Keith Owen talks about how some people train with the adult mind and think they know everything. They have a "learning disability" when it comes to jiu jitsu. Take a listen to Keith Owen on what he says about this.
Great information and a great attitude to boot! I have over 36 years experience in the martial arts and have been teaching since 1992 so I know where your coming from. Yet I'm still and will always be a student with that child's mind. That open minded attitude and willing/wanting to learn and experiment with new things. Rock on sir for you diffidently know what you're talking about! Take care & God Bless!!!
As adults, we judge because we've been scammed before, ripped off before. It's more like treating the instructor as a car mechanic. Even surgeons and doctors we sometimes ask for a second or third opinion. With non full contact martial arts like TKD (mcdojo), Krav Maga, kung fu, those who believes their methods work under pressure are often laughed at or pitied for being tricked by their instructors. Even with BJJ, quality of instructors can vary, lineage of belt can be questioned. If some instructor has no competition record nor has yet churned out competing students, I would say skepticism is justified. Otherwise, if one has proven to be a good instructor, then yes students should shut up and listen.
+Alice Leung I think students should always ask questions, and if you ask "Hey, why is the move done this way?" then any teacher in any martial art should be able to provide you with a discrete answer as to why. Something like "you get more power with this stance" or "there's more leverage at this angle" or "if you do this move another way, you leave yourself open to this possible counterattack." If they can't justify the technique, then they don't understand the art, and you're right, that's a big McDojo warning sign. But what I think he's talking about here is students who get that explanation and think they know better. A) They probably don't and B) If they actually aren't satisfied with the theory details they're getting in class, they should quit. That's what I assume, anyway, in my short BJJ experience, I haven't encountered instructors who hate the "why" questions.
Owen is a wise fellow. Much of his BJJ lessons can be applied to any aspect of life. He just happens to be a BJJ expert, but his insight is valuable to any endeavor. He evidently values and teaches excellence first. BJJ is merely the vehicle for him currently to have the most impact. I don't care if you are a professional MMA fighter or a gardener, Keith Owen has something of value to say.
