Four Reasons To Teach The Martial Arts
People are always impressed when they find out that I am a martial arts instructor
. Unfortunately, I do not really care about impressing people. This is a cruel trap, because if they are impressed enough I can teach them, but I don't really care to impress them.
I remember when I first began the martial arts, this was a long time ago, I was impressed by these quick moving ninjas in pajamas, but what kept me going was that they talked to me. I mean, they were so tough, and yet they took the time to sit down and laugh and joke with a young kid. I always remember this, from the early days, and try to emulate my instructors behavior.
Now, that said, there are four reasons why I teach the martial arts. I am speaking from the viewpoint of instructor here, so you will probably find what I say a little different than what you might expect. Still, you might find my reasons enlightening.
One, I teach because it gives me power. The thing is, I am not speaking about power over people, I am speaking about the power I feel with the clarity of my thought and the health of my body. While friends I have had over the years grow old and fat, use walkers and oxygen tanks, cannot even bend over to tie their shoes, I run up the stairs, eat what I want, and am as active today as I was over forty years ago, when I was but 19.
Two, I teach to empty myself. Here is the truly odd thing, when I tell somebody something, if I have been true in my teachings, then I am suddenly empty, and in that emptiness I learn things. It is almost like I have shoved a book off the shelf, so there is room for another book, except that we are talking about knowledge being shoved out of the mind here.
Three, I teach so that I can get outside myself. I am not the attacker nor the defender, but I am both, outside of them, and this gives me a viewpoint that is almost totally unknown in western society. There simply is no practice, even of teaching, in western society, that gives this viewpoint.
Four, I teach so that I can relate to the world. I see so many people who talk much and say little, or they have understanding of their work, but not of the people in the world around them. Teaching the martial arts forces a commitment to a deeper level of communication, a zen level of communication, an intuitive level of communication that is so much more natural to my beingness and existence.
So, there you have it. Not all teachers have my same reasons, but you can bet they have reasons similar in scope and magnitude. Always know that whether somebody teaches the beautiful and exquisite arcs and forms of shaolin, or the inspiring internal energy of wudan, or combat oriented Krav Maga, or just fun and games like one would find in the mixed martial arts, know that there is a depth of personality that they are pursuing, and that it would behoove you to similarly pursue.
by: Al Case
Learn 4 Street Martial Arts Techniques Inside! Origins Of Ninja Get Martial Arts Training Secrets To Win Any Fight! Combining Martial Arts Like Wing Chun And Aikido How To Build The Gunfighter Mentality In Martial Arts! History Of Throwing Star Learn 5 Street Martial Arts Moves To Win Fights Easily! How To Punch Harder Than Mike Tyson! Are Eastern Martial Arts Dojos a Good Fit For Americans?