As a newbie - you ever feel like you were frustrating your instructors?

[Dylan9d]

I just wanted to add a follow up....

While my Sinawalli/exscrima still needs work, I messed up last week with 1-17 angle knife drills.... I have some ability with kick boxing (muay thai). Thanks to yoga (bound angle anyone?) and weight training I have good hips and core abilities for a... 49 year old

When the instructor gave instructions about not worrying about kicking high enough and taking it easy ...he was looking at me directly and not rest of class. As we began the drills with the pads, and I got warmed up - he looked over at my drills with another instructor and exclaimed whoa ! hey look at this (to other instructors).. holly cow..... wow.

Some times, I guess.... even a old newbie can impress an instructor. It was a good night.

Im just wondering, why are you trying so hard to impress your instructors?

 

[crazydiamond]

Im just wondering, why are you trying so hard to impress your instructors?

You make a valid point.

One the one hand this is in many ways personal journey. Also the core of JKD is what works for practitioner and discarding what does not. Everyone is different, Bruce Lee understood this.

On the other hand, like other sports or learning environment, I respect my coaches/instructors and school, and wish to demonstrate my learning and abilities and to advance in areas I am able.

 

[Shai Hulud]

My first two weeks starting out with Jeet Kune Do weren't particularly memorable. I wasn't fond of how I could never seem to get the trapping and hooking movements of the art right. Prior to JKD I had no martial arts experience whatsoever, so that was a bit of a tough one. The mental image of my middle-aged instructor scratching his head while looking at me is still all too clear.

My motivation took a bit of a tumble in the weeks that followed, but I think about half a year into training I finally greased the groove and started getting more out of my training sessions.

I started getting into kettle-bells and researched on dinosaur and gymnastics body-weight training at about the same time. That boosted my confidence a good deal as well.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

As a newbie - you ever feel like you were frustrating your instructors?

Well, this happens sometimes. I recall that I had been training for some years so I was certainly no longer a Newbie, but on occasion I'd have problems mastering a new technique. My master instructor did get impatient and irritated with me and my poor performance. No big deal though, it just indicated to me that I still needed much more practice.

The fact is that training in the martial arts is really infinite, because you're always learning. The study really never ends, I'm still learning and I've been a MA practitioner for quite some time.

 

[Takai]

It was the normal way the school did things.

Private instructor teaches a half our private lesson per student (I was an hour long lesson since I added & paid for the extra weekly half hour lesson) all the curriculum material was taught in probate lessons.

The group classes consisted of self defense class, kicking class, point sparring class, contact sparring class, weapons class, weapons sparring class.

All the group class stuff wasn't required material in the curriculum and was more of a bonus work out except for the weapons class taught the weapon forms.
.

The first Kenpo school I trained in was run this way. It worked really well.

 

[Cirdan]

I hope I never stop frustrating my teachers, that would mean their expectations are too low

 

[Reverend Fist]

Three times a week! Every class I'm in, but I'm new enough it's to be expected. Besides, both my kids watch me train, so I don't mind standing up and showing that I don't know something. Let them see how admitting a lack of knowledge is a first step in gaining that knowledge. Besides, my ego has no place inside the dojo, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[K-man]

I had a guy show up out of the blue several weeks back wanting to get back into training. Turns out he was training with the same guys I was over 30 years back.

Well we started training and I spent a bit of time seeing where he was at. I would say "We'll do ABC" only to find he would do XYZ. I'd say "No, I want you to do ABC", to which he would say " Oh, I do it this way".

Needless to say, he didn't come back and I shed no tears.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I have those nights were I am trying to learn some new or more complex moves, ones for the first time - and failing miserably for the Xth time he tried to show me, and I can see the assistant instructor getting frustrated - he went over to the head instructor a couple of times to say something like " how can i get him to learn this ? he is not getting it at all".

Tonight was one of those nights I was not focused - 10 hour day at work, tired, helping my kids with math after work, and showing up to class at the end of the day - and just floundering. I can only attend class 2-3 times a week.

It sucks being a beginner, but I hate letting my instructors down or making them frustrated when they try to teach me.

Patience is important in the martial arts, for instructors as well as students. So make sure to exercise patience and so will your instructors if they're good instructors.

 

[ks - learning to fly]

First - I am happy that you're 'not giving up'!

I too am one that hates the feeling of letting my Instructor down so I can empathize.
Much of what has been said is very true especially the patience part...as long as
you keep working, you WILL get it!! When I was still new in TKD, I was working,
going to school and training so occasionally, I would plateau because I had a lot
going on and would struggle more with new stuff. Thankfully, my Instructor has
showed me how to break down techniques that I struggle with and I work on them
until I can keep up with the normal speed - until I get there, I think I just make my
Instructor laugh..

Remember, NOTHING that's worth ANYTHING is 'easy'!!

 

[tshadowchaser]

I think I frustrated my instructor more after my first year. I would forget things the first year and that was almost expected. When I forgot them after the first year it was not accepted even if we had not gone over the material in a long time. I was expected to keep practicing it and keep it in memory

 

[Deleted member 32980]

I have those nights were I am trying to learn some new or more complex moves, ones for the first time - and failing miserably for the Xth time he tried to show me, and I can see the assistant instructor getting frustrated - he went over to the head instructor a couple of times to say something like " how can i get him to learn this ? he is not getting it at all".

Tonight was one of those nights I was not focused - 10 hour day at work, tired, helping my kids with math after work, and showing up to class at the end of the day - and just floundering. I can only attend class 2-3 times a week.

It sucks being a beginner, but I hate letting my instructors down or making them frustrated when they try to teach me.

I admit it. When I teach classes, sometimes I feel like just waiting for the clients to shut up.

 

[Deleted member 32980]

I think I frustrated my instructor more after my first year. I would forget things the first year and that was almost expected. When I forgot them after the first year it was not accepted even if we had not gone over the material in a long time. I was expected to keep practicing it and keep it in memory

You should try having memory loss. :/

 

[Transk53]

You should try having memory loss. :/

Try having short term memory loss, absolute nightmare

 

[Deleted member 32980]

Try having short term memory loss, absolute nightmare

I've got both. I understand! I hate it so much. School was a nightmare. And names,.. Omg impossible if I don't talk to them every day

 

[Transk53]

I've got both. I understand! I hate it so much. School was a nightmare. And names,.. Omg impossible if I don't talk to them every day

Yeah me too. Faces I remember alright. Still bizarrely enough, my long term memory is very good, bordering on superb often. Little facts here and there, data etc.

 

[Deleted member 32980]

Yeah me too. Faces I remember alright. Still bizarrely enough, my long term memory is very good, bordering on superb often. Little facts here and there, data etc.

I do believe my younger years are repressed, and the side effect was memory loss. So now I don't remember anything. Not even when I pooped last.

 

[Transk53]

I do believe my younger years are repressed, and the side effect was memory loss. So now I don't remember anything. Not even when I pooped last.

Crap, that is unfortunate. Feel for you man.

 

[Deleted member 32980]

Crap, that is unfortunate. Feel for you man.

What are you feeling agian? Jk
Thanks