On Masters and Students
From an interview with Yukiyoshi Takamura (originally appeared in Aikido Journal #117):
Everyone is looking for a master or guru in the West, but the word "master" is so overused today as to be meaningless, much like having a black belt today is meaningless. A genuine master is almost impossible to find because you won't quickly recognize him. He is much more than a teacher. Genuine teachers strive to be masters but only one in a hundred thousand finish the journey. There are only a handful of true masters on the whole planet. Funny how they all end up in the San Francisco yellow pages! All the time I tell people this truth. It is not amendable or conditional. Anyone who calls himself a master or allows his students to refer to him as "master" in his presence, isn't a master. Occasionally, he may be a well-meaning teacher who misunderstands the definition of the word, but most of the time he is an ego-driven narcissist seeking adoration. He will have very little to teach because there is so little room in his heart for his students. Instead of looking for a master, just look for a good teacher with a sense of humor, especially if he's driving a crummy old car. (Laughing while motioning towards his old Toyota.) My old friend and Sensei, Matsuhiro Namishiro used to say, "There must be lots of smiles along the way or the journey is not worth it." He was correct you know!
This paragraph resonates with me for many reasons--including the crack about San Francisco. I think he really captures the degree to which people often prefer a false master to a humble teacher.
Martial arts attract a lot of people who are looking for a "master" to provide something that is missing in their lives. Sometimes they are looking for a spiritual guru; sometimes they are looking for hierarchical clan to replace their family; sometimes they want to be part of something that is a little magical and larger than life. If your "leader" is special, that makes you feel a little bit more special just by being his student.
This is not to say that there are not genuine masters about. I know a few people--including a former student of Gary's--who have dropped everything and moved to a different city when the opportunity to learn from a true master appeared. There are a lot of people who uproot their lives to live in Japan and learn from masters there. However, almost all of these dedicated students have first studied for years with good-but-not-masterful teachers. And they have all sacrificed a lot--certainly more than I am willing to--in order to achieve their goals.
I have always felt that training is all about finding the teacher you will learn best from at a class you can regularly show up for. It's not about signing up with the school that has the best or the baddest art. It's not even about finding the most skilled and famous teacher in the area. It is certainly not about feeling special because of who you think your "master" is.
It's about the teacher who is passionate and is willing to invest himself in his students: one who has a temperament and teaching style that works for you. And it is about dedicating yourself to your training above and beyond just signing up and paying your dues.
Everyone is looking for a master or guru in the West, but the word "master" is so overused today as to be meaningless, much like having a black belt today is meaningless. A genuine master is almost impossible to find because you won't quickly recognize him. He is much more than a teacher. Genuine teachers strive to be masters but only one in a hundred thousand finish the journey. There are only a handful of true masters on the whole planet. Funny how they all end up in the San Francisco yellow pages! All the time I tell people this truth. It is not amendable or conditional. Anyone who calls himself a master or allows his students to refer to him as "master" in his presence, isn't a master. Occasionally, he may be a well-meaning teacher who misunderstands the definition of the word, but most of the time he is an ego-driven narcissist seeking adoration. He will have very little to teach because there is so little room in his heart for his students. Instead of looking for a master, just look for a good teacher with a sense of humor, especially if he's driving a crummy old car. (Laughing while motioning towards his old Toyota.) My old friend and Sensei, Matsuhiro Namishiro used to say, "There must be lots of smiles along the way or the journey is not worth it." He was correct you know!
This paragraph resonates with me for many reasons--including the crack about San Francisco. I think he really captures the degree to which people often prefer a false master to a humble teacher.
Martial arts attract a lot of people who are looking for a "master" to provide something that is missing in their lives. Sometimes they are looking for a spiritual guru; sometimes they are looking for hierarchical clan to replace their family; sometimes they want to be part of something that is a little magical and larger than life. If your "leader" is special, that makes you feel a little bit more special just by being his student.
This is not to say that there are not genuine masters about. I know a few people--including a former student of Gary's--who have dropped everything and moved to a different city when the opportunity to learn from a true master appeared. There are a lot of people who uproot their lives to live in Japan and learn from masters there. However, almost all of these dedicated students have first studied for years with good-but-not-masterful teachers. And they have all sacrificed a lot--certainly more than I am willing to--in order to achieve their goals.
I have always felt that training is all about finding the teacher you will learn best from at a class you can regularly show up for. It's not about signing up with the school that has the best or the baddest art. It's not even about finding the most skilled and famous teacher in the area. It is certainly not about feeling special because of who you think your "master" is.
It's about the teacher who is passionate and is willing to invest himself in his students: one who has a temperament and teaching style that works for you. And it is about dedicating yourself to your training above and beyond just signing up and paying your dues.
Labels: Essays, The Martial Arts
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