The Foot Fist Way

I had to go see this movie, The Foot Fist Way.

It is about an American Tae Kwon Do teacher named Fred Simmons. He says and does all the wrong things. As a teacher myself, occasionally something inappropriate has come out of my mouth while I was talking to a parent or a student. When that happens, immediately I go in to back peddle mode, I do everything I can to try and take it back. If I can't do that I apologize, or deflect, or change the subject. Fred Simmons says and does inappropriate things and then he just keeps going, he makes them worse and worse and worse.

It is a painful movie to watch. It is funny, but not in a way I recommend. I mean I had to laugh to keep my sanity, but I wouldn't wish that pain on another. At one point my friend was bent over with his face in his hands while I was laughing and pounding on his shoulder blade with my fist--If I have to watch this, you have to watch this too.

On my very worst days as a teacher I have thought to myself, "People laugh at me when they hear I'm a martial arts teacher. What am I doing with my life?"

I'm a pretty happy person, I love what I do, those bad days are few and far between. But this film made me think about them. Skip it unless you want to pass through the "Seven Rings of Pain!" (Movie title with in the movie.)