Bhassler wrote:willie wrote:<snip> it cost me a lot of money to get the right information. So why would I give it away for free?
I definitely respect that, but if people are going to teach, they should try to do it well. Anyone is free to set the value for their teaching to whatever they want, so cost is no excuse. I object to the notion that some teachers have that's sort of like "I went through shitty treatment to get what I got, so now my students should have to go through that, too." That's like justifying child abuse by saying that the abuser was themselves abused as a child. Even though it may be true, it doesn't excuse bad behavior. The whole notion of stringing people along, or being too lazy to actually work at teaching is just a poor way to go about life. Again, I'm just ranting in general, here, and not trying to call anyone out.
We are very much an information-based consumer society, so there is an expectation inherent in our culture that we are entitled to the information we want. But inventors and corporations still keep their secrets so they can maintain control of output and dissemination of their products. That's why there's corporate espionage!
Martial arts are no different. Even in this day when weapons can kill even the highest-level kungfu fighter, traditional teachers hold onto their core methods because such skills are relatively rare, and thus precious. A student has to earn the privilege of receiving these teachings, and they can't be bought if the teacher doesn't want a particular person, or majority of people, to get them.
This is something of a culture clash, when you consider that almost anything is for sale in our Western society. But it's still a thing in Asian cultures to have a general class going on in the front of a school, where anyone can come in and learn the basic framework of a martial art, but in the back room are the "indoor students" who are learning something more. Here in the US and other Western countries, that would not go over well with some folks who felt they were paying their annual membership fee and monthly dues, and should thus be getting "everything."
There should be, and is, a "happy medium," however, IMO.
One of my teachers is truly open in sharing all aspects of his art with anyone willing to put the time and effort and passion into it. But, he will not hand out free info on the internet. You have to join one of his study groups or licensed instructors' schools, train with him directly, or at least get to several of his or his instructors' seminars and workshops every year. Those who have stuck with him really get the art, and continue to build and refine their skills for as long as they put the work and attention in.
My other teacher, in a different art from a different country/culture, came from a very traditional teacher who selected who would get the full art based on how hard they worked, how dedicated they were to the art and dojo, and their character. The guys who just wanted to learn to fight, got combat skills. The ones who wanted the full traditional experience, and were willing to learn the etiquette (which, they found out down the road, was tied into martial conditioning) and traditions, got the full art, including the tanren (body-forging exercises, which also have a deep purpose), the combat skills, and the internals, which are all tied together. They all paid the same fees, but got different things from the art. The ones who told the teacher what -they- wanted, got just what they wanted and nothing more. They didn't allow for the possibility that there could be something in the art they didn't know about or understand, yet. They just knew about fighting, and wanted that. The ones who were open and willing to be shown all that they did not know, were the ones who got it all. All for the same monthly dues.
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 11:52 am
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