It's Not A Waste Of Time

[sensei8]

If you've filled an ocean with your blood, sweat, and tears through your earnest MA training, and you've been fortunate enough to have earned a Dan rank through an untold amount of years of sacrifice, and you don't own/run/operate/manage a dojo/school or you've never taught your beloved MA style...let me tell you this...

Your MA life hasn't been wasted and you're not an empty vessel!!

To you, my Dan Sisters and Brothers, I bow, no, I prostrate before you in humble respect and admiration. Whether you teach or not means nothing to be because we're Black Belt Brothers and Sisters nonetheless.

I've heard it before..."A true black belt teaches!" No, a true black belt trains their betterment through every trail and tribulation. Teaching isn't a prerequisite to earn a black belt. A black belt is still a black belt without all of the platitudes. Most learn how to teach from Sankyu to Ikkyu under the watchful eye of their instructor, and this is true, however, the choice to teach is a personal choice, not a requirement, and it shouldn't be, to earn a black belt.

I've been teaching in some capacity or another for 42 years, ever since I was a JBB at 13 years old; just because I teach, I'm no better of a black belt because I do teach, than a black belt who doesn't teach.

Your thoughts?!

Edited December 14, 2012 by sensei8

[Evil Dave]

To add to this, some people can not teach. It's a skill like all others and each individual has strengths and weaknesses. There are some people out there that I know hold dan rank and I would not want them near my own kids to teach a class. If we lived in the same part of the country I would love to have them over for a bbq and beers again, simply because they are good people along with being good martial artists.

[Lupin1]

Teaching is a skill, art, and talent unto itself. Not everyone who's skilled at something is qualified to teach it and I've seen gifted teachers teach something beautifully to someone seconds after having learned it themselves.

Even though I, as a brand-new Sankyu, have already started helping with the teaching of our beginner kids, I don't think teaching is ever a necessary goal for anyone. I mean, I'm a natural teacher. I've been teaching my little sisters and neighborhood kids since I was little. I've got a degree in teaching and was a classroom teacher for two years before moving to the school library where I still have ample opportunity to teach. But my skills as a teacher and my skills as a martial artist aren't connected in my eyes. My martial arts goals are for me. My teaching goals are for others. Some of my teaching goals now involve martial arts, but my personal goals for my martial arts could easily keep me busy for life.

And I agree that some people just shouldn't be teaching. Some people don't have the patience or they don't have the knack for explaining things in a way others will understand or troubleshooting others' performance and figuring out a way to remedy problems. One of our black belts, although he wants to teach, lacks all those things. He's currently not too happy that I was asked to help with the beginner kids instead of him, but I wouldn't want him teaching kids. I don't even like it when he tries to teach me. He just doesn't have it. It doesn't make him a bad martial artist, just a bad teacher.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with Bob. Everyone has their own knack and talent, and teaching may not be it.

But, I do think that like anything, learning to teach can come to those who don't do it well, given proper instruction in how to teach. Like anything, it comes with time and practice.

[Zaine]

I agree with Bob. Everyone has their own knack and talent, and teaching may not be it.

But, I do think that like anything, learning to teach can come to those who don't do it well, given proper instruction in how to teach. Like anything, it comes with time and practice.

Agreed. Great observation.