funnytiger
Blue Belt
In no way do I intend "this attitude" to be used for ANY sort of learning. Just in relevant areas where such terminology are not entirely useful. In medical education and computer sciences, for example, terminology can be a matter of life and death.
In other kinds of learning, like sports or physical activities, it's not at all important.
Well, let me be the first to admit that I do not know most of the terminology in LHBF and I follow my father's school's way of teaching just to hide the fact that I do not know the terminology. I'm not being sarcastic. I've lived in Australia too long for me to remember non-basic Cantonese.
When I did use to teach, I had a student who was around 11 years old. His father, who trained in traditional forms of karate, is almost always there to observe me teach the kid. Maybe my emotional radar is on the fritz, but it seems the kid's father respects my way of teaching (not to mention a university researcher I also teach later on that day).
In an ideal world, the argument that it is "important for communicating between martial artists" is a strong one. In real application, it's much weaker. First, there is no standardisation of terminology (I know I used the word terminology, but I use it more leaning towards "names of forms"). Second (and I also get confused by this) many schools translates things just a little bit different from many other schools.
I can't say I agree with your last statement at all. I have never run into a school that translates Cantonese terminology in a way that can not be readily understood universally. In other words, "kuen" is fist or set or otherwise a word or phrase that gives the same meaning. I don't know how it is with Manadrin schools, but I would think its runs along the same lines in translations.
Your methods may work just fine and everyone is tickled pink with their daily lessons. But I still think that you are leaving your students at a disadvantage and robbing them of some important information despite what you may think.
But I can not dictate what you or your father teaches in your school.
I think clfsean probably addressed your post the best.
- ft