“Many chefs ruin the soup.” – Ben Sensei

This means that if you have many teachers, you will spoil your technique. Each teacher has a different way of doing the same thing. One might go deep while another might go out. Yet another might insist on atemi first, and another might always want to see a technique step-by-step like a robot. Try to make them all happy each week!

I had this experience in Japan. Each week I saw at least half-a-dozen teachers, all great teachers, and each wanted something different. For example, Miyamoto Sensei wanted ushiro ukemi with legs straight as a true breakfall (not a roll) so it would give us ab strength in the future; Sugawara Sensei wanted perfect backward rolls. I had to remember who wanted what at what time of day and on which day.

Another example is Osawa Sensei wants a diagonal cut-in for katatedori shihonage omote whereas literally everyone else does not. We (my friends and I) call this the ‘Osawa way’.

It is hard to pick a way, but in the end each student should strive to emulate one single teacher to perfection.

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