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Old 01-03-2003, 09:47 AM   #1
Paula Lydon
Dojo: Aikido Shugenkai
Location: Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 427
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learning through teaching

~~In my previous MA prior to Aikido there was room to assistant teach at high kyu ranks and teach classes at sho-dan/ni-dan. It was a smallish dojo and I assume this is why the opportunity arose.
~~Now I'm in a large dojo and there are so many lower dan in the ranks, and so many highly qualified upper dans that the teaching opportunity doesn't come around to most people.
~~I'm focusing here on the idea that I believe I gained many insights into my other art by presenting it to juniors. I really had to look at the material, break it down, understand ideal and function, principles, etc...I found it invaluable.
~~What do you all think on this? Do you think it matters or affects growth to teach or not to teach? Thanks!

~~Paula~~
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Old 01-03-2003, 10:13 AM   #2
Thalib
 
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Dojo: 合気研究会
Location: Jakarta Selatan
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 504
Indonesia
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What you learn today, you can teach tomorrow.

We have a belief down here that if one doesn't pass down to others what one knows, one could never excel. Knowledge is a blessing, it has to be shared with others.

If one is not a stubborn nor selfish nor egotistical person, one will gain so much more by teaching. When that person gets up there and teach, that person will see reflection of oneself on the people that is being taught. Teaching should make one more humble, because one should realize that there is not much knowledge that one could pass down.

Realizing this, one will search adn one will learn even more deeply than before, because one now has more responsibility towards others.

When I have to die by the sword, I will do so with honor.
--------
http://funkybuddha.multiply.com/
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Old 01-03-2003, 10:16 AM   #3
opherdonchin
Dojo: Baltimore Aikido
Location: Baltimore
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 586
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I love teaching. I love what I learn from it. I love the humility it gives me. I hate the ego it can give. I hate feeling like I'm supposed to 'know' or feeling like sometimes I pretend that I 'know' even when I don't because I feel like I'm supposed to.

Yours in Aiki
Opher
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Old 01-03-2003, 10:24 AM   #4
akiy
 
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Hi Paula,

Here are a couple of recent polls and discussions on them on this subject:

Do you think teaching aikido is necessary in order to reach an advanced level in aikido?

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showth...&threadid=3004

Do you know anyone at an advanced level in aikido who has never taught aikido in any formal capacity?

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showth...&threadid=3036

For me, leading classes has been a very valuable, educational experience. It's given me a lot of insights into my own learning process and has put a lot more "value" on things that I used to think were pretty useless...

-- Jun

Please help support AikiWeb -- become an AikiWeb Contributing Member!
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Old 01-31-2003, 07:19 PM   #5
aikidoc
Dojo: Aikido of Midland
Location: Midland Texas
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,652
United_States
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Some organizations require so many hours in a teaching capacity to advance in dan rank-in a large dojo this is difficult.

I always learn something every time I step on the mat. It is part of my teaching philosophy. In fact, I probably learn more than the students do.
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Old 02-01-2003, 08:17 AM   #6
Bogeyman
Dojo: UW-La Crosse Aikido
Location: La Crosse, WI
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 68
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I agree, John. When ever I teach a class I see many different things going on with the students. After seeing different ideas or attempted ideas I find their value. I also find that training in beginners classes is very helpful to gain a better understanding of the art. Anytime that your are helping someone else to understand what they are doing should help improve your understanding, even if no words are exchanged.

E
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Old 02-03-2003, 03:28 AM   #7
mike lee
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 646
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class divisions

Quote:
I also find that training in beginners classes is very helpful to gain a better understanding of the art.
I never saw a university club that had much other than beginners classes since students generally graduate in 4 years. Do you mean to say that you have separate classes for 6-kyu-level students?

What aikido association are you currently under?
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Old 02-03-2003, 01:05 PM   #8
ian
 
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Dojo: University of Ulster, Coleriane
Location: Northern Ireland
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I would agree with you completely Paula - you spend years training your body and then when you come to teach you have to ask yourself, why do I do it this way? I think teaching can help you develop your own personal aikido much more because you start to question everything and you are experienced enough to not to question irrelevant details. Teaching definately made me want to train with lots of different instructors!

Ian

---understanding aikido is understanding the training method---
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Old 02-03-2003, 04:06 PM   #9
Bogeyman
Dojo: UW-La Crosse Aikido
Location: La Crosse, WI
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 68
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While we are a university organization we do have students that have been training for years as we draw from the community, faculty, and former students. We have enough advanced students (4th kyu and up) to have a dedicated advanced class each week. We are part of the Society of Aikido Centers under Lynn Fabia Sensei of Dallas, Texas.
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Old 02-04-2003, 01:43 AM   #10
mike lee
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 646
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university clubs

Quote:
We are part of the Society of Aikido Centers under Lynn Fabia Sensei of Dallas, Texas.
Does your club have a Web site? Who is your head instructor and who are the other instructors and what are their ranks?

Did you ever meet Bill Sosa? If so, what did you think of him? What other outside instructors have visited your dojo. What did you think of them?
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Old 02-08-2003, 08:43 AM   #11
Bogeyman
Dojo: UW-La Crosse Aikido
Location: La Crosse, WI
Join Date: Jun 2002
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No, I am afraid we have not yet gotten a website but hopefully we will have one before too long. We have three intructors, Bob Bilby Sensei, 4th dan, Al Geddicks Sensei, 3rd dan, and I am a 2nd dan. Yes I saw Sosa Sensei many times, at least once a year and he promoted me all the way to my current rank. He had a style that was different from any other style and it was very much his style. After his passing I have been able to put together more of what he was teaching us and I am continuing to grow from his lessons. I train with several other organizations and enjoy training with them all as I am able to learn more from everyone. We have not had a lot of instuctors from other systems teach in our dojo but we were fortunate enough to have Mary Heiny Sensei in a couple of times and I believe a couple of ASU instructors. I have never been to an ok seminar, they all have been good and I go to better than 20 a year.

E
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Old 03-09-2003, 07:20 PM   #12
George S. Ledyard
 
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Dojo: Aikido Eastside
Location: Bellevue, WA
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Posts: 2,670
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Re: learning through teaching

Quote:
Paula Lydon wrote:
~~In my previous MA prior to Aikido there was room to assistant teach at high kyu ranks and teach classes at sho-dan/ni-dan. It was a smallish dojo and I assume this is why the opportunity arose.

~~Now I'm in a large dojo and there are so many lower dan in the ranks, and so many highly qualified upper dans that the teaching opportunity doesn't come around to most people.

~~I'm focusing here on the idea that I believe I gained many insights into my other art by presenting it to juniors. I really had to look at the material, break it down, understand ideal and function, principles, etc...I found it invaluable.

~~What do you all think on this? Do you think it matters or affects growth to teach or not to teach? Thanks!
This is the plus and minus of any dojo situation. A dojo which does not have a large number of senior yudansha allows people to begin teaching classes early. I was an original student in Saotome sensei's DC dojo back in the '70s. I was the in the first group to test for yudansha rank. So I was lucky in this regard as I was able to teach class on a semi regular basis. It helped me quite a bit. Now that dojo has Fifth and even Sixth Dans in quantity. You can be San Dan and never see a class to teach. But the plus is that in keiko you have a whole group of people who are way above you in skill and that can be great for your training as well. Your dojo is like that. Quite a number of really senior folks, even if they don't have the numbers after their names in all cases.

In cases like your dojo the thing to do is see if there is the opportunity to teach classes a couple times a week in a community center or somesuch and set up a satellite program. It benefits the dojo by bringing in students to the regular program and it can give a not so senior yudansha a chance to get in some teaching time. As long as you get back to the main dojo for your own teacher's advanced training you can have the best of both worlds. However, your city isn't very big and I kow folks have already created some satellite programs so you may out of luck till you get senior enough to simply start your own dojo somewhere else or move to a town in which their dojo would welcome another instructor level person.

George S. Ledyard
Aikido Eastside
Bellevue, WA
Aikido Eastside
AikidoDvds.Com
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Old 03-18-2003, 02:13 PM   #13
Lyle Bogin
Dojo: Shin Budo Kai
Location: Manhattan
Join Date: Feb 2002
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The masterpiece of the painter is the painting. IMO, the masterpiece of the martial artist is the student.

"The martial arts progress from the complex to the simple."
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