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Old 01-19-2014, 07:33 AM   #50
PeterR
 
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Dojo: Shodokan Honbu (Osaka)
Location: Himeji, Japan
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Re: Teacher OKs "Avoid[ing] touching females on religious grounds"

Quote:
John Hillson wrote: View Post

Is there a respectful way to accommodate anyone's religion in the dojo? I have had to dress down some fundamentalist Christians for their own issues in the dojo, but I do try. Where do the lines get drawn? The lines certainly got redrawn many times over the last century in Aikido.

As I wrote before, if a female student did not want to train with a man, I would be expected to allow this. I would be against a certain level of rank being attained - 5th kyu training with only women would be okay with me, but not any yudansha rank and certainly not a teaching rank. I would question a black belt given to a small woman from a female only dojo. If a Muslim man only trained with other men, would I see his rank as too watered down? Admittedly, not martially.
Reading the news stories about this (my family is from Halifax if that makes a difference) is I can't help thinking that the young lady in question is too easily outraged.

Peter Rehse Shodokan Aikido
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