what do you think this means?

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Nick]

"I want instructors to think more deeply...because now in Aikido there are many students who have been
practicing for a long time. The level of the Aikido is also growing so the students may catch up with instructors. The instructors should make sure that they don't catch up! Instructors have to train themselves harder and think harder. Aikido is always growing, if you stop thinking then it's stagnant, it
stops. Somebody is always seeking for technique in Aikido. That is why I'm saying if the instructor stops thinking or working technically and the students catch up, not only Aikido but in anything, if you stop thinking then that thing stops growing. Aikido is
growing because somebody is always thinking. That is what Aikido is...somebody always seeking. So as long
as people's real thinking is growing, Aikido is growing."

From S.Kanai... comments or thoughts?

Nick

P.S-- forgive the poor editing, I brought it over from an email and I can't seem to get it to look right... sorry.

[Edited by Nick on February 14, 2001 at 07:16pm]

[Matt Banks]

In a way I didnt like the post. He is very right in saying that aikido is always evolving, and it always should. But it doesnt matter if your students catch up with your ability. That was the head of my clubs dream, for people to exceed him in aikido, thats fantastic. A judo coach I once met abroad said this to me ''the measure of a good coach, is the amount of people he has trained to a better standard than himself''. I agree with that totally.



Matt Banks

[Nick]

I thought that it meant more that you had to keep learning, letting your students advance but advancing with them-- I think it's more a shot on the instructors who learn it, get their belt, teach, and then rather lose interest as they teach. Soon their students surpass them and those students go to teach, or just leave to find one with stronger technique.

Nick

[Sam]

in my experience the aikido learning curve is steep at first but then you have to train a lot to get to that next plane. Sometimes it seems like people are catching you up quickly but then they slow down. I learn so much from teaching and my students in general so I don't think I have slowed my developement. I also try and get on a lot of courses as it is at these I get to really train.

P.s. Great post Matt. I would love for some of my students to go on and do so well!

[tedehara]

Nick wrote:
"I want instructors to think more deeply...because now in Aikido there are many students who have been
practicing for a long time. The level of the Aikido is also growing so the students may catch up with instructors. The instructors should make sure that they don't catch up! Instructors have to train themselves harder and think harder. Aikido is always growing, if you stop thinking then it's stagnant, it
stops. Somebody is always seeking for technique in Aikido. That is why I'm saying if the instructor stops thinking or working technically and the students catch up, not only Aikido but in anything, if you stop thinking then that thing stops growing. Aikido is
growing because somebody is always thinking. That is what Aikido is...somebody always seeking. So as long
as people's real thinking is growing, Aikido is growing."

From S.Kanai... comments or thoughts?

Nick

P.S-- forgive the poor editing, I brought it over from an email and I can't seem to get it to look right... sorry.

[Edited by Nick on February 14, 2001 at 07:16pm]


There is an old martial arts adage:

"The only way to truly repay your teachers is to be better than them."


It sounds like Kanai Sensei is giving a pep talk to some instructors in his dojo.

For myself, I'll go with the quote I gave. Although it seems that my instructors have forgotten more than I know. :)