NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/martial/14740

Text File | 1992-11-23 | 3.0 KB | 62 lines

Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!caen!hellgate.utah.edu!math.utah.edu!news.math.utah.edu!jon
From: [e-mail] (Jonathan Byrd)
Subject: Re: Kendo tournament report
Sender: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 18:19:18 GMT
References: <[e-mail]>
    <[e-mail]>
    <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]'s message of Fri, 20 Nov 1992 21: 08:23 GMT
Organization: University of Utah
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Lines: 47

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Peter L. Hurd) writes:


   >>     When I think about it, a Kendo referee's job is incredibly
   >> complex.  I'm sorry if I seemed to be complaining about the judging in
   >> my match.  I really have no right to criticize anyone's ability to do
   >> a job that I can't do myself.

   This has been bugging me the last few days.  I have thought deeply and come
   to the conclusion that we must have the ability to criticize people's ability
   at things we cannot do.  I admit that my motive has something to do with the
   fear that I will come to the conclusion that I cannot criticize politicians,
   or superiors in the workplace.  But in context, I ask you Jonathan, have you
   never seen a sensei criticize a students' kata, while admitting that he (she)
   could not do it better that the student?  We cannot be perfect, we can can all
   help eath other try, it's called coaching.

When I wrote those words, I was just trying to make it clear that I
harbored no bad feelings about the judgement in my matches.  Whatever
the outcome, I appreciate that the referees were genuinely trying to
be fair.  As long as I see an effort to be fair, I don't care as much
about the accuracy of the judging, as long as the safety of the
participants is ensured.

I do see your point, though.  It is possible to view someone's
performance, and honestly compare that performance to some objective
criterion.  Obviously, those who perform at a high level are best
suited to understand the subtleties, and render a circumspect
judgement.  This is probably why I haven't seen many referees
criticizing one another; they know how tough their job is, and give
each other an appropriate amount of leeway.

   The ease, caution, and
   sense of responsability, with which we dole out criticism are what we have
   to watch, rather than the fear that the reply will be "oh yeah, well let's
   see you do it smarty pants!

I agree that how you speak matters as much as what you say.  But even
when offered tactfully, criticism is of limited use.  As a teacher, I
have found that I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but my students
will tend to do what I do, not what I say.  In fact, one of the best
barometers of my own performance is to watch for the mistakes that are
common among my students.  Those bad habits are often traceable to me.

--
jonathan byrd
[e-mail]