Principles, Are they the same today?

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

I started the arts with no ideals in mind other than I wanted to learn how to defend myself.

As a few years went by the principles of my teacher where imprinted and my mindset changed. As a student I wanted to learn all I could and improve my skill so that one day I could teach and pass on these same ideals and principles to my students.

Skip years ahead, I began teaching and my thoughts were only to learn all that I could and pass on all that I had learned so that one day the flame could be passed on to a new torch that would carry it on to the next generation.

I was talking with a friend and he was talking about a subservient coworker and how useless he was because he did not know this or that. I asked him if he had taken the time to teach this coworker the things he was complaining about. His comment was "why waste my time".
I asked him other questions about this coworker and he said that he did fine in his job tasks but did not have the knowledge to perform the skills to get to the next step up.
I asked why he wasn't willing to help this person and his answer hit me with a revelation of my teachings. He said "why should I take my time to teach someone something that could move him closer to my job"?

It got me thinking about my Shinshii's words and his teachings. He said that every student is like a diamond in the rough. They start out like coal, but if worthy, can be polished into a diamond. He stated that if they are worthy of your time and efforts, ignore the small imperfections and see the true potential within and concentrate on perfecting that.

His idea of a perfect student was one that surpassed him in both skill and knowledge. His ideal was a student that no longer needed his instruction. At this point the student would be capable of carrying on and passing on the art to his students so that the art would remain as it was passed down to him and thus never cease.

Does the world seem less likely to help others succeed?

I have noticed both in business and within the MA community that it is far more likely that our seniors hold back knowledge, whether it out of fear of being surpassed or out of fear that the student will feel they no longer need them.

Does it make sense to others here to pass on all to worthy students? Does it make sense to endeavor to make your students better than you?

Maybe it's my age or maybe the people who taught me, but I was always taught that the mark of a good instructor is shown by the talent, skill and knowledge of his/her students.

Is ego and pride such that we fear being passed by our students? Is this such a bad thing? After all if our students succeed is this not our success as well?

Just food for thought.

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

I don't think the bad that is out there is that much. By bad, I mainly mean here in the context of your post. I've never held anything back from a student. I don't try to overwhelm them, either. As an instructor, you've got to find the balance; the balance of what they are ready for, and what they are not quite ready for yet. And even then, you can talk to them about the ideas and concepts of what comes next, so they can prepare for it.

Part of the deal is brining them along as far as you can as an instructor, but also making them seek and find for themselves. They need to learn how to do that, because they won't always have you around as the instructor.
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sensei8 · KF Sensei

Principles, like students, like instructors, like the style, are meant to evolve, and in that, the evolution needs to left alone.

Alan Armstrong · Black Belt

Out of the many Sensei's and Sifu's, and the rest) in my over 50 years of fighting) none of them do what I do today and that is to teach them ( my students) how to defeat me as the teacher.

I constantly challenge my students to beat me at my own game. Actually I do at times make a game out of it; kinda fun.

Never will I bully students. Could be an excuse for me to do the same to my students but it is not in my nature to do so.

I feel like I learned martial arts the hard way. Used as a punching bag that pays monthly dues for the privilege of getting beaten or knocked about.
I live with chronic migraine due to dojo bullies. Therefore I am very aware of some of the dangers and consequence within the dojo realms.

Talking with a student of mine, that fell victim to a dojo bully instructor, in his past.
Confided in me and told me that, he was bullied by an instructor. When the class ended (he went to his car to get his baseball bat) then waited for the instructor to come out, when he did come out, he beat up the instructor with the baseball bat.

MatsuShinshii · Black Belt

sarah · White Belt

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