Beating the Instructor

[Sasori_Te]

Sometimes people seem to forget that Senseis are not supermen. They are regular folks like everyone else. They just happen to have some knowledge that their student don't. I'm always proud if a student can spar with me and land a technique that I didn't see coming. It means that I'm doing my job and that the information is being received and understood.

[White Warlock]

Okay, here's a thought. Knowledge and physical ability are two different things. If your instructor is a 5', 90lb, 85 year old woman that has been practicing the arts for 75 years, and you're a 7', 300lb, 28 year old behemoth... are you to say that because you can snap her in two, she can't teach you anything?!?!?

 

How narrow-minded is that?!

[koreauechi]

Well put, but if you are using what they taught you and you are superior with that...

 

The teacher can teach, perhaps not preform.

 

In my case my teachers were my age or a little older..in great shape.

 

Each situation is relative I suppose.

If your instructor is a 5', 90lb, 85 year old woman that has been practicing the arts for 75 years,

 

Maybe she shouldn't spar....just a thought.

[embm]

My instructor has a saying: I have taught you everything you know, but I have not taught you everything I know.

 

When sparring, he will and he instructs us to also handicap ourselves to fight on the level of the person we are fighting. Our job is to make out students better and more confident in their abilities - beating them does not teach.

 

I will spar a kickboxer differently than I will spar a point fighter. I will spar an orange belt differently than I will spar a brown belt.

 

I have beaten one of my instructors in tournament sparring, does that mean I have less respect for her? Absolutely not. That means on that day, at that time, point sparring, I won. Next time, she may beat me like a drum and I will learn.