TIL a client of 14 years taught me more about fading than any class did

Had a guy named Ray in my chair last Thursday, been cutting his hair since he walked in with a picture of a young Denzel back in 2010. He's a retired drill sergeant and never says much, but this time he watched me set up my clippers and said, "You're always going up, try coming down on the sides." I switched to a downward pass with the 1.5 guard on his left side and the blend came out smoother than anything I've done going up. Turns out he used to cut hair in the barracks in the 80s with a set of Wahl clippers and a comb. Any of you got older clients who learned the trade back in the day and pick up tricks from them?