Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
In a nutshell, as a refresher since you probably already know this, a belief is: "an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists; trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something."
Therefore, a martial belief is the acceptance that what we learn, practice and apply is true, it exists and we do so with the trust, faith and confidence in those who come before us with something they wish to pass down to us. Our responsibility is to believe in the someone's and the somethings to only the degree necessary to create our beliefs, perceptions and to create appropriate concepts that build on said belief.
This is all fine and dandy...except when the belief becomes such that the believer becomes so imbedded in what that someone teaches them of that something to the point of fanaticism. In this instance the fanaticism is something that is taken as the gospel according to sensei to a point they are on a pedestal behind a podium preaching the word of .
This is a dangerous "way (doah or Do)." Many fall into this because they are presented with something by someone that becomes important to their very identity modifying their belief's coming into the dojo for the first time and having it modified through the proselytizing of sensei on the merits and mysteries of the style or that something they wish to pass down.
We, as sensei, have a huge responsibility that comes with taking the mantel on as a sensei, teaching the teachings of that something to those someone's because without the proper understanding and expertise in teaching regardless of what something is being taught and to whom it is being taught too.
There is a reason, as you already know and can readily imagine because we are all a product of one type of teacher or another as we go through life where said teachers are required to meet certain standards and requirements to actually teach, right? Yet, every Tom, Dick and Harriet who dons a black belt, often sho-dan, immediately assumes they can open a dojo and teach their something to someone, who by the way in most cases is forking over their hard earned cash thus reinforcing the very dissonance's that develop in the teachings.
Sensei then, in these hopefully rare cases, tends to advocate and promote that something while attaching their own personal beliefs, perceptions and concepts to those someone's who come to them expecting expertise of a kind that leaves out such emotionally oriented egoistic beliefs making the original less than, original.
It then, by a slow gradual evolution in the dojo, turns from teaching to conversion or an attempt to convert those who would follow to sensei's agenda even if sensei didn't mean to or even realizes that they have switched from sensei to something else. This is where the origins of the martial belief, practice and teachings becomes NOT the martial arts or karate's origins but something else for it is easy to slip into this mode ergo why teaching MUST be by experts.
What is a teaching expert especially of the martial arts and karate? Good question that all to often never gets answered simply because most who teach are not teaching from a foundation of expertise, they are teaching as businessmen and women who teach for profit. This is not a bad thing, it simply adds another complex layer to the art of being a sensei who teaches something to many someone's. Do they consider this as a part of becoming a sensei? Not so much.
It must be noted here, there are a huge number of sensei today that actually fit the model of expert martial artists and expert teachers, many will read this nodding their heads simply because they did the work.
Example: before becoming a sensei, teacher and instructor if you will, the black belt must travel through the three phases of learning and understanding the system they wish to pass down to those who would follow. Think of concepts like shu-ha-ri and shin-gi-tai, etc. Few follow that path and yet more are getting on that train to follow the rails to the path of true understanding...yeah!
As to what may be teaching requirements to achieve adequate credentials through a self-policing model since martial disciplines are not governed by anyone or any recognized organizations that society, in general, would accept the following is provided as a start-off point to learn.
In closing, I have been in the marital disciplines for forty-two + years and the reason I don't have the dojo and don't teach the hands-on disciplines is because I realized that I have not transitioned through the three phases and feel it would be unjust to teach those impressionable someone's who would follow for they must have a fully qualified expert teacher, guide and mentor in the martial disciplines (especially and critically when taught and practiced as a self-defense/protection discipline).
Bibliography (Click the link)
No comments:
Post a Comment