The way of guitars and the martial artist!

“Private lessons or group lessons, which one is best?” Is a question we often get asked as instructors, the answer is quite simple…. both!

The best analogy which I think might answer this great question is the example of learning a musical instrument, and I know a few of our students are musicians so I hope it makes sense!

So imagine you are a budding guitarist, dieing to become the next Hank Marvin or ‘Slash’ (If you are younger than 50!)This young lad has bought his chosen ‘Axe’ and he sits on the edge of the bed trying to pluck some notes, and find some chords out of this amazing instrument of musical potential, despite the; ‘how to play guitar in 10 easy steps’ book open by his side, or these days, one of the 100,000,000 YouTube sites dedicated to teaching you anything from learning guitar to mobile phone repair! Flickering open upon his laptop, the noise this young lad is making sounds awful! Nowhere near sounding like the ‘Guitar Hero’ he wishes to become!

So this is the stage when 2 things can happen, just like someone interested in martial arts, he can; A. learn enough from YouTube to impress girls, and tell people he plays the guitar, he might even mess about with his mates and get no further than 3 chords, perfect to play punk! or B. find a teacher and become good! The second option of course takes work and expense, in fact putting yourself out! That’s why good musicians (and martial artists) are rare!

But having aspirations and dreams, this young man chooses B, which means our story can continue, he has looked, and we hope found a caring teacher who teaches the type of guitar he wants to learn, and is patient enough to sit still and listen as this young Kohigh of the guitar wrenches sounds out of the Sensei’s chosen instrument of choice!

Our budding student has now found the chance to be good, with private lessons the teacher can devote all his attention to teaching mastery of the guitar, going at the pace that is best for the student with no distractions from a class of mixed ability students…. great! Just like in a private martial arts lesson.

But that is only half the story, for when the young man picked up the guitar; he had an unformed wish to be a ‘musician’. A musician is not someone who learns the next piece of technique, puts it in his metaphorical pocket and then goes home to his bedroom to play to his mirror! A musician plays to other people, he if you like, transmits his passion for the music to the watcher, and maybe one day, if he is very lucky, transforms somebody by his music.

So our guitarist should join a band! He needs to sit with other musicians and make music. As each band member tries their best, each is driven to greater levels, (that’s how the Beatles did it!) All his teachers’ lessons can now be used and thus understood. Then they should book a gig, and leave the garage in which they practice in, now their journey really begins!

This, as a martial artist, is when we train in a class together, mixing and sparring with other martial artists, testing each other and becoming great together, we go to gradings, or perform demonstrations together, truly playing and understanding our art together.

Then like our musician, who next needs to play a more advanced piece of music, we go back to our sensei for a personal lesson, which will help him understand the next level he needs to play at.

Then who knows, one day this now experienced musician who once nervously unwrapped his brand new guitar, might decide to give some words of advice to someone else struggling with his art form, and then the circle is completed.

For every instructor in martial arts, of what ever style is only ever trying to hand on what he was taught, no one should be arguing who is the best guitarist or has the best band in the world, merely hoping their music might one day transform another persons life.