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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
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