Tag Archive: students


Are MA instructors too strict?

Filed Under: General
Jun.09, 2010

Today I find myself questioning whether or not I am too strict with the students. With the kids, my main goal is to keep them safe at all times. I find that there are a few who need to be reminded over and over again to not do things like wrestle,push and jump on each other. I certainly understand that kids need the guidance, but I’m wondering if they like me as an instructor. When I have to be particularly strict with a child, I make it a point to give that student some quality recognition later in the class. I know that most people tend remember their last interaction with someone, and kids are not different. I like to leave them on a positive note whenever possible. I  don’t want them coming to class and wonder if the “mean” instructor is going to get on their cases again.

I also feel like I was a little be harder on the younger Black Belts in the adult class. But I just realized something… they are younger and tend to fool around and chit-chat if I let them! That drags everyone down and that’s certainly not good. I am okay with them needing more discipline!

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Types of Martial Artists

Filed Under: General
May.08, 2010

There are basically three types of Martial Artists:

  • Casual/Recreational-These types generally join a school for fitness and self-defense reasons. They train for a moderate amount of time but don’t really care if they attain a Black Belt or not. They drift in/out and eventually their “out” time leads them to find a reason not to return.
  • Serious-This group will persevere through the difficulties and challenges and will reach their goal of attaining a Black Belt. At this point, they may persist for some time but they are satisfied with their level of accomplishment. They have succeeded at the difficult task and that is satisfaction enough for them. They may persist for a time but they, too, end up leaving. For them, it’s not so much about developing further, but about the goal they’ve reached. For the rest of their lives, they can say they are a Black Belt.
  • Lifelong-The people in this group find themselves in a interesting situation. They get their Black Belt and suddenly realize that the journey has just begun, at least for them. They use the Black Belt as a jumping of point into further development and challenges in Martial Arts. In their hearts, they know that training is something they will do for the rest of their lives. They are not satisfied and that attitude drives them forward indefinitely. These are known as “practicing” Martial Artists.

Who’s to say which one is better? New students are inspired by the accomplishments and abilities of the Black Belts. Some are so motivated that they reach that level themselves. On the flip side, I am constantly reminded of the mind-set of the white belt. It is my goal to see things not through the eyes of someone who has been practicing for 15 years, but through the awe of the newbie.They bring a passion and excitement that I never want to forget in myself. For I know that if I lose that, it will be time to move on to something else. I am also inspired by those Black Belts that have the same level of commitment that I do. They participate in all the extra training even when they don’t have to. They challenge me to do better and hold me accountable when I lag. They raise the bar for me and challenge me to do that for them.

In the end, a successful dojo benefits from all three types of students. When properly acknowledged, motivated and nurtured, the varying levels can be intertwined to create a positive atmosphere for everyone. And in a positive environment, everyone benefits. In the end, they all need each other.

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When to quit?

Filed Under: General
May.07, 2010

No, I don’t mean quit your training. What I mean is, when do you quit on a technique that’s not working? I often see students get frustrated when they are doing a certain technique and for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be working on their partner. This is true no matter which Art we are focusing on at the time: Aikido, Jui Jistu, Kenpo, Kung Fu. All the arts that contain some very specific responses and attacks. The same is not precisely true for the other combat arts such as boxing/kickboxing/wrestling/sparring as these contain attacks that are less “site” specific and more broad. Usually…

The most common comment I hear from students who are having trouble with a pain-compliance attempt is this:

  • They aren’t  feeling it
  • It doesn’t work
  • I can’t do it

They then begin to believe that the technique is ineffective. What they fail to understand is that not every technique will work on every person. I have personally witnessed, outside the dojo, people who have been kicked squarely in the groin with no effect. Does that mean a groin kick doesn’t work? Of course not. What the means is that if that particular kick doesn’t work on that particular person, you’d better have some other techniques to draw upon.

This brings me to my main point. Practicing single applications can and will be frustrating when they don’t work. That is the reason you should focus on three aspects:

  • continue diligent practice on things even if the person you’re working with doesn’t feel it. Trust me, it will work on someone
  • understand the need to always have multiple techniques in mind. (never practice against just one punch, assume multiples)
  • remember that no matter how good you are at a particular technique, if it doesn’t work when used, you must be prepared to immediately switch to others. Keep going until something does work

It is should be remembered that every person is different. They have different body physiques, pain thresholds, and “fight/flight” responses. The competent Martial Artist will keep this in mind throughout every aspect of their training.

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New Students

Filed Under: General
Nov.17, 2008

New students are refreshing. They are so wide-eyed and excited when they start training. They soak up everything that you teach them like sponges. It reminds me of when I started and also when I received my Black Belt. My instructor says that his best students are those who have the experience of a Black Belt and the enthusiasm of a white belt. Even after more than 10 years, I still get excited to go to class and see what things are happening that day. The only drawback I can see from the new students is that they are so hard on themselves. They have a tendency to make their mistakes personal like something is wrong with them. My hope is that they will soon see that mistakes are nothing to get worked up about. It’s okay to cut yourself some slack; especially keeping in mind that martial arts is very difficult to begin with. You’re teaching your body and brain a new set of rules and it takes time to adjust. Mistakes are sometimes the best way to learn and as such, should be appreciated.

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Caring

Filed Under: General
Oct.12, 2008

I am amazed at how my sensei can maintain a high level of enthusiasm day in and day out. He holds weekly training sessions for all his instructors and at each one, he emphasizes the need to be “caring”. He says that in order to be a good instructor, we have to care about our students. With that as our foundation, we can unsure that each student will end each and every class with a sense of accomplishment. He stresses that this is what keeps them coming back for years! He couples his love for his art, with sound psychological aspects and caring. It makes sense.

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Leading and Teaching

Filed Under: General
Aug.19, 2008

I’ve recently found that my perspective as an instructor has changed. I have gotten to the point where I’m very comfortable with most teaching situations that come up. This has allowed me to be extremely focused on the needs of each student that I’m teaching. On any given day, I will find myself  instructing one-on-one as well as leading groups of students. The one-on-ones are currently very easy for me.  With regard to the groups, I am now able to utilize the school’s mirrors to oversee that groups as I lead them. This is exceptionally challenging due to the fact that all activity is reversed from my perspective. Additionally, the larger the group, the farther away the students in the back row are and the more difficult for me to observe. My focus while leading is to ensure the group is following properly and to identify when one or more students are having problems. I need to alter the pace as needed while ensuring that the more capable students are still adequately engaged and interested. I’ve learned from my sensei that the key to successful teaching is making each class interesting for all and not leaving anyone feeling left behind.  It is a balancing act that I am becoming more at ease with. My new goal is to help the other instructors attain this level of comfort with their teaching.

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Insight

Filed Under: General
Jun.16, 2008

Here are a few things that newer students of martial arts don’t realize or consider about most instructors.

  • Instructors are practitioners and students no matter what level they are
  • We are under a lot of stress to be as close to perfect as possible. There’s nothing worse than teaching someone something incorrectly and they make it a habit.
  • If the owner/sensei is worth following and emulating, it is probably true that they are very intense people. This can be stressful for the people who work for them.
  • Instructors are human and make mistakes.
  • We have outside lives and don’t spend every waking hour practicing, (although we’d like to).
  • We have bad days.
  • We get nervous
  • We are not special. We’ve just decided to take up a hobby that we enjoy, made it a part of our lives, and love to share it with others.

These are just things I wanted to share as an instructor.

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