"seekers"

[jmd161]

I have a question for many of the experienced members of this forum, but before the question, let me give a lil' insight into what i'm talking about.


I visit as many forums on the net as i can, so there's not too many i'm not a member of. I've even been called a forum w-h-o-r-e by a friend from this forum, because i visit so many. Well in my travels on the net i've met and continue to meet ppl from these various forums. Many are great people and just the complete opposite of their online personality. We usually talk about martial arts exchange a few techniques and then go our ways. Some we keep in touch by phone others by email or pm, which is ok with me.

This leads to my problem and question.

Most people i meet have knowledge ranging from intermediate to advanced levels of martial arts training. Then there are the newbies or those that think they know more than they do. I tend to call them "seekers", why?

Because they always want to touch hands or talk about how much they know when they don't know much. Then after you show them a few examples of your techniques comes the questions.


Do you mind if we workout together?

or

I like the way your style does this or that would you teach me?

Or sometimes

Can you introduce me to your sifu, or is your sifu accepting students?


Don't get me wrong i enjoy talking martial arts and working with people, but it seems more and more the people i'm meeting are the seekers lately. I'm sure many of you here have come across these types.

How do you handle it?


Does it bother you in anyway?


I'm just curious to hear how others deal with this situation.



jeff

[SanHeChuan]

I'd teach them if i had no sifu or referer the to a good instructor, like my own. unless they are diks then i'd just beatem up and steal their lunch money.

No it would not bother me.

[WinterPalm]

When my Sifu operated an open school and still accepted new students, any person I met that had an interest in Kung Fu or martial arts I would suggest to come down and see what the school was all about. I have never taught people outside of my Sifu's school and only demoed sections of the forms I know or talked about the benefits I've received as a student. I think if you are at the level to meet up with and exchange information with other students, then that is fine, but if they are beginners and you aren't a teacher yourself, what is the purpose? I suppose you could introduce them to your style and see if they want to learn it from your teacher, or you if you teach.

As to seekers, I was one once. Everybody was seeking out that something that would just click and suit them right. I joined and trained very hard in quite a few schools before finding the one I am at.
Another issue might be that the person is a beginner and you are a more advanced student and they think that it will be a month or two and they'll reach your level. Watching a class is much more beneficial because then you see the different levels of students, what you can expect to learn and from the older students, you can see where you might get to if you train hard enough.
If people think they know everything just tell them to open up a school themselves!

[Golden Arms]

I think its just the natural process...as you advance in skill level, you basically ending up teaching people more often, and finding peers less often. Online people have more confidence since they dont have to worry about getting hit in the body or face as a result of their approach to what you do. But in real life, pain and fear are pretty effective deterrents from that behavior for most. One of my seniors I work out with says it gets pretty lonely the higher up you go, if you train for fighting and fighting skill, because even at tournaments and the like he doesnt often run into anyone that can do what he can under pressure in a live environment. Just my $.02