Part of the
instructor’s burden is something that did not have as much presence in the past
history of karate. I am referring to the availability of the clinic.
First, I am not
suggesting what I believe is in any way right for your program. Each program
has its own history and rationale.
However in my
case, after intense initial instruction in Isshinryu, I went a very complex
course of studies with a wide variety of instructors in many arts. And as a
result of the forced instruction in Isshinryu I received, I worked really hard
to remember what many others shared with me.
When I relocated
to Derry, New Hampshire, I integrated some of those studies into my propran,
even choosing to honor those instructors by having my students studies include
a kata or form from those programs.
There were many other things that were woven into the students studies too.
Now at different
times I attended clinics with other instructors to see first hand what they
were doing (Shimabukuro Zempo, George Dillman and Danny Insanto come to mind)
those clinics were just for me. On the other hand those who I had trained with
intensively, or had the utmost respect for, did provide several dozen clinics
for my adult students. I rarely had the youth attend as the material presented
was way beyond their studies.
What I quickly
discovered that Tris Sutrisno was presenting material at a very fast rate,
really teaching me. The others that gave clinics, Ernest Rothrock and Sherman
Harrill were again more presenting material I would get more from in the long
run, than the students.
By way of
example, as my current program had a strong structure, even incredible material
often required 5 years of personal study before I found a place to introduce it
into the program. That was because the existing material was also good, and
nothing was readily set aside, for the new material. Then in time as all became
more skilled the time it became appropriate was found in the material they were
working on.
A different
challenge was material such as Sherman Harrill presented, He held nothing back
as shared literally hundreds of technique studies. But the same problem
existed, what we were already doing was also good, And again 5 or more years
would go by before I could use what they had been shown logically in the
program.
I literally have
notebooks of notes from those clinics, and many additional video tape records
of things that transpired. But everyone knew I would not forget, and then found
it easier to set that material aside, not my choice but one they allowed
themselves to make.
And so much
great material, truly great, that I never found a place for in our studies
together.
One of the
things you realize is you can’t do everything, no matter how good it is. I
could never teach out all the kata, forms I studied. No one has that much free
time. And being in instructor is working with the possible, not the impossible,
no matter what the reason.
How others deal
with this I don’t know, There is nothing wrong with letting students ‘feel’
what others are doing. It just is not the way I choose to follow.
Even to this
day, I am mining those old clinics and offering to many suggestions that they
might make.
The instructor’s
burden does not end when you step aside from being an instructor.
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