Tag: TEACHING

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The Future of Karate Instruction

Kris Wilder

The Future of Karate Instruction. Not the total future, but a part of it. In the conference room in San Diego, I was having a casual chat with one of the invitees to the meeting.

We discovered we both had degrees in marketing. He owned a marketing company and I had at one time done the same. I pointed to the years that had passed since I had earned my degree and my skills were from the age of Magellan. He responded that his marketing skills were out of date too, as of that afternoon. His point, the world is changing fast. Here is the future of karate instruction.

To stay relevant in such a fast-moving field as marking takes effort. It is incumbent on people to keep present, to stay up to date in their skills. We understand this, we need to sharpen our skills daily.

Here is an Update for Karate Instructors

It is a simple act, yet necessary. A rule of thumb in marketing for a new product was you needed to present the product name seven times. Seven times was the magic number before a person remembers the name of the product.

This was the introduction of the name of the product. After the seven-time name familiarity process, you begin to share the value of the product. The product made things cleaner, brighter, better, last longer, etc.

The Modern Mind is Different

The number is not seven anymore it is thirteen. You need to be in front of somebody thirteen times before the product name sticks. The easy culprit for this is people lack focus, screens, big and small, lack of interest. You can add more to the list.

Teaching a movement, an idea in martial arts you should adopt this idea. Start to present in higher repetition. This isn’t about if the need for repetition is necessary or not. It is necessary. And it is one of the elements of the future of karate instruction.

It is Necessary, Because it is The Future of Karate Instruction

This is not a lament on how the world has changed, or students aren’t the way they used to be, etc. it is a statement of fact. And as Dr. Drew Pinsky is keen to say. “You have to deal with reality on realities terms.”

Being creative in this presentation, change it up, bury the message in a drill, say the message in different ways, demonstrate it from different angles. Meet your student where they are and then turn pointing down the road, saying, “Go that way.” Hopefully, they will become the future of karate instruction,

A few other links you may find interesting

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KRIS WILDER

Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession with Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.

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Up Your Karate Teaching Game

Kris Wilder

Up your karate teaching game. The biggest change in karate is the instruction method. Recently while visiting friends the conversation came to a Human Resources (HR) meeting. The thrust of the HR meeting was the changing expectations of the work environment. Millennials expect different treatment than workers have had in the past.

This is a multimillion-dollar industry we are talking about. They are changing their policies and behaviors to fit the zeitgeist. The zeitgeist of a generation of workers.

Having pointed this out I want to jump right over the emotionally charged, “Why’s?” and “What’s?” of the business’s new policy.

Crow of people

It is a policy the business has adopted and it is a policy martial arts instructor should adopt.

Before you start to form a sternly worded letter about tradition and discipline hear me out. It will make sense and your instruction will be better. As for those of you who are on this path, this will help substantiate your teaching technique.

It is important to teach your syllabus. It is important traditions are in place when they have purpose and benefit. Don’t run away from these tenets. But know this, the mind of your students is different than yours. You are outnumbered and you better adapt.

Grinding It Out v. Sunshine

Work ethic has been seen as, “Grinding it out.” Often followed by a comment along the lines of, “You may not like it, that’s why it is called work.” An extreme example on the other end. A friend who was a manager at Amazom.com terminated an employee for leaving work with a note on their desk, “It’s sunny today.” Not having completed probation, he was terminated. On the way out the door he was promising a lawsuit.

Neither of these positions is complete. Accountability is necessary. Grit, focus, and discipline, yes, please. And so is flexibility.

Teaching to assessment becomes stagnant, stale and goals are met. Goals are met, yet sometimes the success lacks soul.

Test

People will learn to an assessment. When teaching is to the test, people learn for the test. People have also learned, “Just pass the test.” Why would they not behave this way?  I surely have. This result is satisfactory on paper, not on the floor.

Add More Experience, More Playful Exploration

Here is a suggested ratio for Explore Time.

This is specific. Explore Time happens at the end of class. This addresses the danger of teaching to the test. Explore Time blends the classic, “Nose to the grindstone.” And “I’ll get to it when I want, I’ll get it done,” orientations.

Attacking the structure of the class is not what Explore Time is about. Explore Time is within the class. This integration is an adaptation to reach your students. It is not a forsaking of tradition. And the most important thing is you are still teaching the requirements, while students get to break out of, “Learning for the test.” It will up your karate teaching game.

Learn something from the past and pay attention to the present. It’s the way the mind has always worked, now add a dash of discipline and splash of Explore Time. As a result your students understand instead of regurgitating information.

Need some extra goodies?

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KRIS WILDER

Kris Wilder is a martial artist based in Seattle Washington. He has authored many martial art books, including the classic, The Way of Kata. Making no apologies for his obsession of Football he can be found telling any who will listen about the nuances of the Canadian Football League.