At what age do you do your best teaching?

[Bruce7]

I have always thought the older you are the better teacher you would become.
Example: of this Bill Wallace is still a great teacher. His videos are excellent.
Figuring new training method, your understand of the Art, your understanding of people, your wisdom in general makes you a better teach.

How every people like Bruce Lee advance MA at a young age.
I don't know this for sure, but I think Jack Whang was probably best in his forties, maybe 50's at teaching.
I don't know the answer to the question.
What are your opinion on the subject?

 

[jobo]

I have always thought the older you are the better teacher you would become.
Example: of this Bill Wallace is still a great teacher. His videos are excellent.
Figuring new training method, your understand of the Art, your understanding of people, your wisdom in general makes you a better teach.

How every people like Bruce Lee advance MA at a young age.
I don't know this for sure, but I think Jack Whang was probably best in his forties, maybe 50's at teaching.
I don't know the answer to the question.
What are your opinion on the subject?

I don't think age relates directly to teaching ability , experiance might , but that's not directly related to age either, credibility maybe age related, but then you can be both to young and to old to have credibility depending on context , just being very good at some thing , doesn't mean your a good teacher !

 

[Danny T]

64 still learning
Constant refinement

 

[Flying Crane]

I think there is an issue of maturity, both in the practice and understanding of the particular martial system, and as a person.

All else being equal, I would suggest that someone who has practiced for at least 25 years, and is 50 years old or older. I think that is the best combination of those two maturity issues.

And before people jump all over me about younger teachers being quite capable, yes that can be true too. But those same people will be better teachers yet, after they hit these milestones.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I have always thought the older you are the better teacher you would become.
Example: of this Bill Wallace is still a great teacher. His videos are excellent.
Figuring new training method, your understand of the Art, your understanding of people, your wisdom in general makes you a better teach.

How every people like Bruce Lee advance MA at a young age.
I don't know this for sure, but I think Jack Whang was probably best in his forties, maybe 50's at teaching.
I don't know the answer to the question.
What are your opinion on the subject?

This will vary by individual. Some folks get better with experience. Some, however, will teach to their own level and the material they find most interesting. At 60+, with many years of solid foundation in basics, many instructors are more interested in "fiddling" with technique, which can make them less effective at developing basics in their newer students. At the same time, they may be better at teaching more advanced practitioners.

So, part of the question is self-dependent: best at teaching what, to whom?

 

[jobo]

I think there is an issue of maturity, both in the practice and understanding of the particular martial system, and as a person.

All else being equal, I would suggest that someone who has practiced for at least 25 years, and is 50 years old or older. I think that is the best combination of those two maturity issues.

And before people jump all over me about younger teachers being quite capable, yes that can be true too. But those same people will be better teachers yet, after they hit these milestones.

not the point I'm making , rather what has 25 years if practise got to do with teaching ability ,?

 

[Deleted member 39746]

you might not be able to teach well per say, but relaying things based on experience/what you have picked up doing the things is a skill separate to teaching.

Some people legit might have a large amount of experience and want to share it rather than "teach" you anything. That is a obligation some people have in their minds as one they have if they have past X amount of knowledge in a subject.

But yeah same as above age does not correlate teaching skill, how ever if they spent 40 years in the police they might have some tricks to tell you.

 

[Buka]

Interesting question, but difficult to answer, too many variables. I think it's less about your age at any point, and more about the circumstances under which you are teaching and the particular make up of the student body at that time.

You can't teach little kids the same way you teach adults. You can't teach fighters the same way you teach housewives. You can't teach cops the same way you teach unarmed security guys. You usually can't teach somebody else's students they way you teach your own.

 

[dvcochran]

Well said Buka.
Thinking about this, I was much better at "showing" fighters how to work drills in my 20's & 30's but I doubt I was nearly as good as I am now at explaining the drills. I can look back and see that even when showing the drills I was only giving a snapshot. For various reasons I see teaching from "10,000 feet" now vs. how I thought about it in my younger years allowing me to invest more information into someone. Like Buka said, a lot of it is understanding who you are teaching. It is a waste of time for student and teacher to obsess over certain things with certain people. Much better as a teacher to figure out there strengths and pour into them in those areas.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You don't want to learn from an old teacher. You will learn "old man posture" and develop bad habit. You may also learn a lot of "untested new theory" that you may be able to do in slow speed but you will never be able to do in fast speed (technique that only work in demo but won't work in the ring or on the mat).

Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "flying side kick"?
90 years old master: I can't jump any more.
Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "break fall"?
90 years old master: I can't fall any more.
Student: What can you teach me?
90 years old master: I can teach you how to hug a tree.
Student: ...

 

[Danny T]

You don't want to learn from an old teacher. You will learn "old man posture" and develop bad habit.

I disagree with this premise
I believe you disagree as well or you would no longer be teaching.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I disagree with this premise
I believe you disagree as well or you would no longer be teaching.

I'm not 90 years old yet.

My student has record all my teaching on video. When I look at it, I'm not satisfied with what I can do today compare to what I could do 30 years ago. My speed, balance, flexibility, ... are no longer as good as before.

 

[Bruce7]

Danny T and Kung Fu Wang both have a point.

I think there is a point where the black belts you taught have to demonstrate the technique.
You become more of a supervisor.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I think there is a point where the black belts you taught have to demonstrate the technique.
You become more of a supervisor.

That's why you may see a lot of old teachers in China and Taiwan who sit on their chair, smoke their cigarette, and watch their old students to teach their new students. The teacher just collects tuition. How can any new student be able to learn that way?

 

[dvcochran]

You don't want to learn from an old teacher. You will learn "old man posture" and develop bad habit. You may also learn a lot of "untested new theory" that you may be able to do in slow speed but you will never be able to do in fast speed (technique that only work in demo but won't work in the ring or on the mat).

Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "flying side kick"?
90 years old master: I can't jump any more.
Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "break fall"?
90 years old master: I can't fall any more.
Student: What can you teach me?
90 years old master: I can teach you how to hug a tree.
Student: ...

If 90 is what you consider old that gives the comment a different perspective. My GM who is 84 is still very fast with his upper body and hands. Yes his legs have slowed down but he can still do a full split. At 64 I did not want to tangle with him. On a side note, he was diagnosed with cancer in his leg in his 60's. You would never know it to see him today.
So to teach a flying side kick he plies his wisdom and uses a younger student to demonstrate the kick and display corrections.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

not the point I'm making , rather what has 25 years if practise got to do with teaching ability ,?

For most folks, I think it'd be a truism that they get better at teaching as they get more experienced at both the art and teaching it. The variation between individuals is probably as strong a factor as that factor, so factor that in.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

you might not be able to teach well per say, but relaying things based on experience/what you have picked up doing the things is a skill separate to teaching.

Some people legit might have a large amount of experience and want to share it rather than "teach" you anything. That is a obligation some people have in their minds as one they have if they have past X amount of knowledge in a subject.

But yeah same as above age does not correlate teaching skill, how ever if they spent 40 years in the police they might have some tricks to tell you.

Um, how are you defining "teach"? Because the things you say are different to teaching sound a lot like teaching, to me.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Interesting question, but difficult to answer, too many variables. I think it's less about your age at any point, and more about the circumstances under which you are teaching and the particular make up of the student body at that time.

You can't teach little kids the same way you teach adults. You can't teach fighters the same way you teach housewives. You can't teach cops the same way you teach unarmed security guys. You usually can't teach somebody else's students they way you teach your own.

Man, I want to click "agree" for every sentence in that.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You don't want to learn from an old teacher. You will learn "old man posture" and develop bad habit. You may also learn a lot of "untested new theory" that you may be able to do in slow speed but you will never be able to do in fast speed (technique that only work in demo but won't work in the ring or on the mat).

Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "flying side kick"?
90 years old master: I can't jump any more.
Student: Dear master, Could you show me how to do "break fall"?
90 years old master: I can't fall any more.
Student: What can you teach me?
90 years old master: I can teach you how to hug a tree.
Student: ...

For me, this is why I want to build a body of "senior students" - people who will be able to help with demonstrating proper technique where I no longer can. Heck, I already make adjustments for my knees and my left foot, and I'm not even 50 yet.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

That's why you may see a lot of old teachers in China and Taiwan who sit on their chair, smoke their cigarette, and watch their old students to teach their new students. The teacher just collects tuition. How can any new student be able to learn that way?

The new student is getting the demonstration from a young guy, with the (presumed) wisdom of the old guy. Seems like a workable environment.