I have a young student - he's 18, quite bright, and very enthusiastic - who has recently started asking me about other forms of budo he might study. He's particularly interested in naginata ("Does he know it's mainly for women?" my Japanese student sniffed.), especially Tendo ryu, the old style that I find pretty interesting myself. This kid has been training with me for a year, and has recently begun to figure out (as some of my other students have) that NYC is a candy bowl of budo - traditional, modern, made-up - and not just from Japan of course, but from all over the world. There is even a school of traditional Western-style swordsmanship in New Jersey which I would love to check out some day when I have time.
Like most naginata dojo, the group he was wondering about teaches and practices mostly Atarashii Naginata - the sport form. However, Atarashii Naginata also has its own kata and kihon practices that people not necessarily interested in sport would find probably worthwhile for a short time. Tendo ryu, when I was able to try it, was offered as a special seminar a few times. In regular dojo practice, it does not figure as prominently in the curriculum. In fact, it is generally done as the enbu part of a tournament from time to time, rather than seriously practiced on its own, which I think is too bad, but there it is.
I tried to answer his questions as well as I could, about the school and who teaches, and what they do, to the best of my current understanding (a number of years have passed since I had any dealings with them. After I got kicked out of my old group, true to any divorce trope, that particular group felt compelled to pick sides and decided to maintain its contact with them, rather than with me). Without going into any detail, I mentioned this part as well. His curiosity was not particularly satisfied, and I suspect that he will make his way there eventually to check out their practice himself.
As a teacher, I have mixed feelings about the American taste for dojo-hopping. I can't blame people, especially here, for their interest. On the other hand, I know teachers who are very offended when a student expresses an interest in other practices (some would even expel a student if they found out). For some, obviously, it's a commercial consideration - potentially losing a student to another style means losing income. For others, it may be pride, ego or even simply tradition.
When I was training, we were told we had to wait at least two years before we could pursue an interest in other budo, and, even at that, it was best to seek permission to look around. I noticed, however, from experience, that even though he would not forbid it, Otani Sensei did not care for students to dojo hop. Among other reasons (besides the obvious one that he might lose a student to what was presumed to be the greener grass on the other side) it suggested the person was not serious about his practice. The times I was able to successfully pursue another style of swordsmanship, it was because I established a study group inside the home dojo with everyone's permission, not supplanting anything that was already there, but adding to it. Sensei thought the dojo should ideally be an academy. I thought that was a great idea myself.
In any case, the worst thing a student could do with Otani Sensei was enthuse about another teacher's style in front of him. Again, being as he was a real gentleman, he would not say much. I remember in particular one senior student expounding on the fabulousness of his kyudo teacher. Sensei listened politely for a moment, but, as the guy would not quit talking, began to quietly remark, "Kyudo - that's for girls. High school girls." The talker did not take the hint, and after a few uncomfortable minutes, the subject changed.
I had to forgive Sensei his somewhat mysogynistic remarks. In Sensei's time, kyudo was promoted primarily as exercise for women because it was less strenuous than, say, judo, or even iai - not that he ever really agreed with the idea, as I am here to attest. He was simply signalling his irritation with the blabbermouth, and perhaps his lack of enthusiasm for kyudo in any case. From that incident, however, I learned to keep any extracurriculars out of the conversation. We all did other stuff, but he did not want to hear about it.
So, coming when it did a few weeks ago, after what were several Classes from Hell (some other blog post will deal with this at some point), my student's questions sounded a lot like a high school boyfriend telling his girlfriend that he wanted to date other people, just to see what else was out there, but it didn't mean that he didn't care.
Disingenuous, yes.
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