Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist

We live in an age where you can learn almost anything from YouTube. Want to bake sourdough? There’s a video for that. Want to repair a fountain pen? Someone has probably filmed a 47-minute tutorial complete with dramatic background music. Want to learn Muay Thai, play the ukulele, or sing? There are thousands of free lessons waiting for you.

And yet, despite having access to an endless library of tutorials, I’ve found that I learn much faster when someone teaches me directly.

Recently, I signed up for Muay Thai and boxing (alternating), ukulele, and voice lessons. While YouTube remains a fantastic resource, I’ve noticed that my progress accelerates significantly whenever I have a coach or mentor guiding me.

The reason is surprisingly simple.

YouTube can show me what to do.

A mentor can show me what I’m doing wrong.

In Muay Thai, for example, I can watch countless videos demonstrating proper stance, footwork, and striking techniques. But no video can tell me that my shoulders are too tense, my guard is dropping, or my hips are not rotating enough during a kick. My coach can spot these mistakes immediately and correct them before they become bad habits.

The same thing happens in my music lessons. I might think I’m strumming correctly on the ukulele or singing a note accurately, but an experienced teacher can hear and see subtle issues that I would completely miss. A slight adjustment in finger placement, breathing, posture, or rhythm can make a world of difference.

What would have taken me weeks of trial and error can often be corrected in a matter of minutes.

Learning the Old-Fashioned Way

As it turns out, learning from a mentor is not some outdated approach. In fact, it is one of the oldest methods of education in human history.

The apprenticeship system dates back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations such as Babylon and Egypt relied on experienced craftsmen to train the next generation. During the Middle Ages, apprenticeship became a formal institution through craft guilds. Young learners would spend years under the guidance of master artisans, living, working, and learning alongside them. The goal was not merely to acquire knowledge but to absorb skills through observation, practice, correction, and experience.

A blacksmith did not become skilled by reading about blacksmithing.

A carpenter did not become a master by watching someone else hammer nails.

They learned by doing, while someone more experienced stood beside them saying, “Not like that. Like this.”

Centuries later, the tools may have changed, but the principle remains exactly the same.

Standing on Generations of Experience

One of the most remarkable things about mentorship is that you’re not only learning from your mentor’s experience.

You’re also learning from the experiences of everyone who taught them.

Think about it.

My Muay Thai coach is teaching techniques that were passed down by their coaches. Those coaches learned from other coaches before them. The same applies to music teachers who inherited methods, exercises, and insights from instructors who spent decades refining their craft.

When a mentor teaches you, you’re receiving knowledge that has been tested, refined, corrected, and improved across multiple generations.

It’s almost like gaining access to an entire lineage of lessons learned—without having to make every mistake yourself.

That’s an incredible shortcut.

Not a shortcut in the sense of avoiding hard work, but a shortcut in avoiding unnecessary detours.

Mentors Save Us From Ourselves

Another thing I’ve come to appreciate is that mentors do more than teach techniques.

They help manage expectations.

Many of us approach learning with a destination in mind. We want to throw perfect combinations. We want to play songs flawlessly. We want to hit difficult notes effortlessly.

We want results.

And preferably yesterday.

A good mentor recognizes this impatience because they’ve lived through it themselves.

When they see us rushing, they often remind us to slow down.

To focus on fundamentals.

To enjoy the process.

To appreciate small improvements that we might otherwise overlook.

Ironically, some of the best lessons I’ve received had nothing to do with punches, chords, or vocal exercises. They were reminders that learning is not a race.

Progress is not measured only by how close we are to the finish line.

Sometimes progress is simply showing up, practicing consistently, and trusting the process.

The Validation We Don’t Realize We Need

Learning something new can be frustrating because improvement is often invisible to ourselves.

We tend to notice every mistake.

Our mentors notice every improvement.

They can see the subtle gains that we overlook.

Your stance is more balanced.

Your timing is improving.

Your rhythm is steadier.

Your breathing is better.

Your confidence is growing.

These observations may seem small, but they matter. They provide evidence that our effort is working. They help us stay motivated during the awkward phase when we feel stuck but are actually improving.

A mentor becomes both a teacher and a mirror, reflecting progress that we cannot yet see for ourselves.

Why I Still Choose Mentors

Don’t get me wrong. I still use YouTube. It’s one of the greatest learning tools ever created.

But if I had to choose between watching a hundred tutorials and spending an hour with a great coach, I’d choose the coach every time.

Tutorials provide information.

Mentors provide transformation.

They correct mistakes before they become habits. They pass down lessons accumulated across generations. They validate our progress when we doubt ourselves. And perhaps most importantly, they remind us that mastery isn’t about reaching the destination as quickly as possible.

It’s about becoming the kind of person who enjoys the journey.

And that’s a lesson no algorithm has managed to teach me quite as well as a good mentor.

I plan to write another article about the music lessons I’ve been taking in the meantime, please enjoy the videos of us during a boxing session below:

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References:

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2026). Apprenticeship. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/apprenticeship

Mirza-Davies, J. (2015, March 9). A short history of apprenticeships in England: From medieval craft guilds to the twenty-first century. UK Parliament House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/a-short-history-of-apprenticeships-in-england-from-medieval-craft-guilds-to-the-twenty-first-century/

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Guild: Trade associations and their role in medieval Europe. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/guild-trade-association