So do we agree all that it is no the art per se that creates the arrogance, but the people that are attracted to it that bring it along? So we are talking about the people, not the arts themselves? Needless to say, there is a difference.
In my experience, the vast majority of truly unapologeticly arrogant individuals has consistently come not from koryu arts, but from judo. It seems to me that every opportunity I have taken to talk to one of them [teacher or student], they seem to get in a groove of spouting off like they are the last true samurai of the world. This kind of experience just puts me off.
Then, when I tell them I practice jujutsu, I get this look like "how revoltingly unrefined" from them. Now mind you, this has been experience with less than a dozen people over 15 years. But a recent encounter with a local dojo has raised my hackles a bit.
There's a judo/karate dojo here that calls itself American Samurai[btw, do I need to point out that "American Samurai" is an oxymoron?], that starts with <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>American Samurai is a traditional martial arts training center.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Then when you click past their splash page to the dojo page, you see: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>We have all the information you need, including downloadable forms, for our upcoming State Qualifier Tournament and Referee Course (May 19-20th, 2000).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ugh! Referees? Tournaments? ARG!
Then you look down the page and see that they teach "Shotokan karate and Kodokan judo". Oh, that explains it. I think.
[image from site removed t oprotect the innocent...]
Perhaps it's just me, but I equate "traditional" with at the very least very hard work for not much reward other than a job well done. On a more "cultural" level, I expect traditional to mean "how they do it in Japan", when the word pertains to Japanese martial arts.
Is this traditional? Like I said - Ugh.
Perhaps if my personal experiences would have not induced me to a heightened sensitivity, I might not hold this opinion. In an effort to be fair, I have dedicated myself to meeting as many martial artists in this area as I can, in hopes of some day reporting a change of personal opinion in this regard.
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Houston Haynes
"You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you."
[This message has been edited by Tetsutaka (edited 06-05-2000).]