What an Instructor Must Do… What a Student Must Seek…

Given that there is a hole with the generations of martial arts, there are some negative consequences…

1.       Lack of respect

2.       Increase of injuries

3.       Lack of understanding

For example, take this true situation at hand:

Student 1 learns martial arts

Student2 doesn’t know martial arts

Student1 hurts kid 2.  

Student 1 takes off his shirt and puts Student 2 in an arm bar to prove what?  That he knows his style-his technique?  Student 2 gets taken down and a broken arm.  (FYI: This was a video I saw of two kids doing this at school).  Respect starts with how we act in our martial arts environment.  Are we training with the mentality to win or to grow?  Are we training with mentality to learn?  Are we trying to use muscle for everything?  Awareness and technique will always outlive strength versus strength.  But, what is even more important is knowing that there is respect for yourself and others with the art that is learned.  It is also ones responsibility to know that what one is learning should not be to harm and knowing that it can do harm.

It has come to my understanding that students have been injured during training, sparring, and seminars.  I cannot deny that injuries will happen.  However, they should not happen as a result of safety being overlooked.  It is important to teach the basics of any art and to provide a safe environment for students to learn and grow.  For instance, something as simple as a break fall is very important in preventing concussions and injuries.  However, I have heard of more than one person getting a concussion.  Why?  What happened to learning the basics first?  If our students are throwing each other without learning proper break fall techniques, then our students are not failing-we as Instructors are.

As a result of one and two, there is a lack of understanding and henceforth a cycle of continued wonderment of what is missing and continued education of inaccuracy. 

So back to the title of the blog:  What an Instructor must do… what a student must seek….

Those that seek to teach must seek to teach the truth.  Some choose to do so bluntly, however, then the respect is lost yet again.  It is through the actions of a Master/ Instructor for seeking to know that an art is taught correctly whether it be through acknowledgement of the history of techniques and/or by ensuring the safety of the students that respect is taught and fostered.  Students cannot have a falsified sense of strength and believe that they can protect themselves due to incorrect information taught to them.  
It is our responsibility as Instructors to know what we are teaching and to understand its effectiveness.  It is our responsibility to teach our students the truth.

Students on the other hand should look for a place where safety is first.  Where there is respect.  Where egos are checked at the door.  Where basics are the fundamentals to growth.  Where there is acknowledgement, understanding, and teaching of what was historically known to its evolution now. 

Until this is realized, we will continue to have Instructors who claim to be teaching something true, and students who continue to believe what they are learning will help them. 

Seek the truth!  Only then will your eyes be opened and then you will see and learn beyond what is simply in front of us.   

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