The Teachers that are Fading out of sight......

By:  Jason Ward.

I am fortunate to have studied under some amazing and talented instructors.   All of them have something in common, and its not what most people expect of such highly talented individuals.

My teachers are some of the best in their field.  One is a highly knowledgeable and skilled Internal Arts practitioner who has written articles, and been called one of the most tenacious Taiji players known by his classmates.  

Another is a highly respected master of the Filipino Martial Arts, author of a bunch of books, a Dr. of Oriental medicine, and a master in the rare art of Ngo Cho Kun.

The next instructor is a quiet, passionate and highly sought after instructor of I Liq Chuan, who teaches all around the world.

Another is one of the toughest and most powerful instructors I have ever seen.   Tremendous power, incredibly fast, and trained under some of the top instructors in the world in Bak Mei, Chu Gar Mantis, Iron Ox Mantis, and Jook Lum Mantis.

One teacher, who is no longer living was a pioneer in the art of Kempo, was an actor, bodyguard, fighter, and devastating knife fighter.

So what do they all have in common?

I did not train with them in fancy Dojo's or Gwan's.  it wasn't in fitness centres, fancy gyms, with mirrors, flags, rings, weapons on the wall, 

They taught me in cars, phone booths, parks, hotel lobbies and hotel rooms.   They taught me in livingrooms, kitchens, restaurants, parking lots, alleys and stairwells.

They were and are some of the best skilled artists, and they do not have a lot of students, because everyone wants the watered down, sport, mma, quick belts and titles.  They want the lazy man's arts and they do not want to be told to stand for an hour or get told your doing it wrong for three hours straight.

They do not ask for money for lessons.  They might let you buy them lunch, or a can of coffee, or simply teach you because your the only one bugging them for lessons.

They are the teachers that are under appreciated, unknown, and sadly fading into the mists of time.

We need to learn from these guys, not the used car, businessmen and businesswomen.

We don't need those guys, we need these rare gems of the martial arts world.

We need to educate the world that these individuals exist.

Yours in the arts....

Jason.