View Single Post
Old 05-24-2012, 10:57 AM   #11
Edgecrusher
 
Edgecrusher's Avatar
Dojo: Tampa, FL
Location: Tampa, Florida
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 86
United_States
Offline
Re: Changing aikido organizations

You should never feel like you cannot approach Shihan B and express your feelings. Especially if you are having doubts or being hassled by someone. I had a situation at my dojo some years ago when I was the only mudansha. There was my Shihan (Hachidan in Tomiki) and several other black belts ranked at the respective dojos in their respective styles. A couple of these gentlemen would put me through the ringer and what did not kill me made me stronger. I felt for a while that I had nobody to talk to or hear me. These other black belts by the way would come and go and never stuck around too much. When I finally opened up to my Shihan, he was floored and that kind of thing never happened again. He has told me that if I ever experience anything remotely close to that, to inform him immediately. I am now the senior student and I have made it my personal goal to reach out to every new student and make them feel comfortable. I know this might be an extreme version of what you have gone through but, I think you owe it to yourself and Shihan B a face to face meeting of how you feel.
  Reply With Quote