What makes an Expert?

Experience.

That’s it.

The main difference between a expert, or Master in the context of Martial Arts, and their students is the simple fact they have more experience.

And the only way to get experience is through time, living life.

Knowledge is definitely part of it but you also need the different experiences that would allow you to apply that knowledge. You can read a lot of books and if you don’t try to apply that new knowledge, then it becomes just academic.

Experience comes at the cost of failure. If you always achieve, then you don’t learn much either.

That being said, someone can be called an expert (or a Master) once they have had the time to learn and apply knowledge in an multitude of situations.

An experienced fighter has competed more often that an a younger fighter. They have fought different types of fighters and developped their own style and strategy against different opponents.

A teacher is usually “better” than their own students because they’ve been training longer and have experienced different ways to teach the same technique from different angles.

A Master is simply someone who has been the game longer.