Who should teach martial arts? Who should teach Self-defense? Who should teach self-defense via martial arts? Those questions along with some personal comments from a strictly personal perspective is how this post is going to go. Let me set the stage first:
First, most if not all martial arts teachers here in the west during the sixties and seventies were first level black belts who, in all likelihood, achieved that level in about a years time. The criteria for that first level of black belt, at that time, was minimal. This is one reason why from my perceptions one should not teach martial arts until they read a third level black belt - that is a subjective view as well.
Second, just because someone achieves a black belt regardless of how long that takes does not necessarily equate a person capable of teaching that same martial art. I also think that just on the knowledge and proficiency gate that it would take a lot longer to achieve teacher level ability, knowledge and experience but then again I was schooled as a Marine Instructor and just so you will know and understand that does not necessarily equate to a “teacher” either.
Third, sometimes it doesn’t matter what level of black belt a person earns it does not constitute what is necessary, not necessarily required but necessary, to be a “good teacher.”
In general, there are a lot more requirements and traits that make for a good teacher that are not even taught in martial arts circles, even in today’s martial arts communities. Even in our own educational systems do we have all the requirements to cover what makes a good teacher and that is why we endure mediocre teachers and sometimes unqualified teachers who actually teach. In martial arts circles it is far worse from where I sit.
Once you take away all the requirements that can be put on paper and used to certify teachers regardless of whether it is a educational system teacher, a military instructor or a martial arts teacher you still have those unwritten and more esoteric traits that one needs to be a good teacher. As a side note this seems far more critical when it comes to teaching someone how to survive violence and we won’t even get started on how critical it is for our educational system since that part actually affects those who would be violent or live in a world of violence.
What makes a good teacher is about character and personality with a large portion of what I refer to as “artistic talent.” That artistic talent is not what you might think when you hear the word “artistic.” It is that innate ability to convey things to others where understanding along with a large dose of common sense achieves a type of knowledge and education that transcends the mere written requirements.
What I believe is true is that to be a martial arts teacher and especially important when that martial art is taught as self-defense requires so many factors to achieve proper balance that in our martial arts world the quantity of teachers and dojo’s would diminish to a very, very, very small and exclusive number. It is one reason why I will not take up teaching in a dojo again as I am missing too many components including the most important, that esoteric type of teaching ability that few have or achieve. My ability to write about these things is far superior and addresses one of those factors that block my ability to be a good teacher.
If you read about teaching martial arts, i.e. do a google search on the subject, you begin to get the gist of my post, what it takes to really be a good teacher. Oh, as to being a great teacher, well that is a whole different ball game and those you can count on one hand.
I forgot, one of the factors that lead me to this post is how it takes experience in that discipline to be qualified as a teacher, even a mediocre one. This part is about self-defense, combatives and fighting and that take the type of experience that makes the numbers exponentially smaller that already discussed. Those folks are such small numbers that the reality based training systems are so small that there are only a few available and the availability is in all probability pretty much exclusive to those who live and work that community.
Teachers that are good tend toward a high degree of Academic Intelligence of the Discipline that for martial arts includes a high level of Physical Intelligence but the one ingredient that is missed in all models of teaching and that is a very high level of Emotional Intelligence. The last being a missing component in all aspects of life.
More reading:
No comments:
Post a Comment