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Blog - Latest News

The Expert vs The Supercoach

April 23, 2016/by John Smallios

Experts are everywhere.

They’re loaded with knowledge bombs, stats, certifications, and experiences, and the drive is an idea that he is the one, and the only.

The days of contemplation are over. Certainty has replaced curiosity.

The expert has plied the craft for long enough, and now doesn’t need to learn anymore – he is, and he knows, everything.

But the learning process is a complex one. There are a myriad of possibilities to be explored at any one time, and life happens amongst an ever-changing environment. Sometimes I’d like for it to hold up so I can catch up. Then I awake to reality; I realise homeostasis is a fairytale.

The world stops only when we die. When there is no evolution, there is only stagnation.

As Socrates said, “all I know is that I know nothing.”

Einstein replied with ‘The more I learn the more I realise how much I don’t know.’

And there’s the beauty. Nestled up in countless hours of reading, studying, listening, talking, and training is an incessant urge to get better; to improve your skills, hone your tools, and to commit to ongoing development.

To do this, we need each other. It is far too big a task for one person.

Accepting one’s own imperfections isn’t easy work. It isn’t nearly as cosy on the ego as the feeling of certainty one can experience on the top of the mountain preaching down to the masses.

To accept what you don’t know requires humility. With humility comes curiosity. Experts don’t have time for that.

But, it is only when you stop, and reconsider other alternatives that you can differentiate with your own choices.  And through the many bouts of deliberation, doubt, and despair comes the clarity of what works, what doesn’t, and how you can make it better.

The SuperCoach is like a mirror.

This focus isn’t on casting the spotlight on oneself, but on the process of guiding the student to progress. He shows up not for himself but for the benefit of those who are there to receive and learn with his guidance.

He has the capacity to empathise with others, and is deeply connected with their own progress. He calculates, and does just enough to guide his student to their best. Most times things work out. Sometimes they don’t. It’s easy to do too much, or too little, and sometimes the balance is off, but the most important thing is that there is a intention to improve.

Ultimately, the difference is that the Supercoach cares. He appreciates the trust he is afforded, and returns this with respect for the student and the learning process. He sets up the environment, together you go in search of self awareness.

This is how the Supercoach achieves his ultimate aim: you at your best. With the clarity to listen to what is around you, with the confidence to do as you please, and the permission to flourish in quality of life.

“I am going to be your last teacher. Not because I’ll be the greatest teacher you may ever encounter, but because from me you will learn how to learn. When you learn how to learn, you will realize that there are no teachers, that there are only people learning and people learning how to facilitate learning.”

— Moshe Feldenkrais

“How does it work for you?”

This is an important question, because it’s not the expert’s knowledge that people need, but a more refined understanding of their own.

Start where you are. Use whatever you have. Do whatever you can. 

The goal is to act mindfully, and not compulsively. This is why the role of the Expert is expired. The Supercoach has taken over.

We serve, by shaping the path for others’ own learning. We create the conditions where learning can occur.

And we’re on board this wave of learning as students of life, for life.

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https://higherjiujitsu.com.au/wp-content/uploads/0W6A775528129.jpg 506 900 John Smallios https://higherjiujitsu.com.au/wp-content/uploads/HIGHER-JIU-JITSUoss-e1605217057131.jpg John Smallios2016-04-23 01:23:002020-11-16 07:46:07The Expert vs The Supercoach

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