When do you consider yourself a student...

[Master K]

Another thread got me thinking about this topic. What does it take to be a student of a particular instructor?

For instance, would you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor if you took a seminar with them? Would you consider yourself a student of a person if you trained with them for six months? Basically, when do you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor?

I am curious to hear other people's definitions.

Thanks!

 

[setboy]

I would say it take much more than a seminar. I would not even say I "worked out" with someone giving a seminar.

I would say some one becomes a student somewhere around one month, IF he/she is planning to keep training with you.


Raphael

 

[Omar B]

I dont consider myself somoene's student till he's my main trainer. I had a head instructor and an assistant instructor and since most of my training was handled by the assistant I considered him my teacher.

 

[MarkBarlow]

When it comes to basics, I would think that a long-term personal relationship would be required before I'd acknowledge the student/teacher roles. However, with a few years of experience under my belt and the ability to digest material quicker, I have one or two teachers I only see for a weekend or two every year and I still consider them my instructors. Of course, I also email and phone them for advice and input.

 

[Chizikunbo]

Another thread got me thinking about this topic. What does it take to be a student of a particular instructor?

For instance, would you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor if you took a seminar with them? Would you consider yourself a student of a person if you trained with them for six months? Basically, when do you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor?

I am curious to hear other people's definitions.

Thanks!

When you are formally accepted as a student, I.E. regularly studying with that person...not just once or twice and claiming to be a student.

fwiw,
--josh

 

[tshadowchaser]

When I first started studying I thought of myself as a student the first day. As time went on and I learned more I thought of myself as a student after reaching my first Black Belt rank. As more time went on I felt I was a student of the art more than the instructor as I learned from instructors in different areas of the country as I traveled.
Yes I was a student of all those instructors but then I became a student of the art.
As for attending a seminar NO I never considered myself a student of the person giving the instruction just a recipient of knowledge from them

 

[mystic warrior]

When it comes to basics, I would think that a long-term personal relationship would be required before I'd acknowledge the student/teacher roles. However, with a few years of experience under my belt and the ability to digest material quicker, I have one or two teachers I only see for a weekend or two every year and I still consider them my instructors. Of course, I also email and phone them for advice and input.

I am with ya on this one

 

[karate-dragon]

I agree that you must be accepted as a student and then train with that oerson as your one main instructor, even though you may attend other seminars are on occassion train with other people. It also has to do with who really helped me and who in the end I really respect. I received my first black belt in a kempo style after 8 years. Now have two other black belts in other styles. But it is my current teacher only that I call are consider myself to be a student of. I'm afraid I lost the respect for the other instrctors along the way. I acknowledge the accomplishments, but not really the other instructors.

 

[jks9199]

I think that the line I draw is when a particular instructor's teaching significantly and directly shapes my own training. I've learned from many people, of many different ranks. But I always shape what I learn from others to what I'm taught by my primary instructor. It's his guidance I seek on whether to test for promotion, who else I should visit and train with, what I should work on... He's shaped my training. He's also the standard and model for how I teach.

But, like I said, there are plenty of folks I've learned from. I've got Brian's IRT Cornerstone Lunging book, for example, a few feet away, and I've worked with the drills. In other words, I've learned from Brian (even indirectly), but that doesn't make him my teacher. I learned one of our animal forms from another person; he taught me that form, and a portion of the underlying system -- but he's not my teacher. I've learned lots from our grandmaster, and he was my teacher's teacher... but I wouldn't count myself as one of his direct students.

 

[Master K]

Mark Barlow brought up an excellent point. What about people that only train once a year or so?

What about people that maintain a personal relationship but don't train under their "instructor", yet claim to be a student of their instructor for thirty or forty years? For instance, let' say that I claim to have been training under my instructor for forty years. Yet the reality is that I haven't worn a uniform and been in a class of theirs since 1970. That would mean that I trained under my instructor for three years, yet I may have maintained a personal relationship for the remaining thirty-seven years.

Let's take it one step further. I trained under my instructor for six months in 1967. Then I lost contact with him/her. Through the power of the internet I establish contact again and we start to communicate. Should I claim to be a student of that person for forty years?

Any thoughts?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Another thread got me thinking about this topic. What does it take to be a student of a particular instructor?

For instance, would you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor if you took a seminar with them? Would you consider yourself a student of a person if you trained with them for six months? Basically, when do you consider yourself a student of a particular instructor?

I am curious to hear other people's definitions.

Thanks!

I am a student of my Yang Sifu and I am a student of my Sanda Sifu. I would also say I was a student of my Wing Chun Sifu and my first CMA Sifu.

But if I go to a seminar, which I rarely do anymore ,I am a student for that class but I am not their student. In the past I have done seminars with Yang Jwing Ming and Chen Zhenglei and although I liked the training I do not consider myself their student. And to be honest I do not think they would think that I was either. I just have not put in the time training with them to consider myself as such.

 

[Master K]

Mark Barlow brought up an excellent point. What about people that only train once a year or so?

What about people that maintain a personal relationship but don't train under their "instructor", yet claim to be a student of their instructor for thirty or forty years? For instance, let' say that I claim to have been training under my instructor for forty years. Yet the reality is that I haven't worn a uniform and been in a class of theirs since 1970. That would mean that I trained under my instructor for three years, yet I may have maintained a personal relationship for the remaining thirty-seven years.

Let's take it one step further. I trained under my instructor for six months in 1967. Then I lost contact with him/her. Through the power of the internet I establish contact again and we start to communicate. Should I claim to be a student of that person for forty years?

Any thoughts?

Any Master's willing to take a shot at the questions above?

 

[MarkBarlow]

Any Master's willing to take a shot at the questions above?

Only Masters? What about us poor schmucks in the trenches?:wink:

 

[Xue Sheng]

Any Master's willing to take a shot at the questions above?

Well that question is only mildly insulting to everyone that has already answered your original question.

And to be honest I do not consider myself a master of anything MA but then again neither do either of my CMA sifus. I am a student and I hope I always think of myself as such so I guess you can disregard my previous answer.

My Taiji Sifu has only over 50 years experience in taijiquan and was a student of Tung Ying Jie. And he only considers himslef a student of Tung Ying Jie

My Sanda Sifu has only 30 years experience in Sanda and all of his training is from his home in Harbin. And he only considers himself a student of his Sifu in Harbin, who is still alive.

What do you consider a master?

 

[MarkBarlow]

Well that question is only mildly insulting to everyone that has already answered your original question.



What do you consider a master?

Having studied Japanese martial arts primarily, the use of Master/Grand Master/Supreme Grand Master/etc... always sounds odd to me. No legitimate Japanese instructor is going to use such an honorific. I know it's a cultural difference but it does strike me as pompous.

I too am curious what constitutes a Master?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I think your question is variable depending on the circumstances and the people involved. Meaning there is not one exact answer that will fit every situation. The only answer that might be appropriate is that when one or both individuals feel there is a student/teacher relationship. I have had people think that they were my students when in reality they were not, (at least not close personally trained students) though later they became practitioner's in IRT as our bond grew. (then we were close) I am sure that one of the many instructors who dramatically influenced me would feel the same way and yet maybe not. (lord knows some of them had/have so many students/practitioner's) Still I have had more long lasting personal student/teacher relationships that I still cherish to this day. (absolutely cherish

)

However I am more interested in why you are asking the question? Also like Mark and Xue Sheng I am interested in your definition of a master.

As to myself I am just a student working on a path and trying to help others along the way.......

 

[Master K]

I did not mean to insult anyone. In hindsight the term "Master" was not the correct term. That's what I get for posting so early in the morning. Hopefully, people will continue to contribute to this thread.

As far as whether one considers themselves a Master or not; I will save that for another thread.

 

[MarkBarlow]

I did not mean to insult anyone. In hindsight the term "Master" was not the correct term. That's what I get for posting so early in the morning. Hopefully, people will continue to contribute to this thread.

As far as whether one considers themselves a Master or not; I will save that for another thread.

Referring to yourself as Master is a pretty clear indicator.:wink:

 

[Doc_Jude]

When you are formally accepted as a student, I.E. regularly studying with that person...not just once or twice and claiming to be a student.

Agreed!

 

[tshadowchaser]

I'll always be a student of the arts as long as I can move and breath
no matter how many others i pass my knowledge along to