On teaching Martial Arts

Well... Where to start?

It is difficult.

I spent some time teaching English when I was a student. Most of my pupils were kids of people who had ambitions and plans for their kids, but them students themselves were not really interested. So it was like forcing the proverbial camel to drink the water from oasis. Perhaps not pointless, but a struggle for both of us.

Then I spent some time teaching IN business to professionals all over the world (Morocco, Austria, Jordan, Thailand, Malaysia, Philipines, Czech Republic, Gernamy, Kenya, SA, etc). When the participants were interested then it was fun, challenge and very, very rewarding. But if the students were sent there by their company and they were not so much interested... A struggle again.

Now, teaching martial arts is a totally different animal. Students can be either professionals (think: security guards), passionate enthusiast (think: really intersted and dedicated people) or casual, social guys (think: check this out - I do Aikido)

Surprisingly professionals are not the best and easiest to teach. They come with their baggage of experiences, expectations and so on. Usually they do not have enough time and dedication to actually study. All they seek is a few quick and effective trocks they could potentially apply without committing too much effort. With time, if they step deep enough, they might find something deeper and more interesting in Aikido, and then they would turn into enthusiasts.

All martial artists from other styles fall into this category - as somebody who seeks to enhance their already (perhaps presumed) proficiency in other styles.

With enthusiasts it is easy - really interested and easy to teach - they just want to learn new stuff, test themselves, techniques and their teacher. Very, very creative, rewarding and fun. Challenging (for the teacher), but fun.

Casuals come and go. I remember when still at the Uni and later in Other dōjōs there were so many people coming and going... It got to the point that when somebody I do not know greets me on the street I would think 'must be someone who met me at Aikido'. The turnover was so high I just wasn't able to remember all of them... I remember discussions with my teachers and they would always say 'motivation does not matter, what matters is thet that stay'. If they do stay in dõjõ then they might turn into enthusiast and then it becomes a bliss and joy for the teacher. But if they stay depends (IMHO) on whether actual art (in my case: Aikido) meets their personality and - equally if not more importantly - on the teacher. His skill in art, his skill as a teacher and his personality.

And here we reach the most important part: the teacher.

I believe that today, in the non-oriental countries teacher has very difficult job: he has to make the trainings attractive while not dissolving and flattening the art. I see two trends here.

Some teachers were lucky enough to have traditional teachers themselves. This means their trainig was tough, painful and they survived. They went through hell which shaped them into what they are now. And they make their students go through similar hell. Or even more. This is very admirable approach. But how many of students can, or are willing to go through hell? Enthusiasts, for sure. People whip are already dedicated. But other students will run away from such guy, for today people raised on fastfood and facebook are not willing to suffer pain, bruised, blood, perhaps even injuries.

I know solution to this one: separate beginners from advanced. Casuals and enthusiasts.

So some teachers are trying to make the art more approachable. They flatten the art, give away grades left and right just to attract more and more students. Make it more social, more entertainment than martial.

I am lucky enough to not make any money on teaching Aikido. So I can, at least in principle, not dilute the art and not really care if students turn away. I understand Aikido is very specific and is attractive to people with certain personality. But I still try to make classes attractive, so that students do not get bored. Especially here, in Central Africa. We do not have tatami. So if I spend one hour on just mae-ukemi I know than next class I will have only one or two guys... So I feel I need to find middle way. And this is challenge number one for me.

Challenge number two is this: Is it my job to make my students into fire-breathing martial artists? Or is my job to teach just the art within the system and it is up to the students to take it to the practically applicable level? It is easy if you have a permanenet dōjō, then sooner or later a group of enthusiasts will emerge and they will force their teacher to take them the next level. But if I meet students on irregular basis in different places... I can show the door, but I do not think I have the right to force them through it.

And Aikido would become an art, or rather an ART only after students reach quite high level of profficiency and technique stops being an obstacle and a challenge and becomes a vessel to express their personality... And to get there takes years of struggle uphill in the darkness in pain and rain.

I do not consider myself a fighter. I feel very lucky and priviledged to have met some extraordinary people in my life and I believe I have acquired certain skills or knowledge I feel I am oblidged to share. It is an adventure I can share with people, but where does my respinsibility as a teacher ends and where does it start for students?