Intelligent Curriculum Part 1

As an educator, I am always working to develop and refine my school's curriculum. The curriculum I teach is a reflection of my values as a martial artist. When I use the term 'martial artist', I am not talking about someone who practices the marital arts, I am talking about being a martial artist. A real martial artist lives a life that transcends the mat and the ring. A real martial artist uses the pursuit of physical discipline to become a more whole, centred human being. This is important because anything less reduces the training process to nothing more than an egocentric exercise in narcissism.

I do not think anyone who studies under a real martial artist, continues to study over the long term for the same reasons they began. We all begin with specific goals in mind, usually to address immediate needs like self defence, fitness, and confidence. Over time we begin to realize the value of the art goes far beyond the direct physical benefits and aspirations for ourselves expand and evolve. We become aware of how different aspects are intimately interconnected and ultimately define the whole. These holistic values are covered by the portion of my curriculum that I refer to as intelligent curriculum.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” - Bruce Lee (1940 - 1973)