Between the martial arts teachers at the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor and their students, there exists a social contract. The contract - mostly implied, sometimes written down - goes something like this:
As the teacher, I agree to give you, the student, the absolute best training opportunity I can give you, be it in judo, jujutsu, or iaido. I promise to offer you the complete martial art I know, including all its best aspects: physical techniques, theories of physical power, mental strategies, cultural aspects, and any spiritual benefits that are part of the art. I promise not to deceive you with martial arts mumbo-jumbo, and I promise not to try to falsely build up your self-esteem without providing any basis in real martial arts skill. I promise not to ask you to pay absurd dues rates, but will ask you to pay a fair rate in keeping with the expenses of the dojo and my need to earn a modest living. I won't give you a black belt unless you deserve it, but at the same time, I won't unnecessarily prolong your journey to black belt by making the standards impossible. I will try my best to help you develop yourself - mind, body, and spirit - so that you can excel in the dojo and in life.
As the student, you agree to attend classes as often as you can reasonably do so, putting forth all your effort, and practicing with energy and a positive attitude. You promise to consider the teachings I put forth, taking time outside of class to think about the relationship between my words and the techniques of your martial art. You promise to respectfully raise any issues you may have with your training, and give real consideration for my answers to your questions. You agree to practice safely to help prevent injury to yourself and other students. You agree to pay your dues on time, and agree not to take advantage of our policies to help you avoid paying a fair dues rate. You agree to work hard to learn your art, and to trust my decisions about when you are ready for promotions. You agree to commit yourself to the learning process, and to pass on the positive lessons you learn while at the Japanese Martial Arts Center.
Occasionally, a few students will come along who wish to learn what the teacher is teaching without honoring their side of the social contract. Such students may wish to learn to fight without taking part in the character development aspects of the martial art. They may train selfishly, failing to give due consideration to the needs of other students. They may try to trick the dues system by taking strategic leaves of absence, hoping to save a few dollars but still desiring all that the teacher has to offer.
We are happy to say that the vast majority of the students who have trained at the Japanese martial arts center are diligent, serious, generous, and sincere. They are quick to recognize that their teachers have given a huge portion of their time and treasure to try to master their martial arts, and are supportive in a variety of ways (offering to help with dojo events, helping newer students learn, paying their dues on time, and recommending the dojo to potential new students).
Generally, the more students adhere to the implied social contract in the martial arts, the less formal their written contract needs to be. Those who find their dojo implementing strict written policies may blame their dojo-mates who fail to honor the implied contract.
3 comments:
It's funny... I was flipping through the channels the other day and came across "The Karate Kid." As corny as that movie is I think it does a good job of introducing some of the concepts of traditional martial art to its audience.
It even covers some of the concepts that Suino Sensei introduced in this blog entry on the social contract of martial arts.
For instance, consider the following quotes from the movie:
When first agreeing to teach Daniel San karate Mr. Miyagi described their agreement as a "sacred pact."
"I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions."
He then asked Daniel San if he was ready to begin, and Daniel San said "I guess so."
Miyagi replied "Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do 'yes' or karate do 'no.' You karate do 'guess so,'
Squish just like grape. Understand?"
I think that about sums it up.
I believe that students of Martial Arts or those who have mastered the skill of self-defense have greater self-discipline and self-control due to the rigid training they undergo. Such great way to learn and develop ones skills!
One of the benefits of training in a traditional dojo is that this social contract is much more real than in the huge martial art schools that dot strip malls around the country. This is not meant to be disrespectful towards those schools in any way, they serve the needs that their students posses, and they are much different, though not necessarily more or less important (and are in many cases the same) as the needs of traditional martial arts students. When I was a young child, I studied Tae Kwon Do at a school that had well over 100 students. The school had a kind and knowledgeable staff, convenient class times, and somewhat reasonable costs, however there was a strong disconnect between the students and the staff. We were by no means a family at this school, it was a place of training, and that was all. Since beginning my training at JMAC, I have found more joy inside of the dojo's walls than I ever thought possible at a martial arts dojo. I think this is because through this social contract, we develop bonds from student to teacher, and student to student. Suino sensei is more than an instructor to me, and the people I train with are more than simple training partners, they are friends, and I think that this is encouraged by the high level of respect that this "social contract" creates.
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