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Answers Q: MARTIAL ART SCHOOLS - SPEND MORE TIME TEACHING THAN TRAINING? Friday January 29, 2010 A: Yes, it is typical and it really does not have as much to do with "it frees up the instructor to teach his elite students" as you may think. YOU get to learn more by teaching! Granted, if an instructor has a class of various students of varying ranks, it is not possible for him to teach all ranks at the same time. The lessons you learned yesterday, you are teaching to lesser students today. This helps free him up to "inspect" the progress of others, how you teach, what you are beginning to grasp - by teaching others. The lessons and answers that may have eluded you while learning, often become clearer and make more sense as you teach another. I teach selectively, privately or with very small groups. I've had sessions where there are only two people there and I've had what would considered an orange belt, teaching a yellow belt. Mind you, I'm observing every bit of this and making corrections, where ever necessary. Nearly ever time I have done this, I have heard the more advanced student make a claim, at least once, "Oh, I get it now!" Additionally, the student is learning to properly deal with others and learning to teach, from the ground up. I must also state, my less than advanced students are under strict orders to NEVER teach what they learn to anyone else, without my consent or without me (or one of my qualified students) present. However, if you are not instructed and trained, as you are expected to train others, this is not a good thing either. A good deal of time should be spent directly on you, your lessons and your training, as well. If this is not happening, privately speak you your instructor about your concerns and if a reasonable solution can not be resolved, politely resign from your school and seek training elsewhere. Friday January 29, 2010 A: I would combine Shihan J and pugpaws2's answers and get the perfect one! I have nothing more to add. I also would like to combine fiercat719's answer too. Reminds me of my Sensei. Friday January 29, 2010 A: Yup. You can learn from anyone or anything if you keep an open enough mind. I learned more about my own faults and where I need to improve by teaching others. However, that doesn't mean it should be all teach and no train. Yes, teaching helps you learn, but not everything. Until you're perfect, you're still going to need training. Elite or not, you're still paying for training and if you're not getting that, it's time to leave. You're not paying money to be your trainer's substitute teacher. You teach because there's stuff to be learned from teaching, but he trains you, because you came for that. Friday January 29, 2010 A: When I taught, I spent most of the day teaching kids, but at the same time my instructor was very devoted to making sure that he and I had a one hour one on one training session before the kids classes started. I learned alot and at the point that the kids went home I spent a 50-50 percent relationship in teaching adults and in learning skills for myself. I totally agree that when it comes to teaching you learn more than you dish out. Your form benefits greatly and by being forced to teach many people you are able to look at how things work in a variety of ways. However, when it came to teaching my number one way of learning was in actually demonstrating the moves on my students because of the way it taught me to be considerate of how different body types force you to adjust your technique. I guess what I am trying to say is that when an instructor dubs you worthy to teach his younger students it is a great compliment and a way for him to have you taught by not just him, but everyone in the class. Friday January 29, 2010 A: I'll answer your question this way. Then you must look closer at every aspect of your class to see if it applies and how. One of the best things I ever did for my own understanding of the arts I teach was to become an instructor. By teaching I had to rethink everything I do in order to be able to put it into words that the students could understand. I also had to be able to demonstrate and correct the students. Sure you need a reasonable amount of training yourself. But doing something over and over, does not necessarily mean that you will understand it better. A balance of both training and teaching others is a great asset to your training. Beginners should not be teaching others. They have not gotten the basics down well enough themselves. More advanced students can gain much that will help them improve their training if they also spend some time teaching others. Now you must look at your situation and decide if you are spending more time teaching than is beneficial to your overall, long term goals of understanding and ability...etc. Don't simply assume that teaching is hindering your progress. Not the other hand if all you do is teach, you will gain a better incite to and understanding of things, yet not develop the ability to do them well yourself. Friday January 29, 2010 A: in teaching others you should also be learning from there mistakes and getting a better understanding of the techniques, and how it works. you should not be just blindly telling another student to do the technique this way or that way, but you your self should understand the dynamics behind the move and learn by watching how others do the technique as well as learn from there mistakes in doing the technique. it is part of or should be your training to teach. have a student teach has other benefits besides the business aspect. Friday January 29, 2010 A: Yes, but you should expect training as well, especially if you are paying tuition and even if you don't. You do learn when teaching too but I do believe that if you teach for an instructor you are still entitled to either training or learning how to teach. It is also for the instructors sake to make sure that what you teach is the same he would teach and that the students who are being taught by you get quality training. "From a business stand point, it makes sense because the coach can focus his time on something else, like training his elite fighters." I do not agree with this statement at all. If you are paying the same tuition as the 'elite fighters' then you are entitled to the same amount of training on your level. Any school/gym who only promotes their 'elite fighters/students' and takes the rest of the students' tuition just as a meal ticket to keep the doors open is unethical. If their 'elite fighter' need special training it should be on their own time and the teacher's own time, not on your time. I got serious issues with that attitude. Martial arts is about self development and each and every person can develop to be the best they can be. A good martial arts teacher helps each and every student to achieve this goal. A teacher who only promotes the 'good' students has ego problems. A teacher who can make a not so good student a 'great student' is a great teacher. Friday January 29, 2010 A: consider it leadership training Respond to question |
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