Fencers

[grauwulf]

Okay kids, I'm at a cross roads of a sort. I've always made a point to not take on students in a traditional sence, but I've got these 2 (possibly 3) folks at the local practice that have made it pretty clear that they'd like me to take on that form of relationship with them. Which is really flattering and everything, espically since they are taking this up with me and not the white scarves who attend practice. Anyway one of the things I tell new folks is that until they get the basics under control it's really beneficial to pic one person to be your 'teacher'. I give several reasons for this; less confussion, greater continuitity of training, faster progression of skill, more specific and reliable feedback, blah blah blah. So these two look at each other and are all 'Yup, and that would be you.' period, not a question mark.
So here I am, twitching almost spazmatically. Do I shove an arm load of books in thier direction and run for the hills? Do I just keep going to practice helping with whatever whereever? Do I suck it up and take on real honest to goodness students whome I would be 'responsible'(in a fassion) for? So I'm looking for your oppinions, how do I/you know when your ready/good-enough/knowledgable-enough to put yourself in that kind of position? What do you think I should do?

FYI, I reserve the right to call you a crack head and ignore any and everything you say. :D

Comments

[candlelight1228.livejournal.com]

FYI, I reserve the right to call you a crack head and ignore any and everything you say.

Unless we beat you to it... CRACKHEAD! ;)

Done just cause I could! :D

[grauwulf.livejournal.com]

ARRGGHHH! Damn You candlelight! Damn You and ALLLLLLL your apostiles!
:P

[candlelight1228.livejournal.com]

*evil grin*

[dominyk.livejournal.com]

Congratulations first of all. You must be doing lots of things right for the students to be keying on you that way.

For me, being in a situation where I was the teacher was the best fencing related thing that ever happend to me. So I'm a little biased but I think you should do it.

It sounds like you don't want to be these folks Warder, or take them as a Cadet. Or am I wrong? I don't think it would hurt one way or the other except for the stigma associated with those two titles.

I think you should find a happy medium between "fencing master" and "that guy who's cool at practice". Maybe refer to them as your students and take pains to train and help them individually. But not do anything uber official or hard core. I guess it would also depend on the individual student.

At the very least I think you should encourage them to go to lots of events, fight lots of people, and bring something back to practice that they want to try/discuss/learn etc. That way they are learning from lots of people but you are their teacher.

Just my thoughts for now.

[grauwulf.livejournal.com]

yeah I agree, it is a really awesome feeling to see somebody do something that you taught them. That big smile when they go "whoa! 'I' did that. sweet!"

I dont know about the whole warde cadet thing, titles really arn't my style. I guess in the end it's just a bit of a brain tweek, thats all. I've always tried to help anybody (well maybe there were one or two exceptions *grin*) that have asked it of me. Maybe I'm just out of my element :)

I'm right with you man, thats a really good head space to have about the issue.

[troyfish.livejournal.com]

Anyone can have personal students. If you want cadets, you can do that too. Granted just don't give them red scarves or anything silly like that.

In my opinion, you have been given one of the best compliments in that people want to listen to you. They already chose you. Guess what if you tell them to go somewhere else, they are learning from you and therefore you are their teacher. Even as a WS I feel more than weird when people seek me out for teaching. "I don't know how to teach... I know how to kill people, and have fun doing it..." Guess what, that's teaching if you can show what you do.

They are going to learn from you no matter what you do. Make it the good stuff. Also make sure that you send them to other people to learn certain things, then you can help them refine it.

Your scarf on your arm may not be bleached yet, but that doesn't mean you cant do WS stuff :-) (You know, like you have been doing for a really long time.)

[grauwulf.livejournal.com]

*nods* scarves are pretty trim, they make good targets, and may cause unintentional swelling of the head (which by the way, is a side effect you seem to have immunity too.), but I think thats about it :P

I've run across some really kick ass fighters and teachers who didn't hold any 'position' or scarf. On the same note I've talked to some white scarves who couldn't teach a dog to wag it's tail. *shrugs* it just depends on the person. which is kind of why I put this out...

Although I might have to hire 5 or 10 folks to wear red scarves just to irk the powers that be.

what exactlly is "white scarf stuff"? as far as I can tell this consists of being a primary target on every list, being involved with some of the lamest politics in the sca, and having a mountian of expectations dumped on your head. wait, you ARE still free scholars!

Well stated all the way around. duely noted.

[baronalejandro.livejournal.com]

To an extent, I agree with Dominyk. Find that happy medium. I cordially differ with Connor in that I wouldn't call them cadets. I do think it would be presumptuous, plus fealty chains are just weird. However, as he does point out, you do need to do (more) white scarf stuff and I believe taking some type of student is part of that training. So the happy medium that Dominyk describes would be good. Oh, and what you said about Free Scholars? Yeah we get that crap too but it's ten times worse. You sure you want your scarf bleached? ;-)

[grauwulf.livejournal.com]

again, well stated. The points that Dominyk speaks to above is a vary close discription to the way I am at practice with everybody, It's just part of my character I think. Where it was getting sticky in my head was in the idea of haveing persons I was dedicated to and to whome I made it my responsibility to help progress. *shrugs* oh well, So Be It.

And to your last question, no. no, I'm not. But that Sabastian, is another story. ~que the music~

P.S. Great Icon!

[troyfish.livejournal.com]

LOL... If I said call them "cadets," I would cordially even vehemently disagree with me. I don't recommend you call them cadets. That is a nomenclature thing. Your German... what would a German teacher call their students? Fealty issues are always sketchy.

You say you are sticky on the idea of having people dedicated to you and you to them. You're always dedicated to the people you teach.. that is part of your character. You are a good teacher. One of the greatest feelings is to have your students win tournaments. Sapphire Joust has done that for me a few times. Seeing my friends win the Sapphire multiple times, and knowing that I had at least a small hand in their training, was probably one of the coolest feelings. Think about how you'll feel when your students progress up the line. It's a cool thing.