Traditional Martial Arts - Division of Labor

[Bill Glasheen]

Here is someone who lately has become one of my role models.







"Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success."

- Inventor Sir James Dyson

Imagine how much better off Toyota would be today had they taken this philosophy to the R&D department.

This MIT lecture is an hour long. But it is well worth seeing. If you work for a company that makes things, it will change your view of how to compete in the world.

The Art of Engineering - MIT World

I would like Van in particular to view that video. It will make him smile.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

Now you've moved onto a separate topic from admin. I mostly agree, but anytime a class is being taught that is directly associated with a karate school, then there should be a senior ranked person around, in an office, or quietly watching in civilian clothes or even being a quiet assistant to who is teaching, but somewhere.

Now if you're running a separate children's program and it's not a part of the regular school then having someone with no advanced rank should be fine. But the classes should be kept very separate and a distinct line between the two.

Now these are just my opinions based on my experience.

Interesting opinion indeed, Mike. Thanks for sharing it.

I don't yet know what to think of it all. But I do know that I can't be everywhere at all times. Making me (or some other dan) be a required participant slows the process down. I always thought it would be faster to allow someone with trainer experience (and certification) to teach the tykes and work on their adult martial arts training at the same time.

Part of me wants to take the Nike approach. What is the community standard? Does it jive with that? It's probably worth investigating what some of the local kiddie gyms do.

I do know that - for now - there is a community perception that a dan should be associated with martial teaching. Even with a "Little Dragons" class. And yet I'm wondering if this happens in some of those "Little Gym" places where they teach gymnastics and karate tykes stuff.

How many Tae Bo and karate aerobics instructors have dan rank?



I'd venture to say that karate aerobics (an oxymoron) would not jive well with authentic karate training. I was asked to teach a few classes a la Billy Blanks mode and I just couldn't do it. I couldn't put up with that much sloppiness in a classroom full of suburbanites sweating to the oldies. But that's me.

- Bill

[IJ]

I'm with you Bill... there's a "Kenpo X" DVD as part of p90x and I decided to give it a chance, but from the first moment when these people are sternly facing each other with the lights down and forearms crossed in an X for their preworkout huddle, to the vaguely asian music that picks up when they doubletime each move, to the nonmartial movements, there were many laugh out loud moments. It's a valid way to motivate people into moving, but there's no reason for anyone with actual skills and a taste for martial arts to lower themselves to it. Just do kata for an hour!

I haven't had too many martial arts instructors but having experienced many talks and lectures in college and beyond from TA nobodies to grand pooba full professors, I can say the ability to teach and the rank and skill level are quite distinct. For example, when I went for my promotions exam in premed physics, I NEVER would have wasted a moment on Master Sensei "Dr. C" who couldn't teach his way out of a wet paper bag. There were also some TA's who I would have asked a question of and others who could neither speak clearly OR speak English. And another full professor whose notes were crystal clear. Some of these big names are useful only for letters of rec. Others were great. I would not count a lower ranked person out of teaching you what you need to know provided you know the quality of their work and knowledge.

Oh and ideally, you actually do this stuff. In BJJ, everything that is learned goes directly to combat that evening. And if another white belt showed me a darce vs alligator roll and I submit 3 people with it, well, then it works. Not to say it couldn't be fine-tuned by an expert, but neither is it useless.

[maxwell ainley]

Lots of us got saddled with the title of instructor ,in your case what attributes did you pick up along the way ? or would you say maybe it was all premature .

Max

I can honestly say that my early rise to running a martial arts program was one of the more formative experiences of my life.

For what it's worth, I am not alone. To start with, anyone who starts a martial art is in a special category. And then we have the case of Charles Earle who started teaching Uechi in the United States as a sankyu.

In my case I am both a better student and better instructor because of the experience. I took the initiative to continue my training by whatever means necessary. That meant forging a relationship with David Finkelstein who brought me through to shodan, hooking up with a Goju and aikido instructor to round out my education, choreographing my own exercises, visiting other dojos, and in general never, ever taking instruction time for granted.

Plus... one of the best ways to learn is to teach. I've spent a lifetime exercising that principle, as it worked so well for me in martial arts.

Did I teach a few squirrely things in my early years? Sure. But for instance... two of the four people in my first ever class of shodans are now physicians. Not too shabby. A third is a remarkable hedonistic individualist. Ya gotta love the person who walks down a unique path.

- Bill

Bill , I had a feeling you would be better for your experience ,you were thrown in at the deep end made progress.
I can relate to you on this it happened to me , but I eventually wanted out of being a instructor giving it up to pursue my own need ,then years later giving something back by being a teacher again to impart more informed ways
of simply sticking to a well practiced minimalistic attitude that squeezes the juice from the three .

[MikeK]

I have the P90X discs and the Kempo-X was the only one I watched once and never did again. I wonder if the folks into Yoga feel the same way watching the Yoga=X DVD, which I enjoy.

Bill,
To Clarify a little. Having a black belt on station would likely slow the process down as quite a few may not be available during the usual times kids classes are run. But to me, if the school has my name on it, and I'm going to consider it an actual karate class (even if toned down for kids) I want to be there,if at all possible, or have a senior instructor on hand to keep an eye on things and answer questions. Sometimes taking time with the process saves time later.
Three other reasons for having advanced rank on hand, 1) they may learn more about teaching by assisting with the kids class, 2) they are backup if the aerobics instructor can't make that class, 3) they're another set of eyes to keep track of the little tykes.

If I'm going to offer kids Tai-Bo then a certified fitness instructor is just fine, and probably better. I just wouldn't call it a karate class at all, and I'd make sure my name wasn't directly attached to it.

BTW, What's the curriculum you've set up for the kid's class? That alone should tell you who should be on hand.

[Jason Rees]

I just started P90-X last week, and I've done both the Yoga and the Kempo workouts...

I HATE Yoga. Some day I aspire to actually keep up with those guys, but for now it is my least favorite workout. No, wait, that would be Pylometrics... but Yoga is a close second.

The Kempo-X DVD... it is what it is. I was able to keep up with it. Mostly I'm just doing it because it's part of the program for the first 30 days. Since I am keeping up with it, I might swap it out sooner or later for something else.

Either way, both contributed to me losing 6lbs last week.

[AAAhmed46]

What is a belt or certificate? What does it mean.

I think of two things:

Someone may ask if you know what you are talking about. So then you say you received a certificate from so and so and this certificate means you can teach so and so skill set. It can be a B.S. meter....or could be.

The second reason is a trophy, it is proof you went through something, worked for something. Just as someone gets a trophy after winning a competition. I know two guys who got judo ranking due to competition, win or lose the performance decided rank.