“YOU can only teach what you personify.”
This perhaps is the best way to define teaching and teacher.
We found teachers and we witness teaching not only academically but most importantly in our daily lives.
As we live our lives, we learn from people, and circumstances through the progress of our existence. Although we do not intentionally teach and learn, we are meant to learn and teach in our existence.
Teaching is a noble vocation. A teacher does not only impart lessons and or instructions but a true teacher imparts a piece or even the whole of his character.
In the field of the Arnis, teachers are called Guro, the Filipino term for teacher.
Who can be a Guro? Basically, anyone who imparts knowledge and skills can be considered as Guro.
Some call them trainers or “tapagsanay”. Some call them coaches or “tagagabay” and some say coach is the same level as Guro but higher level than the trainer.
This are the basic complimentary term that we call them who teaches their knowledge and skills in Arnis.
There is also the term Maestro, Master and Grand Master. These are ranked endearment separating the experts from those who just teach what they have learned.
Maestro, Master and Grand Master are ranked endearment for those who understand and expounds what is already known.
For them, a simple technique becomes special. The way they teach is deeper than just 1, 2, 3 of that of the Guro, Tagapagsanay or Tagagabay’s training.
With the popularity of Arnis now, many are jumping into the bandwagon and are pretending to know and teach the art of Arnis, either as a sport or as a martial arts.
This is the reason why we should be cautious about lineage in Arnis to easily trace and prove their legitimacy if we can identify their Maestro, Master or Grandmaster.
Lineage is very important whatever silly reasons people without it say because it cements not only the legitimacy of your style but it also honors the legacy of the people that made your knowledge and skill significant.
We are all students no matter what rank and accomplishments we have. Be thankful to everyone that served to make your existence significant. It is the only way that you can give back, respect and honor your teachers to respect and honor your life.