Why Challenge Tradition? Rethinking Traditional Martial Arts Training
It’s a question every martial artist asks at some point: “Is what I’m learning actually effective in a real fight?” For many, that question remains unspoken, asked only in private moments or quiet conversations with a trusted friend. Why? Because it’s uncomfortable to question the authority of a black belt, to challenge what has been passed down for generations. We trust our teachers because they wear the belt, they have the years, and they command respect. So when they tell us something is effective, we want to believe it.
Performance vs Learning
Here you are, studying how to teach martial arts as well as you possibly can. And one of the most celebrated movement teachers of all time, the basketball coach from academic powerhouse UCLA, was John Wooden, who famously said, “You haven’t taught until they’ve learned.”
As we see it, that means: your average student is your best measure of your teaching skills.