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Old 06-12-2007, 10:06 AM   #23
Drew Mailman
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 23
United_States
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Re: It's not a democracy, I know.

Keep in mind that, in some schools, rank comes with responsibility. Senior students at the school I attend are called on for a lot more than the junior students (our bottom three ranks, including white). Seniors have to know technique, but also need to be able to teach new students the basics, tell visitors about aikido, keep up on class changes (and inform other students!), and anticipate the needs of the school, including water, cups, cleaning, etc.

Our Sensei is a very busy man; he spends most of his days performing therapeutic treatments on clients and students. He isn't too busy to teach every class, but he does require his seniors to be dedicated, knowledgeable, and generous, and maybe your teacher needs to see those qualities from you.
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