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Old 01-16-2014, 11:12 AM   #24
SeiserL
 
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Location: Florida Gulf coast
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Re: Teacher OKs "Avoid[ing] touching females on religious grounds"

Quote:
Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
Reading both articles, my take-away was that yes he WAS segregating the students and classes by gender..
Thanks for the response.

I will have to re-read, I did not get that as my initial impression.

I too am grateful for inclusive classes. I have learned a great deal from the women and children in Aikido, than from most adult males.

It does bring up another issue. In many businesses I see a sign that says they reserve the right to refuse services, or have a dress code, etc. If its your business, even open to the public, don't you have any rights to decide who to teach and how to structure your teaching? Coming up through the arts I have been to many dojos that did not mix classes and have been refused training because I was white. And you know, IMHO, they have that right too. There are many organizations that would not have me for a member (the Groucho Marx syndrome) without me feeling degraded.

I just don't personally believe that my individual rights should have to be accommodated by everyone else. I have never found that world - and hopefully never will. I can accept other's differences without having to agree, understand, condone, accommodate or be tolerant of them. Nor do I expect other to accommodate mine.

While I certainly would not have made this specific request or segregate and school I belonged to or taught it, I simply do not believe that I am the most important person here or necessarily the one in charge. And this I know many others agree that I am not that all important.

Great stimulating discussion. Thanks to all.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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