Your teacher and you
Original Poster: bamboo
Forum: Others
Posted On: 09-09-2005, 09:40
Orginal Post: bamboo: What kind of relationship do you have with your teacher?
The greatly changing face of martial arts and the newly emerged "style" that is MMA (Yes, I do believe that its become a style unto itself but thats another discussion alltogether) do you think that the old school student-teacher relationship has changed or if its even applicible to todays standards?
I believe in the old system and find myself knee deep in it by having two very specific loyalties- One my sensei at my home dojo and two my sensei that I travel to learn from and whom will be grading me for now on.
With my teacher at my home dojo, we are very close- we share beer, he comes over for dinner, blah blah blah, and in return for this long forged relationship I enjoy a brutality unfelt by most on our mats as well as a both a freedom and an attention to detail that most simply do not recieve. Yes i do the crap paperwork and am always the one in early preparing for both mine and his classes, but we have an unspoken bond. No one gets to sensei without going through bamboo first. That includes stupid questions, new applicants and once in blue moon off the street jackhats.
With my teacher in the states, its very formal at the moment, I have only recently been accepted into the ranks of his students and still have a very "arms length" relationship. Exactly how I want it at this moment.
So, as addressed in the first line, whats your relationship with your teacher?
Do you really even have one?
Do you think its even applicible in this new age of martial arts?
I know some most likely find my hold on this aspect of tradition to be laughable- why?
Please be honest in your responses, I respect many of you and hold opposing views with logical resoning or simple gut feelings in high regard.
-bamboo
Teachers I believe are the most important thing in training along with the style itself. The teacher "makes" the style. I have always tried to forge a good relationship with my teachers. Pay them proper respects, train hard, and show him/her your "spirit" for training.
Sensei Russ and I have a good relationship. I have trained with him for quite a while and I believe I have earned his respect. We have spent time in and outside of class and I believe have become fairly close.
My Kyokushin teacher; Shihan Fujiwara and I have become closer as well. We have spent a lot of time outside of class talking (he lives in my neighborhood) and have become "friends" (as close as a teacher and student can be).
I think teachers become father figures in a way. I have always felt that kindof relationship with them.
The way I see it is that they are sharing your knowledge and experiences with you. You owe them hard training, dedication, and a deep respect.>
Post: bamboo:
Quote: I think teachers become father figures in a way
Interesting you say that. Now that I've begun to teach a regular class and have a small contigent of "bamboo flavoured students" (those that favour my classes over the wife...fools, shes 10x better than me!) I've started to feel that "being looked up to" by the younger guys still in the teens or early 20s. I really don't feel comfortable about this but I think its almost part of the role if your in a fairly traditional dojo.
If anyone told me years ago that MAs had more to it than hurting people, I'd have thought they were crazy. Now though........
:wink:
-bamboo>
Post: dscott:
Since I'm in a small class of only 5, I'm fairly close with my instructor. We don't hang out outside of class but we've both been invited to things outside of class (though we haven't attended).>
Post: lakan_sampu:
I and Grandmaster Presas are a little bit close now. He even introduces me to pretty girls in Arnis classes in PE in our university. He often treats us to lunch if we haven't eaten yet and he even personally asked me to take care of the dojo this coming July since he and most of our instructors will be going to Boracay for a month.
Yes, I think the old, close unspoken bond between teacher and student is still applicable nowadays. It works for me...>
Post: zefff:
Damn! A teacher who sorts out the skirt is one man who demands respect! :D>
Post: nbotary:
Hell yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!
My first teacher was one of my roommates from college. We were really close as friends until he crossed the line at his graduation party. My wife and I had only been dating a year at the time, and while we were out at the bar, he went up behind her and tried to pull a Patrick Swayze dirty dancing move on her - thinking it was all fun of course. Word to the wise: No matter how hot you think your buddy's girl is, you don't go up behind her and grind your crotch into her! He continued to act like an ass the rest of the night. He apologized afterwards (the next day), but the damage had already been done. Long story short, it ended our friendship real quick.
My other two teachers and I, Sifu Jeff Bolt and my friend Michael Aronson, have a great relationship. I'm closer with Michael due to the fact that we met as classmates and became friends that way. I threw him his bachelor party and he took part in my bachelor party - Sifu Bolt attended both and went to Michaels nuptials. He was unable to attend mine due to the fact that he was in Moscow on business, but made sure that I had a good time during my bachelor party!!>
Post: bamboo:
Do you guys use the "titles" when you address you teacher?
On the mat , its always "sensei" to my teacher, but I won't let the guys I teach call me that...I simply don't think I've earned it as of yet.
-bamboo>
Post: nbotary:
Sifu Bolt doesn't formally go by title, but those of us who prefer to be traditional always call him Sifu. Everyone else calls him Jeff or Sifu.
My friend Michael doesn't go by a title as of yet... He said that when he finally opens his school it will be formal and traditional and I'll be happy to do it out of respect to him and to set an example for the other students.>
Post: eagerdragon:
I have a great relationship with my Sifu (Master Saleem), but we draw a line between how much we interact outside of school. We have lunch or dinner together, but that's it. He really keeps it traditional. I have been training with him for over 10 years and never known where he lives. Titles are always used in our school in and outside of the school.>
Post: zefff:
My current Sifu is really a sound guy,
we have a laugh and lots of banter all the time before and after sessions or in the small breaks but always put the work in. He loves the challenge of every 'why' question too. He doesnt sort the skirt though. :(
My 1st Sifu/Guro is a top class guy,
we rarely talked about anything else except fighting though. I only socialised a coule of times with him but I know that whenever I see him he will always be warm hearted and ready to make time for me like a brother. Ahh I do miss his library! :D>
Post: Kyorgi:
I've been having some problems with my instructor. It seems whenever we do stretches I look around the class are there are plenty of other students with worse streches then me. Yet for some reason my instructor always seems to pick on my stretch. The same goes for forms. He seems to always pick on my stances and blocks when I constantly see others not sitting as deep or locked out. He even went so far as to move my middle block 1 inch to the left...At first I thought he was just preparing me because I am going to a tournament soon, but other students who will be competeting have worse forms than I do and he still does not pick on them...Anyone know what the deal is? Is he trying to prepare me? I try not to make a big deal of it, but its getting on my nerves more and more.>
Post: zefff:
most likely you are getting extra attention because you show more potential than others.
If you want to be the best you can be you should try to be most critical of yourself anyway.
It might bug you now but Im sure the instructor has your best interests at heart.>
Post: bamboo:
Quote: It seems whenever we do stretches I look around the class are there are plenty of other students with worse streches then me. Yet for some reason my instructor always seems to pick on my stretch. The same goes for forms. He seems to always pick on my stances and blocks when I constantly see others not sitting as deep or locked out. He even went so far as to move my middle block 1 inch to the left...At first I thought he was just preparing me because I am going to a tournament soon, but other students who will be competeting have worse forms than I do and he still does not pick on them...Anyone know what the deal is? Is he trying to prepare me? I try not to make a big deal of it, but its getting on my nerves more and more.
The parts I highlighted really stood out to me. You should be paying attenton to two people, your teacher and you. Stop worrying about about what everyone else is doing, stop watching other people. Just stop.
Not knowing the teacher or the other side of the story, sounds to me like hes pushing you. Why are you happy just being better than the others when you obviously are able to do more?
He forces more out of you and your getting frustrated, sounds like a good school.
I personaly pick on the good students, the ones that look out the window or are busy watching everyone else get picked on at first, then they just get ignored. Nothing is more annoying to someone that is teaching an art they love than to see people not paying attention and even worse, watching someone with a metric ton of potential not have the "hunger".
-bamboo>
Post: Dirty_Irishman:
I think Bamboo is definently right about the MMA training basically becoming its own system all together. But I think that if you have a good teacher, one that understands training people for the cage, the streets, the battlefield, like at my school then the bond will be even closer. At my school we train as realistically as possible while maintaining safety. But we do get hurt, just not permenantly. We believe that its important to know what's uncomfortable and what will tap you, its important to know what it feels like to get so that you don't get caught off guard.
I think that to actually teach people how to stay alive as opposed to how to score a point, really increases the bond. Like I said in another post I've only been at this school for 7 months and already I feel like I'm surround by family when I walk in. Everyone cares about everyone else, we may hassle each other but its because if you train soft how will you deal with things when they get hard? I'd say I'm probably closer to my instructor than I am my father.>
Post: setsu nin to:
I also agree that MMA become its own system today. There is kickboxing in it, but its not kickboxing any more, there is boxing, but its not boxing any more, there is BJJ / wrestling, but its not BJJ / wrestling any more?>
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|