Uechi-Ryu.com

If you look through the Memorial Site, there are many wonderful Uechi folk remembered there, and many were teachers. At some point before passing, they all taught a last class before departing the dojo for the last time. Some of them knew it, too.

If you are teaching your last class ever (for whatever reason), and you have just 1.5 or 2 hours to teach it, what will you teach? Please avoid vague generalities like "I would teach the meaning of life / respect for everyone / to love the world / The Golden Rule", etc.

Some of us actually attended the last class our teacher ever taught. What was taught – what great memory can you share of the last class your teacher ever taught (not the last class you attended, but the final class ever taught by that teacher)?

Great question Seizan. . . If I knew it was going to be my last class, I wouldn't tell anyone and students attending wouldn't be aware of this either. I wouldn't want anyone to get sentimental over the news and affect their having a great class.

_________________
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"

Mattson Sensei,

Hello, honored to hear from you!

In my experience and from what I hear/read, most teachers also do not tell the students, though some of them sense something subtly different (but can't quite put their finger on it) during the class. A few students might be "in the know" anyway. However, all those in attendance eventually knew it was the last class since there were no classes after. So (from the teacher's standpoint) - what would a teacher do to ensure that his last class represents a fulfilling finish of a teaching career?

How do you mean this? as a premomition of death? or to just stop teaching. If it was to just stop teaching then I guess you would still be around to give advice.If it was your very last class then I would assume that you'd given a lot of instruction before and it would just be something to cement that base, certainly in one lesson I couldn't explain everything that I've learned, but maybe just point a finger at some interesting stuff worthy of further study.
General advice that is very,very relevant is to develop a sense of urgency. I have seen far too many people on video or in person moving so slowly that they couldn't stop anything. The other thing is not to delude yourself and to think that because you have a high grade that you are training to stop only the most skilled. The unskilled with a sense of urgeny are a force to be feared