Old-school masters lose their passion for teaching?

[Prototype]

I feel as if my instructor doesn't really care anymore about his lessons in the art as in its prime days during the 80s when Karate and TaeKwonDo was "The Big Thing". He started training in 1966.

The level of rigor, explanation, philosophy is all laxed. I also feel this vibe has gotten progressively worse over the years. No passion about the various excercises. I just feel it in his demeanor. He's stated himself that he was much stricter in his gradings just 10 years ago.

I don't think he's lost his personal passion for the art, but the lessons however?

Is this a common psychological route for old school masters with the advent of MMA, and decline in popularity of Karate?

[singularity6]

I feel as if my instructor doesn't really care anymore about his lessons in the art as in its prime days during the 80s when Karate and TaeKwonDo was "The Big Thing". He started training in 1966.

The level of rigor, explanation, philosophy is all laxed. I also feel this vibe has gotten progressively worse over the years. No passion about the various excercises. I just feel it in his demeanor. He's stated himself that he was much stricter in his gradings just 10 years ago.

I don't think he's lost his personal passion for the art, but the lessons however?

Is this a common psychological route for old school masters with the advent of MMA, and decline in popularity of Karate?

I think you can find this pattern among educators in general. I'm sure everyone has experienced it in school and/or college. You know... teacher or professor riding out retirement. I don't think it's anything to do with Martial Arts specifically.

[Lupin1]

I think it's hard to keep a burning passion for something for decades on end. Most people's passions wax and wane over the years. And, if he's getting older, he may not be physically capable of the same vigor for the exercises he once had.

For the rankings, I think karate ranks just mean something different now than they once did. In the 60s, most instructors in the west were Shodans or Sandans at the most. There were very few (if any) high dan ranks. So the ranks looked a lot different to them. Shodan meant you were literally one of the most experienced karateka in on the continent. In my (admittedly limited) experience, once a lot of the old masters put years under their belts and hit those higher ranks, they started seeing the big picture behind the kyu ranks and the lower dan ranks and, in the process, start seeming more lax about ranks.

People tend to mellow out and look at the big picture more as they age and get decades of experience in a field. They get more patient, don't sweat the small stuff as much, and go with the flow more because they're able to see the end goal easier. And the end goal they see may be very different from the end goal a 25 year old sees. A 25 year old may see the end goal as being able to take and give a pounding at a tournament a year or so out while the 65 year old instructor may be seeing that 25 year old as a 45 year old and want to teach him in a way that will allow his karate to work even when he no longer has the strength and stamina of a 25 year old and can no longer muscle his way through.

Not saying that's the case here, but it's something to think about and something that I've definitely noticed with my instructor. His mindset has changed a lot from when I first started training with him when he was in his early 40s to now that he's in his mid 60s and has physical disabilities.

[singularity6]

I think that maybe students have changed over the years, as well. It's no secret that (American) children are less fit these, when compared to kids from "the old days." This could make instruction less fun. Just a thought.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I think that maybe students have changed over the years, as well. It's no secret that (American) children are less fit these, when compared to kids from "the old days." This could make instruction less fun. Just a thought.

It isn't just in the US, it is happening around the world where children are less "Fit" these days.

Honestly I think it is partially because parents don't really encourage children to go out and have fun. But instead they are given iPads, Computers and Xboxes at a young age to keep them entertained instead.

Also coming from a young person (25), it discourages us even more when we get compared to the "old days". Have I ever said those two words to my students? Nope.

Back to the OP, it is in my view because the instructor is burnt out and that he has just done it for so long that he just can't keep it up anymore. More so we don't know what is going on the instructors personal life which could be impacting on it too.

If you lose your passion for something, it does come through especially if you have done it for so long. But it does seep into the classes, because you just can't find that energy that you used to have to put into them.

Also it is potentially because of the long term expectations on him to do everything, and that there hasn't been any relief for him to train and relax without those expectations from everybody.

[MatsuShinshii]

I think that maybe students have changed over the years, as well. It's no secret that (American) children are less fit these, when compared to kids from "the old days." This could make instruction less fun. Just a thought.

It isn't just in the US, it is happening around the world where children are less "Fit" these days.

Honestly I think it is partially because parents don't really encourage children to go out and have fun. But instead they are given iPads, Computers and Xboxes at a young age to keep them entertained instead.

I think it is a product of the times we live in. For one we did not have all of these electronic devices and some of us didn't even have a TV and if we did it was black and white and only with a few stations. The other maybe less obvious reason would be that parents today have a lot more to worry about than when I grew up. We did not turn on the news and hear about god knows how many accounts of weirdo's and perverts causing harm to children ever single time we turned it on. We went pretty much where ever we wanted without worrying about some freak doing harm to us. I could walk a few miles to the woods that we played cowboys and Indians or US vs the Nazi's without fear of being picked up by some freak or pedophile.

The other primary difference is most women were care givers and stayed home with the children. Now days it takes both working to make ends meet if you have a family in most cases. Parents were more engaged I personally think back then and the lessons of their parents were passed down to their kids as far as respect, work ethic and drive. Not sure I could say the same for most kids these days. Very few have respect and even fewer have work ethic and drive.

The norms have changed.

As far as your instructor loosing his zest for teaching, age tends to slow us all down. If he has been teaching for 40 or 50 years I would say it's not that he has lost his fervor for teaching but it may be a product of teaching this generations kids. Like Nidan Melbourne pointed out, kids today are more interested in laying around playing games on computers, texting and staying up with social media than going outside to play. It is probably aggravating to see the decline in athletic ability or the lack of drive.

Or maybe age has taken the proverbial toll on him and he has slowed down or maybe he's just burned out.

The thing to remember is he is a living encyclopedia after so many years and contains a wealth of knowledge. We all slow down and loose patience with age but this does not negate his worth as an instructor.

I guess I would ask if he acts the same way with his senior students? If he does then maybe its that he's burned out. If he act differently then maybe he's burned out with the newer generation and their perceived laziness and lack of drive.

[Lupin1]

I could walk a few miles to the woods that we played cowboys and Indians or US vs the Nazi's without fear of being picked up by some freak or pedophile.

I just want to point out that the crime rate is the lowest it's been in decades. Most likely lower than when you were a kid. Kids playing in the woods are much more likely to get the cops called on them by an overly concerned good samaritan than get picked up by someone up to no good. It's not the crime rate that's stopping them from playing outside, it's people playing up the (lowest in decades) crime rate and fear mongering against kids playing outside.

[Prototype]

I think that maybe students have changed over the years, as well. It's no secret that (American) children are less fit these, when compared to kids from "the old days." This could make instruction less fun. Just a thought.

It isn't just in the US, it is happening around the world where children are less "Fit" these days.

Honestly I think it is partially because parents don't really encourage children to go out and have fun. But instead they are given iPads, Computers and Xboxes at a young age to keep them entertained instead.

I think it is a product of the times we live in. For one we did not have all of these electronic devices and some of us didn't even have a TV and if we did it was black and white and only with a few stations. The other maybe less obvious reason would be that parents today have a lot more to worry about than when I grew up. We did not turn on the news and hear about god knows how many accounts of weirdo's and perverts causing harm to children ever single time we turned it on. We went pretty much where ever we wanted without worrying about some freak doing harm to us. I could walk a few miles to the woods that we played cowboys and Indians or US vs the Nazi's without fear of being picked up by some freak or pedophile.

The other primary difference is most women were care givers and stayed home with the children. Now days it takes both working to make ends meet if you have a family in most cases. Parents were more engaged I personally think back then and the lessons of their parents were passed down to their kids as far as respect, work ethic and drive. Not sure I could say the same for most kids these days. Very few have respect and even fewer have work ethic and drive.

The norms have changed.

As far as your instructor loosing his zest for teaching, age tends to slow us all down. If he has been teaching for 40 or 50 years I would say it's not that he has lost his fervor for teaching but it may be a product of teaching this generations kids. Like Nidan Melbourne pointed out, kids today are more interested in laying around playing games on computers, texting and staying up with social media than going outside to play. It is probably aggravating to see the decline in athletic ability or the lack of drive.

Or maybe age has taken the proverbial toll on him and he has slowed down or maybe he's just burned out.

The thing to remember is he is a living encyclopedia after so many years and contains a wealth of knowledge. We all slow down and loose patience with age but this does not negate his worth as an instructor.

I guess I would ask if he acts the same way with his senior students? If he does then maybe its that he's burned out. If he act differently then maybe he's burned out with the newer generation and their perceived laziness and lack of drive.

I'm an adult (28) and those are the classes I'm referring to. I was honoured to find his school because of his 9th degree. He really mostly supervises more than anything. It's not as if he will leave any imprint on my abilities. This notion that a great student can only come from a great master is pretty false. My evolution is from watching clips online, researching and drilling in the class. Our instructor rarely demonstrates techniques himself, but instead calls up a second, third or forth degree black belt...

[singularity6]

Well, as we get up there in age, a lot of us find that we can't do the same things we used to when we were younger. How many of the older folks here can still do a full splits (provided you were able to at any point in the past?) Are your jumping kicks still as high and as sharp as before?

Our master instructor is getting his hip resurfaced in about a month. I know several other folks who've been practicing for years and needed various joints scoped and/or replaced. Sounds like this could be something your instructor is experiencing, too.

[MatsuShinshii]

I could walk a few miles to the woods that we played cowboys and Indians or US vs the Nazi's without fear of being picked up by some freak or pedophile.

I just want to point out that the crime rate is the lowest it's been in decades. Most likely lower than when you were a kid. Kids playing in the woods are much more likely to get the cops called on them by an overly concerned good samaritan than get picked up by someone up to no good. It's not the crime rate that's stopping them from playing outside, it's people playing up the (lowest in decades) crime rate and fear mongering against kids playing outside.

If this is true, and I'm not saying it isn't, then why has the number of abductions,rapes, and shootings/ murders seem to be an every night occurance. I will admit is better than what it was a few years ago? I stopped watching the news altogether because every night there was at least one shooting. Depressing to say the least. I'm no statistical expert but I can tell you I didn't see that every night when I was a kid. It was shocking to see that on the news. Now, it's just par for the course.