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Old 12-05-2012, 06:06 AM   #20
Diana Frese
Dojo: Aikikai of S.W. Conn. (formerly)
Location: Stamford Connecticut
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 386
United_States
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Re: Like an Unsheathed Sword

Please bear with me. I am indeed grateful for the explanations of the difference between the mat and real life concerning the need for consideration of the training partner in the dojo. But I have a confession to make that refers to the visiting instructor looking in the mirror.

Some of the women may be able to look back to the days when male dojo mates might have not wanted to take class when a woman was teaching. This story is about one of them who I knew did not like the idea of a woman teaching. But what I did was inappropriate with regards to the others in the class.

The scheduled instructor was going for higher education in his chosen field of architecture. I picked up the phone at the desk. It was noon class, and student teachers were scheduled/ "Who's the highest kyu rank there," the familiar voice asked. "I am," I replied honestly. "Then you teach the class"

Because I was focusing on the disapproval that one student might be feeling, I decided to teach "triple tenkans." Yamada Sensei and T.K. Lee, one of our senpais, and I am sure others, often taught techniques with two or more tenkan turns so, since I liked that approach, that is what I did, the whole time. When I finally looked at the people, they had red faces and their breathing seemed labored.

Then without looking at the mirror I knew I had been guilty of vanity.

I hope you all don't mind this digression. I'm adding it because I think it is another example of not being considerate and not looking out for the welfare of others in one's dojo.

thanks again for the main examples you all have mentioned about training on the mat and how to deal with situations in real life confrontations. They are very, very important.
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