Curiosity about our instructors

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[aikifish]

Hello!

I am wondering if you guys can help me out here... I was recently talking with someone about the level of curiosity I felt about my beginning instructors (I had two in my first class) and the need I felt to learn everything I could about them, like how long they've trained, where they went to school, and what their professions are, etc. I don't always have the opportunity to talk with these instructors and was tinkering around on the internet to see what I could find about them. I confessed to another student who was in my beginning class that I had found some very cool information about our instructors after a bit of digging. I even found an elementary school picture of one of them and thought it very cute! Please understand that this is all done with a very innocent and loving intent, but this person acted like I was stalking my instructors and told me she found it inappropriate and an invasion of privacy that they would not approve of. I feel that it is out of my total admiration and respect for them that I am curious to know this information and am wondering if you think there is a think line between research and intrusion when it comes to the first people to show us the way.

With loving intent,

Aikifish

[Brian H]

You could walk up to a fellow student, instructor, or passerby on the street and plant a nice solid punch on their nose. It would help you understanding of real world application of atemi. It even would teach your "partner" to be more aware of his/her surroundings.

You could do it!

Noses are around you all the time and are easily to smack!

Some good will result!

Sould you do it?

[PeterR]

If an instructor makes a claim then by all means check.

You know the sort - Ueshiba M. gave me my Shodan in 1971.

After he died I drowned my sorrows working for the CIA.

But anything else is private. If by chance something comes to your attention that effects you personally fine but .... it is stalking.

[aikifish]

Thanks guys.

Since I never want to be referred to as a "Stalker" and I never want to disrespect anyone, especially my teachers, I will make sure to set aside a special time to ask them the personal things I would like to know. I guess everyone has got to learn somehow.

:)

[shihonage]

Originally posted by aikifish
Thanks guys.

Since I never want to be referred to as a "Stalker" and I never want to disrespect anyone, especially my teachers, I will make sure to set aside a special time to ask them the personal things I would like to know. I guess everyone has got to learn somehow.

:)

Angelina:

You're not alone.
Some of us do this kind of "stalking" too, but are somewhat embarassed to admit it.

Me ? What ? No ! ;)

[Datamike]

Well... It is an invasion of privacy. Would you like everyone to know what you did last summer?

[JJF]

In my opinion - if it is on the internet or in any other publicly accesible media then you have the right to read it.

Should you then ? well I also believe you have the right to know some things about these people - after all during practice you actually leave your life in their hands. However I suggest you go ask them instead of finding out other ways. Who knows - you migth even gain a new friend.

[ranZ]

Originally posted by shihonage

Angelina:
You're not alone.
Some of us do this kind of "stalking" too, but are somewhat embarassed to admit it.
Me ? What ? No ! ;)

hwahaha... i second that shihonage!

In my case i have a language barier, Sensei speaks little english and i speak very little japanese. But all i wanted to know was his first name. :D

[PeterR]

Well I had a really cool summer - what do you want to know.

But there are things that I want to keep close to my chest (the young lady in the office next door for instance) and I would feel seriously uncomfortable if people made an effort to find out what that was.

Originally posted by Datamike
Well... It is an invasion of privacy. Would you like everyone to know what you did last summer?

[ranZ]

hmmm, Aikifish was just tinkering over the internet. And exactly how much personal information can you find over the net, unless you're wanted by the FBI, you'd probably just come across a personal website or a dojo database; which i'm sure contains nothing "that" personal.

Example if you search my name, you'd probably find my website where i put some basic personal information, name, age, location, hoby etc. I put them there, and i wouldn't mind if anyone looks at it. I wouldn't mind if anyone looks at my blog, coz i put them online so ppl can see.

So i personally won't say looking for information on the internet is stalking. But if you went to someones house & dug up his diary or turn on his PC without his knowledge, now that's stalking.

[PeterR]

Very good point Ranz - Aikifish did say they tinkered around on the internet.

If that's stalking - I'm guilty.

The internet is public domain. What you put up is information you wnat the world to see.

[guest1234]

actually, with a little persistence, or money, or both, a lot of personal (or you would think so) info can be taken from the internet, the curse of the modern age. If one merely visited a dojo website, no big deal. If they instead looked up addresses, phone #, email ---well, I'm a little more uneasy, especially since asking is a more mature/sane way to get that info. If they tracked down where and when they went to school, their parents' addresses, etc ---I'd start to think their medication needs adjusting. This is, afterall, someone in their dojo---if they can't just ask, but instead sneak around to get the info, I get shivers thinking about that.

[aikifish]

:)

I think that there are some people who find it extremely intimidating to walk up to their beginning teachers and ask where they went to school, what they do for a living, etc. Also, once you are out of their beginning class you may not always see them in the dojo and feel even weirder about calling them at home. Here's a thought: What if you were beginning to date someone whose background was questionable (usually kept out of the conversation) but who was coming to your home (where you live alone) on a regular basis. If you went down to the public records at your local court house and looked them up would that be unethical regardless of what you found? I do agree that the face to face approach is best, though, when it comes to our training partners and have learned that sometimes just because it's there on the internet for the world to see doesn't mean you need to tell anyone that you've seen it. ;)

[shihonage]

Originally posted by aikifish
:)

I think that there are some people who find ..

I sense that someone has a crush on their instructor.

[aikifish]

Actually, one of my instructors is a woman, and one is a man. Though that could be possible for the man, I have to say that it's not the case for the woman. You're right, however, that I do feel a deep connection to the both of them.

:)