How to Piss off Your Martial Arts Teacher

by Yang Shuangxing

Ever wonder what seemingly small, inoffensive things might very well annoy or even genuinely cause your instructor to get fairly steamed?  It’s well to have a good idea regarding these ostensibly innocent things for many reasons…

SHOW  UP LATE FOR CLASS

Showing up a couple of minutes late isn’t too bad, although you’re clearly not interested in warming up or you’re avoiding it.  Fifteen minutes will almost certainly upset your teacher, even if he says nothing.

SHOW  UP  LATE FOR CLASS AND WALK ONTO THE FLOOR

It’s bad enough that you’re late but in a traditional school, it’s customary to stand or kneel (in seiza) at the outer edge of the training area and wait for the teacher to acknowledge you and indicate that you are to join the class.

COME  TO CLASS IN A DIRTY OR WRINKLED UNIFORM

The condition of your training uniform is a clear indication of how you regard your school, your training, your teacher, and yourself.  If it looks like it was on the losing end of an Asian land war, your teacher will certainly take note of it.

DON’T  PRACTICE AT HOME

Didn’t practice at home?  Can’t remember your form?  Believe me, your teacher will notice your lack of personal training within the first 10 seconds of class.  Failure to put in personal training time shows that your training in very low on your list of priorities (if it’s even on the list at all)…AND it shows that you have little regard for your teacher and the efforts he’s made to teach you.

CORRECT  THE TEACHER

NEVER, EVER correct the teacher.  Period.

SIT DOWN TO REST OR GET WATER WITHOUT PERMISSION

NEVER do this without the instructors’ permission.  And never leave the training floor without his/her explicit permission.

TELL THE INSTRUCTOR  THAT YOU THINK YOU’RE READY FOR PROMOTION

Not Ever.  NEVER.

There are easily dozens more ways to tick off your instructor and I’m sure my friends here who are instructors can add many more to this basic list.  I just jotted down a few things that you, as a student, should avoid doing if you plan to survive very long in your martial arts class.