“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” -Bruce Lee
I have been thinking a lot about “the student”. More specifically the student from the beginning of their journey of learning a new skill, like Tango. While learning a new skill you are simultaneously learning how to learn, it takes practice to be a good student, and I dare say the most valuable skill to have.
“When I want to learn a new skill, it’s usually because I’ve watched all the cool stuff someone better than me can do. Unknown to me are countless sub-skills underneath the highlight reel of their work.” -Dallas Blowers
Those sub-skills are the basics, the fundamental skills on which everything is built from. From a beginner’s excitement, it’s understandable that they want to jump ahead and learn “the cool move” without realising how laced that move is with the basics, just cleverly stitched together with a bit of flare.
“As a beginner, this can lead to a frustrating experience. We don’t yet have the basis to know what we don’t know. When we seek tutelage underneath someone, we assume they’ll show us the path to get started. Great practitioners with a knack for teaching do this effortlessly, but not all practitioners are the best teachers.” -Blowers
Though the students attention span is always in danger of wavering, because, well, they want the flashy stuff, not boring basics….again. A good teacher will continue to push fundamentals until they are second nature. Instinctual good technique is required so you may experience the true freedom of learning a new move, you won’t be held back because you can rely on your rock solid foundation.
“Mastering the fundamentals is hard. We have to endure countless hours of tedious, thankless work. Those of us who endure this process reap the rewards on the other side. Not only do we become more capable in whatever skill we’re developing, but we also become more capable practitioners of this crazy complicated game called life.” -Blowers
A good teacher will see which students are in it for just “the moves” and who really wants to learn. We can also tell if your ego is stopping you from really getting the most out of classes. There is no safer space than our classroom, no one is judging and everyone has questions. Be open and be humble to the possibilities and we promise you’ll improve. Your success is our success.