Should teachers and students be allowed to date? No comment. That is not what this article is about...

As I have discussed in previous articles, there are different general methods of teaching and different methods of learning. Instructors can teach in different ways and students learn in different ways. Matching these types of teaching and learning can greatly enhance the transfer of knowledge and abilities from teacher to student.

Many times, I have seen an instructor (let’s call him “Teacher A&rdquo participate in a class taught by another instructor (“Teacher B&rdquo, then later seen that instructor (A) try to teach in the same way as B did. While teacher B may have taught a very interesting and educational class, teacher A may not come up with the same results. Teacher A may be a fine instructor. But perhaps he is just not used to the teaching style and/or subject matter that is Teacher B's specialty. Teacher A may be a fantastic motivator, getting students to train hard in the basics, while Teacher B may be great at giving technical explanations. They each have a skill set that is valuable to students. But these skills are quite different. Furthermore, just because one set of students learns a lot and/or enjoys a certain teaching style or class subject, that does not mean that everyone does. Teacher A may benefit from trying to teach some different subjects, or from trying to teach some familiar subjects from some new angles or different approaches. On the other hand, Teacher A may have more success by teaching in the way he always has.

For reference, see articles from April 2001 (teaching), November 2001 (teaching changes), June 2003 (who should teach whom) and May 2002 (the value of training).

While it is obviously ideal to have an instructor whose teaching style matches the student’s learning style, this is not always possible, or at least not on a regular basis. Having multiple instructors in the same dojo really helps, particularly if these instructors have different teaching styles. Attending seminars can be very valuable, particularly if there are multiple instructors at such events (such as at the Hoitsugan Seminars). It is also valuable, as could be witnessed at such an event, to have instructors who can speak in the native language of the students. Spoken language is not as crucial a component in some types of teaching/learning combinations and particularly if the subject matter is very performance-based. But if there is technical explanation on biomechanics, for example, or strategy theory, having an instructor who can speak the language of the students can really help.

An instructor should be able to "connect" with the students, preferably in a common language. Many students just leave everything up to the instructor, who supposedly knows best. But for some students, it is very important for the teaching method to fit their learning style. And for some students, they would like to have more of a connection than simply teaching-learning karate; some would like guidance for their lives outside of karate as well, to some extent. It is up to the teacher(s) to manage expectations and do regular check-ups to see if the students are finding the teaching educational, valuable and enjoyable.


Copyright © 2005, Jon Keeling

When we first began to do karate, we found many of the movements unnatural. We struggled to situate our bodies in relatively uncomfortable positions and to memorize sets of movements. At this stage, our initial reference points (that to which we compared the new things we were learning) for the physical movements were perhaps from other physical exercises or sports. As we learned self-defense applications, we may have based the interpretation on what we had seen in movies, or just tried to visualize as we went based on explanations from the instructor.

As we gained experience in karate, we were able to use some of what we knew already as reference points as we learned new techniques, movements and strategies. We used our knowledge of the kata we knew already as we learned new kata. We studied how to change the timing of our blocks or attacks based on a basic timing that we practiced so many times before.

Some people who have done karate for many years seem to feel that they have done all there is to do in their art; that since they have memorized all the kata and won a few medals at tournaments, they have taken their study as far as it can go.

There is always more to learn. There are always ways to make training challenging.

Reference Points in Kihon (Basics)
In kihon practice, we do not always need to "march" up and down the dojo floor. We can shift to the side, spin to the back, etc. We should not neglect our "normal" practice. But we can do what I sometimes call "basics with a twist" and deviate from the mundane to stimulate our minds and bodies to get more out of training. 

For more on changing timing in kihon, please see article August 1998.

Reference Points in Kata (Forms)
Your "reference point" in kata would usually be the kata as normally practiced. But how you change from this reference point could be varied considerably. For example, you could change some techniques or timing. Or you may want to try perfoming the kata facing a corner instead of the front of the room. An experienced and talented karateka should be able to alter his/her kata perfomance in various ways.

For more on kata application possibilities, please see article March 1999.

Reference Points in Kumite (Sparring)
Just as with variations in kata performance, in kumite you could also add or change a technique or timing, or face a different direction. You could also practice sparring with more than one other person.

For more on the subject of kumite timing, please see article June 2002.

Wrapping It Up
For more on changing angles in kihon, kata and kumite, please see article from May 2003. And don't forget to keep aware of the basic principals while you do whatever you do.  Creativity can greatly enhance your training, in both keeping it "fresh" and also more eduational.  But while trying to "think outside the box," keep one foot inside the box, or at least awareness of what you are deviating from.  Our training is built on standard techniques and training methods that should not be overlooked, but can be expanded upon.

Keep thinking. Keep learning. Keep training.


Copyright © 2005, Jon Keeling

Last month’s Instructors’ Class at my dojo focused on the subject of “time management”.  Within the context of karate, there are various ways to look at this subject.

For the Instructor

One issue relating to time management is how to break up the class time between its various phases, such as the warm-up, kihon (basics), kata (forms) and kumite (sparring), possibly integrating strengthening exercises or self-defense practice as well, perhaps some time for stretching and/or meditation at the end of class.  Most instructors deal with this by either just giving the “3 K’s” (kihon/kata/kumite) equal time within each class, or by giving more time to kihon on Mondays, kata on Wednesdays and kumite on Fridays, to give them equal time over the course of the week.  These methods work fine, unless some students can only attend certain days each week.  There are other ways to deal with this as well, such as trying to "blend" different types of training such that we do kihon in kata format, or facing each other as though doing kumite.

Another issue for instructors to consider is how to deal with the flow and intensity in class such that students are not bored, confused or exhausted.  Bearing in mind that membership may be composed of people of a wide range of athletic abilities, intellectual capacity, ages and interests, this can be quite a challenge.

Then there is the issue of managing the time spent between sets of exercises.  Does this instructor let the students do whatever they want between sets?  Is stretching encouraged or discouraged?  Is there a long enough break to keep them from becoming exhausted?  Or are the breaks so long that their muscles get cold and they become bored?  Is there time for questions?  If there are many or very involved discussions, we may again have issues with people becoming bored or cold.

How does all the above change when dealing with classes composed of a wide range of student types?  How can we manage the time spent between kihon, kata and kumite when some people really want and/or need to practice kihon above all else, while others kata and others kumite?  How can we best deal with the tempo of classes and the complexity of the techniques and exercises, taking into account the range of students present?  I usually prefer to keep things more on the basic end of the spectrum.  But basics can be worked on at a high level by those with more experience.  The trick is to make it challenging for everyone, yet not so challenging that it is confusing to the less experienced.  The better instructors usually find a way to link  kihon, kata and kumite, in their classes. 

For Both Instructors and Students
How can we deal with the time we are given to stretch out between sets? 

If we cannot get to the dojo as often as we would like, how can we make the most of the time that we do have for karate training? And how about all those extra-curricular activities, such as tournaments, seminars, etc?  How can we possibly fit it all in?

And on a somewhat related note, micro-managing our training time, what should we keep in mind as we count?  Should we count monotonously and at an even tempo?   Should we count as we execute the technique, just before, or timed together with the completion of the move? (the correct answer is just before).

On a “macro” level, how much time should we commit to focusing on different concepts, techniques and training methods in our day-to-day karate activities?  What are our priorities in training?  Should we, for example, be putting half of our time into perfecting a single move of a kata?  Or would our time be better spent another way?  There is definitely a point of "diminishing marginal return" on the investment of your time toward a particular training focus. Putting all your effort into making a strong punch may result in poor posture, for example.  

Even without going into much detail on the above, it is quite obvious that there are many points relating to “time management” that are worth consideration.  Note that I have intentional not answered all my own questions, above, as I think these subjects should be contemplated on an individual basis, taking into account the reader's particular situation, desires and goals.  

No one answer will fit everyone.  But each person should consider if he (or she) is managing his (and/or his students') karate time in a way that best fits the desired goals.


Copyright © 2005, Jon Keeling

In classes that I teach, I usually inform students multiple times what the point(s) of the training is/are.  For my day-job, I often make presentations to clients and prospective clients.  In my business, there is a saying concerning making presentations: "Tell them what you are going to tell them.  Then tell them.  Then tell them what you told them."  I also often explain how a given exercise is related to skills and techniques other than what they are practicing specifically at that moment.  But sometimes the point of an exercise may not be what they think it is.

Sometimes what the instructor is trying to get the students to do better is  something other than what the students are focusing on.  By this, I mean that an instructor may devise a drill that causes the students to focus so much of their energy and/or consciousness on one thing that they end up forgetting about what the instructor is actually trying to make them do better.  

I know of many instructors who do not think much at all about how they teach (although they may often do put a lot of thought into what to teach).  Some of them still turn out some reasonable students.  I know of other instructors who have a definite plan of what they want their students to accomplish, but never attmept to inform the students of any part of their plan.  In my opinion, a student who knows his objectives can probably work more effectively toward achieving them.  Furthermore, if a student is informed of the relationships between exercises and what related techniques and movements can also benefit from those exercises, this can help the students' progress significantly in various areas.  Perhaps not all simultaneously, but eventually this could have profound impact on a student's overall development.  This being said, there are times an instructor may choose to not explain to students exactly what the point is of a particular training drill, or to explain part of the training that is not necessarily the real intent of the exercise.

The way I most often use this tactic is when practicing fundamental exercises such as stance training.  Just sitting in a stance for a minute at a time is quite boring and tiring and seems to accomplish very little in the minds of many students who would rather be practicing their punching and kicking.  If the instructor has students perform numerous punches in place, the student may be delighted to be practicing so much punching.  Meanwhile, the instructor's intent may be to strengthen the students' stance and build up the muscle memory of the lower body related to that stance.

Here is an example instructors may want to try:
• Assume kokutsudachi (back stance)
• Review the stance configuration, to make sure all the students are doing it correctly.
• Explain the exercise- When the count is "one," perform one repetition of shutouke (knife-hand block); when the count is "two," perform two, and so on....
• Repeat for the other side.
• Count from one to ten or from ten to one.  

That is a total of 55 repetitions on each side.  Including the explanation and slight pauses between counts, that should probably take about 1.5 minutes.  During that time, everyone should have stayed in the same stance.  Since the stance was checked at the outset of the drill, unless something happened during the exercise, they most likely built up some good muscle memory in the lower body.  But the students have been concentrating on their arms, which by the end are quite tired.  And now you can continue on with other back stance exercises or switch to another stance with another technique. The students did not need to know that the point of the exercise was to build up good muscle memory in the lower body.  If they had been informed of that goal before the exercise, they might have been less successful in achieving it.

Note that this is not quite the same as the idea of training without thinking, just for the sake of training (for more on this, see article from December 2003).  While the students may not be consciously thinking about what is being trained, the instructor has a goal toward which the students simply may not be fully aware they are working.

Copyright © 2004, Jon Keeling

Do you have more than one instructor in your club?  Do you think this is a good thing?  While having different types of instructors can be very valuable for creating a more less routine variety and working on different points or training in different ways, it could be less than ideal if not all those teaching are good teachers.
As most instructors that I know would probably agree, I think it is a good idea to give some teaching responsibilities to others, especially if there are simply too many students and/or classes for the main instructor(s) to take care of everything.  For example, if one relative beginner has never performed a certain technique or kata before, she could benefit from a more senior student helping her get accustomed to it.  I think this is valuable for both the junior student (getting the one-on-one attention they might not have been able to get during that part of training if in the group with everyone else) and the senior student (forced to reevaluate the techniques and figure out how to teach them, possibly answering questions he had not previously thought of).
That being said, should junior instructors be teaching all the beginner classes?  Should the senior instructor of the dojo teach all the classes?  I think the ideal is somewhere between these two extremes.  The table below highlights a few points to consider.

Question	Junior Instructor	Senior Instructor
Is the intention of the session just to work out?	Leading a workout can be done by just about anyone.  This is a good chance for a junior instructor to gain confidence with leading the class.	Is this a waste of time for the senior instructor?  Perhaps, if done frequently.  More importantly, it may be a waste of time (and money) for the students.
Is the intention to teach something?	A junior instructor may be able to teach a basic technique or tactic well.  But supervision or guidance from a senior instructor is usually very beneficial, as junior instructors may find themselves going off on tangents, incorporating more advanced techniques than is suitable, or over-explaining/over-correcting as a side-effect of their enthusiasm.	Senior instructors should make a point of actually teaching what they intend to teach.   There should be a lesson plan in mind, even if the class progresses in such a way that this plan needs to be altered midway through.
What if there is a mix of student levels in the same class?	A junior instructor may be overwhelmed if trying to lead everyone at once.  But the junior instructor could probably be a great benefit (for himself and the students in the class) if leading a subset of the group.	A senior instructor should realize that he could be helped by a junior instructor, especially when there is a new student or a wide divergence in experience of the students.
If there are many classes each week in the dojo, who should teach how often, what or when?	A junior instructor should plan to fill in for the senior instructor.  At some dojo, there may be so many classes that a junior instructor ends up teaching often.  Some other dojo may have enough senior instructors and so few classes that there is rarely a need for a junior instructor to do much more than help out a beginner for a few minutes every few months.	The senior instructors should keep in mind that they have skills that should be utilized.  If an instructor has a knack for kumite strategy, teaching classes dealing with this subject probably makes a lot of sense, leaving basics, for example, to others who can do a better job.   Senior instructors should remember to actually teach during their classes, especially if there are a lot of workouts (not much teaching) with others during the week.
Who should teach beginners?	A junior instructor could probably do a good job at introducing a beginner to the techniques and ideas of karate.  But if the person is too junior (a senior student as opposed to an actual instructor), he may not really know how to teach and should be monitored carefully.	A senior instructor should make every possible effort, within reason, to at least monitor the progress of the beginners.  He may not have the time to actually teach every introductory class.  But he should at least be ready to step in whenever there is a question.  This is one of the most important periods in a karate student's development.  It should be treated as such.  With seniority comes greater responsibility.
Who should teach advanced classes?	The more advanced the class participants are, the easier it is to lead them in a workout, because there is little, if any, teaching actually required.  If there is teaching involved, however, the junior instructor should try to keep it simple and discuss things rationally if there is a valid question.  If he does not know the answer, he should defer to the senior instructor, even if that means that the question remains unanswered during the course of that particular training session.	Actually teaching advanced classes takes experience and ability.  The advanced instructor must keep in mind that the advanced participants are almost always interested in learning.  Also, they may have questions that are difficult to answer.  Debate can be good, but must be kept under control and not detract from the workout, either in terms of time or focus.
How to act in each other’s classes.	A junior instructor should expect to just train with everyone else while the senior instructor is teaching, but be ready to help out when asked.	A senior instructor should have the choice of training with everyone else while the junior instructor is teaching, or to help out if there is a need or desire.

There are many other points to consider.  For example, if there is an excellent instructor in a dojo of otherwise mediocre/less-experienced teachers who merely lead others in workouts, the majority of the teaching should probably be done by the one who is most qualified.

Please note that wherever I wrote “senior instructor” or “junior instructor”, above, I did not mean to imply that those senior in years experience in karate are always the most qualified instructors.  Sometimes, it is quite drastically different.  I know of some shodans who are better teachers than many, if not most, 5+ dan instructors. 

So, is having many instructors at your dojo a good thing?  Students and teachers should both be thinking about this and speaking with each other about it if needed.  Karate training can be a great thing that can have amazing impact on our lives in general, beyond simply keeping us in good physical shape.  Let’s make the most of it. 

Copyright © 2003, Jon Keeling

Do I expect too much from my students?

Perhaps my standards are too high. I know that there are few instructors, at least in Shotokan, with higher overall standards than I have. There are some who have certain requirements for shodan in their dojo which are more rigorous than at my dojo; for example where the students must be able to do a certain number of consecutive push-ups, sit-ups, etc. And there are other places where self-defense is tested more thoroughly or multiple kata are tested. But, overall, I think that my standards are higher than the vast majority of the dojo where instructors claim to be teaching Shotokan, at least in terms of the level of proficiency of a core set of techniques, movements and basic strategy, as well as technical knowledge and overall attitude.

Far more importantly, however, than how my standards compare specifically, there seems to be a vast discrepancy in standards from dojo to dojo; often even within a given organization. I think it would be great if we could all agree on standards. But as long as this is not the case (and it most likely will never be), I definitely prefer to be known for having higher, rather than lower, standards.

Some of the best companies in the world are the best companies precisely because their standards are so high. The same can be said of individuals. In order to be the best that we can, we should set our goals high and try to achieve them. We must, however, not forget to appreciate our relative achievements and should not be too hard on ourselves (or others) if we fail to reach our very high goals. We must be realistic. My idea has always been to aim high but be prepared for low. I have since I was quite young referred to myself as a "practical perfectionist" and try to share this attitude with those who train with me. We should consider marginal return on investment. If it would take the same amount of effort, for example, to increase the speed of a given technique by 5% or to increase the form of the technique by 50%, it would probably be a much better return on investment (effort) to focus on form.

I would not want to lower my standards by much. But when I see students from other dojo (and I know that the geographical area I am in and dojo I have seen are quite high by relative standards as compared to many other parts of the world) I feel that the standards I set for my students are often vastly different from what seems to be the norm.

Let's take as an example the time that it takes to advance a single kyu rank. The average among JKA-style dojo is typically about 50 hours of training time for someone of average athletic ability and intelligence. (*reference: Poll conducted through SRSI Yahoo Egroup (previously Shotokan Egroup), in 2002 which showed average of close to 500 hours to shodan (9 kyu ranks from pure beginner) among those who responded.) This would be approximately 6 months at 2 hours/week or 3 months at 4 hours/week. I just today read in a martial arts business magazine (the one I sometimes refer to as "How to Rip Off Your Students") that one instructor held in high regard by that magazine's editorial staff (related to the fact that the instructor subscribes to the primary product sold by the magazine's parent company?) practically guarantees 6th-grade children that they will achieve their yellow belts (full kyu rank advancement from pure beginner) at the end of their set of sessions that totals 15 hours of training. Yes, that is a TOTAL of 15 hours of training. He further explains that this is the normal amount of time it takes. And don't forget that these are kids, for whom it typically takes significantly longer for ideas and techniques to "sink in." That I consider approximately 100 hours of training the norm for a single kyu advancement is therefore very far from the standards of some. But I don't think that I should compare my standards to those of instructors that spend more time marketing their classes than teaching them.

For the kyu exams I administer at my dojo, the requirements are straightforward. We follow the official JKA rank advancement requirements for the physical portion of the test. I will sometimes include something slightly outside of the minimum requirements as laid out by the JKA. But this would be minor and would be primarily to check a certain point. The exam is videotaped. I then give each person 2 short questions that he/she is to answer in writing (take-home exam, can research however they desire but must cite references). The beginner questions are quite simple and require only a short answer. For the higher ranks, answers may be as much as one page in length. I review the video and my notes and give feedback in writing to each student on both the written and physical parts of the exam and copy the videotape for anyone who took the exam. It is clear what they did well on and what they need to work harder on for the future. Typically, my students are approximately 1-2 kyu ranks ahead of those from average JKA-style Shotokan dojo in North America, from what I have seen. There are some that I have seen from other dojo who have been better than some of my students at the same rank. But this is not at all common.

Many senior karate practitioners around the world understand and appreciate that rank within the JKA is often lower than that of their counterparts in other organizations. This does help to show that JKA standards are, at least in some respects, very high. But doesn't this in some way confuse the public, at least those who do not have enough experience to know about the different rank standards? Wouldn't it be in the JKA's best interest to lower their standards and raise the ranks of their students and instructors more quickly? This actually did happen (for senior instructor ranks) in Shotokan in the 1950's and 60's, as the JKA realized that there was too much discrepancy between their ranks and those of other karate organizations. Is it time to do this again? If they "corrected" some of their ranks, what of the places where rank is highly inflated? Would they be willing to lower their ranks? I don't think so. The problem is much more far-reaching than simply a couple of organizations disagreeing about what constitutes the skill levels of given ranks. The standards for both student grades and instructor ranks are all over the map. I suspect that this dilemma will never be resolved completely.

As for instructor rank, I feel that one step towards clarifying credentials is to get more information out there on what skills particular people have. Most importantly, this means providing detailed descriptions of various instructors as a comparison tool. Please see my Instructor Profiles Database for more on how I am trying to help accomplish this.

Although I believe that many present-day instructors can conduct better classes than many - if not most - of our predecessors, we should not lower our standards. If anything, we should raise them, for both instructors and their students. At least that is what I am trying to do...

Copyright © 2003, Jon Keeling

It is no secret that I do not feel that tournaments should be a primary focus or goal of training in Karate-do.  Competition does have positive value, however, as I have indicated in my article on that subject.  If you are involved in tournament competition, you may want to consider some of the following tips regarding the practice for team events.

Team Kata 
Team kata competition almost always involves three members performing the same kata simultaneously.  Judges watch for all the same elements as with individual kata competition.  In addition, judges consider the timing of the group, how coordinated the three members of the team are with each other. 

It is very important to concentrate on the “weakest link” of the team.  Two members may be phenomenal.  But the team could still lose to a team with significantly less overall skill if the former team’s third member is way off in timing and or technique.  Note: The weakest link for timing may be different than the weakest link for technique.

Other points to consider
• Look to person in front as you move and when changing directions.  Who is in front changes numerous times in each kata and some of the turns take more work than others.  The key is to follow who is front at each moment.
• Don’t rush the kata performance.
• Judged on weakest link for technique.
• Judged on weakest link for timing.
• Practice two at a time, with the third member watching and providing feedback.
• Videotape the performance and study as a group and with the coach/instructor if possible, discussing any differences in technique, timing or nuances.
• Ask for feedback from other students.
• “Feel” one another’s timing; this can best be accomplished through lots of repetition.
• Bowing and overall attitude may make the difference if teams are closely matched in technique and timing; what the judges see before the kata may influence their scoring, to some degree.

Team Kumite 
Team kumite events can involve three or five members.  But matches are always one-on-one.  So there is not much difference, in each match, between team and individual kumite events.

One thing to bear in mind is that except for the rare round-robin type tournaments (these take much time so are generally not done), there is always one winner and one loser (or, if you prefer “non-winner&rdquo to each match in individual competition.   There can be a draw in team competition, and often is.  The team with the greater number of winning competitors wins the event.  In the case of one win for each side and one draw (for a three-person event), there is usually an additional, tie-breaking match.

Additional points to consider during training:
• Generally, same as individual kumite, so not much event-specific training is required.
• As with team kata and individual events, attitude may play a part, especially when competitors are closely matched.
• As with so many other things, lots of practice helps, especially if it is with a variety of partners.
• Basics are the key to good karate.  But for tournament preparation, one should also practice the type of kumite that will be performed in the competition.
• Competitor order can be crucial.

This last point is worth some elaboration.  For example, with a three-person team, you may want to have the best competitor go first, to get in the lead, point-wise, and take some pressure off the other team members.  Or, that superior competitor may be reserved for last, in case there is a need for a win to break a tie.

The key to making anything better is practicing that which you want to make better, thinking about it as you do.  But we must keep our goals in mind.  Are we practicing karate to win medals and trophies, to learn to better defend ourselves, to get in shape, to have better self-control/discipline, to be better people…?   For more on this question, see my article "Why People Do Karate".


Copyright © 2002, Jon Keeling

Drawing parallels to familiar ideas, concepts, activities or objects can help students better understand points the teacher is trying to make.  While some students may understand completely after only one analogy, others may not comprehend until just the right explanation is given.  Because of this, I risk offering too many analogies for students.  I would like to offer a few examples here, for both students and teachers.  Some of these may be in common use while others may not.  The point is that sometimes looking at something one way not help clarify a concept, while looking at it another way may make it perfectly clear.

Building a foundation (of stances, techniques or houses)
I am sure that many other instructors use similar analogies when explaining the importance of stance and basic techniques to students.  The basic techniques are building blocks of our training; without a strong base of support in the fundamental techniques and theories, we cannot properly execute the more “advanced” techniques and theories.  The same thing can be said of techniques themselves; without a strong base of support (stance), the techniques of the arms are relatively insignificant.  We can use the analogy of building a house; no matter how well you build the upper levels of the house, without a strong foundation, it may fall like a house of cards.  

Building a wall (or stance)
While it is probably fairly common to describe stances in terms of solidity, attention to mobility and flexibility should also be stressed.  I was thinking of this while trying to construct a retaining wall on my property recently.  Imagine concrete blocks with rebar running through them but with mortar not yet added between the blocks.  The blocks are solid.  But the rebar, while adding additional support, since the blocks are not yet sealed together with mortar allows for some flexibility.   That reinforced concrete is the preferred material for earthquake-resistant buildings is based largely upon this idea of flexibility of a strong material.  A related description was given recently in a class by Field (James) Sensei, of JKA of Santa Monica, when he offered the idea of bamboo running through stone, as opposed to simply thinking of a stance being like stone; the bamboo allows for flexibility that the solid stones do not.

Fire hose
The idea with the fire hose analogy is that power can be projected relatively effortlessly but with great force in the desired direction.  For example, when describing the push of the back leg in front stance, one could think of that back leg as a fire hose, directing the power from the fire hydrant, that is the floor. This could help the performer develop drive without stiffness.  The same analogy can be applied to punches, imagining the arm as a hose to channel the force from the body, which is then the fire hydrant.  A demonstration is often a useful accompaniment.  The idea is that the flow is relaxed, yet powerful.

Water comes in different forms
Ice, water, gas… The ability to change forms of a substance increases its range of uses.  Bearing in mind that the fluidity of water in its liquid state can quickly turn into the hardness of ice, this concept can translate into a goal of creating contrast between fluid and hard techniques.  For more on this contrast idea as it relates to muscular tension timing, please see the following articles on the subject: Feb 1998 and May 2000.

Music
Whether speaking in terms of timing, rhythm or tone, musical analogies are particularly useful for describing kata.  Kata can appear different visually depending on different types of audible parallels drawn.  For more on this subject, please see the following article on this subject.

Cars
Comparing karate movements to the way cars move can also be useful.  For example, one point I have made several times to students is that just about any car can get up to 60mph (100kph), but what makes for an impressive car is one that can accelerate quickly from zero to 60mph.  Also impressive and useful is the stopping power and maneuverability of an automobile.  Similarly, our ability to perform karate movements quickly from a standstill, as well as to stop suddenly or change directions midstream, will greatly improve our karate.

Weapons
Most people are very familiar with the idea that snapping kicks should be performed with a “whipping” action.  Understanding that the pulling back of the whip is what ultimately gives this weapon its effectiveness is useful for understanding the way to create power in such a karate technique.  There are other weapon analogies that can be drawn as well.  For example, one can think of a thrust kick to resemble the power projection of a battering ram.  In my teachings, I have analogized using guns, maces, swords, spears, catapults and other weapons.

Descriptions of Developmental Progression
To describe the way students progress in their training, the instructor can employ a variety of analogies.  For example, the students can be said to all be traveling upward on a spiral (such as a spiral staircase); they may all be doing the same technique (vertically-aligned on the spiral) but the more advanced students are at higher levels on the spiral.  Another way to describe this is to imagine chiseling a sphere out of a cube; the first (eight) corners cut are simply done and obvious, followed by less obvious cuts that are more plentiful and more difficult to make.  Ultimately, a perfect sphere is never achieved, relating to the idea that this is a never-ending study toward perfection, without ever actually being able to attain that level, but trying nonetheless.  (Credit where it is due: I heard this “sphere-sculpting” concept explained by Dr. Elmar Schmeisser, author of Advanced Karate-Do).

I use analogies often when I teach and try to create new ones in an effort to make the point clear to as many people as possible. For the teacher, it is good to bear in mind who your students are; a sports analogy may be great for class full of young men but possibly not for one consisting primarily of older women.  The point should be to further the students' understanding of the techniques or movements.

Copyright © 2002, Jon Keeling

Changing teaching methodology depending on the needs of the particular student type(s)

As with instructors of any type of subject, whether athletic or academic, martial arts instructors must keep the individual student in mind while teaching. Typically, teaching in Japan involves trying to fit everyone into the same mold. With this approach, some students are bound to achieve less than their potential while others are likely to quit in despair. This type of teaching may be good for those who happen to fit the mold. But how many people actually do? Although instructors of larger classes cannot tailor every minute of every class to each and every individual in it, they can often at least customize in general terms, depending on the general level(s) of participants in the class.

When possible, it is usually a good idea to make separate classes, or at least to split up a class into sections, to allow for similar students to work together. Otherwise, to have various types of students working on the same exercises next to each other, at different paces or levels of comprehension, may be a hindrance to the students' development. This obviously requires multiple qualified instructors and/or an instructor with a lot of time to devote to teaching classes. Some instructors are not able to teach more than a few times a week and thus cannot teach separate classes for different types of students. Even if an instructor had enough time to teach a few different types of classes, the schedule could probably never be perfect for everyone.

Below are several examples of general types of students. Within these types, it is possible to have sub-types. Sometimes, students can belong to two or more of these student types. Each learns best from a certain type of instructor/instruction. Some types require much more attention than the "average" student.

Children
Children generally have shorter attention spans than adults and this is more obvious the younger the student is. If possible, children's classes should be broken down into different age groups. Sometimes, boys and girls should be separated as well. Generally speaking, children under the age of about 13 are usually not mentally or emotionally mature enough (although they may be sufficiently physically mature) to join an adult class. Teachers of children must be able to tolerate less structure to the class at times, as younger students (particularly boys) may have a tendency to be disruptive. Mixing in physical games (including running or jumping) with their regular martial arts training may be a good idea, especially for the younger ones. Classes for younger children often have to be shorter, as these students cannot retain as much information and the instructors get tired faster while dealing with the potential for disruption and wandering attention of their students. Corrections should usually be more general than for adults, working on improvements in stages, over a longer period of time.

Mental Limitations
We must be conscious of the fact that not everyone is able to follow detailed descriptions of techniques, kata applications, a complex sparring drill or remember a complete kata after going through it only a few times. Part of this has to do with recognizing learning modes and matching teaching modes to accommodate. But it can be more than that. Some people have dyslexia, which may make it harder for them to figure out which foot is supposed to go forward. Others may have some kind of brain-damage and require more patience. Remember that just because someone does not "get it" right away does not mean that he is "stupid." Some people require more time and/or a different teaching mode. Teaching these students can be frustrating at times, requiring a great deal of patience. But this patience can pay off when the student finally does "get it."

Chronic Injuries and Illnesses
Examples of this include diabetes, asthma, poor eyesight and physical deformity. Each case must be treated independently, as rarely is more than one student in any given class afflicted with exactly the same problem. Diabetes usually means a student needs to be careful to maintain a certain level of physical activity, not training too hard or sitting idle too long. Asthma may require a student to sit out a section of class sometimes. Poor eyesight may cause a student to have problems in kumite drills. Physical deformity, such as a shorter limb may require alterations in stances or techniques. It is usually helpful to discuss these conditions with afflicted students to see what their perception is of their limitations. In addition to possibly making alterations in teaching these students, the teacher may also want to remind other students to keep such limitations in mind while training together.

Temporary Injuries and Illnesses
Examples of this type of affliction are broken/sprained joints, recent surgery, pulled muscles, blistered feet, and influenza. As with chronic injuries/illnesses, each situation must be treated individually. Teachers should not push students too hard when there are injuries or illnesses involved. Hard training can sometimes make the injury/illness worse. However, a good sweat can help to push some people through a fever and building up muscles around an injury (once healed) can be a crucial part of the rehabilitation process.

Old Age
There are many potential obstacles to consider when teaching older people. Some examples are heart problems and arthritis. When teaching someone with a weak heart or prone to seizures, it is probably a good idea to check with that person several times during each class to make sure all is well. For those with arthritis, there should be no sharp jarring motions of the inflicted joints; for the hips/knees, this includes jumping. Instructors should realize when to allow (or even suggest) students with various conditions to sit out and/or alter a given training exercise, due to their particular limitations.

The "Perfect" Athlete
Even the ideal athletic student can have problems. Teachers must be conscious of fatigue, pulled-muscles, dehydration and more. Those in their physical prime may have a feeling that they can do anything and therefore may be even more prone to injury than those who have problems of which they are being careful. A problem a teacher of high school or university students may sometimes face is that he may hurt himself while demonstrating to students, forgetting that he has some physical limitations that the students do not.

Thoughts for the Student
Most of the above was written with the teacher in mind. For the student, he or she should consider that not everyone else has the same limitations on training, nor the same abilities nor similar aspirations. Just because one older student is slow does not mean that they all are. Just because one training partner understood the sparring drill with only one demonstration from the instructor does not mean that the others did. We must all remember that a class is not composed of people with exactly the same attributes. We are all individuals. As such, we must consider each other's cases individually, as much as possible.

Copyright © 2001, Jon Keeling

I have heard many martial arts' instructors use the phrase "mind-body connection." I am sure that many of them really believe in what they say when they use that phrase. But many instructors may use the term lightly, primarily as a way to sound more esoteric.

As I see it, "mind-body connection" does not have to be esoteric. In my opinion, a connection between the mind and the body primarily describes mindful action of the body. In other words, think as you move, think about your movements.

How often do we really think about our movements in karate (or other martial arts, or any activity, for that matter)? Sure, many of us use our minds in order to memorize new combinations or to concentrate on excelling at a particular kumite timing. While this can be described as "mind-body connection," I think we can and should go beyond that.

Although most people do not have a desire to delve so deeply into their training as to spend hours each day on non-physical study of their art(s), at least some thinking can be of great benefit to physical training.

Training in the mind only is of limited value. So is training of the body only. To integrate the two is the ideal. By using the mind more, the physical training becomes more efficient and the techniques more effective. We should strive to "connect" mental and physical training more to make our training time more valuable, "steepening the learning curve."

"Mindless Repetition Training" ("MRT") that occurs in a large number of dojo around the world every day has its value for physical training of the body. But it is not, generally, as efficient or effective a use of training time. To think about the moves as we do them speeds up the learning process and more completely ingrains the movements, ideas and strategies into our bodies and minds. MRT can be good sometimes to ingrain movements into our bodies and our subconscious through "muscle-memory" or to simply get a workout. But to do this type of training only is neglecting a significant potential portion of training, perhaps even the physical training itself, in a way.

The mind-body connection can work in the other direction, too. A finely-tuned body can help to make the mind more alert and in top condition for other applications. A physically fit body may contribute to the development of an emotionally sound and intellectually active mind.

Some people read about karate (such as you are doing right now). Some instructors actually tell students that they should not read about karate, nor should they talk about the subject; "shut up and train" is an often-quoted phrase. Anyone who has attended university classes (of any subject) knows that many of the best classes are those that involve discussion time, not simply lectures. Although there is much written about karate that is of relatively little value, there is a lot of valuable information and opinion put out these days as well, much of it for little- or no-charge on the internet.
• Read - books, magazines, e-zines, discussion group postings, articles, newsletters
• Watch - instructional videotapes, demonstrations, tournament
• Discuss - talk with others about their questions and opinions to open up new ideas and get feedback on your thoughts.
• Experiment - If you think you are on to something, perhaps it is worth some experimenting; the so-called "masters" do not have all the answers.

Read, watch videos, discuss, experiment, think.. But keep training as you do it. Integrate the physical and mental sides of your study and it should make both better.

Copyright © 2001, Jon Keeling

What makes a good teacher?

There are many people who are good at teaching. There are also many people who are not good at teaching. This goes for karate as it does for almost any subject taught. Some people can do something very well, but just do not teach it well (there are many athlete-turned-coach examples of this in professional sports). Others have almost no actual experience doing something, yet can teach very well. Some people call themselves teachers, when all they do during their "classes" is call out the name of a technique and count as everyone repeats the technique numerous times. This is true not only in the martial arts. There are many "teachers" in schools around the world who seem to know nothing about teaching, even though they may know a lot about the subject matter that they are supposed to be teaching. I have had several professors in college who were terrible teachers. I have also had some brilliant instructors who did not even realize how good they were at teaching. Many of the best teachers have given much thought to their method of teaching. But some have not; good teaching ability may sometimes come naturally. Also, most of the best teachers seem to enjoy teaching. I suspect this is more than mere coincidence.

So what makes a teacher good? Is it the ability to pass on knowledge? That could certainly be a large part of it. Is it the ability to inspire students to learn? Or to impart a certain "spirit"? These could also be important. In addition to how well a teacher teaches, it is sometimes very important "how" a teacher teaches.


Teaching Styles

There are basically three major teaching styles, at least for physical disciplines such as martial arts. These teaching methods can be combined or blended.

Explanation
This type of teaching involves time and effort of the instructor. Simply talking about a technique is not really sufficient. One must really understand the how’s and why’s. Explanations could be about how to perform a technique correctly, according to biomechanics principles. Or they could be about how to apply various types of timing, depending on the situation. Explanations could cover kata application or history. Or they could concern psychology in self-defense.

Demonstration
Showing people how to do things correctly or showing them how not to do things requires physical ability. Demonstrating such that observers understand the point can usually be done better when the instructor has a good idea of what to focus on to convey the desired message to students.

Correction
This method involves watching students perform and correcting them, either verbally or physically. Simply counting as students perform technique is not really correcting. This type of teaching involves either telling a student what to do or not to do, or adjusting their form through physical contact.


How do you / your instructor(s) teach?

Most karate instructors I know focus on the Correction method, with some Demonstration method mixed in to save time. I also know of quite a few instructors who try to use technical explanations, but lack the knowledge or ability to form coherent explanations. Often, teaching methods are blended, such as explaining to a student how/why a technique should be performed a certain way, while demonstrating and correcting the student as he or she tries to do as the instructor explained and demonstrated.

Learning Styles
There are three major learning styles, at least in the case of physical disciplines such as martial arts.

Analyzing theory
Whether listening to a detailed explanation or performing a simple technique, this type of student is always trying to figure things out. Analyzing students often ask questions to help them learn.

Duplicating what is seen
This student watches for clues for improvement, through observation of instructor and other students. This is the way the majority of Japanese are expected to learn almost every subject in school, as well as karate. Repetition of techniques is the way this student advances.

Feeling
This type of student wants to practice technique to feel what it is like. Not content with just watching or thinking about a technique, this person must experience it. This type of student often prefers to practice less-structured sparring and might prefer to consider the application of kata movements as opposed to the physical form.

Note: Common theory on learning styles refer to the three types of learning broken up slightly differently to what I have describe above. The more common breakdown is (a) auditory - learning through hearing about something (b) visual - learning by watching and (c) kinesthetic - learning by doing. There are also two broad styles of learning commonly refered to as (x) global and (y) analytical, which combine with the first three mentioned (a, b and c).


Matching Teaching Style and Learning Style

Just because one instructor is considered by many to be the best does not mean that he is best for you. A good instructor is only good if he is good for you. If you learn best when you see a good physical example to follow, then an instructor who can perform well (or at least has an assistant who can demonstrate well) is good for you. If you feel a need to break things down into details to be able to piece them together into good technique, then someone who has a lot of knowledge and ability to share it is a good type of teacher for you. If you do not care about what a proper technique looks like or the details behind it, but simply want to experience the feeling of a martial art, perhaps you have little need for the knowledge or performance abilities of some instructors. In the end, a teacher is good when he or she can teach in such a way that can help you to learn.


Bibliography:
"Martial Arts Teachers on Teaching," by Carol Wiley. ISBN: 1-883319-09-9
(This is an excellent book and one that I would recommend to anyone serious about teaching the Martial Arts.)


Copyright © 2001, Jon Keeling