As a full time martial arts instructor and studio owner, over the ten years from 2010-2020 I practiced and taught patterns commonly referred to as "forms" or poomsae/kata. They are a series of movements designed to teach many martial arts lessons, and today I was reminded of one that I learned as I started developing my own students. I was involved in martial arts and worked for a few different teachers from 1996-2010, when I opened my own studio. Over those years I was in the role of student and there was always someone on the mat or involved in the business who was my senior in the martial arts ranking system. I thought, once I founded my own studio and was the most senior rank...that's the moment I became the teacher. This was true in the traditional sense of all the martial arts businesses I knew and how they operated. It wasn't unique to my particular style or affiliation. It was how I knew it "worked" and it did work for me for a few years, until I started digging deeper into leadership development and coaching more senior ranks who had started their training under my instruction.
This idea of becoming the teacher (especially referring to "master" level) was generally reserved for black belts fourth degree and higher. By the time I reached this level myself I had known many black belts and had an idea of what that meant, but the experience of teaching opened doors I didn't realize were closed to me until I took that step. This was reaffirmed this morning, as I practiced in the park along with other students trying to remember the forms. We went through each level, eight color belt forms and three black belt forms. The young man I'd been training was ready to learn the next form, black belt four. I hadn't practiced this form myself in years. As I watched him flow through the third form, I thought I should do the fourth so it would be fresh in my mind as I explained it to him. I stepped to the side and I was surprised at how easily it came to me after at least two years of not really focusing on the higher black belt forms at all. I second guessed my memory on one movement, but a quick internet search confirmed that I was doing it correctly and I was confident sharing the form with my student. Once he was practicing I thought I'd do the next one just for fun, the fifth black belt form was one of my favorites but I hadn't practiced that one in MANY years. I stepped to the side again, expecting the memory to return as I began, but I only got through a few counts before I was stumped. It was like I hadn't learned it at all. I had tested in front of a panel of other masters for this form! I was drawing a complete blank. I checked the internet again. Maybe if I watched I would remember, I just needed a hint- but no, it was like I needed to completely relearn the form again. At this point it was time to move on and we started with self defense, I knew that with a bit of review and practice it would come back. I wasn't too concerned, but I was thinking in the background as we finished up the session...what was the difference with forms four and five? Why could I recall one so easily and correctly after many years but not the other? Once I got home and had a bit of quiet the answer came to me...of course! The same lesson I had seen over and over in my own students as they came through the ranks was this: the best way to learn something, not just memorize movements, but REALLY learn- was to teach someone else what you want to remember. That was the difference between black belt form four and five. The fourth I had taught to someone and the fifth I had only practiced for my own understanding.
This was an important leadership lesson I had discovered years ago as I wanted my own students to gain their own insight and deeper knowledge of the curriculum. The secret was expecting them to teach what they learned to the ranks below. That is why I started an in depth leadership program at much lower levels than tradition had shown. My own experience of teaching and sharing everything I knew with my students wasn't enough to give someone ownership of a technique. That comes when you give it to someone else who wants to learn. I've let the students become teachers to each other for years, and they remember more than many groups of black belts I've worked with, not because of me and my knowledge, but because I allowed and expected them to be able to pass the technique to another. Expecting the student to become the teacher through experience teaching has been a better retainer for knowledge and understanding for my students, and as I was reminded this morning, for myself.
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