Pet Peeves in Karate

I have been doing Karate for a long time now….longer than most of my students have been able to walk! I have developed several pet peeves in Karate that I think demonstrate the WORST in Karate and the WORST, most annoying things that can happen in Karate…mostly due to people not thinking and being DRONES of silly instructors….read….learn…avoid the pit falls.

10. Excessive Kiai’s:

We have all seen them, the guys in the Gis with supper short pant legs and that CRAZY look in their eyes as they move up to the Kata arena…normally some crazy raised platform like a gladiator show! They bow…Speak way to fast and serious like some kind of military soldier, they address the judges telling them a story before they go out to do their dance…er Kata…and then they back up…and with each move they Kiai like they are in some kind of pain.

Its annoying and embarrassing. I often feel bad for these people as you just know parts of their training are missing and they are being taught to showboat for points. It’s a far cry from Budo Karate and often the instructors are misleading them horribly.

9. Inflated Ranks and their EGOS!:

I almost put this higher up on my Pet Peeve list because I know of a number of “political” black belts and “Political” sensei’s that were given rank for jumping ship from an organization, or not jumping ship, or because they out lived someone or because….well you get the point.

Now I respect the heck out of anyone that sticks it out in Karate for a life time, and anyone that teaches and loves it is blessed on their own. Ranks are like drugs…they can be used to propel one forwards and make their Karate better, or they can become bad and harmful and abused. In some cases the ego maniacs end up getting 7^th -10^th dans handed to them and it gives them major Ego problems. They are unbearable for the rest of us to be around. Worse yet, the recipient stops training and begins feeling like they are owed something.

Truth be told, Most people that have gone above 6^th Dan that I know from my area were much less than qualified to carry the name Karate than others! Rank should never be given to those with Ego issues and those with Ego issues should never seek rank. Those without Ego issues won’t seek rank..that’s who you need to give rank to so they can show the true way of Karate.

8.Japanglish!

This one is a pet peeve, and a bad habit of mine. First off I suffer from picking up this habbit from several of my seniors and I really do not know when or how it snuck into my teaching! And it annoys the HELL out of me.

Japanglish is the use of English words with a Japanese accent or Japanese words, “Move’o Dis’a way” or “Noto data way”….if you are thinking…wow, what a moron! Or, Geez that guy is racial insensitive and a jerk…yup….I catch myself and think…”Gees, do I sound like a dork…I’m Canadian and while my family is Slavic and Welsh I don’t have an accent like that”!

I say it annoys me when others do it…but its even worse when I catch myself doing it!

7. Dirty Gis/Ripped Gis!

A small rip here or there and a worn Gi gives off character and shows hard work…but when you have a rag covering your butt and you have more stains on it than just hard work….GET A NEW GI!

When your Gi can cause the emergency alert team to go into action, its time to wash it! Wash it well and often! Also, don’t let your kids wear it to Karate. The car will get it dirty, they will play in dirt and by the time they get to the Dojo…its horribly filthy! Blood can be taken out of a Gi, and even the stain can be explained away as hard training….but juice, chocolate bars and other stains are just people being pigs! WASH IT OR WE WILL!

I remember working with a few guys that stunk so bad….well that is for number FOUR!

6. Nay sayers that don’t know any better!

My style is better than yours! Karate sucks! I would kill you in a street fight! MMA is much better than traditional crap! And any other asinine argument you can throw out!

Okay, so I get it…you don’t want to do Karate…so Don’t! I don’t say it’s the best in the world, I also am smart enough to know that its not the style..but the man. Be smart and just enjoy what you are doing and leave me to have fun and enjoy what I am doing. I am so far past defending a style that does not need it that its not funny!

However, when someone says stuff like this…it truly shows me how little they actually know…and how far they have to go!

5. Politicking and not kicking!

It always bugged me that some of the seniors in the club and old organization I was part of as a junior were more worried about who got to play president over who was teaching correct techniques. The end result was a bickering childish mass of morons that I am glad we left!

In place of standing (or sitting) around barking orders and squabbling or trying to squirm your way into a better position in the organization…why not invest that time in learning how to teach, or what techniques you need to work on?

I am the current chair of my organization that I serve, that’s right I SERVE THEM as chairman not rule over anyone! Well as current chair…I try to keep politics to a minimum. Its Karate not a debate club!!!!

4. Dirty people!

I HATE HATE HATE it when I train with people that are dirty! Dirty feet specifically tick me off. If you go to the dojo in flip flops and your feet are dirty…WASH THEM in the bathroom before you train with us. If you stink from work…TAKE A SHOWER before you come to the club to train…or at worse…do a quick wash down in the bathroom and put on a NOT to obnoxious deodorant before you come to the floor.

Toe nails that are TALLONS tick me off because I have been cut up from catching a kick and the nail slices into me, or getting stepped on and the nail ripped my shin up…I kid you not! Trim nails and make sure you smell less of dead car mechanic!

I take a shower before I go to the Dojo…I cut and file my nails down as often as I need to and I don’t wear the latest in noxious au du Dead Hamster cologne to the Dojo! Its only nice to say you did the same. And if you have honey (Dear GOD I hope its Honey) on your hands and arms…WASH THEM!

3. Wrong info given….students think its right.

That Cute story that you pass on to teach a lesson, or the slight change you made in a Kata to work on a weak spot…will become Dogma down the road. Some of the changes and the stories don’t effect training and wont stick around….like saying Kanku Dai means to view the sky, it rhymes and its cute…but that’s not what the name means! But the changes you make in techniques…well that can be bad down the road.

As instructors its our job to pass on information the best we can with out changing it every which way. I don’t disagree on putting your own spin on things, but lets not just open the door for changes that don’t need to be made….and don’t look like a moron saying Empi means flying elbows or some such twaddle.

2. Demanding respect and not giving any!

Respect is not Demanded, it’s something you earn! I loath when instructors and competitors think they are owed something because they got a shiny medal or ribbon of some sort! I have some very bad news for these bad mannered people….Respect is hard to earn and easy to lose! Remember this when you are acting like an idiot.

Also, Don’t assume that you will get more respect from people because you sit at the front of a line, wear a shiny black belt or teach a class…I have met my fair share of prats that are instructors…and I don’t respect a single one of them!

Its important to realize that when you become a instructor you serve the students, not the other way around. You teach them and if you are lucky those around you will respect you…if not…you might be the prats I am talking about…and don’t mistake fear for respect….that’s just a few hints!

1.Not recognizing the efforts of others

As much as I don’t like those that DEMAND respect, I also don’t like it when we see senior instructors not recognizing others. Without us…they would not exist! In the other organization that we were part of was formed and created by my instructor. He was asked to do this and spread Karate west and help others develop the JKA style.

Fast forward 20 years and the same people we left to run the organization when politics started to get in the way of karate wont recognize that the very group they train in, and 90% of the seniors that train there are his students…they wont recognize all he has done for the organization and Karate in Canada…and it bugs me.

Always remember where you came from and who brought you to that spot. And if you are an instructor remember that with becoming an instructor you are no longer supposed to act like an ass, you have responsibilities to your students to demonstrate not just Good Karate, but also the best character you can. Standing around like the world owes you something is stupid and should be a hint to get the heck out of teaching Karate.

Last thought on this one, Just a hint…the world does not owe you anything and if you don’t contribute it wont remember you past that last shovel of dirt!

These are just a few of my pet peeves that I see in Karate. I have more…but that’s for another time.

Till then!