tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931309.post5230588277634036633..comments2024-03-22T17:39:46.864+11:00Comments on Martial Arts and Modern Life: Dealing with conflictDaniel Pragerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05502083078481742896noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931309.post-29091322978576014032009-09-12T07:42:04.394+10:002009-09-12T07:42:04.394+10:00Hi Zara
Let's bury the hatchet. I fully agre...Hi Zara<br /><br />Let's bury the hatchet. I fully agree that the impersonality of the medium is a problem.<br /><br />I look forward to your email. This may well be tricky anyway, and take a bit of back forth. I am happy to have a bit of a go, but maybe let's start with a description of what you've tried for the bringing your partner up from his back case, what works for you, and ask any questions you have. I may well need to ask some more things in return to clarify.<br /><br />Issues of rank: The internet isn't a dojo, you're not my student and I'm not your Sensei, so please just call me Dan, and let's keep the polite tone and see how we go.<br /><br /><br />Respectfully<br /><br />-- DanDan Pragerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14234352019207324148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30931309.post-35099893629276819762009-09-12T00:13:02.599+10:002009-09-12T00:13:02.599+10:00I’ll take you up on your offer and mail you tomorr...I’ll take you up on your offer and mail you tomorrow, I have training this evening and I’d rather do this thoroughly instead of just jotting down some random thoughts and wasting your time. First of all I may have gone a bit overboard and let my temper get the best of me, this is not a habit of mine but I do not take kindly to people who take me for a total amateur (I’m not a master but I’m not a beginner either) or who basically think I’m too lazy to train properly. I didn’t comment on your blog to start an argument (I’ve got better things to do with my time) nor to troll or anything of that nature but to maybe learn something from someone more knowledgeable than me. Granted I could have chosen a different approach to this - for example by stating what I already know and what my specific problems are - and you are under no obligation to grant this request but your response was pretty arrogant and to be made an example of in public (more or less) like the dumbest kid in the class being called in front to showcase stupid mistakes did rub me the wrong way. I do not think this is entirely unreasonable.<br /><br />Now I understand your motivation better we may get of on a better start, it’s easy to misunderstand someone over a highly impersonal medium like the internet and there’s enough conflict in the world out there as it is. Since we’re both fond of the same art and the peaceful ideal it serves there’s even less reason to start yelling at each other (which was in part my fault as well). <br /><br />As to your advice: in itself it is sound but it’s something you’d tell a beginner, to me it’s kind of obvious and irrelevant; it sounded like you were trying to show-off in a pretty condescending way and to casually brush aside my request (toss the dog a bone) and I have too much self-esteem to just stand there and say thank you. <br /><br />As to the technique shown and my critique on it: to me it looked fairly odd and even dangerous but then again it’s hard to judge from a photo (no movement) and you’d have to feel these things for yourself. There are many differences between styles and since you’re a second Dan and a teacher I assume you know what you’re doing. The comment was made more out of spite (temper again) than anything else. What we do is slice the muscle at the elbow (pressure-point) in an upward-downward fashion and then circle away from him (straightening the arms) for a takedown and to prevent him for rolling or falling onto you. I have seen the downward slice but standing more oblique to the uke, pulling him towards you as you move your feet backwards. Again: I may have judged this one too harshly and it’s not my place to judge anyway since I’m only a brown belt and never had the opportunity to train with you in person. <br /><br />I hope this clarifies a few things and I propose we bury the hatchet.<br /><br />Respectfully,<br /><br />Zara<br /><br />PS: not that it matters much but I am in fact a guy. It’s understandable you’d think the opposite (not a lot of western masculine names end with ‘a’) but it’s an abbreviation from Zarathustra or the ancient Persian prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism, or alternatively the protagonist in Nietzsche’s Thus spoke Zarathustra’.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com