My bullshido detector is busted ...

[ziggy stardust]

Is this too weird, cultish, creepy, pompous, etc. to consider as a place to study?

It's a jujitsu school and their url is here:
http://playlab.uconn.edu/budenkan.html

Looks OK, right? Check these pages out:

http://playlab.uconn.edu/tattoo.htm
http://playlab.uconn.edu/forfeit.htm

Have a gander at the rest of the site and see what you think. My impression is that they like to play samurai a little too much, among other things.

Thanks,

ZS

[Ippatsu182]

Having to get a tattoo of your school seems pretty severe. I can understand if people do it on their own, but being forced to when you're an uchi deshi is ridiculous.

[JohnnyFive]

http://playlab.uconn.edu/diffs.htm
Exclusionist criteria? I've never seen anyone ejected from a judo club because they sucked. I mean, come on, my first few months of judo was a series of consecutive me getting my ass beaten in randori by higher ranked people.

Importance placed on viewing activity as a lifelong pursuit: I've had my ass kicked by old people too. Old people have mad skills.

View of others in activity: Well, frankly, people in Judo have been a lot more friendly and teach-y than when I took karate.

Though I do agree that all martial sportsmen are highly fit, hugely muscled specimens. That he gets right. ;)

[FledglingTengu]

Am I the only one who immediately associated required tattoos with the WWII?

This is almost as creepy as that live in karate place they advertised in black b3lt for a few months.

[the Mutt]

There was a whole lot of talk about "self actualization" and "centering"......the typical mumbo-jumbo that some TMA's use when it becomes apparant that they can't fight.

They can express themselves, feel a great sense of self esteem, unite their spirit and body, all throough the practice of MARTIAL WAYS.......

It's like being a civil war re-enactor, ya look the part, practice antique fighting methods, and even get quite proficient at them.

But they can't really fight either.

They hide behind all the cultural bullshit.

[Alias]

*shakes head*...shows how much you know.

[JKDChick]

In exceptional circumstances, especially with senior ranks, a student may be stripped of rank for any of the following reasons:
1. Dishonoring one's rank
2. Showing lack of respect to his/her sensei and/or the system
3. Failing to discharge the duties and responsibilities associated with his/her rank
4. Abusing his/her skills and causing injury to students and others in and out of the dojo
5. Behaving in a manner (in and out of the dojo) that is inconsistent with the highest standards of Wa Shin Ryu Jujutsu.

A student who has been stripped of rank is required to return his/her certificate and/or registration card. Further, a student stripped of rank for items 1, 2, 4, and 5 above will no longer be welcome in the club. The appropriate rank sanctioning association will also be notified of this action and the student's name will be removed from the association's roster. Finally, and where appropriate, a student's previous instructor will also be informed of this action.

Well, I've told higher belts in BJJ to "**** Off" while rolling with them, so I suspect I'd last about 15 minutes.

Any place that REQUIRES you to mutilate your body is bullshido.

[Hannibal]

The whole thing sounds like bullshit. ANd probably is. Any place with those sorts of rules treating you like your in kindergarten is a waste of time. What "the Mutt" said was 100% correct. Those places are so concerned with selling bullshit mystic truths,philosophy and belts and uniforms.

In my opinion,the best martial arts schools are the ones that arn't trying to sell rank,certificates,are money focused. There ones with the no bullshit attitude of getting in there,training,having some fun with it if you want,asking questions and kicking ass. But this crap about " uh-uh you must not bother sensie with trivia" - **** that for friday.

[Matt Stone]

So this uchideshi, Greg Kane... He actually lives with good ol' sensei Y?

That is, after all, what uchideshi means, right? "(In) home disciple?"

Wasn't aware folks still did that, what with HUD having all those places to live and all... I suppose if you needed a place badly enough... *shrug*

[Wounded Ronin]

The tattoo just shows that they're a wacked out martial arts gang. You see organizations like that in Asia, but sometimes they are also in the US.