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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 382829" data-attributes="member: 812">I certainly do not wish to be purposefully misinterpreting anyone. Nor even accidentally, although I do admit that I find myself misunderstanding people on a regular basis. Thus my efforts to make clear any murkiness I encounter.When I perceive someone conducting themselves in a manner I consider shameful then I do indeed speak up. It's not my way to simply hold a low opinion of someone without providing them with an opportunity to explain themselves. I find people with opinions and attitudes different than my own very interesting, especially in situations where only one of us can be right.This is how I learn things. By finding out that I'm wrong. Which I am, most of the time.I do not doubt that you are describing this person accurately, that they are indeed incompetent. I do feel strongly about such things as dojo etiquette, and the behaviour you describe to me still seems out of line, regardless of the provocation you may have suffered. I will add to my stated reasons for thinking so that a dojo where the sensei's authority is challenged becomes a place where no structured learning can take place, and that it requires effort on the part of both teacher and student to maintain that relationship. That one party fails is no excuse for the other to do so as well.I am not suggesting that the person you descibe is a worthy teacher. I don't know them, I've never seen them perform -- you have and I certainly trust your judgement. My point really has nothing to do with their quality or behaviour. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.I don't believe you are but I appreciate your consideration. I think that we simply disagree about appropriate behaviour. Which is interesting to me and I would like to hear more of your responses to my points. For my part, I apologize if I come across as knowing better than you. I mean to make no such claim, but I do disagree with you.The only thing I consider deplorable is how you were bliked out of money you paid in good faith. I certainly would not have stuck it out for as long as you did. Why did your daughter adore it so much?This is one of our points of disagreement. I don't believe a serious student asks a lot of questions. I believe a serious student practices hard. Your questions should all be answered within the form and a good sensei of any tradition will guide you in that direction. They're inscrutable for a reason, those darn masters.I'm curious -- what is the basic idea you've gotten from me?Honestly, I am not attempting to deliberately misunderstand you. I may have gotten carried away with my own cleverness, I'll grant you. Let me try and restate my point.Actually, let me first try and restate your point, as you consider yourself misunderstood.Your idea is that there is a difference between a form's "textbook" manner and "useful" manner. That is, executing a lunge in the textbook manner is not the best way to execute the same lunge when you actually need to use it -- in an actual fight. This is what I took to be your main point.My response to that (and if that was not your point then I assure you the misunderstanding was not intentional) is that if you find this is the case, then eitherA) your textbook is wrong (for the textbook should provide you with the most useful manner of performing the form) -- in which case you have discovered a serious deficiency in the style you are studying (hence my irreverent comment about starting your own style)B) your assessment of what is useful is wrong (that is you don't understand combat as well you think you do)C)or your understanding of the textbook is flawed, for if you did in fact perform according to the textbook you would find that the textbook manner is even more useful than the "useful" manner you have been using.I make no claim to being able to judge which is the case in your situation.</blockquote>

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