Patron and I have often conversation about philosophy.  Patron mind all about fighting, different from artist thought but only somewhat.  Specific question came around concept of what to teach students and how. 

Leaning into Patron’s concept of what ‘must be’, focus often is on illumination of path rather than defining or walking path for student.  Sure, at beginning, student needs understanding of taking steps.  Always crawl comes before walk.  First step comes before walking.  Yet through all of these transition moments, inspiration comes to student’s own mind and they discover on their own that a “step” is near happening.

Thoughts on teaching focus on teaching discovery, not facts.  Facts memorizable, and also transitory – only valid for moment.  Learning methods for discovering truths allow student to become adaptable, to grow beyond the specific of moment and gain talent in learning analysis. 

Take teaching of hands.  Hands are specific.  Specific stroke of X length and y width at Z angle form into base for “b”.  Follow stroke by second stroke of X by Y by Z.. And “b” formed.  Now, analyze period documents.  Hands never specific to what seen in training manual, just as handwriting different between persons.  Style very similar.. Style has certain artistic and pattern similarities.  But still, styles unique, so what MAKES style? 
 
This key makes essential learning.  Calligraphy, for example, often expected to be nearly printer-level perfect throughout document.  Some are.  Many, are not.  Many show personality, artistry and “flavor” of scribe making work through variances in height, in flourishes, in methods of fixing mistakes.  This is where learning of calligraphy blossoms.  Scribe learns where perfect is not and where “life” breathes into something simple as letters on page. 

This teaching where Patron pushes.  Yes, learn technique.  But learn the gaps around technique.  This is why Patron uses off-hand as tool.  As student learns process, student learns to grow.. And learns teacher simply is light into spaces often overlooked, leaving student themselves to grow into those spaces. 

This is how students learn to surpass teachers, and how teachers learn from students.    Blessing for both.