Hate Teaching!

[rmcrobertson]

Sorry, but "balance," doesn't change a basic---let's just say, "difference"--in understanding what martial arts are. And I'm not just talking about the morality of the arts, or one's "self-growth as a human being," or any of that other absolutely-central touchy-feely stuff that is so often derided.

One of the best martial artists I'll ever meet, Juan Serrano, teaches kids' class..it's always sparring with them; tiny folks.

One result is that Mr. Serrano is uncannily good at bringing off self-defense techniques in sparring.

I also know a student who is physically incapable of bringing off many teachniques. Watching her spar would teach anybody who isn't blind as a bat something absolutely vital about fighting and its spirit.

 

[MJS]

Robert- You're still missing whats being said here. This has nothing to do with disliking teaching kids or adults. What we're simply saying, is that you need to make sure that the person doing the teaching is also getting time for their own learning. Let me use myself as an example. I started off teaching 1 day a week. As payment for that, I did not have to pay for lessons, and had use of the school whenever I wanted it. As time went on, I had an additional day added. Before I knew it, I was teaching 5 days a week. Now, out of those 5 days, I was also teaching on days when I was supposed to be taking my own class. So....when was my learning time going to come into play??? When we speak of the 'balance' we're simply speaking of allowing time for our own development.

Mike

 

[Zujitsuka]

Sorry, but "balance," doesn't change a basic---let's just say, "difference"--in understanding what martial arts are. And I'm not just talking about the morality of the arts, or one's "self-growth as a human being," or any of that other absolutely-central touchy-feely stuff that is so often derided....

What a martial art is and why people train are personal matters that vary from person to person. What is your interpretation of what martial arts are?

 

[rmcrobertson]

A. I don't know, but teaching is an essential part of it.

B. Not missing nothin,' thankee lad. Making a point about people missing the point of teaching, and its essentiality for their own practice in all its aspects.

C. Incidentally--apropos of missing stuff--ya might want to go back and peruse the original comments, as well as the title of this thread.

 

[Rob Broad]

Teaching make you analyze every detail of what you are teaching. If you don't you are doing a diservice to the students and to your self. Anyone can be spoon fed the info, and usually these are the people thta can't remember what they learnt a couple years ago. I prefer to work with the student who was given the lesson but had to explore them fully in order to truly understand.

 

[Gary Crawford]

Back when I was a lower belt and I learned a new self-defense technique,as soon as I thought I knew it and my private instructor didn't think I did,he made me teach it to another student,it didn't take me long to realize that I really didn't have it right.After being embarrassed like that a few times,I made sure I had it down absolutly for sure before I said I knew it.That was a real turning point for me.

 

[Tony]

You know the more I learn and progress, the more ideas begin to come into my head and I've been thinking that teaching might not be so bad because all these ideas are just bubbling inside waiting to come out. Lately I have been doing a little teaching in small numbers, lower grades and this is good when my instructor can see whats going on and jump in if its too much too handle. I think though i am too nice to dish out unishments when need be.
Now that I have become a brown sash I am expected to take on mor responsibility. We are having san shou instructors courses soon which will cover san shou and self defence so people with 2 years training can teach all this.

 

[beauty_in_the_sai]

I hate teaching kids. The ones in about the 5-13 range. They have a 5 second attention span and are really only in it because their parents put them in it. I don't mind teaching adults as they are in it voluntarily and actually want to learn. Every now and then you see a devoted kid who wants to learn, but, at least around here, they are once in a blue moon. Go on and tell me I don't have patience, but everyone has their flaws!

 

[The Kai]

I don't think you lack patentence, the probablim is too many kids are being forced in to the arts. Either you play games or you run the risk of boring them too death, either way they do not learn the martial arts

 

[MJS]

I don't think you lack patentence, the probablim is too many kids are being forced in to the arts. Either you play games or you run the risk of boring them too death, either way they do not learn the martial arts

I agree!!!! Many times I've seen kids who were pushed into joining, had a small attention span, would fool around, etc., but the thing that amazed me the most, was that the parents would never stay to watch a class. They'd drop the kid off, leave and then return to pick them up. And then they'd wonder why the child would not progress. :idunno:

Personally, I'd rather see the child enroll when they are older, and might enjoy it more, than enroll them at 4, when they really have no interest.

Mike

 

[The Kai]

Unfortunatly, once the martial arts become a preschool activity, you tend to be linked with a kinder care idenity. makes the Older kids less inclinded to come in!~!

 

[MJS]

Unfortunatly, once the martial arts become a preschool activity, you tend to be linked with a kinder care idenity. makes the Older kids less inclinded to come in!~!

Agreed! While I feel that learning the arts is great, I don't think that someone of a young age can get much out of it. They would most likely progress more effectively if they were older.

Just my .02.

Mike

 

[rmcrobertson]

Boy, those Shaolin monks really screwed THAT up, didn't they?

Sorry, but there are some kids I've taught since they were four or five. It was worth it.

 

[MJS]

Sorry, but there are some kids I've taught since they were four or five. It was worth it.

All kids are going to be different. Having support from the parents is one way that the kids will do well. As I said in a prior post, you have some parents that just drop the kids off, never staying, never seeing what they're doing, what they're learning, etc. Its those parents that question why their child is having a problem. Maybe if the instructors at the school saw the parents more often, they could talk to them and address the problems the child has. Its those parents that use the studio as a babysitting club, so they can run off and have some "free time"!!!

Mike

 

[Feisty Mouse]

You know the more I learn and progress, the more ideas begin to come into my head and I've been thinking that teaching might not be so bad because all these ideas are just bubbling inside waiting to come out. Lately I have been doing a little teaching in small numbers, lower grades and this is good when my instructor can see whats going on and jump in if its too much too handle. I think though i am too nice to dish out unishments when need be.
Now that I have become a brown sash I am expected to take on mor responsibility. We are having san shou instructors courses soon which will cover san shou and self defence so people with 2 years training can teach all this.

Tony ~ glad to hear it.

One aspect of martial arts training that has been talked about in other threads, and people refer to sometimes as to part of their training, is the "personal growth" and intangible qualities that training can instill in you.

Patience is a big one of these qualities, I think. Teaching someone else - especially little kids who may be in class just as a baby-sitting service to their parents (although there are others that want to learn, but do have that 5-sec attention span because they are *little kids*) - can teach you a lot about patience, and about tailoring what you want your audience to know to them.

I hope your teaching helps you with your own ideas, and also with the patience to gently handle younger folks or lower ranks. I think it's important.

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Unfortunatly, once the martial arts become a preschool activity, you tend to be linked with a kinder care idenity. makes the Older kids less inclinded to come in!~!

Oh, I forgot to add ~ I think that depends on how you present your classes to the public. Where I currently train, there are a lot of kids' classes, but a thriving adult and "teen" population as well. It might help bring in more adults (parents, etc.) if they know your school can handle even the most challenging students.

 

[bdparsons]

Man, staying on topic with this thread is like trying to nail Jello to a wall.

My opinion is that there a more than a few folks that dislike teaching because they tend to view it as a task to be done and not a tool to be used. As mentioned before, teaching a move, basic, technique, or whatever will let you know very quickly whether you are performing the task correctly yourself. I consider teaching as a tool to constantly critique my own knowledge and execution. It also continually reinforces the "why" of what we do. When the question marks appear in the air above a student's head, it also reminds me where the student is at in the process, allowing me to adapt my teaching method on the spot. What is needed at that moment to help the student understand? Is it a physical movement, a basic explanation, a detailed explanation, an example, or an analogy?

I also view teaching as a means to give to others what my instructors gave to me. Personally, there are few things more satisfying to me in a martial arts environment than seeing the light come on in someone's eyes when whatever I'm teaching "clicks". Reminds of the time when that "clicked" for me.

A proper attitude toward teaching can do nothing but make me a better martial artist myself. Use it as a tool and it will never degenerate into a task.

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

 

[Ceicei]

I have found that close to a half of the adult students are there because their children are in martial arts already. These parents are usually the ones who take time watching their kids training, the instructors meet to talk with the parents, then the parents eventually join the adult classes.

When these parents get to a high enough rank, they then also teach. Their comment was that when they start teaching, they realize more about the intricacies of the techniques and thus become much better martial artists themselves.

Teaching does help with understanding the style better.

- Ceicei

 

[rmcrobertson]

Well, I can agree about that---nothing worse than when the SUV with the "Bush," sticker pulls up, and the yuppie larvae jump out...

 

[bdparsons]

Well, I can agree about that---nothing worse than when the SUV with the "Bush," sticker pulls up, and the yuppie larvae jump out...

Well maybe one things worse... when the identical vehicle with the Kerry/Edwards sticker pulls up and... :uhyeah:

Have a good one Robert!

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute