| At some point while you were dutifully teaching | | | | literally stayed up at night, thinking through how to |
| classes for your instructor, I bet a few students | | | | introduce this concept. I was afraid my students |
| and/or parents let you know that they preferred | | | | would think I'd gone sissy and walk out. Teaching |
| your classes to those of your instructor. | | | | martial arts is nirvana for a control freak. |
| At first, you thought they were just being polite, | | | | By the time you become a black belt following |
| but then you began to notice things your | | | | the path I've just described, you are a full-fledged |
| instructor did that you would not do 'if it were | | | | control freak. You control how students move, |
| your school.' | | | | breathe, where they look, what they should think |
| You enjoyed the attention and the rewards that | | | | about and, even in some extreme cases, some |
| came from teaching martial arts. Maybe the | | | | spiritual aspects of their lives. So, to risk giving up |
| martial arts school became your social circle | | | | control for even a minute was very tough for |
| because it was easy for you. | | | | me. |
| You were moving up in rank, training hard, and | | | | This clapping thing became a huge obstacle for |
| teaching, which automatically earned you respect | | | | me. After all, my instructors would have never |
| and recognition within this community. Meeting | | | | done something like this. I chickened out during |
| people is easy when you outrank them. | | | | the first two classes and decided I would do it in |
| You were loyal to your instructor and strongly | | | | the last class of the night, which was my brown |
| believed in what you taught, because these | | | | and black belt class. I figured, if it bombed, only |
| techniques and methods brought you out of the | | | | they would see it (by the way, don't introduce |
| darkness of intimidation to being a revered black | | | | new ideas to your advanced students first. They |
| belt instructor. | | | | like things the way they are now. That's why |
| It was natural that we developed deep emotional | | | | they are here. Some of them have developed |
| ties to the techniques and the methods of our | | | | deep connections to the way things are, just as |
| school. The mere mention of our school, style, or | | | | you did at that rank). |
| organization brought on fierce feelings of pride. | | | | I had the class do a form, Tan Gun, as a warm |
| This is also why the suggestion that there may | | | | up. I was thinking, OK, after this form, I'm going |
| be a better or a different way is met with initial | | | | to do it. But, instead of simply saying, "Hey! Give |
| resistance. These connections are so strong they | | | | yourself some energy!" and clapping to show |
| are even parodied in films, because the "my kung | | | | them what I meant, I used the classic |
| fu is better than yours" scene has been played to | | | | control-freak method. When they finished the |
| death in movies. | | | | form, I snarled, "Attention!" Everyone snapped to. |
| When an art has changed our life, it's not always | | | | "Extend your left hand!" Every left hand popped |
| easy to admit that it may be flawed in some | | | | out. "Extend your right hand!" Every right hand |
| degree or way. While you were teaching for your | | | | popped out. "Clap!" I had to be in total control of |
| instructor, you may have suggested new ways | | | | every step of the way to clapping. It was silly. |
| of doing things, including teaching, testing, and | | | | They did it and liked it, and it became part of our |
| martial arts marketing, but virtually every idea of | | | | school's energy, but without the micro-managing |
| yours was shot down. Your instructor had | | | | from me to extend each hand like robots. |
| everything in his control, and trying something | | | | Much of our hesitation and fear of new ideas and |
| new was a risk he was not willing to take. | | | | changes are rooted in this control factor. You've |
| I understand wanting to stay in your comfort | | | | gained control of your situation, and you are |
| zone. I was certainly that way. Once, as a school | | | | afraid of trying something new that might put |
| owner, I wanted to introduce some energy into | | | | you out of control, even for a moment. |
| classes by clapping in between drills or forms. I | | | | |