An rather imposing Question!

[Shadow Dragon]

Hi All.

Here is a few rather interesting questions for the MA Community.

Everybody:
1.)Do you prefer a Sifu that has Kids and is married over a Sifu that is single?
Why and how?

2.) Did having Kids majorly impact/change your MA training?

Sifu/Sensei:

1.) Has your teaching style changed after you had Kids, and how did having Kids help.

2.) How much impact did Family(Wife, Kids) and work have on your training and teaching in general?

Cheers

[Wingman]

Everybody:
1.)Do you prefer a Sifu that has Kids and is married over a Sifu that is single?
Why and how?

There are pros and cons for each one. A Sifu who is single may have more time for MA training because he has no family obligations. On the other hand, a Sifu who is married and has kids is more mature, has more patience and more understanding.

I think the teacher's marital status is not as important as his knowledge of the martial arts and his willingness to impart it to his students.

2.) Did having Kids majorly impact/change your MA training?

Yes, very much. When you have kids, your priorities change. If there is a conflict between your MA training and being with your kids (addressing their needs for example), I think the kids have more priority.

[orion_steel]

There is definatley a change, when you get married and again when you have children.

I was married once and was met by 2 children (4 & 11), my MA training almost stopped.

As far as my teaching goes, i think that i am more patient now that i do not have children.....but your point is certainly well taken.

i would like to think that a person could work his family into what he or she loves.

Fortunetly for me i have a beautiful girlfriend, who is also involved in my art and is very close to my rank (if not my experience level). So i hope that does not become a problem in the future.

it would be cool to be call the kung-fu dad or mom i think (as opposed to soccer mom)

just some thoughts

:cool:

[Shadow Dragon]

Hi.

I have found that BOTH Marriage and my Son cut into my training schedule.

But I don't regret it as I think my MA training allows me to be a better Husband & Father.

Plus, I also appreciate the time in the Kwoon more and have become more serious/dedicated during the times that I actually train.

I realised that often I did not give 100% as I had plenty of time/opportunity to train previously.

Peace.

[straight blast]

(1) Makes little difference to me. I kinda prefer no kids though. It's good to drop around to your Sifu's house and not have to deal with shrieking children while you try to train.

(2)My Wife and myself are both very selfish people. The amount of time involved with kids would get in the way of both our lives and consequently we decided not to have them. I think my love and ability to train and learn MA has grown from the lack of distraction and I think that when I do finally start teaching (years down the road ;) ) it will be a bonus.

No offense to those that do, it's just not the path for me :)

[SDriver]

I don't really care if my instructor has kids or not, as long as he keeps them the hell away from me.

Luckily, my wife likes boxing and hates children, so there isn't any real conflict with me there. She is not crazy about the zhoo zheetsoo though.

Believe it or not, having ferrets is what cuts into my training time. :)

[Helicopter]

(stroking my 'eminent-psycologist' beard.)

... I see ferrets are manifestation of your repressed desire for children..for you ferrets are, what I would call, "fur-babies".

mmmn..very interesting..

[SDriver]

No, I meant having them for dinner. They take forever to cook.

Seriously, yeah, pretty much all of my child-rearing impulses are redirected at the ferrets. They are spoiled stupid. Except for my occasional "DADDY DRINKS BECAUSE YOU CRY."

End thread hijack. ;)

[rogue]

I'm a Dad and husband first martial artist second. I've missed many classes to help my son with his homework, help my wife out with something or just be there for my youngest. I used to always make sure that I went to class until my oldest son said "you're always going out doing karate" and later the youngest assumed that everytime I left the house I was working out. Those were the signals that made me reasses my priorities and doing so has sparked a more positive image of the martial arts in my kids as they now want to take it up to be like dad.

[guohuen]

"Daddy drinks because you cry" That tickles ever antisocial funnybone in my body. Next time I get down to WVa we should go to the Black Bear in White Sulpher Springs and discuss this concept over a drink.:p


P.S. SDriver, You should write for Southpark. You're good.

[orion_steel]

I find that my students fill a some of the desire to have children of my own, they sometimes feel like my children.....but i dont have to pay their way through college or feed them or take them to school (well not all the time anyway).

[GeneChing]

Some of my teachers are monks so it doesn't really count.

I did give up teaching tho, when my kid was born. No time. Barely enough time to train (but that was always the case...)