Here are several questions I ask other instructors about their teaching and I thought this is something for you to consider as well.
Is harder to teach a young man or woman how to defeat another person in physical combat or to teach someone how not to harbor or nurture hatred in his or her heart?
Which is more valuable: to teach a child how to kick, punch and grapple another child, or to teach him or her how to form a team, a family, with others -to accomplish things that no person could do alone?
Which is the greatest of the three following skills:
1. Knowing how to expertly chastise and ridicule others, expressing yourself with anger;
2. Knowing how to perform a guillotine choke; or
3. Knowing how to find that positive river of consciousness even in the dark times?
I ask you, what is more important: to teach a young adult to wield a weapon or to teach them how to endure the tough times, the down times, the times when you want to give up?
As instructors, we grew up in a physical universe of training, working on our skills, wanting to look and be good at the martial arts. We competed, often won, and endured the training, as primitive, as hard, as rugged as "old school" as it was.
And now - it is time to evolve.
What our teachers instill or not instill upon us, is of little relevance. We are in the 21st Century with our experience and wisdom, we must look around and see what is important in today's world to see what opportunities present themselves and act with wisdom and courage.
This is why I encourage, other instructors, to journal, to participate, to stay the course and not give up. This is what we are doing (in my mind). We are teaching. We are TEACHING. We are Teachers. Are we to be "the masters" of today? If so, let us do our part now before our skills take their inevitable decline.
Carpe Diem! BE the "Master" and endure the difficult, find the lesson in the defeat, the irony in the victory; Teach by example, be the role model---simply DO YOUR BEST, do it often enough and your "best" will become better. And best of all this will rub off onto your students.
