Should you aim to be better than your teacher?

[OneKickWonder]

I'm most certainly not. Nor am I ever likely to be. My instructor simply has too much lead on me. If he stopped practicing today, then by the time I'd accumulated his number of years experience I'd be an old man.

But should we aim to be better than our teachers? It seems to me that if we only aspire to be as good as, we'll always fall slightly short. Then those we teach will never be quite as good as us, and so on, until the art is a sorry shadow of its former self.

But this gives us a paradox does it not?

If we aim to be better than our teachers, then on some level, even if unintentional, that would lead to contempt. Then how would we learn all our teacher can offer if that contempt is lurking in the background? But then if we put the teacher on a pedestal no matter what, and shun all other sources and endeavour to stay true to the style without improvising or experimenting, then surely that's at least as bad?

This pondering is inspired by a video I saw of a once awesome but now slightly elderly and less capable martial artist. When I say once awesome, I mean still awesome, and still very capable, but now perhaps a bit less so than might have been the case a few years ago.

[sensei8]

No!!

I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

[OneKickWonder]

No!!

I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

What if, on your path to be better today than you were yesterday, you suddenly find you are better than your teacher? Do you cease your quest of self improvement foe fear of losing your humility? Would that not itself be an act of arrogance?

I should point out by the way that this is just me sharing philosophical musings as a thought exploration exercise. I don't believe there can be a definitive answer. Though I could be wrong even about that.

[Shizentai]

No!!

I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

Word.

Besides, for me to try to be "better than" someone implies I'm playing the same game, which is not my style.

[OneKickWonder]

OK. If you teach, are you happy to accept your students NOT taspiring to be better than you?

[pers]

No!!

I strive to be better today than what I was yesterday. I don't want to be better than anyone else because envy is as bad, if not worse, than jealousy.

I agree and was about to say the same thing.

If you think you are better than your teacher then you have to question the quality of your teacher.

[OneKickWonder]

Sorry. Lots of folks missing my point. I didn't ask if you should BE better than your teacher. It was more should we ASPIRE TO BE better than our teacher one day.

Certainly when I start teaching more formally, I will want my students to aspire to be better than me. If I believe they can only ever be nearly as good as me but not quite, then surely that would be arrogant on my part, believing I'm somehow above everyone else. I'd also be dammed annoyed at my students for not having the ambition and drive to become they best they can be, because there is a distinct possibility that the best they can be is better, in martial arts terms, than the best I can be. I don't want them to stop improving when they approach my standard. I want them to experiment and improvise and maybe spend some time with other teachers so they can build on top of what I teach them. Then not only could I be proud of my contribution to their outstanding progress, but also they could show me a thing or two.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Aiming to be better than ones instructor is the same as aiming to be better than anyone else. Comparing oneself and one’s progress to other people is a futile endeavour because every martial arts practitioner’s training is personal.

Instructors and senior are but a reference and a source of knowledge and inspiration. Examples of skill refinement whose experience gives insight and guidance towards one’s own development in the system practised.

[singularity6]

Wayne State University's slogan for a while was "Aim Higher." I think your sentiment is what they had in mind. For me, I felt it was what they should have posted over every urinal, as too many men need to heed that advice.

[OneKickWonder]

Aiming to be better than ones instructor is the same as aiming to be better than anyone else.

Including one's present day self.

Anyone can become better than their present day self. If my instructor had shown me a roundhouse kick once, and I practiced that kick at home only once each day, I would steadily become better each day. But would that be enough? Would it be fair to my instructor, who dedicates a lot of his own time to teaching me and others, if I only aimed for marginal improvement on the basis that I was at least ticking the 'be better tomorrow than you are today' box?

How would anyone progress in the martial arts if they don't aim high? And is it not an honour to one's teacher if you choose him as the bar you want to exceed?