great kickboxing school, but worried bout NLP

Craft25

Im considering going to kickboxing classes locally and the teacher and the school are quite well renowned...this is important to me because i've gone to martial arts before and quit because of some of the ego's on show, and the displays of one upmanship.

I was bullied out of one place before, because the instructor who was with my sister at the time was carrying on with one of the students and didn't want me hanging around on his turf - so he got some of his mates to go in all full contact, i held up pretty well for a first timer - anyway allof that is well in the past now but my feeling about these sports is clouded by the experience.

This local school really appeals because i know he doesn't stand for any of that sh*t, it's about personal growth, and inner strength & confidence - exactly what im seeking...I'm totally not into being the greatest fighter, one upmanship etc.

The thing that worries me is i know he's into NLP - neuro linguistic programming, positive self talk and all that kind of stuff.. im not sure why im so worried about this stuff it makes me think of anthony robbins, Dr. Phil and the dad out of little miss sunshine - just a bit kooky, kind of cultish.

Is this thing common in martial arts, am i worrying about nothing, what do you guys think?? - dont want to be brainwashed!

yomchi

Your post is a little contradictory, on one hand you say the club is about personal growth and inner development and then you go on to say that you're worried about being brainwashed by the instructor...

NLP is not about brainwashing. It can be used by some to help them relate better to people and to help their teaching techniques. Ie some NLP tools such as Pacing, Framing, mirroring, anchoring can all be used by teachers of any subject to help them pass on their 'trade' better.
I think you may have confused NLP with hetero and auto suggestion techniques that are used by the likes of Robbins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-suggestion

Craft25

I dont see how that is contradictory...i want to feel i can handle my self in any situation, be physically confident..im not looking for spiritual guidance here..some sort of high priest.

Granted i dont understand NLP thoroughly which is why i explained some of the associations i make with it..and i shall look further into it..

My main question is what people who may have experienced it in that setting think, how they found it? obviously you dont think i have anything to fear

yomchi

Of course you don't - not from NLP anyway.

I suggest you read up on it t get a better understanding of it. NLP does not equal spiritual guidance and using NLP does not make you a high priest/ess. NLP is a self help tool, not a mechanism to brainwash.

Can you explain your main question again?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurolinguistic_programming

Craft25

Perhaps the thread should be in psychology!!

Basically..i like the idea of an atmosphere thats not about comparing muscles, and big ego's which i'm sorry but i found in the only two places i've tried.

Tony Robbins is from an NLP background (as his Wiki page says) as are many of these US seminar guys who end up draining normal peoples bank accounts. Im just worried about ending up on that threadmill..all i can do is research it further and if anyone has any real life experience then take their views on board.

Roper

NLP is associated with the sort of INTENSE marketting you often SEE on the INTERNET! Look how much MONEY I MADE in such a short SPACE OF TIME!

I was a WEEDY GEEK with no money but THEN I discovered how GOOGLE works and NOW I'm a MULTIMILLIONAIRE and YOU could be too.

And thats what people don't like about it and don't trust about it. It tends to go hand in hand with marketting seminars and Tony Robbins and all that other crap. Maybe the reality is different, but that's my perception of it and I'd stay away from it. But that's just me. Your best bet is probably to go and talk to the guy, he may not be a brainwasher!!!

SBG Ireland

more on NLP if u want...

yomchi

I was a WEEDY GEEK with no money but THEN I discovered how GOOGLE works and NOW I'm a MULTIMILLIONAIRE

So thats how you did it!! :cool:

Odysseus

As a psychotherapist my understanding and experience of NLP is that it can be applied to the sports world including SD/MA and here it can be quite a useful tool. However, like many other things associated with psychotherapeutic work some people make outrageous clams, i.e using it to treat serious pathologies. To the OP as Roper says talk to the quy, tried a few sessions and see what you think of it. However, if your handed orange overalls run and keep running;)