Image Credit: 123r.com
About 20 years ago, when my full-time career was martial arts instructor, some of my contemporaries and I once had a discussion over dinner about what category of students was the most dangerous. The conclusion we came to, after several rounds of Kalbi, Ha-mul Paejan, and Soju, named the following category of students as the most dangerous:
Middle-aged, yellow belt, cis-males.
Here’s why - middle-aged, cis-males in the US already believe they know everything. Once those guys have a single, successful belt test behind them, then they REALLY think they know some shit.
Now, to be fair, they do know some stuff… kind of in the same way that everyone who’s middle-aged knows some stuff; however, guys have, more likely (but certainly not always), had more exposure to fighting, or combat sports, so in the same way that fans and critics think they know something about what they’re fans and critics of, so do these dudes.
If teachers and coaches reframe this perspective, one could say these guys “have potential”.
When working with potential-filled people, good teachers create boundaries and situations where the risks of overconfidence, the formation of bad habits, the skipping of the basics, and the ignoring of fundamentals are avoided.
After reflecting on today’s topic, what I’m trying to say is:
If people with potential (or with a high opinion of their own abilities) approach learning without ego (the “empty cup” metaphor) they’ll have the best chance to maximize their potential.
Good luck, potential-ridden readers!
(See y’all tomorrow)
Middle-aged, yellow belt, cis-males.
Here’s why - middle-aged, cis-males in the US already believe they know everything. Once those guys have a single, successful belt test behind them, then they REALLY think they know some shit.
Now, to be fair, they do know some stuff… kind of in the same way that everyone who’s middle-aged knows some stuff; however, guys have, more likely (but certainly not always), had more exposure to fighting, or combat sports, so in the same way that fans and critics think they know something about what they’re fans and critics of, so do these dudes.
If teachers and coaches reframe this perspective, one could say these guys “have potential”.
When working with potential-filled people, good teachers create boundaries and situations where the risks of overconfidence, the formation of bad habits, the skipping of the basics, and the ignoring of fundamentals are avoided.
After reflecting on today’s topic, what I’m trying to say is:
If people with potential (or with a high opinion of their own abilities) approach learning without ego (the “empty cup” metaphor) they’ll have the best chance to maximize their potential.
Good luck, potential-ridden readers!
(See y’all tomorrow)
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