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| As a psychologist John comes across a lot of loaded questions...but not from me! |
Something that became clear as I watched the different 'sensei' was their use of certain words and phrases; it was as if they had all attended the same "How to sell your message" conference at some cheesy business school. One of the favorite things people were doing was asking 'loaded questions'. You know the kind, they're not really a question at all but an opportunity for them to gather confederates, and for you to A/ not look stupid by giving a 'wrong' answer, B/ ingratiate yourself with the instructor, and C/ establish (by your agreement/'correct' answer), that you're not like the idiots in the class who 'don't get it'!
All the instructors I watched seemed to understand the reality of what was happening, but the blank faces in the crowd told me that the same could not be said for many in the class. "Blah blah blah blah blah...does that make sense?" "Yes sensei" "Ouss!" "Hai"....the responses varied depending on the 'type' of karate being bastardized by the ego-maniac at the head of the class, but they all pointed to the same thing; the instructor was on a roll, the trainees were asleep, and karate was struggling for air as it slowly withered and died. Even so, from the comments posted it was clear that 'Great Training' was had by all.
As a teacher of karate, you're not there to impress folk with your physical dexterity, your seemingly endless depth of knowledge or your ability to attract a crowd. You're there to provide an example, and you do that by being an example of the things you're asking of others. Fat bellied smokers and heavy drinking womanizers need not apply for the post of karate instructor...and yet! Nor should the thin-skinned prima donna's who turn away from voices that don't agree with them and wrap themselves instead in Facebook 'likes' and 'agreeable' company, isolating themselves from the greater reality...that for all their industry they are still walking along a path to nowhere.
So, the next time you're in the company of an instructor who demonstrates their karate on a complaint assistant, talks endlessly about how they did it and then ends their little pantomime with..."Does that make sense?" (or something like it), try to be brave, hold your hand up and say: "No!" If you do, you may well find you learn something of real value...about you, and the guy who likes to ask loaded questions.