Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Daniel Sullivan started a thread today that got me thinking a bit. I wanted to share some thoughts I've had and wasnt' sure if it quite fit in Daniel's thread, so I finally decided to create an independent thread.
Daniel's thread is here, for those interested: http://martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75510
The topic of the original thread was the ISSA martial arts specialist program, being, from what I can glean from it, a certification program for personal trainers with a focus on teaching martial arts.
This got me to thinking about the topic of teaching martial arts in a healthclub environment in general, with some thoughts on both the personal trainer avenue, as well as the group exercise avenue.
I actually have a bit of a personal connection to this topic, which is probably why Daniel's thread got me to thinking more about it again. For years, I have held a membership with a healthclub near my office. I do most of my private training at the club, using their space to practice the various arts that I have been fortunate to study. I have no interest in using the various weight equipment nor cardio equipment, and neither do I have any interest in hiring a personal trainer or getting involved in a group exercise class. I know my stuff, and I just need space to practice, and I'm very happy with that.
I spend a lot of time working on basic technique, forms/kata, heavybag work, and the like, and I train in the morning before work, or during an extended lunch break, and sometimes both in the same day. I am there most days, and the trainers who work there know what I'm about and leave me alone. But on a couple of occasions, I've had both trainers and other club members approach me and ask if I am teaching somewhere, or would be interested in teaching a class at the club. Generally, I've not been interested in pursuing that and I've not really been given clearance to be an independent instructor by my teachers so it's a moot point anyway. If I brought the notion to their attention they might agree to it, but I've not been terribly interested anyway, so I've never bothered. But it's caused me to think about how one might structure the class in a way to not sacrifice the integrity of the art, but still successfully teach it in such a venue. Healthclub clientelle tend to be very transient and often jump from class to class, or literally come and go as their interest and schedule allows. This would pose a real challenge in teaching a progressive skill like a martial art.
So, getting back on point, I'll start with the personal trainer avenue and give my thoughts about that.
The ISSA program that Daniel pointed out might actually have some good material in it that an instructor could benefit from. I'm not familar with the program so I can't verify that, but it is certainly possible. I'm not generally familiar with any personal trainer certification program so I don't really know what they teach, but I think it has a lot to do with exercise theory and nutrition and physiology and stuff. I invite anyone with more experience with this topic to help me fill in the blanks. At any rate, in the general sense, that could be worthwhile information to have. But I'm not sure it would always translate well to the subject of martial arts, or at least not to all martial arts equally.
In my opinion, for me, martial arts are not about becoming fit. It is about learning a progressive skill, which is built gradually upon a foundation of technique. However, becoming fit is often a side effect of the practice, which can become very very physically demanding. I understand that some people may disagree with me here, and I'm not trying to create a rock-solid definition that everyone must agree to. For some people, it might be ALL about fitness. But I'm just saying that this is how I see the arts, and this is what MY focus is in training. And it is fair to assume that if I were to teach, I would teach with this mindset.
So if I were to get a certificate as a physical trainer, and used that theory to guide my interaction with my clients, I'm not sure it would work out for the best transmittal of the art. I think a lot of exercise theory has to do with things like "X minutes of heavy exertion, followed by Y minutes of cooldown/mild exertion followed by Z minutes of rest, then build back up to X minutes of heavy exertion again" with the idea that this type of thing gives the best results for fitness, either cardio or strength, or both. Again, any physical trainers out there can feel free to jump in.
But I don't think this necessarily works for the martial arts. Think about this: what if I was teaching a client taiji chuan. It's unlikely that in the context of that method I would be able to elevate the client to a level of heavy exertion for X minutes. But then again, what if it was BJJ - then some time rolling on the mats could certainly do it. Or, what about kenpo - we might spend time analyzing the application of an arm bar and wrist lock as a defense against some type of grab. It's a very technical exercise that requires repetition, it yields a very useful skill, but is unlikely to equate to "X minutes of heavy exercise". So that very body of theory that the physical trainer structures his sessions upon could very well not work, because it's just not appropriate.
At my club I see trainers working with their clients in boxing and kickboxing. The body of techniques that these methods use is more limited than most traditional martial arts, so they might translate a bit better for this approach. The problem is, I often see the client using very poor technique, and the trainer does little to correct it. I think this is because the client often does not want to really LEARN boxing or kick boxing. They just want to get fit, and they like the IDEA of boxing or kick boxing, so the trainer uses that as a vehicle to improve the client's fitness. Development of a real skill becomes secondary to the fact that within that context the client can reach that necessary level of heavy exercise for X minutes, hopping around and ineffectually bopping the heavybag with big cushiony gloves that don't fit them right. As long as the client is sweating and breathing heavily, the trainer is doing the job he is being paid to do. If he took the time to correct the client's technique, then the client wouldn't sweat, wouldn't breathe hard, wouldn't raise his fitness level (at least not until further down the road in the process), and the perception would be that the trainer isn't providing him with results nor instant gratification. But the client thinks that he's now a kickboxer.
In the personal training venue, I think you could successfully train your clients IF they understood what the process required, including a long-term committment and a gradual development of skill. Fitness would come later, as a result of the training, but working up that sweat is not always going to be the primary focus. If the client is interested in that, and is willing to commit to the process, then it can be a success.
OK, now I'd like to discuss the group class venue.
Healthclubs often have lots of group classes available. But they are almost always something that you can drop in any time, without any experience, and jump right in and take part in. It's a business decision: make as many of the classes accessible to as many people as possible. That's how you satisfy as many customers as possible, and keep the membership high and everyone paying their monthly dues. It's easy for any beginner to jump on a spin cycle, or take a step class, and get thru the class and improve his fitness. You don't need any experience to do that.
Health clubs often have some "martial arts inspired" group classes, like tae bo or cardio kickboxing. But these are not real martial arts. They have been designed to be a form of exercise instead. Little attention is paid to developing good technique. Instead, just follow the "teacher" and throw your foot out sort of "like this", and don't worry if it's proper technique because you'll never use it for real anyway (you'd better hope). It's a tremendously simplified system that is designed so that anyone can jump in and join the class on any day, and be able to follow along and sweat and breathe heavy and increase fitness. But there is no real learning going on. It's mimickry on a very low level, and it gives no real understanding of true martial arts methods.
So how would one teach a traditional or systematic martial art in this venue? A club does not want to take a risk of paying an instructor to offer a class that nobody sticks with and is empty all the time. So how do you introduce it to the clientelle?
I have come up with one idea: You would need to market the class as a limited course, perhaps 10 or 12 weeks, twice or three times a week. This course is designed to teach some very basic foundation skills in the art, and nothing more. The client would need to sign up for the complete course, and I am sure the club would demand full payment for the entire course. If the client decided to drop out before the course was completed they would forfeit payment, or get a partial payment back. Remember: for the club, this is a business venture. They don't want to pay the teacher if all the students drop away after two weeks of a 12 week program. It's very experimental, in my opinion. I'm not really sure it would work, but it's an idea I've come up with.
Once a few of these introductory courses have been taught, each with a different group of people, there might collectively be a small group of people who want to continue to learn the full system. At that point, an ongoing class could be established, but it is only open to those who have first been thru the introductory course, which would be offered periodically. And from the very beginning, it must be clearly explained and described to the clients what the purpose and approach is meant to accomplish, so that they understand that this is not simply a quick way to get fit. It is something far deeper and bigger, and it takes time and effort (including practice time outside of class) and committment.
That's the best idea I've been able to come up with. Really, I'm not convinced that the modern health club is a good venue for teaching traditional martial arts. If anyone has experience in this venue, I'd be glad to hear about it, what works, what doesn't. Am I way off the target, or have I made some valid points?
I'm not really interested in even trying this out, it's just not where my head is at. But it's been an interesting idea to think about, so I thought I'd share with you all.
thanks for taking the time to read, I know it's a long post.
Daniel's thread is here, for those interested: http://martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75510
The topic of the original thread was the ISSA martial arts specialist program, being, from what I can glean from it, a certification program for personal trainers with a focus on teaching martial arts.
This got me to thinking about the topic of teaching martial arts in a healthclub environment in general, with some thoughts on both the personal trainer avenue, as well as the group exercise avenue.
I actually have a bit of a personal connection to this topic, which is probably why Daniel's thread got me to thinking more about it again. For years, I have held a membership with a healthclub near my office. I do most of my private training at the club, using their space to practice the various arts that I have been fortunate to study. I have no interest in using the various weight equipment nor cardio equipment, and neither do I have any interest in hiring a personal trainer or getting involved in a group exercise class. I know my stuff, and I just need space to practice, and I'm very happy with that.
I spend a lot of time working on basic technique, forms/kata, heavybag work, and the like, and I train in the morning before work, or during an extended lunch break, and sometimes both in the same day. I am there most days, and the trainers who work there know what I'm about and leave me alone. But on a couple of occasions, I've had both trainers and other club members approach me and ask if I am teaching somewhere, or would be interested in teaching a class at the club. Generally, I've not been interested in pursuing that and I've not really been given clearance to be an independent instructor by my teachers so it's a moot point anyway. If I brought the notion to their attention they might agree to it, but I've not been terribly interested anyway, so I've never bothered. But it's caused me to think about how one might structure the class in a way to not sacrifice the integrity of the art, but still successfully teach it in such a venue. Healthclub clientelle tend to be very transient and often jump from class to class, or literally come and go as their interest and schedule allows. This would pose a real challenge in teaching a progressive skill like a martial art.
So, getting back on point, I'll start with the personal trainer avenue and give my thoughts about that.
The ISSA program that Daniel pointed out might actually have some good material in it that an instructor could benefit from. I'm not familar with the program so I can't verify that, but it is certainly possible. I'm not generally familiar with any personal trainer certification program so I don't really know what they teach, but I think it has a lot to do with exercise theory and nutrition and physiology and stuff. I invite anyone with more experience with this topic to help me fill in the blanks. At any rate, in the general sense, that could be worthwhile information to have. But I'm not sure it would always translate well to the subject of martial arts, or at least not to all martial arts equally.
In my opinion, for me, martial arts are not about becoming fit. It is about learning a progressive skill, which is built gradually upon a foundation of technique. However, becoming fit is often a side effect of the practice, which can become very very physically demanding. I understand that some people may disagree with me here, and I'm not trying to create a rock-solid definition that everyone must agree to. For some people, it might be ALL about fitness. But I'm just saying that this is how I see the arts, and this is what MY focus is in training. And it is fair to assume that if I were to teach, I would teach with this mindset.
So if I were to get a certificate as a physical trainer, and used that theory to guide my interaction with my clients, I'm not sure it would work out for the best transmittal of the art. I think a lot of exercise theory has to do with things like "X minutes of heavy exertion, followed by Y minutes of cooldown/mild exertion followed by Z minutes of rest, then build back up to X minutes of heavy exertion again" with the idea that this type of thing gives the best results for fitness, either cardio or strength, or both. Again, any physical trainers out there can feel free to jump in.
But I don't think this necessarily works for the martial arts. Think about this: what if I was teaching a client taiji chuan. It's unlikely that in the context of that method I would be able to elevate the client to a level of heavy exertion for X minutes. But then again, what if it was BJJ - then some time rolling on the mats could certainly do it. Or, what about kenpo - we might spend time analyzing the application of an arm bar and wrist lock as a defense against some type of grab. It's a very technical exercise that requires repetition, it yields a very useful skill, but is unlikely to equate to "X minutes of heavy exercise". So that very body of theory that the physical trainer structures his sessions upon could very well not work, because it's just not appropriate.
At my club I see trainers working with their clients in boxing and kickboxing. The body of techniques that these methods use is more limited than most traditional martial arts, so they might translate a bit better for this approach. The problem is, I often see the client using very poor technique, and the trainer does little to correct it. I think this is because the client often does not want to really LEARN boxing or kick boxing. They just want to get fit, and they like the IDEA of boxing or kick boxing, so the trainer uses that as a vehicle to improve the client's fitness. Development of a real skill becomes secondary to the fact that within that context the client can reach that necessary level of heavy exercise for X minutes, hopping around and ineffectually bopping the heavybag with big cushiony gloves that don't fit them right. As long as the client is sweating and breathing heavily, the trainer is doing the job he is being paid to do. If he took the time to correct the client's technique, then the client wouldn't sweat, wouldn't breathe hard, wouldn't raise his fitness level (at least not until further down the road in the process), and the perception would be that the trainer isn't providing him with results nor instant gratification. But the client thinks that he's now a kickboxer.
In the personal training venue, I think you could successfully train your clients IF they understood what the process required, including a long-term committment and a gradual development of skill. Fitness would come later, as a result of the training, but working up that sweat is not always going to be the primary focus. If the client is interested in that, and is willing to commit to the process, then it can be a success.
OK, now I'd like to discuss the group class venue.
Healthclubs often have lots of group classes available. But they are almost always something that you can drop in any time, without any experience, and jump right in and take part in. It's a business decision: make as many of the classes accessible to as many people as possible. That's how you satisfy as many customers as possible, and keep the membership high and everyone paying their monthly dues. It's easy for any beginner to jump on a spin cycle, or take a step class, and get thru the class and improve his fitness. You don't need any experience to do that.
Health clubs often have some "martial arts inspired" group classes, like tae bo or cardio kickboxing. But these are not real martial arts. They have been designed to be a form of exercise instead. Little attention is paid to developing good technique. Instead, just follow the "teacher" and throw your foot out sort of "like this", and don't worry if it's proper technique because you'll never use it for real anyway (you'd better hope). It's a tremendously simplified system that is designed so that anyone can jump in and join the class on any day, and be able to follow along and sweat and breathe heavy and increase fitness. But there is no real learning going on. It's mimickry on a very low level, and it gives no real understanding of true martial arts methods.
So how would one teach a traditional or systematic martial art in this venue? A club does not want to take a risk of paying an instructor to offer a class that nobody sticks with and is empty all the time. So how do you introduce it to the clientelle?
I have come up with one idea: You would need to market the class as a limited course, perhaps 10 or 12 weeks, twice or three times a week. This course is designed to teach some very basic foundation skills in the art, and nothing more. The client would need to sign up for the complete course, and I am sure the club would demand full payment for the entire course. If the client decided to drop out before the course was completed they would forfeit payment, or get a partial payment back. Remember: for the club, this is a business venture. They don't want to pay the teacher if all the students drop away after two weeks of a 12 week program. It's very experimental, in my opinion. I'm not really sure it would work, but it's an idea I've come up with.
Once a few of these introductory courses have been taught, each with a different group of people, there might collectively be a small group of people who want to continue to learn the full system. At that point, an ongoing class could be established, but it is only open to those who have first been thru the introductory course, which would be offered periodically. And from the very beginning, it must be clearly explained and described to the clients what the purpose and approach is meant to accomplish, so that they understand that this is not simply a quick way to get fit. It is something far deeper and bigger, and it takes time and effort (including practice time outside of class) and committment.
That's the best idea I've been able to come up with. Really, I'm not convinced that the modern health club is a good venue for teaching traditional martial arts. If anyone has experience in this venue, I'd be glad to hear about it, what works, what doesn't. Am I way off the target, or have I made some valid points?
I'm not really interested in even trying this out, it's just not where my head is at. But it's been an interesting idea to think about, so I thought I'd share with you all.
thanks for taking the time to read, I know it's a long post.
