The teachers that help you the most are those who make you think the most. To be given a steak when you are hungry is great, to be taught how to hunt so you satisfy your own hunger is awesome. To be taught to keep your pantry filled so you never have to go hungry is even better.
How does this relate to SD (since this is a SD site): the teacher giving you a steak is basically providing you with a bodyguard. While it’s great and it works, what happen if you are attacked when you are by yourself? The second will teach you certain moves that have a very high percentage of success. This is great and a good step toward being self sufficient. The third will teach you principles that will serve you in any set of circumstances.
The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, rather than what to think.
Lise-
ReplyDeleteThis is something I've been puzzling over. Most people looking for self-defense instruction are "naive consumers" they can't tell a crappy school or instructor from a good one. It's easy to find or create a list of warning signs, but what specifically can a new person look for to find a good instructor? The only one I've thought of so far that a bad instructor can't fake is having a high percentage of long term students who work in dangerous professions.
What indicators do you look for?
It would be awesome to compile a list like that.
ReplyDeleteI think the long term students you speak of are the best indicator. The proof is in the pudding. If your students are facing violence and surviving it then you are doing your job. I could also add surviving and NOT spending time in jail for the trouble.
I would scratch off all the teachers that make unrealistic claims and offers of short cuts. "Spend the weekend with me and for a mere $1,000 I'll show you how to kill a man with your bare hands" or "Take my class and you will never get punched again"
I personally stay away from people that have to knock others off to make themselves look good. And definitely from people that promotes themselves to some high impressive rank or self promoted SD gurus.
A SD teacher would have to understand true violence and the concerns and dangers that face his/her students.
He/she should be able to offer realistic training and focus the skills on PREVENTING and recognizing violence.
For the regular consumer out there it can be hard to discern if what is taught is good or BS. They should look as who backs up that teacher or ask someone knowledgeable in that field.
It is scary to see what is being passed off as SD nowadays. I seriously pray that those students will never face violence or their over confidence in poor kills will get them hurt or killed.
I'll have to ponder some more on this and see if I can add to the list.
Great idea Rory.. you is always thinking ;-)