To Be a Great Teacher, Be a Greater Student

Part 1: The Dance Hall Lesson

Open mat is my favorite time at the gym.

I call it “Dance Hall Day.” Everyone shows up to roll, chat, and just hang out. You get to pick who you want to train with, how long you go, and how hard you go.

Some people are there to grind. Some are just there to move.

Me? I show up for the mix of both—and the joy of learning without pressure.

Last week, I rolled with one of my favorite blue belts. He’s young, strong, smart, and full of good energy. He’s helped me since the beginning of my BJJ journey and we always have good rolls.

Halfway through our round, he stopped and corrected me.

Now, normally I love being corrected. That’s how we grow. But this time, what he was showing me didn’t fit.

It didn’t make sense for my game, my body, or my goals.

Why? Because we’re in two very different places.

He’s starting his martial arts journey. I’ve been on mine for decades. He’s building. I’m rebuilding—and unlearning.

But I didn’t stop him. I didn’t argue.

Because I saw something deeper.

He wasn’t just rolling. He was learning to teach.

And I’ve learned over the years that one of the worst things you can do to a young teacher is cut them off while they’re trying to give.

So I stayed quiet. I listened. And when he was done, I shared my perspective. I explained how my journey is more about undoing than doing right now. Then I thanked him. Because he helped me.

That moment reminded me of one of the biggest lessons in my life:

If you want to be a great teacher… you have to be an even greater student.

Part 2: Why This Matters

1. Everyone Wants to Lead, Few Want to Learn

In today’s world, everyone wants to be a coach, a teacher, a leader.

That’s not a bad thing.

But here’s the problem: too many people want to teach before they truly understand what it means to learn. They want to skip the boring parts, avoid the hard questions, and race to the spotlight.

They post advice online after reading one book. They tell others how to live before they’ve lived much themselves.

It’s like trying to give someone directions to a place you’ve never been.

You might have the map—but you don’t know the terrain.

Real teachers earn their wisdom through time, sweat, failure, and patience. They grow through listening, watching, asking questions, and staying humble.

Before you lead others, you have to lead yourself.
Before you teach others, you have to learn—deeply, painfully, consistently.

2. Being a Student Requires Courage

Most people think being a student is easy.

It’s not.

Being a good student means:

• You ask dumb questions.
• You get corrected, often.
• You admit you don’t know.
• You listen more than you talk.
• You stay quiet when you want to speak.
• You show up, over and over.
• You fail. Then fail again.

That takes real courage.

Being a student means you put your ego on the shelf. You’re not trying to “win” the moment. You’re trying to understand it.

Every black belt was once a white belt who got smashed every day.
Every master was once an apprentice who made dumb mistakes.
Every great coach was once just a confused kid trying to figure it all out.

You can’t skip that.

And you shouldn’t want to.

3. Learning to Teach = Learning to See

When you’re a true student, you start to see better.

You see how others learn.
You see what holds people back.
You see small details that once felt invisible.

This is how teaching begins.

Not with a title.
Not with a certificate.
Not with “permission.”

But with seeing.

When that young blue belt stopped to correct me, he wasn’t trying to show off. He was seeing something in my game that he recognized. He wanted to help. That’s a beautiful thing. I didn’t need to agree with the technique to appreciate the intent.

Teaching starts with caring.
And caring comes from paying attention.
That’s what students do best.

4. The Best Teachers Stay Students Forever

Some people think once you reach a certain level, you stop learning.

That’s a lie.

The best teachers I’ve ever met—on the mat, on the job site, in life—were always learning.

They asked questions.
They stayed curious.
They weren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

That’s real strength.

Because ego gets you applause.
But humility earns you mastery.

When you stay a student, you keep your edge sharp. You stay connected to the people you serve. You don’t teach from a mountain. You teach from the trenches.

You roll with the new guys.
You take advice from someone younger than you.
You let the moment teach you—even if you’ve seen it a hundred times before.

That’s how you stay great.
That’s how you grow others.
That’s how you lead without losing your soul.

5. You Don’t Need a Stage to Teach—Just a Willing Heart

Here’s the truth:

You don’t need to wait until you're "ready" to start helping others.

If you’ve struggled, you can help someone still stuck.
If you’ve learned something, you can share it with someone still searching.
If you’ve made it through a storm, you can guide someone in the rain.

But never forget:

Teaching isn’t about showing off.
It’s about lifting up.

And you can’t lift others if you’re standing on a wobbly foundation. You build that base by being a student—every single day.

Part 3: Putting It On the Mat

Let me tell you something you might not expect.

The best moments on the mat aren’t when I land a sweep or pull off a slick choke.

It’s when someone gives me their trust.

That day on the open mat, my young friend gave me something more than advice—he gave me his care. He gave me his attention. He gave me a glimpse of who he’s becoming.

And in return, I gave him something back.

I let him teach.

Not because he had all the answers.
But because I remember what it felt like to want to help.
To want to give.
To want to make someone else better.

That desire to teach lives in every young man who’s trying to be more than what the world expects of him.

So here’s my challenge to you.

Be a better student.

Not a passive one.
Not a prideful one.

Be the kind of student who’s curious, open, and hungry to grow.

Ask more questions.
Listen longer.
Watch closely.

Don’t race to be the coach, the guru, the “man with the answers.” Let those come naturally—over time, through service, through mistakes.

If someone younger than you tries to help, let them.
If someone older than you gives advice, take what fits and leave the rest.
If something doesn’t make sense now, sit with it. It might later.

Your life is your mat.
And every day you step on it, you have two choices:

• Be the guy who thinks he knows.
• Or be the guy who’s still learning.

Guess which one gets better faster?

Guess which one others trust to lead?

You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to be right.
You just need to stay in the game—and be a great student of it.

Because the greatest teachers I’ve ever met… were always students first.

Would you like to sharpen your student mindset, build your foundation, and train with me and others on the same journey?

Reply to this email or head over to LeadersDojo.info to join a crew of warriors who are learning to teach—and teaching to serve.

Let’s roll.

– Chuck

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