Sensei-itis?

When you progress through a martial art over time, there are many cycles to embrace. For one, it’s highly likely that you will add roles, such as from student to student/teacher. For some, it happens early, and others too soon. I found in my learning that Aikido is very much an art of practice, not talking about it during practice. But use the mat time to your advantage by repeat practice. Good Practice. Fluid, not lighting fast. Also, it’s the job of senior students to guide their partners through good ukemi, not to teach and lecture. At the same time, a good student will try and ‘discover’ the technique with practice and not talk. I take my job as an instructor to give the students in my class the biggest opportunity for discovery. I too will guide them through movements if they are stuck, but at the same time if I’m a student in class, it’s not my place to teach unless asked by the instructor teaching to assist. Having been to over 80 Aikido Seminars over the past decade, I see this happen a lot. A Yudansha will try and teach the technique to his/her partner, usually a white belt which not only halts the practice but is extremely bad etiquette.

I think it’s important to embrace learning even more if you are in a teaching position. I learn every week from Kohai, both on and off the mat. But as one progresses into a Teacher role, your ego should diminish meaning my goal is for my students to become better than I am, then I know I am a good teacher.

“This is a dojo where one learns to become a better human being through the training of Aikido; therefore, we attach great importance to decorum. Instead of idle talk and vapid ideas, action and performance are greatly esteemed here.”
-Akira Tohei Shihan (8th Dan)