By Example We Lead!
How many times have you heard the expression... “By example we lead”
I have just returned from a well known and very respected local private school’s summer fair where, along with myself, my family (Sian, my wife, Bethany & Heather, my daughters) were also invited to attend, just as we have done for the past few years. Only this time the Ju-jitsu club which currently teaches at the school were putting on a children’s demo for their parents to watch and I must say it was a great demo, all the kids performed well and some the club’s senior students were there as well, all directed by a Senior Instructor Renshi...I know this instructor and most of the students as I myself, was once a student of this particular club and an instructor at this school. I still have a lot of respect for Renshi, as he was a good friend.
As we all know emotions run high when departure isn’t so sweet, but it has been three years since I left this particular club and set up independently, this is obviously not always appreciated by anyone’s Sensei (or Soke) but hey, life goes on.
I stood there and watched the children perform along with the older students that I had once taught and I applauded their performance with everyone else that had appreciated their demo.
Afterwards Sian and I grabbed a coffee and a chair to relax whilst the kids went off to enjoy the fair but we weren’t alone for long as Ruth a senior student (not a black belt instructor) made a bee line for us and started a tirade of abuse. I was used to this sort of behaviour from this club’s senior students, as I had previously encountered such abuse from Trevor, another senior Instructor, whilst we were at last year’s Martial Arts Show at the NEC in Birmingham, his behaviour was so bad that he had to be restrained by his senior student Vearnon and then security escorted him off the premises.
Well Ruth’s behaviour was was just as deplorable, ranting at me “How ashamed I must be!” and “what was I doing here, I had no business being there trying to “steal” the school from them”, but what Ruth, in her infinite wisdom, hadn’t realised was that we were invited guests of the school. Ruth continued her rant threatening my wife “Come on then if you think you’re hard enough” were her words to Sian, such behaviour from any practitioner is a disgrace especially when in full view of the public or in the School’s case, its teachers, parents and their children. Ruth was finally escorted away by Jack, one of the intermediate students.
By example we lead is the Ju-jitsu club’s motto...well what a great example Ruth made of herself and the Martial Art’s Club she represents...if she were my student behaving like that in public I would have her expelled.
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