Will you ever be as good as your teacher?

Will you ever be as good as your teacher?


My teacher is a very tough guy, but I think I can become as good as him one day - if not better.

When I first met him, he pushed me around like I wasn't there. Now that I've trained for a while, I can resist him to some extent. Once I do specialized weight training, I'll resist even more.

As far as technical details of doing forms, my teacher doesn't have it all together anymore because he doesn't practice his forms as fanatically as he needs to. Yet he can still do the correct fundamentals when the spirit moves him, and he's making sure that I get my form correct.

Still, it'll take me a very long time before I can even begin to compete with my sifu.

[logic]

What if you already are?

But, you know, it's that respect thing.
So you honor him and listen to what he has to say.

[Leonidas]

Your supposed to surpass your teacher. If you dont become better than your teacher then the BOTH of you failed. Its his job to teach you everything he knows and it's yours to make improvements if needed or atleast pass on the info as good as he did to you.

[wushu chik]

Thank you Leonidas!!! That is my feelings exactly!!!

~Wen~

[Leonidas]

Just doing my part..............:D

[reemul]

My teacher told me, that it is the purpose of the teacher to make his/her students better than they are.

I strive to be better than my teacher and I pull no punches in doin so. It really doesn't matter if I ever become better than him, just that I try too. There is no Test or persievable goal that will determine this.

Also what is better? that you can beat your teacher in a match? Or that you understand the material better? Or that you have better teaching skills? Or that you embody the spirit of the system being studied?

I think it is all of these things, and that is what I strive for.

I think the question is a lagitimate one.

[Braden]

I don't think the point is to become 'better' version of your teacher, but rather to become a skillfull practitioner in your own right, which is likely to be a very different thing.

[straight blast]

I really don't know. One day I will certainly be as good as he is now, but by then he'll be much better! Every teacher hopes that his/her students will surpass them at some point, but it's hard if they're still progressing too.
And how do you measure if you're better than your Sifu? Is it just that after 10 years you can occasionally beat him in a fight, or is it that your form is better than his, or is it that your understanding and personal study of the art becomes superior? It's not one that I'd like to call...

But it is good to have a goal to work towards...:D

[David Jamieson]

It doesn't matter.

This is a question of ego. "better"?
Your teacher opened a door for you that led onto a path.
Your teacher guided you along the path.

Because you have become intimate and familiar with the path has nothing to do with "better".
If your teacher showed you the correct path, then just keep walking it, that's all you need to do.


Remember if you don't empty your cup, you cannot fill it.

peace

[old jong]

Both my Si-Fu and my Si-Gung told me the exact same thing : Don't try to imitate! Be as good as you can in your own way!

[Chang Style Novice]

My teacher has devoted his life to martial arts. For me it's a hobby and a way to stay in shape.

Does this mean both of us have failed, because I have different life priorities? Go fu(k youself, please.

[NorthernMantis]

I wish!!

[Brad]

Impossible, because teachers skills are allways getting better, even after they die ;)

[Leonidas]

Real civilized. Go f*ck yourself......... Ok, anyways it all depends on your goals. If you dont dedicate yourself to Martial Arts then you cant really expect to become skilled. Thats all i'm saying. I suppose that goes for people not going twice a week just to break a sweat. A good teacher will be happy his student surpassed him. What kind of teacher would want the quality of his art to fall. Then people whine about them withholding information :rolleyes:.

[rubthebuddha]

the responsibilities of a teacher are to provide of themselves to help improve the lives of their students. mine is amazing at wing tsun, and so i get better with it. he knows way too much about nutrition, and thus i learn that, too. he knows a gread deal about nlp, so i pick up that, too. educational theory? ditto, and the same for lots of other things. i doubt he could rebuild the carburetor on my honda, much less teach me, so i don't expect that of him. rather, he simply offers what he has and it's my job to learn what i can or want.

[Chang Style Novice]

Original post deleted due to unconstructive feuding.

Leonidas, I accept your revised statement, and apologize for my profane overreaction.

[Shaolindynasty]

Any MA class I take my main goal in that school is to beat the Sifu with his own methods. I feel if I can do this them I made real progress. You have to make sure the Sifu doesn't suck though or it will a really short goal:D

[Jeff Liboiron]

Just strive to be the best YOU can be and not to be beter than your teacher

[Brad]

Real civilized. Go f*ck yourself......... Ok
This wasn't directed at me was it? Or were you talking about the post Chang Style Novice says he deleted?

[reemul]

The reason Our school and many others push students to strive to be better than their instructors is to keep the lineage strong.

Like I said their is no set point that will determine that the student is better.

[Leonidas]

I wasn't referring to you Brad since Chang is the only one that told me to Go F*ck Myself :D. But apology accepted. No biggie

[KC Elbows]

My end goal is to be a strong example of a practitioner of my style. There will be some things that I will be better than my sifu at, and others that he will be stronger at. There is no one way to fight with any of the styles, and so the goal, I feel, should be to become someone who your sifu can call a brother/sister.