Withholding Knowledge

[pineapple]

Some instructors keep some knowledge to themselves and do not teach everything that they know. Is this an acceptable practice?

[AngelaG]

I guess it is up to them, if they are honest to their students from the start.

 

Personally I feel the need to pass on everything I know!

[Red J]

Knowledge is not taught for several reasons:

 

Not part of the system.

 

Your students are not of level/maturity to learn it.

 

You are not competent enough with certain advanced material to teach it.

 

These are the only things that I can come up with at the moment.

[Mr. Mike]

another issue is if it is part of the curriculum. Ex. Our school is predominately Kenpo, but the instructor has BB's in Combat Hapkido, TKD, Okinawan Kobudo, and Freestyle Karate...most further than shodan.

 

Most people in our school are enrolled into the Kenpo program. Would it make sense to teach them Kobudo theory with the Kenpo program? Most likely no. He also has Bushido, Iaito, Budo, etc. Experience...again, just sticking to the curriculum makews alot more sense here than trying to teach everybody all of these concepts...now there are the BB club members who partake of some of these other classes as well as the Kenpo advanced classes where advanced concepts and theories are taught, but the vast majority of students just don't want to bother. I would imagine that a few of the parents would completely freak when watching the sword class and hearing "...so the way to do this step correctly is to slice cleanly through the neck, and then cleanse the sword by bringing it to your forehead and flinging the blood off...wipe the bohi, or blood groove clean with your thumb and first finger..." and "...this was considered dying with honor...if you lost to your opponent, you would hve your head cut off and thereby ensure that you have died in the most respectful way..."

 

yeah...that would send some parents over the edge...

[ladyj]

I feel like it would be appropriate to withhold info, techniques etc but I would look at it on a student to student basis. Some students are not mature (mentally and/or physically) enough to handle some of the info.

[cartoon22]

Knowledge is good, but the ability to understand and use that knowledge.

 

I would always pass on the knowledge that I know but not all at once. It takes time to understand techniques before you add or alter them. The instructor needs to look towards the student for knowledge as well.

[pineapple]

If a student was a bit arrogant, would this be a legitimate reason for not teaching certain techniques?

 

If this student was taught advanced techniques, he might become more arrogant..........If techniques were withheld from him, he might take you as a poor instructor who doesn't know enough.

 

Your thoughts, please!

[RavenX]

Arrogance = No new material

 

If you can't be humble and accepting of the material you have, you don't deserve any more.

[Red J]

If a student was a bit arrogant, would this be a legitimate reason for not teaching certain techniques?

 

It is the instructor's responsibility to pass down the knowledge to those that are ready for it. It doesn't sound like someone is ready. There should be little room for arrogance when teaching advanced concepts.

[ladyj]

If that student is arrogant and thinks that you do not know enough, is he really a student worth having? If you as an instructor do not feel that he is ready due to his arrogance, you always have the option to withhold and if he/she quits then that is a choice they made. You also have the option of discussing the arrogance problem with your student and explaining that this is the reason you do not feel they are ready. To some extent you are responsible for the actions of your students. For Example: If you take students to a tournament and they show unsportsmanlike behavior, you and I both know that it reflects on the student and the instructor as well.