I was told a long time ago by my instructor that his goal was to make me a better martial artist then him. At first glance, this seems like a good idea.
I think about my instructor...Mid forties, fit, fast, and furious. Thirty years of MA experience. 4th dan in Tang Soo Do. 1st dan in Takeda Ryu Aikijujutsu. Maestro in Arnis De Mano. 22 years experience as a jail warden with thousands of fights under his belt.
That is a lot to live up to. And, honestly, it might be a goal that I never attain...
Then I think about my own students...I practice MA about 10 hours a week outside of class on top of running and lifting weights. I work constantly to improve my skill level. I do this because I believe that the students I teach should have an instructor that always holds the edge in class. As a result, I've never been faced with a situation where a student has walked into my class and there skills have outstripped mine. High ability students only make me want to work harder. In the end, as I raise the bar for my students, I also raise the bar for myself.
So, how can my instructor's goal ever be attained? Should it be?
upnorthkyosa :asian:
I think about my instructor...Mid forties, fit, fast, and furious. Thirty years of MA experience. 4th dan in Tang Soo Do. 1st dan in Takeda Ryu Aikijujutsu. Maestro in Arnis De Mano. 22 years experience as a jail warden with thousands of fights under his belt.
That is a lot to live up to. And, honestly, it might be a goal that I never attain...
Then I think about my own students...I practice MA about 10 hours a week outside of class on top of running and lifting weights. I work constantly to improve my skill level. I do this because I believe that the students I teach should have an instructor that always holds the edge in class. As a result, I've never been faced with a situation where a student has walked into my class and there skills have outstripped mine. High ability students only make me want to work harder. In the end, as I raise the bar for my students, I also raise the bar for myself.
So, how can my instructor's goal ever be attained? Should it be?
upnorthkyosa :asian: