Be a man: suck it up and shup up about it allready.

To me you're more bark than bite, sorry but you seem to stear towards a personal flame war on purpose. I hope I'm wrong about it, but that's what it looks like.

To the rest, stop atacking/feeding him. Who cares if he's some teenage kid living in fatasyland most of the time. About the commitment thing, it's really not fair to attack him on switching between arts/dojo/hobbys. If done several times and I guess most of you did. It's not easy to find something you can stick the rest of your live to. You folks (me included) bitch about the amount of students that quit kendo. He's just one of them, he just ended up in a place where he wasn't meant to be. Stop whining about it.

Porko, as Ally said, you're not making a good impression when you start complaining about your former intructor on the net. So please shut the F* up about it.

done ranting, back to work.

[Kenzan]

Yo Porko,

OK, you left your dojang, for several reason,....

Have you ever considered working for the I.R.S.?

:laugh::laugh:

[JCM]

Mr T.

Why do you keep holding back?. Just share your feelings, is ok


:D

[samurai80]

I do do.:laugh:

Everybody can poop.

[Kenzan]

Everybody can poop.

Reeeellaxxxxxxxxxx.
Breeeeathe...

.....Be at peace.














....No go smack your buddies with a large stick.

:D

[sirius1906]

Who cares if he's some teenage kid living in fatasyland most of the time.


He's not some "teenage kid". http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showpost.php?p=321771&postcount=1407 :)

As others have said, just move on to whatever you wanna do.

[samurai80]

He's not some "teenage kid".

That is the sad part.

P.S. I wish kendo gi had pictures of the moves on the back of them, like haedong gumdo. That way if you forget something you can just look at someone's back.

[Kenzan]

That is the sad part.

P.S. I wish kendo gi had pictures of the moves on the back of them, like haedong gumdo. That way if you forget something you can just look at someone's back.

Click the smily smoker.:smoker::smoker::smoker::smoker: (http://thesportinglife.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/chill.jpg)

[ilporko]

Im looking forward to when your dojo-mates find this stuff on the net. Should be very entertaining.

I don't see why it should be. In fact, if the sam-dan subumnin read that I regard beating him as a good memory-especially as it was a shock to everyone, he might even be pleased.

_____

By the way, even light contact can be sparring. Why not? And we do wear protective gear (ho-myeon or face mask).

[samurai80]

[QUOTE=ilporko;322918]_____

By the way, even light contact can be sparring. Why not? QUOTE]

Because light contact wouldn't teach you anything. There is no intent. If all you had to do in kendo was lightly touch somebody, begginers could be a hachidan after, I don't know...when they purchased a shinai, maybe?

[ilporko]

By 'light' I meant not using a judko, and also not having to wear hogu. The cutting motion is still correct, and the winner in a match usually has the best technique.

[Mr. T.]

Have you ever considered working for the I.R.S.?

:laugh::laugh:

Hehehe, one covermental organisation at the time. I annoy enough people with my current job, I don't think this country can handle me working as a tax collector :D


Mr T.

Why do you keep holding back?. Just share your feelings, is ok

I don't want people think I'm some spycho. That, and I don't want to get banned. :evil:

[ilporko]

That is the sad part.

P.S. I wish kendo gi had pictures of the moves on the back of them, like haedong gumdo. That way if you forget something you can just look at someone's back.

It's fairly obvious that you're just looking to point out anything negative about HDGD that you can find.

Those pictures are just a design some guy thought looked good. In fact that 'guy' was most probably the kwangjangnim for that dojang as my new dobok doesn't have that design on it.

I'm amused by the way some critics (OK, most critics) of HDGD focus on the things we gumdoin don't attach any importance to. I don't care about the history, and am well aware that gumdo was formalised in 1982. My attitude is 'So what?. I didn't start this art just because of the history. Equally, if my dobok has a few pictures of a guy with a sword, so what? I don't attach any significance to it.

[Kenzan]

I don't want people think I'm some spycho. That, and I don't want to get banned. :evil:

He's been holding back?
:eek:


:laugh:

[Neil Gendzwill]

It's fairly obvious that you're just looking to point out anything negative about HDGD that you can find.If you're going to keep hanging around a kendo forum, insisting on talking about HDGD, then you're going to take some flack. I'm not sure why you're interested in that. I'm sure there must be forums where you can have a more technical discussion on things that interest you.

[Mr. T.]

He's been holding back?
:eek:


:laugh:

You have no idea (MUWHAHAHAhahaha :evil:)

:D

[ilporko]

I'm sure there must be forums where you can have a more technical discussion on things that interest you.

You might be surprised. I'm waiting for the admins at one forum to set up my account, but there seems to be a shortage of HDGD forums on the net. Ah, I suppose that when I start classes with my new dojang I'll have my fix that way.

[Anonymous]

By 'light' I meant not using a judko, and also not having to wear hogu. The cutting motion is still correct, and the winner in a match usually has the best technique.

If you can't dedicate yourself completely to an attack theres no point in it at all.
I can play tippy tappy all day, it doesn't mean that I can actually hit someone with full intent when they're doing the same thing.

[ilporko]

If you can't dedicate yourself completely to an attack theres no point in it at all.
I can play tippy tappy all day, it doesn't mean that I can actually hit someone with full intent when they're doing the same thing.

If by dedicate you mean committ fully, then we do that too.

"Full intent" is interesting. We hammer each other in HDGD, at least in dojangs that allow sparring. Not all do. Do you mean that we hit with a techniwue such that if we were using metal, sharp, swords we would kill the other person? Well, some of the cuts in HDGD are not really cuts, and are more hits. But many are proper cuts that would kill if done with a sharp blade.

I meant that we use padded weapons in 'sports gumdo', as we call it, so we can hit at full power, and with a cutting technique, but without the need for protective gear, or the fear of injury. By the way, no-one takes this too seriously. We call it 'sports' gumdo for a reason.