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chalambok · 03-30-2003, 04:55 PM

When I first went to Thailand in 1972, Ajarn was a term I heard used only with college professors and monks, or sometimes for fathers and grandfathers, people who carried great respect for their life knowledge and advice. An Ajarn was more than just a martial arts teacher, but was someone who became a mentor if necessary, could guide you through the pitfalls and perils of life. Ajarn was your best friend, your counsellor when times were tough, your confessor when you needed. Ajarn was a person of great experience, in peace and war, at home or in public, laity or religion; someone who had most probably been at some time where you are now, but had an advisor of his own to help him to grow. Ajarn was a spiritual guide, in the true meaning of spiritual. So it was inevitable that when I started training full-time at the Buddhai Swan in 1994, I became an advisor to the young commandos I trained with every day. When we would do demonstrations they would ask me to introduce them to the beautiful young ladies they were afraid to talk with. They would ask me about the tactics of a quick ambush, or questions about American history. I helped show them how to play the guitar and we shared the gong sabatchai, drank whiskey and Singha and played takraw and the bowling game the Thai play. We became family, my nephews and I, Uncle Steve. And even though I was ranked as a Class 5 Level 1 Instructor they all began calling me Ajarn; privates, corporals, sergeants and officers. It is an honor I will always hold near to my heart. And shortly before his death MY Ajarn, Pakroo Samai Masamarn , honored me with the ranking of Ajarn, Class 8 Level 1. This means now I must be strong enough to bear the weight of my students when they cannot hold themselves strong, when their lives are hard and they are trying to grow, even to those who are trying to teach Krabi-Krabong without a certification and behind my back. The simple fact is that life is hard, and we all need an Ajarn. The people whom I have done seminars for know this. They know that I have accepted them into my family, into my life, into my heart. And they know too that sometimes they are my Ajarn, even those who are as young as 5 or 6. My life is not easy either, yet people envy me. If we all pull together the load is easier to bear.

03-30-2003, 04:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
chalambok Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oregon City, Oregon USA Posts: 724 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	On Being Ajarn When I first went to Thailand in 1972, Ajarn was a term I heard used only with college professors and monks, or sometimes for fathers and grandfathers, people who carried great respect for their life knowledge and advice. An Ajarn was more than just a martial arts teacher, but was someone who became a mentor if necessary, could guide you through the pitfalls and perils of life. Ajarn was your best friend, your counsellor when times were tough, your confessor when you needed. Ajarn was a person of great experience, in peace and war, at home or in public, laity or religion; someone who had most probably been at some time where you are now, but had an advisor of his own to help him to grow. Ajarn was a spiritual guide, in the true meaning of spiritual. So it was inevitable that when I started training full-time at the Buddhai Swan in 1994, I became an advisor to the young commandos I trained with every day. When we would do demonstrations they would ask me to introduce them to the beautiful young ladies they were afraid to talk with. They would ask me about the tactics of a quick ambush, or questions about American history. I helped show them how to play the guitar and we shared the gong sabatchai, drank whiskey and Singha and played takraw and the bowling game the Thai play. We became family, my nephews and I, Uncle Steve. And even though I was ranked as a Class 5 Level 1 Instructor they all began calling me Ajarn; privates, corporals, sergeants and officers. It is an honor I will always hold near to my heart. And shortly before his death MY Ajarn, Pakroo Samai Masamarn , honored me with the ranking of Ajarn, Class 8 Level 1. This means now I must be strong enough to bear the weight of my students when they cannot hold themselves strong, when their lives are hard and they are trying to grow, even to those who are trying to teach Krabi-Krabong without a certification and behind my back. The simple fact is that life is hard, and we all need an Ajarn. The people whom I have done seminars for know this. They know that I have accepted them into my family, into my life, into my heart. And they know too that sometimes they are my Ajarn, even those who are as young as 5 or 6. My life is not easy either, yet people envy me. If we all pull together the load is easier to bear.