When you teach someone, it is both a humbling and rewarding experience. Humbling because you will not know all the answers to the questions you will be asked. And the best thing to do is admit that. Find the answer or better yet, work on it together. Kung Fu questions are not ones you can google, the answers are not in an ancient scroll somewhere (though finding an ancient scroll would be so awesome - understanding it would be even better but I digress). Many questions will require you to do something over and over in slightly different ways to understand what is being asked much less the answer. You need to help the student find those answers themselves, then they will retain that information forever. If you are told an answer, you will probably forget it.
Rewarding! You must be totally engaged when you teach someone. You need to be present. That attitude alone will have you soaking up information. What? You learn when you teach? I have never learnt more about something until I am trying to teach it. Everyone has something to teach so don’t let your ego blindside you by belt levels or ranks.
One of the best things I can do for my engagement is to help someone else. Remember that the key word is “help”. As I said above, if you give someone the answers they won’t likely remember it tomorrow and the goal of teaching is to empower the student, not to prove how much you know. If you want to feel more energized, more engaged, try teaching someone.
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