DOSSIERS TECHNIQUES
Dossiers   15
Equality and justice

Two essential values

Everyone will agree that equality and justice are two important concepts in the relationship between human beings. Whether in the Declaration of Human Rights or in all republican principles, these words are more than emblematic. Yet we need to be constantly mindful of them if we are not to risk unwittingly straying from them.

What happens to them at the Dojo?

One of the principles underlined in our Charter is the fair treatment of practitioners, whatever their origin, social status, religion, etc. This is a sound basis and seems to be the right thing to do. This is a sound basis, and obviously cannot be ignored. But we need to go one step further in this quest.

Like all individuals, we spontaneously feel affinities with certain people, just as we may feel estrangement or enmity with others. The reason for this is often subjective and irrational, but the result is that we find we have our own "preferences", even though we sometimes wish we didn't.

While this is understandable in everyday life - it's hard to "like everybody" - we have to manage our behavior to be able to live and communicate with everyone. In the Dojo, on the other hand, you need to erase all subjective feelings towards your partners, in order to create an "empathetic" state of mind, also known as "benevolent neutrality". This enables you to train without ulterior motives, with sincerity and determination, thinking "partner" rather than "opponent". Martial arts experts used to say, however surreal it may seem to us, that you have to "love" your enemy if you want to survive by killing him. Hatred, anger, the spirit of revenge or domination, are bad advisors, invading and polluting our mind, preventing us from having the limpid gesture "without intention", by eliminating the conscious force.

What about the teacher?

This state of mind is even more important for the teacher in relation to his students. Whatever his preferences may be, he must absolutely produce a totally equitable attitude towards all his students, whether they be strong or clumsy, slow or agile, old or young, etc. The notion of the "darling" is the worst thing that can infest a training room, even more so than in schools and colleges. A fair and objective attitude must be shown in explanations, requirements and tolerances, grade examinations and, in general, in the attention we give to each practitioner. Any gesture or word of annoyance must be imperatively banished.

Calling on a student to explain and present an exercise must be dictated, not by personal or emotional affinity, but by the concern that the demonstration should have the best possible pedagogical quality, the aim being that everyone should understand quickly and move on to practice themselves. Even if, as a general rule, it's customary to choose one of the highest-ranking students, there must be no form of elitism or connivance between that student and the teacher.

It is at this price that the fragile edifice of the state of mind reigning within the Club can be built, session after session, season after season.

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