2

The Martial
Arts Teacher
A Practical Guide to a Noble Way
2

“One repays a teacher badly, if

one always remains nothing
but a pupil.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
 3

Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank my shifu Nitzan Oren and his teacher,
my shigong, late master Zhou Jingxuan. My first book was dedicated
to these two gentlemen. My technical and philosophical
understanding of the martial arts as a whole is entirely due to their
sincere efforts and kind teachings. My cherished friend and former
teacher too, Itzik Cohen sensei, has been and still is to me a true
mentor in the art of teaching. His positive influence upon me has
been long-lasting.

I would also like to thank five individuals, friends who are dear to
my heart, for aiding me by reviewing the manuscript of this work
before it was published. These people are shifu James Tan, shifu Ken
Gullette, shifu Gary Stier, grand-master Keith R. Kernspecht and
Rick Matz. The five abovementioned gentlemen, all experienced
and veteran martial arts teachers and practitioners, helped ensure
that this book was published in pristine condition.

Lastly, I would like to thank Buzz Durkin sensei, a great man whom
I have never met. His wonderful book, ‘Success Is Waiting’, inspired
me to write this publication which you are now reading. Wherein
you have found my book to your liking, please refer to his work as
well.

This book was written using the Gentium

(Book Basic) font. This font is under free
open-font license (created by the talented Victor
Gaultney), and supported by SIL International.

All rights of this book are reserved to Jonathan Bluestein © 2019CE. No part of

©
this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing,
from Jonathan Bluestein. All rights of the pictures presented in this book are
reserved to Jonathan Bluestein, unless mentioned otherwise; except for
images of Chinese brush paintings, which are either of a Creative Commons
license or whose rights of usage were purchased by the author or had their usage rights handed
with kind permission of their respective owners.
4

This book is graciously

dedicated to my Jook Lum
Southern Mantis teacher,
and friend, sifu Sapir Tal.
For many years now he
has been of great
inspiration to me as both
a martial arts teacher and
a human being.
 5

Table of Contents
Cover page 1

Acknowledgements 3

Dedication 4

Table of Contents 5

About the Author 13

Foreword 15

Introduction 19

The Heart of the School

All Eyes on You 22

Merit, Equality and Leadership

26

The Benevolent Ruler 34

The Right Kind of Fear 37

6

Not a Business, But a Community 44

Less is More 51

The Secret Flow to Teaching Martial Art 55

Martial Arts and the Great Learning 67

Martial Arts Students and the Middle Path 84

Change and Cooperation 91

Your Vision and Theirs 97

Carrot and Stick 100

Why Good Answers Make Dumb Students 105

The Art They Never Knew 107

Painter and Gardener 112

The Power of Suggestion 114

The Truth Which Works 117

Ways to Approach a Curriculum 120

Better Than You 135

The Real Lesson Plan 140

 7

What Do They Really Want 144

How to Be Happy 147

Their Special Moment 172

Your Invisible Assistant 174

Park Bait 182

The Fine Compromise 187

That First Class 193

People and Their Reasons 201

Contracts and Payments 203

Leading by Virtue 209

To Err is Humane 213

Five Lessons From a Businessman

214

The 24/7 School 223

Tests and Ranks 227

Private in Public 232

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Latecomers 234

Barter Glues Better Than Money

238

Those with Prior Experience 243

The Challenge of Trust 246

The Gift of Trust 250

The Personal Touch 253

Mind Their Feet 258

Rules Are For Children 261

A Spit In Your Face 263

To Teach is Never Enough 275

Better Get It Written 279

Still Waters Breed Disease 280

The Unifying Symbol 281

The Younglings 285

Praise, and Its Downfalls 301

The Checkup Routine 308

 9

Set A Schedule 311

On Seminars 315

Weapons Keep Students 347

The Third Place 351

The Side-Quest 357

From Customer to Friend 365

Cannot Save Them All 373

Return From Exile 381

In Business, Have No Doubts 388

The Soul of the Teacher

Shifu – The Chinese Teacher 393

The Family You Choose 404

The Colleagues You Choose 416

Remember Your Origins 418

10

Who Needs Traditions, Anyway? 421

Examine Yourself 428

Real Time 430

The Most Genuine Question 431

No Apologies 433

Teacher Identity Crisis 437

The Eternal Student 444

The Young Teacher 445

More Fearsome than the Tiger 449

The Language of Martial Arts 456

Empathy is the Highest Skill 461

Martial Arts Psychotherapy 465

Words That Are Stronger Than Punches 470

The Alpha Male 476

A Curious Mind: Memories of Master Zhou

484
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A Stranger Would Not Understand 513

In Retrospective 515

Toes That Cast a Shadow 519

The Extent of Your Knowledge 522

The Usefulness of Things 525

Your Precious Underlings 527

The Crime of Creating Ignorance 531

Fakes and Charlatans 536

The Naysayers 538

Assume the Best 540

The One Thing Everyone Dislikes 542

Opportunities Skip a Locked Garden 545

The Sound of Success 550

Enthusiasm and Its Limits 554

You Need Help – Ask for It 556

Be Your Own Professional 560

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The Part-Time Psychologist 564

Hidden Transmission in the Martial Arts 565

The Art in Martial Arts 567

Epilogue: Life and Virtue 570

The images above are anonymous illustrations of characters from the

famous Chinese novel ‘The Water Margin’水滸傳.
 13

About the Author

Shifu Jonathan Bluestein (LLB) is an accomplished scholar, martial
arts teacher and author. He is the head of Blue Jade Martial Arts
International. He has lived in several countries, visited dozens, was
an infantryman, a police investigator, a translator and even hosted
a short television spot in his youth.

Shifu Bluestein has trained

extensively and taught the
arts of Xing Yi Quan, Pigua
Zhang, Jook Lum Southern
Mantis and Bagua Zhang. An
eclectic researcher and
intellectual, he has published
5 books and over 50 articles,
on topics ranging from socio-
economic theories, Jungian
Psychology, Oriental histories
and traditional Chinese
martial arts. His English-
language books include:
‘Research of Martial Arts’
(2014CE), ‘The Martial Arts
Teacher’ (2017CE Edition 1, 2020CE Edition 2), ‘Prosperism’
(2020CE) and ‘Exceptional Ideas About Humanity’ (2021CE).
Several more books shall be published by him in the years 2021-
2022CE. Shifu Bluestein's books and articles typically step outside
the boundaries of accepted genres and norms, expressing ideas and
concepts which other authors are afraid to discuss or even consider.

Striving to better martial arts literature in our time, shifu Bluestein

has been working tirelessly for years to deliver readers unique,
useful, practical, and entertaining martial arts books. His works
stand out with their novel approaches and exceptional
interpretations for the traditional martial heritage of the Orient.
Countless practitioners and teachers have thus far enjoyed these
14

books, as is evident from the hundreds of positive reviews they have

earned on Amazon-affiliated websites and elsewhere.

For more information about shifu Bluestein, his books and his
teachings, please visit: www.bluejadesociety.com

Since the inception of the 21st century, there had been but a few
dedicated martial artists who engaged in writing quality works
about exceptional skills and unique abilities, as well as the related
cultures, philosophies, morals and histories. Shifu Bluestein is one
of these people. His mission is to share with the world the
tremendous depth of knowledge found in the martial arts in order
to benefit humanity. He believes that through sharing we can all
grow together, and continue to successfully develop the martial arts
for the generations to come. This important mission is perhaps even
more crucial and meaningful in this generation, as knowledge
handed down from our martial ancestors has been rapidly
disintegrating, and people have been shaping their arts into forms
of cheap entertainment and light amusement, forgetting their roots.

After the enormous

success of his previous
works, especially the
international best-seller
Research of Martial
Arts, shifu Bluestein
opted to write a different
type of book, intended
for martial arts teachers.
In this work he hopes to
share advice and
insights from his
experiences in teaching
the arts with those who
have also chosen to carry
forth such a
monumental and
important task.
 15

Foreword
My name is Keith R. Kernspecht. I have been a student of the martial
arts since the age of 5, and a teacher of them since my late teenage
years.

A series of events had led me to the writing of this foreword. In the

year 2000CE, I was honoured with the 10th master-grade title in Wing
Tsun Kung Fu from the last disciple of late grand-master Yip Man.
Following this event, I felt a need to investigate the internal Chinese
styles, to become more complete in my training and teaching. Since
the beginning of this century therefore, I have met, practiced and
studied with nine of the most important internal masters of our
time. All of these martial arts I researched were great, and of them I
was especially fond of the Yi Quan of my friend, grand-master Yang
Lin Sheng from Mongolia.
The grand-master whose style I liked most and ended up staying
with was my dear friend Sam Chin. His Zhong Xin Dao (I Liq Chuan)
system, based on Zen
Buddhism and grounded in
science and convincing logic,
is exceptional.

My journey into the internal

arts also included much
scholarship, of course. In
2015CE I purchased Jonathan
Bluestein’s book, ‘Research
of Martial Arts’, and was
delighted to see that both my
great friend Yang Lin Sheng
and my internal arts mentor
Sam Chin were listed in it.

Intrigued by many of the

things that Jonathan wrote
16

concerning internal styles, I reached out to him via e-mail. This was
the beginning of a two-year correspondence, on the theory and
practice of the internal arts, that led to him interviewing me for his
forthcoming 2nd edition of that book, and culminated with my
inviting Jonathan to join me in for a week in Pisa (Italy) together in
August of 2017CE.

I felt honored when Jonathan asked me to be interviewed for his

book, because while I had some experience in the external arts, the
internal arts were a new research field and challenge for me. Here I
followed the old maxime: Once you have attained mastership in one
style, become a beginner again in another style.

From the first moment of our encounter in Pisa, Jonathan proved to

be an authentic, engaged and dedicated individual and researcher.
For several hours a day we conversed, shared, and touched hands;
with Jonathan expounding his understanding and insights gleaned
from the theory and practice of Xing Yi Quan, Jook Lum Southern
Praying Mantis, and Pigua Zhang. Jonathan’s openness and
enthusiasm were undeniable.

Perhaps Jonathan chose me to write this foreword because I have

been a teacher nearly as long as I have been a martial artist. The
reason why I love teaching so much is because it is my way of
learning: Pretending to teach martial arts to my students, I teach it
to myself, while they listen to me and ask me questions that help me
understand. Beside teaching martial arts I have always been a
teacher of sorts: I taught languages and sports as a high-school
teacher, in the University of Kiel I was a lecturer in the philosophical
department, and since the late 1990s I have been a Professor for
Sports Education for the State University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The martial arts, I began teaching first with Oyama Karate, in 1963,
to the German riot police. At the time I was a policeman myself. From
1967 I taught Karate, Ju Jutsu and Kobudo at my own Budo Club. In
1970 I began studying Wing Chun under sifu Joseph Cheng in
London, and later I was the first to introduce Yip Man's style to
Germany. Since 1976CE our EWTO, the European Organization of
 17

WingTsun, has mainly been teaching the style of grand-master

Leung Ting, and also grand-master Bill Newman's Escrima. The
EWTO proudly counts some 60,000 members among its ranks in
Germany and most other countries in Europe. The only purely
internal art we teach is Sam Chin's Way, Zhong Xin Dao, for which
we now serve as the European umbrella organization.

Reading his latest book, ‘The Martial Arts Teacher’, I am impressed

with what Jonathan is bringing to the table. He could even surprise
a veritable Professor of Education with his ideas on teaching.
Jonathan offers up real, definite opinions and advice, based upon his
many years of training and teaching. He has walked the walk, and
now he is sharing his experience with his readers.

This book is unique in that it covers a variety of subjects not usually

discussed in a guide for teaching the martial arts, such as the
delicate balance a teacher must strike between discipline and
encouragement, managing personal relationships with students in
and out of the classroom, establishing clear boundaries for various
student interaction, mitigating contracts and payments, barter, ego,
dealing with naysayers, asking for
help, happiness, and the teacher’s
own personal development.
Of course, in his book he also talks
of such topics as teaching
methodology, curriculum design,
cultivating a learning
environment, practice time,
student retention, teaching adults
vs. children, as well as the role of
testing and ranking.

He presents his views with passion

and conviction, and you are left
with the feeling that his
experience has been hard-won.
This is a forthright exposition of
one man’s experience and advice,
18

dedicated to fellow teachers of the martial arts.

After reading this book you will feel that you have gotten to know
Jonathan personally, that you had conversation with a close friend
or mentor on the ins and outs of running your own school. Not only
has he shared his opinions, but he is also open to feedback.

For Jonathan the martial arts are not only a passion, not only a
profession, but also a mission. Through his work he is seeking to
elevate the current standard of martial arts literature and
education. A worthy endeavor indeed! For me, the following quote
best sums up Jonathan’s approach:

“Be to your students the teacher whom you wish had been
there for you.”

One could not ask for anything more.

Today at the age of 72, I am able to both look back over at my nearly
seven decades of training with a critical eye, and look forward with
great excitement at the prospect of further development, for both
myself and for martial arts as a whole. Less than half my age,
Jonathan is a young and talented martial arts teacher, educator, and
innovator with many years of development ahead of him. I look
forward to seeing who he, both the person and the teacher, evolves
into.

It is therefore with an open heart and great pleasure that I have

written this foreword.

Dr. Keith R. Kernspecht

Prof. em. Plovdiv State University Education of Sports
10th Grade Wing Tsun Kung Fu (Leung Ting, Hong Kong)
8th Dan Kyokushin Allround Karate (Jon Bluming, Holland)

Kiel, Germany, October 2017CE.

Originally written for the first edition of The Martial Arts Teacher.
 19

Introduction
Perhaps you have picked up this book so you can make more
money from your martial arts teachings. Then it seems you have
the wrong book in your hands. Surely, this book can aid in you
becoming more financially successful. That is not the main point
of it, though. This book is about helping you, a fellow colleague,
be a better version of yourself, in both your professional sphere
and as a human being. The world of martial arts is big enough for
everybody. I want people such as yourself to be better. I want our
entire society of martial artists, as a whole, to become better. This
is not rooted in financial success, but in education.

Benjamin Franklin, in his excellent essay ‘The Way to Wealth’,

brought up the issue of people’s complaint’s over high taxation.
He then commented wisely, that aside from that problem of high
taxes, we are in fact “taxed twice as much by our idleness, three
times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly ”.
By so saying, Franklin was keenly observant that the greatest
obstacles to financial achievements and accomplishments in
one’s life are usually not found in external causes, but in lack of
cultivation of one’s Self. Indeed, when our Ego is unruly, and we
allow trifle matters and unworthy people to be rulers upon our
emotional kingdom, then how can success be spoken of?
In line with this type of thinking, the book which is here before
you shall focus on the art of Self-cultivation, the healthy
maintenance of human relationships and the requirements for
leading a prosperous community of industrious individuals; all of
this, in light of the unique challenges and attributes of our
distinguished profession, of the martial arts teacher.

Those of you who had already explored another book I have

written, ‘The Martial Arts Student’ (to be published in 2022CE),
20

may notice that book and this one have a few chapters in
common, featuring the same title. I urge you to nonetheless
review these chapters once more, as their versions and overall
message often differ between these two works of mine.

Unlike my well-known best-seller Research of Martial Arts, this

book is mostly not heavy on science, history and theory. It is a
light and easy read, meant to hone your skills quickly and do so
within moments of reading each chapter. Every single part of this
book is applicable to nearly all styles of martial arts and their
teachings. In it you will find countless novel approaches and ideas
which are not commonly discussed or addressed in other works –
I guarantee you that.

This book is an honest conversation, from one martial arts

teacher to another. Although it may appear like a monologue, I
do urge you – talk to me through the text. Ask questions and
debate what is written here. After all, much of this can affect your
teachings, so you need to be sure that it will work well for you. I
trust though that this book will serve you, the martial arts
teacher, very well.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi: Be the change you want to see

in the world.

Jonathan
”