INTEGRITY
Integrity (one of the eight virtues of a black belt) is a very important to develop at all stages of the student–teacher relationship.
For obvious reasons, we do not want to get into the habit of lying to anyone, but the integrity of the student–teacher relationship is far more than that.
On a basic level, we want our students to trust us when we give them advice on something that will help them. Not everything we teach is immediately understandable, so the student trusting the teacher goes a long way in helping them progress faster. The student trusts the teacher, follows the guidance given, and eventually understands why that advice was offered.
One way to understand this kind of integrity is to look at how truth works on a smaller scale versus a larger one. If we say that 2 + 2 equals 4, that is easy to verify. You can place two apples next to two more apples and clearly see the result. If, instead, we say that 2 million plus 2 million equals 4 million, that becomes much harder to verify directly. However, because the concept has already proven itself true on a smaller, observable level, we are comfortable trusting it at a larger one. This mirrors how students experience rank progression. Early in training, they can see small improvements and confirm that instruction is sound. As techniques become more complex and progress is harder to immediately measure, that same trust allows students to accept guidance they cannot yet fully verify, confident that the process works even when results take time to appear.
Integrity doesn’t mean the teacher has to say everything that is on his or her mind. If a student throws a floppy kick with no control, saying “this is horrible” may be accurate, but it is not helpful. Phrases like “I’m not being mean, just truthful” or “just being practical” are often ways people cover for a lack of proper delivery. Additionally, communication like this rarely benefits the recipient.
We should be truthful in everything we say in an effort to build that trusting relationship, but everything we say should be calculated to have a specific effect. Going back to the example of the student with the wild kick, saying that it was a nice kick may not be accurate, but saying “I love the energy” very well might be.
This type of integrity will, over time, become reciprocal. Students will be more likely to open up with concerns if they feel that their instructors will be straightforward with them. This, in turn, increases the strength of the student–teacher relationship.
As we progress through the years with our students, our integrity shows that we truly “walk our talk.” Not only is this inspirational, but it also cements the martial arts mentality as a lifestyle rather than an exercise routine or self-defense drill. While neither of those aspects is incorrect, they are inherently short-term.
Marcus Traynor