An interesting take on the student/teacher relationship. So many facets to this dynamic possible. When I last studied a lifetime ago, the style was Bujinkan. My instructor one of the deadliest men in the world, he developed much of the hand to hand combat that was used by US special forces. He grew up in Japan (his father was military) and from childhood he was trained in the arts, not from the sports aspect that is prevalent in the US.
As deadly as he was, he was open about his respect that bordered on fear with Hatsumi sensei. It put perspective on this for me, to realize this man who had already mastered a different art before submitting to Hatsumi sensei, mastered his art was still in awe/fear of him.
I attribute some of this to the father dynamic. Many of us (males anyway, can't speak for females) grow up in awe of our fathers, thinking them invincible as children. I did, and I saw it in my son in relation to myself.
I often have wondered, especially given the Don Juan assertions, if the deeper teachers are outside of the obvious circle being observed (not discounting the obvious value of the observable teacher).
As to your brilliant analyses on the teacher/nemesis dynamic, to study certain things requires one move through what Castaneda reported were the 4 enemies of man. The first being fear. I often thought to myself one of the first breakthroughs the martial student will have is realizing they CAN function through pain. Most people freeze up at the thought of pain, which is how the bully/tyrant dynamic is so prevalent. It requires one to learn to compartmentalize, something most are never taught to seek out and will (for most) only happen accidentally, as they are never taught to seek it out and flex it like a muscle.
I appreciate this post, your finest in my estimation.
By the way, the “father figure” dynamic is often present with female students as well, but a bit differently since the body functions differently... so a woman is in awe and wants to follow and learn and become just as great and strong etc (or at least to attempt to do so) even though she knows that not everything will be possible due to obvious physical differences. I mean, there have been great female warriors who are fast, great endurance and strength, etc., but if she stands against a 6 foot tall heavyweight athlete face to face what are the odds...
In most older schools there were special practices for girls. More attention was paid to flexibility, speed, cleverness, sneakiness, and even sexual tricks like in old days in Japan where female ninjas would seduce their victims/enemies and catch them relaxed and unaware...
So, yep, we do feel the parental guidance/awe thing. Either that, or inevitable attraction which is horrible and can lead to bad bad consequences given that most REAL Sensei and teachers WILL NOT fall into male/female interactions beyond what is permitted by their own strict principles.
I think being female in any school or whatever arts is the whole another twist and it’s very interesting to observe. All issues of gender equality aside, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, we are all deserving people... but different physiology and hormones do play a role and cannot be dismissed UNLESS a woman has already passed the stage of learning where she can have total control of her cycles, womb, hormonal bursts, mood swings, etc. If not, forget it.
Thanks, I appreciate your feedback and examples. It gives me more confidence to know that other people go through similar or near-similar experiences. I am now observing and studying all of this while being the subject of the observation myself.
It sounds strange, like performing an experiment where you are your own experimental subject, so observation seems to require some kind of psychological/emotional detachment..
The most difficult thing in all this so far seems to be the amount of inner work that needs to be done seemingly without any help :/ Like when they throw you in the water and it’s not the nice, appropriate, school-approved method of teaching how to swim, it’s more like “there you go, do what you can, if you learn fast enough - you’ll survive”.