I’ve been blessed in my martial arts career to study with some fabulous instructors. One of the teachers I most admire likes to say, "Everyone wants to be a Jedi Knight in two weeks; It takes longer than two weeks!"
This same teacher, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, also once told me, "In the old days, we used to beg the Master to teach us. Now we have to beg the student to learn."
THAT's the bigger problem. One of the great lessons I took from my life as a martial artist is this: at some point; you've got to become your own teacher! That doesn't mean you stop seeking the wisdom of others, it means that you start making your own decisions about how to process the information you gather and what to do with it. On one extreme is the person who can’t do anything without the approval of someone else, and on the other extreme is the person who knows everything and is unwilling to recognize the value of another’s experience and wisdom.
The same is true in business and personal life. Ironically, we sometimes have difficulty transcending the cycle of always needing some kind of affirmation from a teacher. If you want to realize your full potential, you’ve got to become your own teacher. At the same time, if you want to advance your knowledge you need to keep an open mind and heart to the possibility of learning from others.
When I started Northern Chi Martial Arts Centers, I codified some of the core philosophy I felt should serve as the foundation of my system. I realized that there is a cyclical relationship between teacher and student, and I built this idea into the symbolism used in our crest.
The Northern Chi crest has three small figures of martial artists at the base of three pillars. These figures represent the dynamic relationship of student and teacher.
1. Teacher to Student: First it’s the teachers job to deliver some knowledge and training. In this phase, the “stream” if you will runs from teacher to student.
2. Student to Student: Next, you recognize the importance of training with your peers. You realize that your fellow students are teaching you a great deal as you train. The same is true in business as you become integrated into an organization and develop relationships with your peers. The better these relationships, the more you can accomplish.
3. Student to Teacher: At some point it becomes your responsibility to share your experience and knowledge with the next generation. The student becomes the teacher. Not only do you teach others, but you now have skill to apply the process of self-perfection. You learn from your work and from teaching others. You are now also your own teacher.
If you apply the phases of this cycle as a series of steps, once you become the teacher: repeat!
Each phase can last a long time, and one can overlap the other. I don’t want you to draw hard lines or boundaries, but only to recognize at any given time where you are in the cycle and to focus on that phase.
Always be open to new teachers and new opportunities for learning; be sure along the way you cultivate your own evolution so that you can embrace the idea of becoming your own teacher as well.
Teacher and Student - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Bouchard's Website.
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