Lesson for the Junior — and the Senior
AT THIS POINT, three responses are possible. One, the sensei can agree with the junior and, hearing no other requests, proceed with kata practice. This tends to indicate that the dojo is a club, with members participating in a democracy. That might be nice, but it’s not the hallmark of a place devoted to serious budo training.
Two, the teacher or senior students can tear into the junior: “You don’t ever give your opinion before the seniors!” In this case, the junior is humiliated, and he and others get the
