tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1827293309574913027.post2058086560733171573..comments2023-03-30T00:52:50.594-07:00Comments on Sword and Circle: Money Corrupts ....?Maijahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264657619197571965noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1827293309574913027.post-607583847695080302015-01-27T18:00:06.454-08:002015-01-27T18:00:06.454-08:00I don't think you can make a hard & fast r...I don't think you can make a hard & fast rule that a full time instructor is best/part time, doing it for the love is best. There are too many individual differences, too many compromises each may have or choose to make, too much variation in understanding and ability to communicate or teach that understandings.<br /><br />That said... I've learned that if you don't value your time reasonably, nobody else will value it either. In US culture, the most common yardstick of that measurement is a dollar sign. People assume something that is too inexpensive is of lesser quality. I know that some potential students have disregarded my club because we don't charge enough, so they figure we don't have anything good to offer. It's frustrating. I've seen it happen within my own system, too. We've had people disregard the value of senior instructors's time and knowledge because they're not charging enough -- but seen those same instructors paid orders of magnitude more when invited to teach outside the system. <br /><br />Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15393212692342514984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1827293309574913027.post-6411426998657773582015-01-26T10:46:19.112-08:002015-01-26T10:46:19.112-08:00I've found the opposite - that the best instru...I've found the opposite - that the best instructors have a full - time job and teach on the side, usually for low fees.Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03517107275615739075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1827293309574913027.post-91510973807516065192015-01-24T13:55:34.236-08:002015-01-24T13:55:34.236-08:00Thanks for posting your thoughts, and thanks for c...Thanks for posting your thoughts, and thanks for commenting on mine :-)<br />Couldn't agree more about teaching being a path to continued betterment of self, students and method. I've seen it my teachers, and I can certainly attest to it myself.<br /><br />I think I was more trying to point out to students and consumers of 'Art', that they too have a role to play in this relationship.<br />If they want it, they must be willing to facilitate it's existence, otherwise it may will be lost.<br />I mean I can't honestly imagine a student saying to me: "You should teach me for free because I'm helping to make YOU better", but it's certainly a point of view that those that seem to want stuff for free might hold (... though in all honesty, I don't think they think through it that far. I suspect that all they think is - This is cool. I want it. Give it to me. :-/)<br /><br />So again my question to a student would be - Why should I teach YOU? YOU as opposed to someone else? Or not teach at all, just play amongst my friends?<br /><br />I know why I want to teach you ... (for the reasons you stated above) but why do YOU think I should?<br /><br />Maijahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18264657619197571965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1827293309574913027.post-10312842405620090952015-01-24T12:10:22.997-08:002015-01-24T12:10:22.997-08:00Hi,
Thanks for this post, I really enjoyed readin...Hi,<br /><br />Thanks for this post, I really enjoyed reading it. It's nice to see a cogent argument for the case of money corrupting, but I think you missed an alternate possibility.<br /><br />If we accept that the teacher must always be seen by the student to have something of value to offer, then there are two ways they can achieve that. The first as you describe is by creating the myth of "hidden" techniques. The promise of a nebulous secret sauce somewhere down the line. And that is a very real possibility in Martial Arts. But there is a second possibility, and that is the instructor training, studying, and growing themselves in order to make sure they are ahead of their students.<br /><br />I suspect it comes down to a simple ethical decision on the part of the instructor. But for me there is no decision to make. I do this because I love it. By continuing to push myself and constantly striving to better myself not only do I continue to do what I love, but I also justify my continuing to charge my students. I am their guide along a path, and only by staying ahead of them on that path can I continue to hold that position.<br /><br />Anyway, thanks again for the blog post, and I'm really glad one of my videos sparked some quality debate.<br /><br />Take care<br /><br />OzOzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06668727098299557018noreply@blogger.com