Importance of Having a Teacher

[MC]

How important do you think having a teacher is in anything you're interested in learning?

One of the things that's fairly common among Martial Arts communities are individuals who believe they can teach themselves. Some believe they can do it from reading books, others from watching instructional videos and a rare few believe they can do it through solely fighting or sparring. When asked why, they usually cite that if Martial Artists such as Bruce Lee or Miyamoto Musashi did it, then by some incredible chance they can as well. However, both Bruce Lee and Miyamoto Musashi had teachers, though that fact tends to fall on death ears and is often undermined.

But that is just one example out of many that I've seen.

The idea of teaching yourself is tempting, but that's just it, it's nothing more than a temptation. A thing of no substance, aimed at pleasing the senses rather than fill the belly.

So, to answer my own question, I believe that having a teacher is important. Otherwise, you'll just find yourself running in circles, developing bad habits, possibly causing physical (or emotional) injury to yourself and others, making little-to-no progress and looking like an idiot in the process.

 

[sub]

For most things that are worth learning, you really should at least consult with someone who knows what their doing. I'm currently learning the guitar right now, and I'd have been doing a few things wrong if I was teaching myself.

 

[Deman]

Few things can easily be self taught and even fewer people are effectively able to teach themselves.

Instruments can be self taught because most people at least have somewhat of a basis for what should sound right or wrong, and most use at least both tablature or score and a recording of the song they wish to learn in the beginning.

I'm going to say that Martial Arts is one of the things that you need to really learn from other people. And you really ought to put it into practice with others. A master is going to be able to look at your form from all angles and correct you if you're wrong whereas you can only see so much of yourself. Sparring is important as well since it allows you to put what you've learned into a simulated combat situation.

 

[Zeonix]

I tend to learn the basics on my own, but when I require more complex information, I'll look for someone able and willing to lend me a hand. It would be kind of stupid to shun people who have way more experience in whatever field you're currently trying to learn. A matter of pride, I suppose.

As for learning martial arts, "new age" techniques, yoga or anything of the sort through books....just no. Those are the kinds of things you'd need to see an experienced person do and perform, otherwise you'll end up doing something that's either completely ridiculous, inefficient or dangerous. Even with meditation, which is something people tend to read a lot about, there isn't much you can do with a book. There's a monk I talk to every other morning during my runs who does his morning routine outside of the local Buddhist monastery. If I need some kind of information on any of the aforementioned topics, I'll go to him first and see what he has to say about it. He has an opinion on just about everything, and he can be kind of a ****, but I love him. We've been having our little meetings for years now.

And then we bang. No? Alright.

I can't put into words how much I've learned from that guy, though. With a "teacher" of sorts, you don't even really need to be taught, in the traditional sense. Just having a conversation with someone more experienced than you will allow you to view whatever it is you're discussing, and even things completely unrelated to the topic of discussion, from new perspectives and with greater clarity.

TL : DR- It's important.

 

[Spunky]

I taught myself everything I know about programming, and I'm pretty good at it. So I don't think a teacher is necessary, but most definitely helps.

 

[Dokutayuu]

A teacher helps but I taught myself 80% of the guitar I know. The first 10% was to get started and the other was general bits and pieces.

 

[kam!]

I think it depends on the personal learning style. There are people that really need someone to teach them.
Others can completely learn by themselves given the information. Ok this applies mostly to knowledge,
since things like martial arts compose of "physical" learning, too. As far as knowledge goes, I'd consider myself
independant from teachers. I learned two years worth of chemistry class by just reading the chemistry book once
at the start of the year. However I tend to keep things better if I heard it from a teacher.

But in essence, I think teachers are very important, especially in things like martial arts/sports.

 

[Dzamija]

When it comes to martial arts, you definitely need a teacher. Not only because only with a teacher can you master the absolutely correct technique, but also as a role model, someone who pushes you on and gives you determination to keep doing it.

When it comes to playing a guitar, I'd say more than 50% of all guitarists are self-taught, but had some help from more experienced guitarists when they were beginners. For example, a friend of mine taught me the pentatonic today, my dad, who's been playing for 40 years taught me 2 or more scales and a lot of basic pick-holding and fretting techniques. Not to mention that he keeps reminding me to use my pinky when I fret

So yeah, being completely self-taught is hard at times, and it's a lot easier if there's someone there to at least show you the ropes. That's my opinion.

 

[L]

If you're planning to 'self-teach' in martial arts than you require another, practice and experiment at least every day.
Knowing any kind of martial art does not guarantee your win, knowing it only gives you more options and you must learn and discover such techniques (even your own) to acquire those options.

If you watch instructional videos and see someone do something done effectively, pay attention to the conditions. Even then, if you don't practice that very often you will not even fathom the thought during an actual combat situation let alone do such a thing successfully.

If you're self-teaching you'd have to apply the same if not more discipline and time into it, since you'll be learning things at a much slower rate than having someone who already has the experience and knowledge of successful techniques (Most of the time). Also, a partner to spar with is a must, you cannot practice on a dummy if you intend to learn and reply to the erratic responses in actual combat.

 

[LionHeart]

To learn something you need commitment, a teacher is there to provide that for you if you can't do it on your own.

In my case it's 3D modeling, sure I can watch videos and read certain tutorials about it but without someone there to support me and offer me motivation I'm gonna give up on it sooner or later. That's when trowa comes in, he helps me, he's understandng and has patience to deal with me, I could even say he's the only one of my e-friends that has that thing. And I'm very thankfull to him for that and owe him a great deal.

 

[L]

To learn something you need commitment, a teacher is there to provide that for you if you can't do it on your own.

In my case it's 3D modeling, sure I can watch videos and read certain tutorials about it but without someone there to support me and offer me motivation I'm gonna give up on it sooner or later. That's when trowa comes in, he helps me, he's understandng and has patience to deal with me, I could even say he's the only one of my e-friends that has that thing. And I'm very thankfull to him for that and owe him a great deal.

Speaking of 3D Modeling.. Are there any good tutorials for that? For some reason I can't find any that do not require some membership to a site and said tutorial being in english or bad quality.

 

[Grega]

Well its kinda simple.

You can start teaching yourself if you want. BUt youll hit a wall really soon. And you will not be able to get round that wall without a teacher.

@Fatal

for 3DSMax -> http://www.poopinmymouth.com/
for MS3D -> http://dosfx.com/tutorials/csgirl/default.asp

 

[LionHeart]

Speaking of 3D Modeling.. Are there any good tutorials for that? For some reason I can't find any that do not require some membership to a site and said tutorial being in english or bad quality.

Could you get on msn or yahoo? I added you cuz there's alot to talk about when it comes to finding good tutorials.

 

[L]

Could you get on msn or yahoo? I added you cuz there's alot to talk about when it comes to finding good tutorials.

I did this, I will publicly state that he had proceeded to send me several 'hentai' and.. other such images within a .RAR file and soon afterwords said "OH S%#!" "OOPS!1".

I think it was a ruse.

 

[VideoJinx]

To self learn martial arts.. would make you better.. simply because you'd study martial arts more thoroughly then if you were taught "a" technique.

You'd end up using what bests suits a situtation.. instead of.. what's taught for a situation...

aka BRUCE LEE

All it takes is.. determination, and quality training(self-training)

 

[MC]

However, Bruce Lee wasn't self-taught. Bruce Lee received training from teachers and fellow Martial Artists alike.

 

[L]

However, Bruce Lee wasn't self-taught. Bruce Lee received training from teachers and fellow Martial Artists alike.

Which he incorporated things that worked into his own style whilst creating his own techniques, [common] techniques he would use often instead of requiring certain conditions to be made before he can execute a single move to evolve into a sequence.

Bruce lee was taught, by another then himself. He researched and read very often when he was bedridden.
So overall, he was taught in the beginning to get started and later continued without a teacher. He was no longer a student of another, yet only a student to himself.

 

[Synth]

I'm considerably disappointed with the lack of communication between parenting and tutoring/teaching. We as a species would rather investigate our approach to ego, rather than allude towards the fact we lack social connectivity. If we considerably improved our approach of integrating intellgence, we'd realize respect is a brain-fart (humbleness) away from excepting knowledge.

If it's going to take something outlandish and provocative like scientology to take athereal boundaries, and give them consideration, we gotta realize how self-centered we're being day to day.