Retail and the Curriculum of Bushcraft

[nodd]

As with most things of a practical nature, there is a basic technique, this is what I have found written in the books on the subject who ever the author is. The variation tends to be in the style of the writer.Though there might be a difference from book to book, they all follow the same line; shelter,fire,water,food, equipment though not necessary in that order.
It is only natural that schools will follow the same format they will show and explain the basic technique for these core subjects. This is the starting point and where the learning begins and through practice and more practice we learn the subtleties of the the technique, as we all know the things that look easy can be some of the hardest to learn or perfect.
Now one thing that works for one person might not for anothe. By watching different people do the same thing, you will always learn something new and then adapt that information into your own technique and so it goes on.
How each person gets to this starting point is an individual thing some will just read be it books or forums then practice on their own some will attend courses others will learn from their peers. As with any learning I think it is best to get as much information from all the sources available to you.In the end it is about what works for you and accepting you are embarking on a life long learning journey

 

[johnboy]

I think that if there is ever a set curriculum for bushcraft it would be damaging, there's a vast difference between most bushcrafters being able to make fire and them all having to make fire the same way. There's movement at the moment to create that control and I don't think it's in the interest of bushcraft as a whole but rather the individuals wanting to control it for financial gain and status.

Hi Tony,

I enjoyed your post. In reference to your points above.

My premis is that public interest in bushcraft is developing at such an exponential rate that inevitably control and structure will develop; initially with the 'schools' and instructor base. It's not too difficult to forsee Bushcraft Tuition standards falling under the remit of a 'professional govening body' or a govenmental body like the AALA ( or whatever it's called these days). I think the current development of Bushcraft Instructor courses with a tangible 'qualification' is the first step in this process.

 

[Tony]

Yep, I hear what you're saying, although I think that for many people it's a rediscovery rather than a new interest. My issue would be and is to a point the 'professional governing body' bit. Who is it going to be, those that have the best interests of bushcraft at heart or those that want to control others? These are skills that have been passed down through many generations. It wasn't that long ago that it was readily available information and in some ways it still is, hence for many it's a rediscovery, when i was young we were outside a lot, doing things that would now be described as bushcraft. If a few people are allowed to set up a governing body off their own backs with their own agendas the scope of bushcraft will be narrowed down to their perspectives and personal scope of experience. I know of a few schools that will not allow instruction to take place unless it's done in their specific way, it doesn't matter if it's the best way, it just has to be their way, that's what I think will happen across a wider scope if a governing body isn't set up with the right motivations and emphasis, which I don't think will happen.

The first step will be to control the output of the schools, they will have to conform to a dictated curriculum, then that will produce clone students stuck in a mindset. It will end up that no one will be able to share knowledge that's traditional available without it being 'the right way' and the scope of bushcraft being dictated by others.

I could go on and on but i've not got the time for it, or the inclination. I don't think there's a need for governance in bushcraft, I'm not saying that at some point in the future there won't be but at the moment in my opinion there's no need. Those that are actively pushing to control the industry, knowledge, skills etc that encompass the very loose term bushcraft are in my mind suspect, I think that for the most part it is for personal gain, not the benifit of those that want to learn. I'm not talking about running schools here as I totally agree with them charging for courses that they facilitate, i'm talking about this governing / dictatorship thing.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Yup, I would pay to learn.

In the past I have done just that, in fact. I love to learn from books and learned about hunting, fishing, bow making and knife making by reading books and the internet. However, I also attended courses on fly-tying, and an introduction to "bushcraft" and another on tracking.

It never occurred to me that I should view what I learned on those courses as the full extent of what could be taught, or even that it was the “best” way. I would hope that an A-level or GCSE student doesn’t believe that their curriculum covers every facet of science, literature, or history that there is to know about, or even that lies within their ability and understanding at the time. Its all just a snap shot.

The study of Kung-Fu is used as an example of a multiplicity of thought and technique being forcibly condensed into a single form, and the student of that new form losing something in the process because the former variety isn’t open to them. Surely this is a straw man argument? Wouldn’t it be quite possible for a student of Kung-Fu to have studied in one of those old styles, from beginner to expert, without ever working with another style? Even if, with growing experience, they took a wider view, I would be very surprised if their teachers were to present them with all the variations from other teachers' styles from the outset.

I agree that within a particular bushcraft school there will often be a set method, as you say, you are trying to teach a beginner and too many choices of technique can be bewildering and confusing. The risk isn’t so much in that the students leave, only knowing the one method, but that the instructors only know that single method too. I heard of the owner of one school remark that another very experienced instructor “lacked focus” because the second instructor’s breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm meant that he could, and would, describe multiple ways of creating a bow drill set, whereas the school’s owner and all his instructors taught only one method.

The above was an example of a single school. There are many schools, and quite a lot of books, not to mention forums, and once a student has learned the Mears, Crockett, or Ryder way, there is nothing stopping them from learning other methods on their own. That first method, whatever it is, can be built upon. If the student chooses to stick with one school, one doctrine if you like, well that is a choice. They are still liable to progress faster, and learn more skills, than if left to figure them all out by themselves.

As in many things in life, you can either spend time, or spend money. Certainly it is true you can spend both, but generally you can either take time to learn on your own, or to make something from scratch, or you can pay to be taught, or to pay someone else to make it for you. It’s a fact that many people do not have the time or opportunity to learn bush skills from scratch, so they get a jump on the process by paying for instruction. So what?

How much of a divide is there between buying a book in order to learn some aspect of a craft, or skill, and paying for a course to teach the same thing? In both cases you are limited to what the instructor, or author, chooses to tell or write. It has always been this way.

 

[Ben]

Back to the original questions -

So, as the various arts and crafts that comprise bushcraft become absorbed into a cohesive whole and this new lexicon is fed to the thousands of new students that attend bushcraft schools every year, is the craft itself in danger of losing something in the re-telling?


I think what Bushcraft is most in danger of losing, is its context …the spirit of pioneering; living in, and traversing wild places. The civilised men of the Internet, marketing and merchandise have tamed the movement, which was once (and of course still is, to a degree) the domain of those who were preparing to venture off the beaten track, meet local peoples and explore wild places, these days the 'Wilderness' is being quickly sanitised and eroded from ‘Wilderness Bushcraft’.

In cyberspace it seems even ‘bush’ is starting to disappear from “the craft”!

This raises the following question: given the choice, would you take the solitary, dedicated route of self-discovery, leaving yourself open to serendipity (the discovery, or re-discovery, of solutions to old problems) or would you go down the increasingly commercialised, standardised route?


We live in a democratic state where the individual can make his or her own choice – therefore given the choice, the only way to learn is your own way.

I’m a great believer in the Tao of Bushcraft – the middle way. I have learned from individuals, courses, books, Internet, VHS, DVD, experimentation, dirt-time and by mistake – but that’s only my way.

When you were starting out, learning your first basic skills in bushcraft (or survival, as it may have been known at the time), did you ever part with money to learn and improve your skills under the tutelage of a more experienced or qualified practitioner and did this bias the result?[QUOTE][/QUOTE]


Personally I don’t follow in a particular doctrine, as I believe formality can hinder progress and stifle the individual’s creative edge. Sure, I’ve learned many skills and techniques from Ray Mears (and many others), but instead of sticking rigidly to other peoples philosophies I’ve made them fit my own. To stick with your martial arts analogy, like the evolution of Kung fu into Jeet kune do, I like to take what works and refine it and then discard that which does not work for my purposes, and would encourage others to do the same.

When I chose to study Muay Thai I deliberately looked for an instructor who had spent time in the ring – my thinking being – what’s the point in learning a combat art from someone who has never been in a fight?

“Take wisdom wherever you find it” - Ali radi Allah anhu

There are many folks out there teaching dry-land swimming, who have been taught to teach; lecturing, guiding and leading without real personal experience or true practical understanding. Take wisdom where you find it, but know that wisdom is acquired through understanding and experience, not simply through collecting skill-sets, mpegs, information and bits of paper.

The only standardisation that I personally believe in, is that the skills and their methodology should be taught without compromise, with a view to the recipient possibly having to rely on those techniques in real wilderness, as Mother Nature gives no quarter to the ill prepared.

Keep it real,

Ben

www.woodsmoke.uk.com

 

[Seoras]

I must say that I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Everything has been clearly put across.

When I speak to people who want to get involved in Bushcraft and in particular into teaching it I hear many different reasons but the main one is that people want to reconnect with nature. They tend to be hands on people who love to make things and the thought of doing paperwork scares most (including me).

In terms of courses that are offered I personally am very picky on what I study. I am at my happiest when I choose to do a course in picking one that interests me but having an instructor that allows me to experiment and explore my own ideas and who offers me alternatives that I may or may not wish to take up. I do realise that to get the qualifications I need (because of who I work for) that I do have to do that period of paperwork which I would rather not do.

This is just the way I operate and I fully appreciate others may prefer standard well laid out formatts or no formatts at all.

I like to think I have gained as much skill from my family and friends as I have from attending paid courses, be they out there in the Bushcraft industry world or at the many Moots I have attended.

Unfortunatley I do see regulations and standardisation becoming more the norm as that is where our society is heading. The more though that individuals can pass on their knowledge (be that paid or unpaid) to others in a clear and skillful way has got to be to our benefit (as a bushcrafting community) but it needs to be done in a way that opens the eyes of the learner to the range of other skills they could explore and learn in their own time so as to increasing their comfort levels in many subjects.

Cheers

George

 

[Leigh Robinson]

Permission to bushcraft in British woodland is very difficult to get. A governing body would act as an advocate and measure of minimum standards. If I were to grant access to a small group of bushcrafters for use of my woods for the weekend firstly my insurers would have to ok it and they would want to see first aid certs, orienteering certs, that those engaged in the activity are compentent or with competent people.

The body as a regulator could open many woods up for access for us by providing these standards.

 

[Mikey P]

I must say that I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Everything has been clearly put across.

When I speak to people who want to get involved in Bushcraft and in particular into teaching it I hear many different reasons but the main one is that people want to reconnect with nature. They tend to be hands on people who love to make things and the thought of doing paperwork scares most (including me).

Cheers

George

So have I! Excellent thread.

I would add that bushcraft also appeals to those who have to do paperwork and need a way of escaping! Daydreaming in the office, alternating between staring out of the window and looking at the clock!