Unsung Teachers

UNSUNG TEACHERS

 

There are those who by choice will refuse to join any association or group that offer their services, (because of the money and control aspect some would say), opting instead to teach a limited select few students on a small scale without outside interference, or getting involved in martial art politics and without focusing attention on certificates and qualifications but instead being focused on the job in hand, that being, learning effective combat skills.

 

 

These instructors are in some ways the unsung heroes of the martial arts preferring to teach the martial arts up to a good standard, hopefully, without seeking publicity or fame. Students who are trained under these conditions are normally people who are not interested in certificates or qualifications but prefer to learn good quality combat skills. These instructors and their students will never hold formal qualifications or widespread recognition for their efforts but will have gained the most valuable part of the martial arts and that is a 'never to be forgotten' experience.

 

Those who prefer to train only a few select students will often teach for free or for a modest small fee. They are not interested in money or fame and regard certificates as just a worthless piece of paper that will in the end not stop someone in a real street fighting situation. They also further regard competition sporting events as being no more than a point scoring game.

 

A true traditionalist will always say that you should only fight to protect your family and your own life and not for a plastic trophy that will only boost your ego for a short time.

Enlightened Or Fake?

ENLIGHTENED OR FAKE?

 

Learning the martial arts all my life as never made me a good or better person as a result and clearly this is also the case with many others within the martial arts after seeing and hearing about some of the things that they themselves have done over the years.

 

 

During my martial art career I have come across well respected writers and book publishers who openly think that the general public are the 'great unwashed' and are not even worthy to exist, highly regarded martial artists who have harassed women and young girls in a sexual way, even to the point of sending naked photos of themselves, and far worse than that, high ranking and well respected martial art teachers who threaten people for money, while carrying a gun in some cases, and dealing drugs on the street.

 

It is for this reason in the main that I do not always trust people who bang out words of wisdom and tell others what they should or should not do, as I often wonder if they themselves follow their own words or are they simply seeking attention and trying to make people think they are good and wise.

 

Therefore when first entering the world of the martial arts never take what you see, read or hear at face value, or for granted, without checking first.

Make The Time

MAKE THE TIIME

 

Anyone involved in the martial arts will know that a good teacher will push his students to the limit, and beyond, as their level of skill and conditioning becomes more advanced over time and that the pain barrier must be broken, in some situations, if you wish to progress on to the next level, but this 'mind-set' that is passed on to the next generation of students, can and often does become more anti-productive than helpful at times.

 

 

The problem often becomes more noticeable when the student, who is now the teacher himself, instils this self-same standard upon himself during periods of injury.

 

Thinking that it is weak or being soft to rest up and recover from maybe a torn ligament they often fail to realise that they are doing more harm than good by continuing their training or teaching.

 

Often when advised to rest and recover they say that they must think positive, overcome negative thoughts and pain and not let such things stop them. Unfortunately more often than not this way of thinking is simply down to vanity and not wishing people to think they are weak.

 

"My instructor would not let two broken legs and two broken arms stop him from teaching a class" you can hear them say but this so-called positive attitude can easily cross the line into the area of stupidity.

 

Unless you are planning to fight a war in the very near future it would be far wiser to recognise the need to rest and recover rather than risk more serious medical problems in years to come.

 

When it comes to self-defence also remember that you are also defending your health - so MAKE THE TIME - for you.

Keep Going

KEEP GOING

 

In a fighting situation, or in the competition ring, the aim is to win the fight in the fastest possible time but this is not always possible. In a fighting situation a lot of energy and mental focus will be needed even over a short period of only a few seconds therefore if the fight continues for maybe several minutes then this will become exhausting to say the least. The need for high levels of stamina and the mental discipline to stick with it throughout will be vital.

 

 

Training in this area of the martial arts will often involve workout routines that gets the heart pumping and the lungs pounding. There is nothing worse than being out of breath when trying to fight for your life or every part of your body feels like jelly and you feel like giving up and letting your opponent win the competition, or worse, if it's a fight to the death in the street.

Is It Wise To Kill?

IS IT WISE TO KILL?

 

How often do we hear people say that they would kill without hesitation if their life was in mortal danger?

 

 

Anyone faced with the threat of severe harm, or even the possibility of being killed, will always consider the option of using lethal force in an effort to survive the encounter but using lethal force is not that easy a thing to do, in fact a sane minded person would find it impossible to carry out, unless pushed beyond breaking point.

 

When it comes down to it 'taking a life' is far more emotionally intense than just saying that you would or could as anyone who has experienced such a devastating situation will tell you.

 

The taking of a 'real human living being's' life is something that will be much, much more traumatic on the mind than you could ever possibly imagine even when in the heat of battle, or in a street fight, depending on the nature of the individual of course.

 

There are many people in the martial arts who would readily say that if faced with a life or death situation they would not hesitate to kill their opponent but the traumatic effects on the mind, both before the act of killing and after the event, would leave you devastated and a true victim of your own actions.

 

If you are the victim of a life threatening attack then that will leave you suffering from aftershock for many years to come, but if it is you that takes someone's life, then you also would have to suffer the emotional burden of what you did, and try to live with it, for the rest of your life.

 

So the next time someone asks you the question 'could you kill someone who is attacking you with lethal force' try to imagine what it would be truly like to take a life before you answer, and of course, hope that such a situation never comes your way - ever.