Learning By Teaching
February 7, 2010 Okay, I am terrible at maintaining this blog. I get going a few days, take a break. Then a month slips by, followed by another and sometimes three or more pass. Truth is, I often fear that what I have to say isn’t worth the time that I spend in writing it. I am told otherwise, by my wife, my teacher and others who have read my outpourings so I continue. This morning I have been reading about writing and I came across an article talking about helping other writers by offering them information on writing as I see it. This triggers a memory of when I was actively pursuing a black belt in Karate. When I reached the level of Purple Belt, (approximately the beginning of my second year of training, my Sensei informed me that I would be teaching a class of beginners starting the following session. I kicked and squirmed and tried to find a way out of it. “You want to reach mastery? You want to earn that black belt? You must teach. This is how it has always been in the martial arts world. If you are not willing to teach, you will not be allowed to continue training.” I noticed that many of my fellow students dropped out at this point, were they unwilling to teach or were they bored with training? So, with lots and lots of whining, lots of grumbling, and a good measure of complaining, I began by teaching children the basics of punches, kicks, stances, and techniques. As I progressed in my training, the classes I taught also progressed. Soon I was teaching intermediate level students and was asked to join the Demonstration team, where each member developed their own techniques, broke boards and bricks, all in the name of recruiting more students, or entertaining current students at graduations. What I didn’t see was hidden underneath. All the time I was teaching beginners the basics, my basics were also improving. My techniques were becoming cleaner, crisper and more effective. I learned after a year that by teaching someone who had never thrown a punch how to throw a punch, how to actually strike another person, the nuances of punches began to take shape in my own technique. Similarly, the shaman who is leading me on a spiritual path, in a recent meeting informed me that come the month of May, I would be leading the class. I am to develop a meditation for the class and incorporate the teachings of Eagle Season in it. My time to give back some of the training I have received has come. I didn’t bother with the whining, complaining and grumbling. It didn’t work with my Sensei and I know for a fact it won’t work for the shaman. So, I come full circle once again. What works in the field of Martial Arts is used in spiritual training, and based on the article I read, the same holds true in writing. To become a master, one must not only practice the art of what they are learning, they must reach a point where they give back what they have learned, thereby learning much more. The depth of knowledge required to help a beginner causes the trainee / teacher to stretch and learn the nuances of the basics, not just the overview learned the first time around. Maybe, when I do my first class meditation I will record it an put it here on my website for all to enjoy. Light Seer I invite your comments and will post them here if you wish. |