Experience or Lineage

[MJS]

Lets say you find a Martial Art that you really like. But in your area, there are only 2 teachers offering the art. One instructor, has trained for about 10yrs, but he trained directly under the head of the system. The other instructor has trained much longer, but he trained under someone who learned from someone else, so there is a pretty good generation gap.

Who would you train under and why?

 

[Andrew Green]

Depends on who is the better instructor. Lineage wouldn't be at all important too me, but technical knowledge and teaching ability would.

 

[stone_dragone]

It would have to depend on how much I, as the hypothetical student, have in the martial arts have myself. If I, as a brand new student who doesn't know my ashi from a hold on the ground, were inquiring, I probably wouldn't know the difference between the two and would go with whichever teacher seemed to be closer to what my ideals would be (patient, informative, relaxed but disciplined, etc) and could teach me the most effectively. I would also take into account how the students look and stuff of that nature.

I, as a more experience MA'ist, on the other hand would have to take into account other criteria. If the 10-year teacher who studied under the Head of the system was a "Maurice," if you will (see "Common Martial aRts Students thread in Comedy Cafe, I think) and the more experienced teacher was trained in a very hands on and physical manner, I would take the latter of the two.

All things being equal, I would have to go with the better teacher, not the better pedigree.

 

[Grenadier]

Potential versus established... Always an interesting question.

The bottom line is this: If you want better quality knowledge right now, and don't want to take any chances, then go with the more established teacher. You know what he offers, and in the end, that's what you'll get.

As for the other fellow, maybe there's all sorts of untapped potential, and perhaps he could become better than the other guy in due time, but in the short term, this is going to mean getting inferior instruction. Also, there's always the chance that he will never go beyond a certain point.

You have to let your own eyes, mind, and heart, do the seeing and thinking.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Lineage does not mean good teacher nor does lack of lineage mean bad teacher.

Don't get me wrong, lineage can be a very good thing but it truly only means that the person probably studied with a good teacher, it does not mean they are good and who knows they may have been a bad student.

Look here
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30029

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

I don't care where you're from but where you are going and can you take me with you if I choose to go.

In other words I want the better product(instructor), not the guy with the better brand name(lineage)

 

[trueaspirer]

For me, it would depend a lot on the instructor themselves and how they teach, much less than where their ma background lies. I'd need to see, as in any circumstance, whether it seemed like the instructor, and his school, were for me. If both were even, though, I really am not sure what I'd pick.

 

[pstarr]

Pedigree is nice but I'd go with the better teacher...just studying under the head of a system doesn't indicate how often he trained, how well he learned, or if he is able to effectively transmit knowledge.

 

[tradrockrat]

The better teacher. All the rest is secondary to quality.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

I'd probably go with the more experienced instructor. But there are so many other variables in the mix, it's really hard to say.

Jeff

 

[matt.m]

I would talk to both personally. Get a feel for them, see if you can participate in their class. It doesn't matter who someone learned from or how long they have been teaching if you cant mesh with them then none of it matters.

 

[jks9199]

It's important to remember that just because someone trained under the head of the system or whatever super-duper high rank you want to pick... That doesn't mean that they learned anything better. Especially as systems "age", the number of people that train under the head of the system (HoS) multiply almost exponentially. The attention they recieve from the HoS decreases the same way...

My instructor was one of the earliest students in the US in our art. I've trained directly and regularly under him for over 20 years. I've also received training from his teacher, our chief instructor, including some close supervision. There are many others with the same relationship to him; some of them undoubtedly claim to be trained by him. Me? My teacher is my teacher; I've had the privilege of being instructed on occasion by his teacher.

 

[bydand]

I would talk to both personally. Get a feel for them, see if you can participate in their class. It doesn't matter who someone learned from or how long they have been teaching if you cant mesh with them then none of it matters.

Ditto.

Also, you get to see what type of student each attracts/keeps. That can be just as telling as their training styles. If the rest of the students are not what you expect, it will distract you from the training no matter how qualified or talented the instructor is.

 

[MJS]

For myself, I'm kind of split between the two choices. Of course, the quality of the teacher is very important, however, if it meant training with someone who was closer to the source of the material, that may in the long run be better.

Mike

 

[stone_dragone]

A friend of mine used to tell me that he trained under a golden glove boxer.

I had to inform him that it did not, in fact, make him a golden glove boxer.

If I learn to read from an Amish girl, it makes me neither Amish nor female. Depending on her teaching skills, it may not even mean that I can read.

Just another POV.

 

[terryl965]

A friend of mine used to tell me that he trained under a golden glove boxer.

I had to inform him that it did not, in fact, make him a golden glove boxer.

If I learn to read from an Amish girl, it makes me neither Amish nor female. Depending on her teaching skills, it may not even mean that I can read.

Just another POV.

I agree with ths statement one can only learn if the teacher can teach, linage is important for recognetion, but what happens from the one that cannot teach, joe blow from down the street may not have great linage but can teach the material better for that particular student.
Terry

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Definately meet them both and see which one you could learn the best under!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com