A Koan: Teaching new insights.

[Thomas Vince]

This is a Zen term for the knowledge a teacher may bestow upon us. Please share with the forum the best things that your present or past instructors have taught you about the MA's.
Thomas

[Andy Murray]

That there is no such thing as defeat......as long as you have learned something in the process!

Andy

[Thomas Vince]

Very Good Andy, anyone else?

[pesilat]

My old Goju-Ryu instructor taught me a valuable lesson about the basics.

"The basics are the foundation. Everything else is built on the basics. If you improve a basic, you improve everything that's build on that basic. You can never overdo the practice of your basics. If you want to improve an advanced technique, work on the basic which it's built on."

Mike

[Thomas Vince]

That was excellent pesilat! I couldn't agree more with that. Anyone else have something to share that a teacher taught them?

[Greyghost]

"A man who has never made a mistake knows nothing...."

and my particular favorite.......

"keep your hands up......(thud)"

[Freeform]

'Remember, without awareness you'll end up eating pavement' whilst sparring with him, a minute latter he stops, looks behind me and says
'Yes?'
I look, he hits me, theres no-one there.

Oh, and never try to split up two women when they're fighting.

[Thomas Vince]

Fraser,
Definately!
Who else can help bestow some wisdom upon us? Come on there's lot's of good MA's in this forum.

[Thomas Vince]

Freeform sounds like your Instructor had a good sense of humor and some good insights!

[hongkongfuey]

I once asked something of an instructor about a 'fair fight', and he replied that there is no such thing.

Whether it is in a tournament, in the class, or outside, you use whatever means at your disposal to win.

6 years later, I'm still pondering at to whether I agree or not. (and I think I do!)

[Freeform]

Bite, spit, swear, insult his parentage, anything goes as long as it works ;)

[hongkongfuey]

I'm glad I don't live in the same Town as you!

hang on a minute .....

[Joseki]

Confidence is what my instructor taught me

[Thomas Vince]

How did he go about teaching you confidence?

[Joseki]

first he said todays efforts are tomorrows change
so that made me work harder.
And as i worked harder my confidence grow (but only with practice not just by words)

[Thomas Vince]

Todays efforts are tomorrows change, that's some serious stuff. Almost like Cry in the Dojo, laugh on the battle field!
Good Stuff!:eek:

[Joseki]

Thank you

[Thomas Vince]

This one had a profound effect on me since I was laughed at a few times in the early stages of my training!

"When the best student hears of the way,
he practices it diligently.
When the average student hears of the way,
he practices it every now and then.
When the worst student hears of the way,
he laughs outloud.
If the worst student did not laugh, this would be unworthy of being the way."

I faced alot of ridicule from parents, cousins and friends until I started getting good. I went further than any of them had ever expected. Now I travel the world over and i am well respected in many martial art circles. But I had to endure the pains of victory. Without conviction, one cannot have confidence.

[Thomas Vince]

Water reflects, ripples, splashes and crashes. Put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot and it becomes the teapot, be like water my friend. Someone very famous said this at one time. How would you "be like water" in your techniques and how would you teach your student's to be like water?

[Andrew Green]

Originally posted by Freeform
'Remember, without awareness you'll end up eating pavement' whilst sparring with him, a minute latter he stops, looks behind me and says
'Yes?'
I look, he hits me, theres no-one there.

Oh, and never try to split up two women when they're fighting.

Mine used "You're belts untied" or even occasionally "you're shoes untied" which was really annoying if it worked because we were barefoot....

I think I even fell for a "I lost my contact" too.

[RandomTask]

Here were two bits that were imparted to me.

1. From a Tai Chi instructor: In order to punch fast you must learn to punch slow.

2. From my JuJitsu teacher: Don't kick yourself over the last punch and don't think about the next punch. Only reacte to this punch.

RandomTask

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Put water over too much heat and it boils over. Drop something heavy in water and it splashes. Hmm, I wonder if I can teach people to splash...

[Thomas Vince]

Something tells me you could. Tell me CKD how can a strike resemble a splash.?
How could we define splashing?
Thomas

"There are also ponds, lakes, creeks, streams and rivers that lead to the sea."

[ladyhawk]

You will never rise to the level of your expectations. You will only fall to the level of your practice.

[Thomas Vince]

LadyHawk,

Vicious! But I like it!

[ladyhawk]

" Every morning in Africa,

a Gazelle wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the lion or it will be killed...

Every morning a Lion wakes up.

It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or

it will starve to death.

It doesn’t matter whether you are

a lion

or

a Gazelle .....

when the sun comes up,

you’d better be running…"

[Thomas Vince]

Oh your gonna fit in just fine around here!
Thomas

[ladyhawk]

Thank you for your kind words, Thomas.

"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."

-Italian Proverb

[ladyhawk]

10 "Mental Self-Defense" Techniques

1. Breathe. In tense situations, people tend to tighten up and hold their breath. Yet breathing helps connect the mind with the body, calming both
and adding power to your actions. In times of stress, breathe deeply, exhaling tension and inhaling energy.

2. Recognize the importance of attitude. If you say, "I can't," you won't.

3. Be courageous. It's human to be afraid, but you can control your fear. True courage isn't a matter of eliminating your fear, but doing what you know to be right despite your fear.

4. Make a commitment to your goals. Ancient samurai burned their ships when they attacked distant foes, since knowing they couldn't turn back enhanced their commitment to victory.

5. Treat everyone with respect, including yourself. While it may be worth ignoring bad behavior from strangers, do not accept disrespect from people you deal with frequently. Politely bring the offense to their attention and be clear that if they want to continue to interact with you this behavior will not be tolerated.

6. Be flexible. Emulate the willow that bends to the wind, but doesn't break. In adversity, adapt and overcome.

7. Stay centered and focused on what's important to you. Don't let others sucker you into losing your focus, and learn to deflect an attack by
disrupting an adversary's physical or mental balance.

8. Retain a "beginner's mind." This is a term Zen masters give to the humble state of always being open to learning new things.

9. Be positive. If you exude positive energy, positive things will come to you.

10. Seek to resolve conflicts without fighting. Reserve physical force as a last resort if you or others are in danger. As the founder of modern
karate, Ginchin Funakoshi, said, "To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill."

The true goal of karate is not learning to devastate attackers, but learning to master yourself.
>

[Thomas Vince]

Erase all opinions and the mind shall become clear.

[Thomas Vince]

If your weapon is off by a hair, it is the same as the distance from heaven to earth.

[Thomas Vince]

The quest for perfection the least one can accomplish is excellence.
Thomas

[ladyhawk]

"Practice makes perfect."

"Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

"Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes improvements and improvements lead to excellence!"

Just practice!

The value of practice

The following story demonstrates the sometimes-negative power of knowledge without practice:

"Johnny did not see the need to practice hard;
he was very bright and always understood quickly.

He read the classics so that he could sound as eloquent as his teacher.

Wanting to be knowing in all things,

Johnny read a history book or two and was able to converse brilliantly about history.

Johnny read an economics book or two and was able to speak knowingly about economics.

Johnny read a few books about swimming......

and Johnny drowned."

[ladyhawk]

"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains it original dimension."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
(1809-94) American writer, physician

[Freeform]

"It takes a fast man to grab a Tiger by the balls. It takes a faster one to let go."

Me

[DeSeRt RaT UK]

Originally posted by Thomas Vince
Water reflects, ripples, splashes and crashes. Put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot and it becomes the teapot, be like water my friend. Someone very famous said this at one time. How would you "be like water" in your techniques and how would you teach your student's to be like water?

I believe it was Bruce Lee.

He dont think he literally meant be like water. Rather use it as an example like

If you fight a grappler, know grappling.

[TkdWarrior]

no he meant to adaptation... water adapts...but retains its form in Cup or vessele etc etc...
ie...to fight a grappler it's not necessary to know grappling but the necessity is to adapt the change...
-TkdWarrior-

[Cain]

My teacher -

1. Anyone can train when he feels like it or when he wants to but the real challenge is when u push urself even when u r not in the mood.

2. When u set a goal, u hv to actually do it, not think about doing it.

3. We are strict but there's a reason for us to be that way

4. Show us you are actually doing something and trying to do it, don't just give up. In my instructor's exact words which Tkdwarrior will understand -

Dikhao ki tum kuch karte ho

|Cain|

[TkdWarrior]

lol cain those words from my instructor means "let's fight" :D
-TkdWarrior-

[Cain]

Well....actually u see that's the whole idea of it :D

|Cain|

[ladyhawk]

"You can only go as far as you push."

[pgm316]

Originally posted by ladyhawk
"You can only go as far as you push."

You can only push somebody else so far, before you push them to quit.

I think theres more to teaching than just pushing hard. Its important to allow students to push themselves, so allow them to train hard and rest when they need. Otherwise they'll only hold back, and thats no benefit at all..............

[ladyhawk]

Actually I meant that quote as "self" motivation.

[ladyhawk]

Only you, not the instructor, can decide your skill level.

[Cain]

Hmm.......pushing more or training hard.........in class when I am performing a technique I just go thru the movements, the lazy person that I am :D but when my instructor comes within 5 feet of me I suddenly perform at top capacity :D

|Cain|

[zen_tiger_claw]

my master once told me that all men where equipped with this sharp sword taia, and in each one it is perfectly complete.

this means that the famous sword taia, which no blade under heaven can parry, is not imparted just to other men. everyone, withought exception, is equipped with it, it is innatiquite for no one, and it is perfectly entire.

[baijirong]

With specific goals come specific disappointments, backslides, & failures. But we must see these moments for what they truly are: temporary setbacks and not indictments of our overall character.

[Mo Lung]

If at first you don't succeed, kill anyone that knows you tried.

[Mo Lung]

But seriously.

One of my favourites is a very simple one:

There are no shortcuts.

[Thomas Vince]

Mmmm...

I have the words of instructor's how about you now.
Tell me your words fo wisdom for your students.
Don't be shy, some of you I knew back when are now teaching so pass on those words of wisdom.

[Knight_Errant]

'Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, try not to be a ****er...'

[-=|§ØÛ£|=-]

Uh... never eat the yellow snow and never pee into the wind!

[shodan-san]

Something we have posted on the wall of the dojo - and my Sensei exemplies and teaches it with every class.

"Only to the extent that a man exposes himself over and over again to annihilation, can that which is indestructible arise within him. In this lies the dignity of daring."

It is an excerpt by Karlfried Graf von Durckheim