Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Chinen's dojo

I just read David’s most current posting that’s about my former dojo and teacher. It makes sense that a guy’s family was really concerned with him because my family was concerned with me too, especially my mom. She knew something was screwed up when my car broke down. I remember fiddling with my phone when I trying to call her or she was calling me. I think she was calling me because Captain David told to turn it off and hushed me. Because I was fiddling with my phone, I hushed him back on accident. That made him mad and told me to not to hush him. When my mom called me the first time, I told her that I couldn't talk because we were going into Sensei Mary's condo. When, I told her that and hung up, she got very upset and started crying because she didn't know where I was at. When I called her back, I had to stand outside of the condo on the landing, so I wouldn't disturb them. Then, my mom wanted me to go into the condo so she could get the address and pick me up. However, I didn't want to because I was afraid that I would get into trouble for disturbing them and bringing an active cell phone in the condo. Before my mom called me, my Sempai were keeping telling me that I needed to put my cell phone on silence, so it wouldn't go off the her condo when my mom called me. When I was talking to my mom, Sempai Amy came out and asked me what the matter was. I got really upset and had her talk to my mom on the phone. Then, Sempai Linda talked with her too and it ended up that Sempai Kurk gave me a ride home.

I've seen what Sensei Chinen did to the children too. One time, I remember to boys doing push-ups while kiaing for quite awhile when the adult class started. I think that they were going that because they didn't kiai when they were suppose to. I could tell that they were struggling with the push-ups. When ever they went down, they had to kai together. Then, when they were done they got into more trouble and had to do some more push-ups.

During Youth Gasshuku, I remember a boy crying for some reason. When Sensei saw that, he told him not to cry. That is so stereotypical for boys and men not to cry which is very old fashioned and out dated. Another time during Youth Gasshuku, I remember a boy's knuckles were really bandaged up. Sensei asked I think Sempai Scott if they were that banged up to have them bandaged up like that. I know that he had to have them less bandaged or not covered at all the following day.

I too believe that we should do something to prevent people from getting mistreated, hurt, and abused in that dojo. I just don’t know what to do about it. Obviously, Sensei Chinen and the Sempai are not getting any disciplinary action for what they are doing to the students. I know that Sensei is losing money and his good reputation, but that’s it. I don’t know what else that could be done make them realize that they cannot control every aspect of a person’s life and treat people like that.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to be nosey when you're obviously very distressed, but I'm not sure what has happened. I tried to look through previous posts to find out what's causing the problems. The only thing I see is that there was some friction with Chinen's dojo. I'd love hear more details if you have the time to write.

Mir said...

Ah Potatoe Fist, Lizzie could write a novel about all the things that happened to her concerning her training.

Lizzie.. Why are you living in the past? Are you trying to make sense of it all? I don't blame you, but I've got to warn you that some things just don't make sense.

I'd really encourage you to look forwards to the future and feel hope and happiness over chewing the nasty remnants of past sorrow. It tastes better.

ZenHG said...

Potatoe Fist,
It is best to just let go of this and move on to other things, refocus on training hard.
Karate is to be found on the training floor and that is where we shall prove ourselves the better, there is no greater teacher than this.

What I will say is that I respect Chinen's experience and ability as a practitioner, but he still has a long way to go as a Karateka.
Karate is about much more than physical training and goes beyond one person.
Teaching Karate requires one to set aside their ego and give themselves over to that which they practice, very much the same as any other art.
Tell me, does the painter paint a picture, or does the picture paint the painter?

It is not the person teaching the art, it is the art shaping and teaching the person.
Chinen promotes himself through the art rather than promoting the art through himself.
He has it set up as though his style is the 'one true church' of Goju Ryu and keeps a good eye on the information his students are subject to, so they do not know too little or too much.
Very skilled if you ask me, but with a very selfish motive in mind.

He is not the Mecca of Karate, no one is, Karate is Karate and the only way to learn it is by doing it.
No one person is so important as to make the art secondary to themselves.
When on the Dojo floor the art is of PRIMARY and CENTRAL importance, not the person teaching.

ZenHG said...

Potatoe Fist,
Perhaps this lesson is best left as that, a lesson never to be repeated.
I experienced the 'friction' first hand and it crossed with Lizzie's 'friction,' after which I quit attending classes at that school due to moral issues I could not resolve after an experience with Chinen and one of his senior black belts.

One question kept coming to mind, 'are these people you could introduce to your family?'
The answer that constantly popped into mind was 'No' and I could not shake this, family is a big thing to me. My love of Karate has always been second to the love I have for my family.

Some of the demands that were made, the demeaning attitude of the seniors, the way juniors and newly enrolled students are treated.
The fact that the school is centered around Chinen himself instead of Goju Ryu.
I understand respect for your teacher, but this is a whole different ball-game.

I maintain great respect for Chinen's skill as a Karateka, but I have lost respect for the man himself.
He has a huge ego, his students maintain a superiority complex, but when they perform Kata they look like robots.
Many of them get extremely mad when you ask questions, the majority of the punishments carried out are way too severe.

I got the sense that they see themselves as 'The one true church of Goju Ryu' when I was there, especially after my experience with Chinen in a private conversation (which was not only about issues he had with me, but issues he had with Lizzie, I was drug into this merely by association).

After all that, I could not condone the way Goju Ryu was practiced within his Dojo.

With that said, I shall say no more on the issue.

Lizzie Woolley said...

I'm sorry that I haven't checked for a while. I've been really busy with school. Finals are next week. I have a calc test tomorrow. I'm going to start up karate again after finals.

I agree with you Supergroup. I don't want to discuss about this subject anymore. In addition, I did want to make sense of what happened.