So, guiding people through what I believe is Okinawan karate, I get the ‘unique’ pleasure of teaching a diverse group of students - people from all backgrounds, beliefs, and age groups (some of whom could’ve easily babysat me as a kid), and, of course, learners with various ossssu frequencies. It’s a wonderful experience (most of the time 😉), but let me tell ya - at times, it’s like trying to balance a hotto pork sandwich filled with fish and feet-smelling natto. Too many conflicting elements going on that just won’t mix.
Navigating the Personality Minefield
When your students are older than you, there’s a natural expectation that they come with a wealth of life experience. They’ve likely spent years in various professional roles, raised families, and developed a better understanding of how to navigate social dynamics. This experience may shape the way they approach learning, feedback, and authority. But here’s my question: can we carry these real-life experiences into the dojo? When you're an experienced karate student with some authority or self-assuredness in your personal life (or even from a previous dojo), you probably don’t want to take feedback from a student who struggles to distinguish their left from their right. Personalities can clash, and suddenly my job as a Sen-sigh feels like a real juggling act. On one hand, they came to the dojo to learn; on the other, they may feel uncomfortable taking advice from fellow dojo mates with far less experience. Totally understandable - who would want to listen to someone who knows what to do but can’t physically pull it off themselves right?
Should the Teacher Step In? (Spoiler: Not My Job)
You know what’s nice? Walking into my home dojo after a long day at work and just training - no childish dramas to deal with. But then, what happens when there’s a clash of personalities among students? I didn’t sign up to teach karate, and I definitely didn’t ask to be a mediator in the middle of a real-life version of "Married At First Sight of the Dojo." I leave work every day to get away from nonsense like that, not to come home and deal with more of it. But it does make me wonder, am I the one responsible for making everyone ‘love’ each other?
Everyone’s an adult, right? They should be able to handle their own business. Sure, I can offer guidance on how to communicate more effectively (even if it involves a few colourful cuss words), provide constructive karate feedback, and encourage respect for each other’s differences. But there’s only so much peacekeeping a guy like me can do before you start wondering if you accidentally signed up to be a counsellor instead of spreading karate.
Anyway, I think it’s best to let adults be adults and just like kata, figure things out for themselves.
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