Should you aim to be better than your teacher?

OneKickWonder · Purple Belt

I'm most certainly not. Nor am I ever likely to be. My instructor simply has too much lead on me. If he stopped practicing today, then by the time I'd accumulated his number of years experience I'd be an old man.

But should we aim to be better than our teachers? It seems to me that if we only aspire to be as good as, we'll always fall slightly short. Then those we teach will never be quite as good as us, and so on, until the art is a sorry shadow of its former self.

But this gives us a paradox does it not?

If we aim to be better than our teachers, then on some level, even if unintentional, that would lead to contempt. Then how would we learn all our teacher can offer if that contempt is lurking in the background? But then if we put the teacher on a pedestal no matter what, and shun all other sources and endeavour to stay true to the style without improvising or experimenting, then surely that's at least as bad?

This pondering is inspired by a video I saw of a once awesome but now slightly elderly and less capable martial artist. When I say once awesome, I mean still awesome, and still very capable, but now perhaps a bit less so than might have been the case a few years ago.

sensei8 · KF Sensei

No!!

I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

OneKickWonder · Purple Belt

Shizentai · Green Belt

OneKickWonder · Purple Belt

OK. If you teach, are you happy to accept your students NOT taspiring to be better than you?

pers · Purple Belt

OneKickWonder · Purple Belt

Sorry. Lots of folks missing my point. I didn't ask if you should BE better than your teacher. It was more should we ASPIRE TO BE better than our teacher one day.

Certainly when I start teaching more formally, I will want my students to aspire to be better than me. If I believe they can only ever be nearly as good as me but not quite, then surely that would be arrogant on my part, believing I'm somehow above everyone else. I'd also be dammed annoyed at my students for not having the ambition and drive to become they best they can be, because there is a distinct possibility that the best they can be is better, in martial arts terms, than the best I can be. I don't want them to stop improving when they approach my standard. I want them to experiment and improvise and maybe spend some time with other teachers so they can build on top of what I teach them. Then not only could I be proud of my contribution to their outstanding progress, but also they could show me a thing or two.

Spartacus Maximus · Black Belt

Aiming to be better than ones instructor is the same as aiming to be better than anyone else. Comparing oneself and one’s progress to other people is a futile endeavour because every martial arts practitioner’s training is personal.

Instructors and senior are but a reference and a source of knowledge and inspiration. Examples of skill refinement whose experience gives insight and guidance towards one’s own development in the system practised.

singularity6 · Pre-Black Belt

Wayne State University's slogan for a while was "Aim Higher." I think your sentiment is what they had in mind. For me, I felt it was what they should have posted over every urinal, as too many men need to heed that advice.
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5th Geup Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do/Hap Ki Do

(Never officially tested in aikido, iaido or kendo)

OneKickWonder · Purple Belt

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