Using Pretend Stories To Make Real Points

[Spartacus Maximus]

Story telling is a traditional way of teaching common to many cultures the world over. Everyone can remember one or two stories told by a grandparent or elder family member in which there was a lesson to be learned. There are also traditional stories, rhymes and songs passed down through the ages meant for people to remember certain pieces of wisdom. The best examples are the children’s stories from the Victorian era(150 years ago). Storytelling is a great way to make a point or illustrate a concept. Chinese martial arts are well-known for using stories and poetry as mnemonic devices for students to learn and remember key points for training. This is also found in Okinawan Karate although to a much lesser extent.

[OneKickWonder]

Story telling is a traditional way of teaching common to many cultures the world over. Everyone can remember one or two stories told by a grandparent or elder family member in which there was a lesson to be learned. There are also traditional stories, rhymes and songs passed down through the ages meant for people to remember certain pieces of wisdom. The best examples are the children’s stories from the Victorian era(150 years ago). Storytelling is a great way to make a point or illustrate a concept. Chinese martial arts are well-known for using stories and poetry as mnemonic devices for students to learn and remember key points for training. This is also found in Okinawan Karate although to a much lesser extent.

They go back a little bit further than the victorian era. Researchers reckon some go back to the bronze age, circa 6000 years ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35358487

[Spartacus Maximus]

Yes, storytelling goes back much much further than that, but the Victorian era stories are some of the most studied and influential. The point is that stories are and have always been an effective way to teach and get people to remember a lesson.

The one important difference between those stories and ones used by martial arts teachers is that in the latter, only a student of that particular teacher and martial art will be able to (eventually) understand the point that is conveyed because the student will have a technique reference. Without knowing the reference, the stories or phrases mean very little.

[JazzKicker]

I recently read Peter Urban's book, "Karate Dojo". There's a bunch of mystical, apocryphal stories, which he admits are tall tales. Maybe they're good for inspiring children, like fairy tales. There was probably a time when karate was new and exotic to Americans that people believed those stories. I think parables are good ways of getting across an underlying message.

[XtremeTrainer]

In Star Wars The Last Jedi when Yoda makes his appearance, which in my opinion was the only good thing about the movie, he says that failure is the greatest teacher of all. Another good lesson.