Interesting question.

[arnisador]

In another post Zoran asked:

Originally posted by Zoran

Lets say you lived in an area with only 3 MA schools near you.
1) An average instructor from a great system.
2) A good instructor from a good system.
3) A great instructor from an average system.
Which would you choose.

Interesting question! At this stage in my martial arts development I would likely take the great system (1.) as I feel I know enough to work with the material and the instructor; starting out the good or great instructor would be more important I would think and I might choose 2., though a case could be made for 1. if one expected to move someday. Even still, for good foundations one needs a good system and a good instructor.

 

[ShiN]

wow,

I feel I'd go for the 2nd option, I feel I need to like the style in the first place, if not then even a great teacher couldn't give me martial-arts 'satisfaction'

A trully bad teacher couldn't give me either, because he couldn't teach the style, so it wouldn't make sense in the first place.



(cool question! :asian: )

 

[tshadowchaser]

I'm not really sure, based on the choices given. After visiting each school a few times and talking to the studnts( not the instructors) about what they liked and disliked I might be able to better judge. I would have to go with my gut feelings after seeing and questioning. This is based on the presumtion thaI did not know anything about the arts.
If I had studied befor I might just go to the one closet to the system I knew or to one I wanted to learn. There are to any avenues open to the student who studied befor.
Shadow

 

[Kirk]

You'd have to have had some experience in m.a. to even come
up with this dilemna. All I can say is thank God for the internet,
and my friend "fist of fury" who's had quite a bit of exposure to
varying arts, or I wouldn't be an m.a. student at all right now.
I joined TKD, and was stoked! My heart was BROKEN when I
had to quit because I was too big for TKD. When you weigh
what I do, doing jumping kicks isn't conducive to good health.
He told me "well my style doesn't do that" which made me
research other styles before going into another school. Had I
not had this fortune, I would've thought that all m.a.'s encompass
jumping kicks, and the like that just aren't made for big men to
do. It also helped me learn that his style can best be described
as an advanced form of slap boxing, or perhaps patty cake.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :angel: :angel: :angel:

 

[Zoran]

Originally posted by arnisador

In another post Zoran asked:


Interesting question! At this stage in my martial arts development I would likely take the great system (1.) as I feel I know enough to work with the material and the instructor; starting out the good or great instructor would be more important I would think and I might choose 2., though a case could be made for 1. if one expected to move someday. Even still, for good foundations one needs a good system and a good instructor.

I'm glad you liked the question. As you showed in your post, it's one of those problems that has a different answer according to what angle you look at it, kind of like self-defense. Originally I was going to go the great-average-lousy route, but the great-good-average route makes it more interesting and difficult to answer.

Another thing to consider is can a great intructor make the system they teach better or can a average intructor make thier great system worse?

 

[fist of fury]

Originally posted by Kirk

You'd have to have had some experience in m.a. to even come
up with this dilemna. All I can say is thank God for the internet,
and my friend "fist of fury" who's had quite a bit of exposure to
varying arts, or I wouldn't be an m.a. student at all right now.
I joined TKD, and was stoked! My heart was BROKEN when I
had to quit because I was too big for TKD. When you weigh
what I do, doing jumping kicks isn't conducive to good health.
He told me "well my style doesn't do that" which made me
research other styles before going into another school. Had I
not had this fortune, I would've thought that all m.a.'s encompass
jumping kicks, and the like that just aren't made for big men to
do. It also helped me learn that his style can best be described
as an advanced form of slap boxing, or perhaps patty cake.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :angel: :angel: :angel:

See you started off good and just had to go and screw it up.

I think I would take choice #1 I'm sure eventually I would be able to find a great instructor.

 

[Chiduce]

Originally posted by arnisador

In another post Zoran asked:


Interesting question! At this stage in my martial arts development I would likely take the great system (1.) as I feel I know enough to work with the material and the instructor; starting out the good or great instructor would be more important I would think and I might choose 2., though a case could be made for 1. if one expected to move someday. Even still, for good foundations one needs a good system and a good instructor.

This is a good question. I like #3 because a great instructor of an average system would give the students the basic foundation! The instructor would them expect the students, after a reasonable time within the system to start improvements upon this basic foundation with their interpretation of the needed improvements thereof. The instructor would also guide them in their respective directions of his/her intent. So, not only will the students in time create their own version of the system the instructor is teaching. The instructor will also see their improvements as positive feedback in improving his/her basic instruction foundation for the next group of black belts! Sincerely, In Humility; Chiduce!