# Can Heart Be Taught???



## scottie (Jun 3, 2010)

I ran across this quote yesterday.
_"The best thing that karate can give someone is Heart, but it is the hardest thing to teach."_ 
After reading that I was ready to go work out 100 mile per minute. Then I started thinking. Can Karate really teach heart or is that something that always there just never channeled until the right training comes along. Tell me what you think.


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## Bill Mattocks (Jun 3, 2010)

scottie said:


> I ran across this quote yesterday.
> _"The best thing that karate can give someone is Heart, but it is the hardest thing to teach."_
> After reading that I was ready to go work out 100 mile per minute. Then I started thinking. Can Karate really teach heart or is that something that always there just never channeled until the right training comes along. Tell me what you think.



It's an interesting concept, because it is hard to know what 'heart' is.

Courage, pluckiness, determination, grit, stubbornness, the core of one's personal feelings, capacity for generosity or love, firmness of will; all of these have been described as 'heart' at one time or another.

In general, I believe that people are born with certain qualities or tendencies towards certain qualities; heart might be among them.  But I also believe that we learn and change; by observation of others and by training, as well as by self-examination and conscious decision.

So, can a person be taught 'heart'?  Depending on what is meant by it, I imagine the answer is 'yes'.  I do believe that karate imparts many lessons via proper instruction beyond simply those of self-defense.  Not every dojo teaches them, and not every student learns them; but it can be done.


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## dancingalone (Jun 3, 2010)

Some of it can, but the mettle must be inside already.  I had a student who was natually unassertive and timid.  Part of my instruction for her put her into uncomfortable situations frequently to help get her out of her shell.  I would do things like ask her to repeat the lesson I just gave in her own words to the class or I would pick her to be my uke since she hated having attention called to herself.

She rose to the challenge and learned a lot about herself, but I am inclined to think that if she never had it inside of her to begin with, she would never even have set foot inside my dojo.


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## Grenadier (Jun 3, 2010)

Everyone has heart.  The question is, how well do they use it?  

Your top notch students already know how to use it.  They would have been top notch folks regardless of how bad of a teacher one may be.

Your bottom barrel students usually refuse to use it.  They would be bottom barrel students no matter how good of a teacher one may be.  

The middle?  That all depends.  A good teacher can bring out someone's heart, making them realize that they can break barriers that they previously had set for themselves.  A great teacher can do this while not having to resort to negative methods.  

Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of encouragement.


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## kaizasosei (Jun 3, 2010)

Maybe through heart heart could be taught. But by will alone, a person can be only corrected or poisoned.


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## Blade96 (Jun 4, 2010)

I had certain qualities inside myself to begin with. But karate helped release them.

but yeah i think some people can be taught heart.


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## clfsean (Jun 4, 2010)

I don't think it can be taught per se, but like a couple of others mentioned it can be brought out & developed.


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## knuckleheader (Jun 4, 2010)

dancingalone said:


> Some of it can, but the mettle must be inside already. I had a student who was natually unassertive and timid. Part of my instruction for her put her into uncomfortable situations frequently to help get her out of her shell. I would do things like ask her to repeat the lesson I just gave in her own words to the class or I would pick her to be my uke since she hated having attention called to herself.
> 
> She rose to the challenge and learned a lot about herself, but I am inclined to think that if she never _had it_ inside of her to begin with, she would never even have set foot inside my dojo.


 
_it_.(heart) The desire and effort put forth th develope _it_. Most people are afraid to fight, but thru training and competition will learn to control their fear of fighting. Heart can be taught to anyone who wants to learn it and develope it.

Those who are not willing or don't have a sincere desire learn_ it_ will
most likely quit MA training. dancingalone, you must be a thoughtful instructor, Ous.


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## Brother John (Jun 4, 2010)

I think that you can, over time, LEAD a dedicated student toward greater "Heart", but you cannot GIVE it to them or teach it. You can demonstrate, encourage, explain and provide circumstances in which their determination, grit, WILL or whatever you want to call it (heart)....can grow and rise to the occassion,..but in the end, it's an individual's own responsibility. 

It's a bit like 'faith'...you can demonstrate, encourage, explain it and provide the opportunities to gain or increase it....but you cannot GIVE it. 
THEY must GET it.......
or not.

Your Brother
John


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## shesulsa (Jun 4, 2010)

You teach heart by touching a person's heart. You do this with truth, directness and example. It's difficult and I agree with what's been said before - a person has to have a heart to reach it.

There are many who come to martial arts and fighting arts believing the warrior mentality includes no heart, rather only ruthlessness.  If this is your student ... your task is immense.

Some may say that teaching heart would be manipulation of the worst sort and I imagine they may be right under most circumstances.  I would question a person's motives for trying to reach my heart because ... that's just me and I've been manipulated before in this manner.

Thin ice.  But many good things can happen on thin ice.


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## Gorilla (Aug 1, 2010)

If by heart you mean the will to fight.  I believe you either have it or you don't.  Many have not discovered that they have heart. I think that you will find that a good leader can bring it out.  Leadership is the key not instruction.  You must hold your students to a high standard and not make excuses for them when they fall short.  People can and will find a way to rise up if you expect it.  Those without heart will quit and when they do you have lost nothing.


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## stickarts (Aug 1, 2010)

I think some are born with it, and i don't know about teaching it, but instructors setting the example for others can be a big influence on students.


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## jks9199 (Aug 1, 2010)

"Heart" can be developed; it can't be taught.  But that's not saying it's you either have it or you don't...  You want to develop heart, you have to give the student challenges that aren't easy -- but aren't impossible.  They have to succeed by pushing themselves further than they thought they could... and it doesn't hurt sometimes to fail an attempt, too, so long as it's not totally crushing defeat.


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## Omar B (Aug 1, 2010)

I'm still fuzzy on exactly what the OP is referring to when he speaks of "heart."  Decipline, mental toughness, physical toughness, the ability to push through pain, all of these you learn in karate, but I'm not sure what he's getting at.


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