The Um and Yang
I recently spent an evening talking with one of my senior black belts about the future of the martial arts and the impact of training methods on the quality of the arts. The discussion revolved around my student's concern that the training methods used in the past produced more well rounded students because the class sizes were so much smaller. Traditionally, and here I'm talking about prior to the 20th century, the secrets of the martial arts were passed on to a single student or family member who spent a major portion of his life with one master or system. This type of training system was only possible during the period because of socioeconomic processes that allowed a student to spend his life studying with a single instructor. The instructor not only passed on his knowledge of the martial arts but also contracted to provide for the basic life necessities of his student. I had the great good fortune and luxury of a one on one, initial introduction to the Martial arts, which although not unheard of, was still unusual for the time period when schools were popping up on every street corner. This was in part due to the proliferation of martial arts in the movies and on TV during the middle to late sixties. My training consisted of a great deal more than just the physical aspects of the arts. It included from the onset, cultural and philosophical lessons that I assumed were a mainstay of all martial arts training. I found out some time later that this was really not the case and have leaned how privileged I was to have had such a well-rounded beginning to my Martial Arts journey.
This type of teaching system however, is no longer practical in today's society, even in the orient where the Martial Arts originated. Instructors and apprentices are no longer supported by a village willing to provide for their upkeep to ensure protection from bandits! Instructors are obliged to fit their instruction to the student if they want to survive. This includes not only training content, but also the timing of classes and even the type of facility provided. It's a very competitive business. Students have changed! The culture that produced students who were not only willing, but also obliged by family discipline and cultural pressure to spend their life learning an obscure art form no longer exists. Consequently the methods used for this type of training don't work very well today. It is a fast paced life. Students are very seldom patient enough to spend years learning a single concept. As a consequence of the difference in students, instructors have had to be resourceful and imaginative, continuing to pass on the essence of the martial arts while making the learning process fast paced and entertaining.
The concept of "BELTS" is a fairly recent addition to Martial Arts training methods. In an earlier era there were only students and masters. You were essentially a student until you mastered the basic skills necessary to begin teaching. This required a patient, dedicated spirit! Modern training methods have taken lessons that required years of training and broken them down into small bites that have a visual and emotional goal attached. This provides short-term goals for the students and gives continual feedback on progress. These methods better fit the needs of modern students and instructors. However it is essential to understand that "Black belt" is not equivalent to "Master" in this training system. Many of the more important aspects of the Martial Arts come after advancement to "Black belt".
Regardless of the training method used, good traditional Martial Arts require years of training to acquire the necessary skills for proficiency.
Emotional and physical maturity are essential components of this learning process. The older we get the more we learn about our bodies and ourselves. This physical and emotional maturity makes it easier to understand Martial Arts concepts. Many of my early lessons were not taught directly. I was allowed to fall down as many times as it took for my body to learn how to stand up! Although techniques are not often taught this way any more, continual practice accomplishes the same thing. We just spend more time telling people where they are headed!
My instructor often said the more important lessons of the martial arts "Seep In"; they are not part of some secret teaching method but take time to mature in the individual. This "Seeping In" process not only changes the individual's understanding of the lesson but ultimately changes the lesson as the student's accumulated knowledge and understanding broaden the overall concept. It is essential to remember the Ying and Yang nature of the universe when considering how we are changed by our art and how we change our art in the process.
It is the goal of every instructor to produce students that are better and more knowledgeable than they are. This process is inevitable! If our instructors have passed on their knowledge and we add to it our own, how could we be less?
Ultimately the same is true of the quality of Martial Arts in general, as our understanding improves so does the art!
Sa Bum Nim Jon Simonds
This type of teaching system however, is no longer practical in today's society, even in the orient where the Martial Arts originated. Instructors and apprentices are no longer supported by a village willing to provide for their upkeep to ensure protection from bandits! Instructors are obliged to fit their instruction to the student if they want to survive. This includes not only training content, but also the timing of classes and even the type of facility provided. It's a very competitive business. Students have changed! The culture that produced students who were not only willing, but also obliged by family discipline and cultural pressure to spend their life learning an obscure art form no longer exists. Consequently the methods used for this type of training don't work very well today. It is a fast paced life. Students are very seldom patient enough to spend years learning a single concept. As a consequence of the difference in students, instructors have had to be resourceful and imaginative, continuing to pass on the essence of the martial arts while making the learning process fast paced and entertaining.
The concept of "BELTS" is a fairly recent addition to Martial Arts training methods. In an earlier era there were only students and masters. You were essentially a student until you mastered the basic skills necessary to begin teaching. This required a patient, dedicated spirit! Modern training methods have taken lessons that required years of training and broken them down into small bites that have a visual and emotional goal attached. This provides short-term goals for the students and gives continual feedback on progress. These methods better fit the needs of modern students and instructors. However it is essential to understand that "Black belt" is not equivalent to "Master" in this training system. Many of the more important aspects of the Martial Arts come after advancement to "Black belt".
Regardless of the training method used, good traditional Martial Arts require years of training to acquire the necessary skills for proficiency.
Emotional and physical maturity are essential components of this learning process. The older we get the more we learn about our bodies and ourselves. This physical and emotional maturity makes it easier to understand Martial Arts concepts. Many of my early lessons were not taught directly. I was allowed to fall down as many times as it took for my body to learn how to stand up! Although techniques are not often taught this way any more, continual practice accomplishes the same thing. We just spend more time telling people where they are headed!
My instructor often said the more important lessons of the martial arts "Seep In"; they are not part of some secret teaching method but take time to mature in the individual. This "Seeping In" process not only changes the individual's understanding of the lesson but ultimately changes the lesson as the student's accumulated knowledge and understanding broaden the overall concept. It is essential to remember the Ying and Yang nature of the universe when considering how we are changed by our art and how we change our art in the process.
It is the goal of every instructor to produce students that are better and more knowledgeable than they are. This process is inevitable! If our instructors have passed on their knowledge and we add to it our own, how could we be less?
Ultimately the same is true of the quality of Martial Arts in general, as our understanding improves so does the art!
Sa Bum Nim Jon Simonds