You don’t even have to be a martial artist to enjoy the Karate Kid reboot (yes, pun intended), Cobra Kai. In my opinion, it exceeded expectations (and I was really looking forward to it). Without spoilers, one of things that makes it so good is how they made the characters more complex: Daniel isn’t so clearly good, and Johnny isn’t all bad. In fact, Johnny is my favorite character by far. Perhaps that isn’t surprising if you also knew that I have had a couple of old students reach out and tell me how Johnny reminded them of me. I didn’t ask for clarification on which parts, so I don’t know whether to be offended or proud.
But there is one scene in particular that really gets to the heart of teaching martial arts in today’s world. The Cobra Kai school is full of new students with….questionable potential. Johnny is verbally abusive to them, which is not cool, but funny, and while his methodology is iffy, the ending lesson has got some merit. The comedic side kick in class speaks up in objection and ultimately makes the argument that there is nothing that “Sensei Lawrence” can really do to them. It isn’t like he can hit them. Afterall, they are the paying students…he works for them.
Sadly, that mentality is becoming more pervasive in society in general, but it is even more insidious in the martial arts realm. Students are undermining the instructor because “the customer is always right.” Now, as a professional martial artist, I wouldn’t be on solid ground to bemoan the commercialization of martial arts, but it admittedly comes with some pitfalls that didn’t exist in a purer time.
For most of the time and in most cases, teaching martial arts was a more intimate affair. A teacher with only a handful of very dedicated students in his backyard or a small family building. Gaining acceptance as a student has been romanticized in stories, but instructors were selective and a weeding out process was indeed common. More importantly, perhaps because of Asian culture and hierarchal relationships, perhaps because they weren’t in the litigious society of today and could get away with more, or perhaps there was a lot less commercial pressures, it seems the instructor had more autonomy in his methods. Our tai chi master William CC Chen once commented that rarely he or his classmates asked his teacher, Chen Man Ching, any questions. He cited the reason that no one paid for classes so CMC didn’t have to answer. These comments were made a little tongue in cheek as this was at a seminar where GM Chen asked if there were any questions, but I am sure there is still some truth to it.
I am also sure a lot depended on the question. Quite frankly, some people ask for things they simply aren’t ready for. The most common, classic example is the beginner who thinks he has mastered things and wants the flashy, complicated stuff when he can’t even do the basics. Many would think an entitled student asking (more like demanding) things they haven’t earned the right to should be met with a stern rebuke, but in the commercial setting, a more coddled approach is probably required.
An entitled customer can also sometimes go down the street, where the next school is happy to show them the flying no touch knockout in just their first week. While rare, I have had parents give me the ultimatum that if there child doesn’t get to test this time, they were going to a different school. I wished them luck finding a school where their standards better lined up with his ability. But when you have to make rent, sometimes commercial pressures start to weigh on those decisions: if I don’t pass him, he will quit, and then he will never “get the lesson” later. It can be a balancing act between being fair and not selling out. This is especially true when you believe what is best for the student is at odds with what the student wants. We just recently had a young lady try classes but not join because we corrected her in public. I mean, I guess I could have ignored her, but that doesn’t help her martial arts nor does it help her prepare for the real world.
Just tonight in class, I had a yellow belt hand me his card and as I bowed to him, he stood erect. This kid works hard, but not the first time he has forgotten the etiquette. I am sure he didn’t mean anything by it (see, that is the commercial owner in me.) But the crusty martial artist in me still had a knee jerk reaction to this slight and role reversal. “I’m just the black belt instructor and you’re a yellow belt. Even though I showed you respect, you can’t reciprocate it in my own school. But it’s fine, no problem.” Again, I don’t think this was a case of intentional disrespect. But I share it because I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere (hopefully for their sake never here,) this happened because the student truly thought that is how the roles were related. I can hear the kid in Cobra Kai rationalizing it now….” Sensei should show his gratitude for me being a paying student and coming to class. He needs me more than I need him. He should bow deeper.”
There was a much less commercialized time when that rationale would be ridiculous. A lot of people forget that while the classes might have been more or less free, it still came at a cost to the students. Various traditions include the lower ranks not only cleaning the school every night, but also doing the laundry of the upper ranks. In fact, some speculate the tradition of having your name on your black belt is so that when the juniors did the laundry they would know whose belt was whose to hang back up. Other students even had to give their masters baths. So you might not have paid tuition, but you still paid your dues, both on and off the mats.
A very famous Okinawan karate master once lamented on this changing attitude as the biggest difference in karate today than yesteryear. “Before, I had to beg to learn Karate. Now, I have to beg for people to come learn Karate from me.” If more people realized all the benefits of martials arts on all aspects of their lives, we should have a line out the door. As instructors, if we plead for you to take classes, it is probably more for your benefit than ours.
Paying your tuition entitles to you taking classes, but not to a sense of entitlement in class. I don’t think people hire a personal trainer with the expectation that he or she will say it is ok to sit on the couch and eat ding dongs all day. Likewise, you don’t pay your instructor for them to tell you what you want to hear all day either. Another famous master instructor said, “Some instructors are interested in your money. I am interested in your loyalty and attention. I run a much harder deal than most teachers.”
I think Sensei Jonny Lawrence would agree. So please pay your tuition, but more importantly, be willing to pay your dues and respect. Most instructors have outspent you in all three.
Gentry Martial Arts--the rants of a martial arts eccentric 