My sifu just told me some thing that really, really infuriated me. Apparently people (namely local Jiu-Jitsu, Karate and various other non-chinese martial arts) from other schools have been coming into the school and doing some incredibly disrespectful things. Such as:
Smoking a cig and walking right into the school, and even putting it out on the FLOOR of the SCHOOL.
Not offering any kind of bow, polite handshake or any other form of common introduction.
(This is the best one) walking right into the school, attempting to stare my sifu down and then walking right up to the weapons rack and taking a broad sword and then waving it around!
Even giving my sifu an outright challenge! i.e: Gong Sao!
My sifu is a very humble man, and has been through some serious hell. He is in his 60’s and has very limited english skills. He would do anything for anyone who offered him even the slightest amount of respect. To hear of these insane acts of outright disrespect sends my anger to new levels. At my sifu’s wishes, he asked that I not do anything at all, other than to usher them out of the school and to look the other way when these things happen. I am sure that everyone can relate to my fury in this situation.
I haven’t done anything to retaliate on my sifu’s wish. Losing control means that they have won the battle already, and I can never let that happen. Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen to them?
Diu Sao
(Bang)
“Oh, I’m sorry… did I break your concentration? Well alow me to retort”!
Juh toh! Bu shang hua la! I’m working on my Mandarin! But am a MMA/JKD guy… I’m not accepted by either side…
Seriously, I’d call the cops and make a complaint. Have them escorted out.
If your sifu was on the mean side he could always politely walk up to them, offer them a nice gesture, then sucker punch them, blitz them, and kick them in the head when they’re not expecting it.
You could always get a high powered hunting rifle, stalk them, then kill them from long range. j/k
You have a choice I guess - do what your sifu asks, or do what you feel like doing. Ultimately if they are not causing any serious harm then why worry?
I’ve known Sifu for a very long time, and if he tells you to leave well enough alone, then leave well enough alone. As you said, he is an extremely humble man, but I’m sure if something bad enough happened he would handle it well and in his own way. By the students diffusing the situation and escorting the guys out, it looks highly on the Sifu, for the students have learned well and did not let their emotions control them. I am sorry that this kind of thing has been going on. Sifu has told me nothing of this, but that’s the way he is.
I’m sorry, they do it because he lets them do it.
I know your sifu is not a young man , but there has got to be someone to herald the school. Someone to look at them in a strong way and tell them to please leave, or at the very least not permit them in. He doesn’t have to be violent but he does have to draw the line somewhere. There has to be a least the hint of a consequence.
As you politely usher them out, invite them (with equal politeness) to a friendly sparring session at the park at a mutually acceptable time. Let your superiority as a martial artist show during the sparring session, and if your opponent tries to push the limits, then go all out and whoop his ass, put him on the ground, and tell him, that you don’t care what he has been taught but that the lack of respect he demonstrated proves that he can’t call himself a martial artist, and to learn something about martial arts and respect before he approaches a martial artist of your sifu’s calibre again.
This is an authority issue. Your Sifu is old, and probably tired of this kind of thing. Plus he sounds liek a humble and genuinly nice guy. He’s at the stage of life where he wants to enjoy himslef and relax.
That being said, he has lost his authority. As his senior, it is up to you to maintan the authority in the schoool FOR him. Think of it this way, if you went to a fine resturaunt and started poking around the kitchen, how would they deal with it?? Would there be any doubt you didn’t belong there?? No, of course not. You would be told in no uncertain terms to leave and returne to your seat. What you need to do is become the authority and develop a commanding pressence.
Remember, you are in charge. Don’t allow them to push you around. Be stern and firm when needed, and polite and cordial the rest of the time. If they are excessively problamatic,manhandle them out the door,and lock it behind them so they can’t get back in and call the police.
I´d say choose the path of least resistance if possible.
As previously stated,tell them firmly but politely that they really should leave,I think they should understand this.
They shall know they have been recognized and what they do is against the rules,I believe you may very well have the rest of your kwoon to back you up.
Even though this is no fun this reminds me of a funny incident I remember having heard at some aikido board (I hope whoever wrote that won´t mind if I borrow it a bit)
Some guy walked into a aikido dojo during practice,entered the mat with his shoes and everyday clothes on without warning and walked straight towards the instructor who was,at that time,talking with someone else.
Then the person asks the instructor something like “So what would you do against this?” he throws a roundhouse kick towards the instructor who just moves away from it´s way which ends up with the person falling down.
He never came back,so I remember to have read.
A well known Kyokushin teacher in Montreal once took care of three guys from some other MA school who came at his dojo to make trouble!..The three of them ended up badly beatten at the bottom of the stairs.The dojo was then on a second floor. I also heard that they were lucky that some of the students stopped their teacher from doing more damage on them!..The word spreaded out and he never was visited in such a way again.
This thing happened maybe 25 years ago and this Karate guy is still teaching in peace.
BTW. he’s that kind that breaks a ciment block every morning and eat it in his cereals!..
It’s unfortunate we live in a world like this. Showing restraint is definitely the harder path, but it’s the correct one in my estimation. That said, no one has the right to come into your school and disrupt its harmony. Of course, the instant someone walks in and grabs a sword then he’s fair game in my book and should have been dropped.
There’s a story in my school from a few years back … one of the sifus was working out in the main area when someone walked in and challenged him. He went, OK, then grabbed a broadsword off the weapons rack and ran toward the guy, yelling at the top of his lungs. The challenger scooted fast and never came in again.
That’s one way to meet a challenge without having to get physical: just scare the pants off 'em.
That’s usually what he does, offer them a seat. I am not the senior student there, but I am there more than anyone else. The offenders have only done this when he is alone. But I will stay on the path of restraint. It’s to **** hot to close the doors in Los Angeles! Thanks for the input everyone.
Funny, I mentioned this unfortunate phenomena a while back in one of my first posts on this board.
BJJ morons (this is not meant to suggest that all practitioners of BJJ are morons) seem to enjoy “sharing their art” in this manner. I offered a story of how one such brain-donor challenged a TKD friend of mine in front of his youngsters class.
I would expect this kind of behavior from Ralek, but for crying out loud, why would you challenge a guy in front of a bunch of kids? Of course in Ralek’s case, the kids would knock him over and Axe Kick his ass to death…
I’m working on my Mandarin! But am a MMA/JKD guy… I’m not accepted by either side… 
