Teaching Martial Arts

I don't run a dojo today. I did for a long, long time but today I do not run one. I do visit one now and then and I spend a lot of time practicing and training on my own. I lead with this because it spoke of the topic for this post, teaching martial arts.

When I ran a dojo I taught Okinawan Isshinryu or Ryukyu-Te with specificity toward the branch of Shorin-ryu that falls under the Okinawan system of Ti or Te. Phew, just had to get that all out there again :-)

Teaching comes in many forms. The one we gravitate toward when someone speaks of teaching a martial art is the one where folks dress in specified garb for their system, enter into a hall of some sort and in bare feet get out on a hardwood floor and sweat, strain and practice - diligently and with heart. This is not the only venue to teach. It is not the only venue to teach a martial art.

Granted, if you wish to truly study a martial art you will have to go to a dojo or hall or space outdoors or any area where you or you and one other gather to practice and train. The location is secondary.

Once you gain a modicum of expertise in a system the teaching venue does and should grow beyond that dojo, where ever or what ever that may be. Today we have so many other teaching sources it can be daunting to just find and choose those that best suit your learning needs.

When I suggest to a student they keep a log of their training I would include those other aspects as well to keep track of what and how you do and learn things about your discipline. Your time in study of  the ancient classics to supplement the physical training and practice is still training and practice of your system in supplementation.

So, with that said - all those venues of learning are also of teaching. The person who writes a blog, runs a forum, participates on a yahoogroup style email system, produces DVD's or writes a book on a particular subject is still teaching someone some thing. I still teach even tho I am not running a dojo now. I have just shifted a bit to the right, or left if you prefer, and provide information for those who are interested to "data mine," sift and sort with retention or discard to achieve more knowledge. Those who do this are students and the martial I provide is still teaching. I hope anyway or should I say, my view.

I learn a great deal from the teachings of people like Rory Miller, Marc MacYoung, the Animal List, Kane and Wilder to name just a few. I learn from their books, web sites, blogs, video's and comments and communications of varying ways. I supplement what I currently know to work with more that I test in my practice. Those still active in the dojo can take it further into testing it out, playing with it and finding what works or does not work. Sometimes I visit a dojo I know just to vet out something that doesn't jel in practice.

Anyway, the point is teaching and being a student of martial arts goes beyond just entering a dojo. There is so much and so much to work out that is available and I guess what I am saying is given a proper "label :-)" it opens the box a bit for better thinking.

Maybe, just maybe this is what it teaches, to get a person to "think." Think about things, mull them over, float them to see what sinks and what swims - thinking, a good thing.