The Paranoid and Insecure.

"We do not do it that way here," Someone says, "We do it like this." They proceed to give a demonstration that is only slightly different with no real explanation as to why.
Okay, fair enough, it is fine to give the benefit of the doubt, but always delve in with research as the person giving the explanation is likely just repeating what they were told and does not have the answers either.

This is less about WHY things are done the way they are done and more about NOT moving from a place of blind faith.
Always verify, if things cannot be verified then it remains in the realm of 'suspect information' and 'pure speculation.'
Always remember that, while it is proper to show proper respect and gratitude, it is also best to remember your reasons for training; if those have anything to do with Self Protection, remember that the training is flawed, always, and YOU are responsible for your safety, not them.
If this is the case then your training should never be about preserving a relic, it should always question things, it should be about seeking what is the most useful and beneficial for you because, ultimately, it is your own ass on the line NOT theirs.

Yes, it is like beating a dead horse, but it is a horse that constantly needs to be beaten when people seem to overstep their boundaries.
Most people put hard earned money into their training, it is not like they are training for free, they are paying for the lessons and knowledge with money, blood, sweat, and sometimes tears.
The Teacher is not the 'be all' and 'end all,' yes, respect should be given, but it is never about YOU, it is never about the POSITION. A truly great Teacher will never have to demand respect or loyalty from their students, it will come naturally.
If a Teacher feels the need to silence a student that asks too many questions or calls their knowledge into question when it clearly is lacking and it is clear the Teacher does not practice an ounce of what they preach then it is clear that Teacher did not have much to offer to begin with.
When said Teacher demands that other students cut off all contact with a Student they have thrown out for said reasons then, it is clear, you are not running a Dojo, but attempting to subvert your Students into a personality cult.

If things do not make sense, seem to move against common sense, if the Teacher themselves looks, acts, and speaks a little suspect, throwing out giant explanations that talk in circles with no real answers, then trust your gut instinct, move on... It really isn't worth your time.

Just recently I was informed that this was happening in regards to myself and one other person. I was told that if we showed up to a certain training that certain people were informed not to train with us, regardless of what we were training.
It just shows insecurity on the part of the person making said demands. They assume an aweful lot and expect near blind faith from people that paid their way in respect to being part of a specific Association.
I am a Karateka, I have been training Goju Ryu for about three decades without much of a break. I have no association with this person in that regard, and the other things being trained have nothing to do with them either.

This has been something I have run into before. Schools that close and lock their doors during training, with no windows so no one can see in, no questions allowed, pure obedience.
When someone asks a question they are shown the door, then all communication is cut off with that person and anyone found to be communicating with them is blacklisted as well, serving as examples to the rest of the school.
Demands for absolute respect and obedience betrays severe levels of paranoia and insecurity. Beware, and always ask WHY things are done the way they are done... The response with which you are met will be extremely telling of their overall atmosphere of the school and the character of the Teacher.

My own Teacher never had to demand respect from me, he already had it. It was something that grew from training.
If I don't know you and we haven't shared the floor then your claims mean nothing to me until you can show them, until we have shared the floor together.
Showing me various stages of a punch that is common knowledge and acting like it is all mystical and secret, that just tells me the level of foolishness that is expected.