Instruction vs. Teaching

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

When providing instruction one gives a "direction or order" of detailed information "telling" others how something is done, operated, or assembled. To teach is to convey ideas or principles as taught by one who is trained and experienced in teaching. 

Teaching and learning is a process and both teacher and student have a mutual reciprocal duty to one another, i.e., one teaches and one learns. It is an interaction between two to work toward achieving goals and objectives in order to incorporate, encode and understand new knowledge, behaviors, and skills that add to their current range of learning experiences. 

To instruct others is an act, giving specific steps that must be followed or an order to follow. Like giving a person or persons detailed directions toward a specified objective. Many things are assumed and similar to a military organization one is taught then when time arrives to act they are giving specific instructions, orders, to achieve the objective. In most cases instructions are conveyed and expected to be followed step-by-step without or with little deviation involved. 

Teaching and learning is about creativity so that one can create methodologies to achieve any variety of goals and objectives with little or no input from others. When facing situations that involve unknown events, situations and actions like self-protection one must achieve an understanding that leads and requires a creative response often on the fly, in the moment, that goes beyond a taught specific step oriented technique based instruction. 

In the best situation one is first instructed in fundamentals and basics of a discipline then to achieve the ultimate understanding of creative methodologies based on principles, not techniques, etc., one must achieve a creative mastery of the discipline through a teaching methodology. Instruct then teach is the yin/yang of such things and as one on the martial arts already knows and understands the way of nature and the Universe. 

One is instructed on how to perform a basic and one is instructed on how to perform a kata and one is "TAUGHT" how to apply those skills in a creative way to handle the plethora of events one will face in a dynamic dangerous chaotic unknown and unpredictable situation requiring self-protection. 

Teaching is a dynamic reciprocal understood and method that creates within each individual person an ability that done properly feels like magical thinking and magical ability to handle such often dangerous and dynamic situations and events. 

Use both to achieve an art form of instructions to teaching that makes each person in your dojo a potential master who will succeed if ever the need to defend and protect meets up with them in their daily life. 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)