Martial Arts Training Tips, How-to Videos and Articles
Reader Question:
I am an experienced martial artist and I intend to pass my knowledge on to my 5 year old son. I have never taught someone of that age (let alone my own son), I am seeking some advice on some reference material that I can use to make this as fun for he and I as possible.
Thank you,
Dave Ruhl
Read MoreExcerpted from 1001 Ways to Motivate Yourself and Others by Sang H. Kim
The teacher, like the team leader, is a role that often comes in disguise. You may not teach in school, but certainly you occasionally have the opportunity to pass along your knowledge of something to others. Perhaps you train new employees at your job or teach others a favorite hobby or sport. We all find ourselves sharing our knowledge with others from time to time, whether in a formal classroom setting or a more informal exchange of ideas.
Teaching can be one of the most frustrating tasks you can undertake. Although you can easily perform a skill yourself, you may find yourself perplexed when you try to get someone else to do it correctly. No matter how you explain it, they just cannot see it your way and you begin to wonder if it wouldn’t just be easier to do it yourself. This is a critical juncture in motivating your student to succeed. If you give up and berate the student (colleague, employee, . . . ) you will alienate him and block any further progress.
However, if you draw on your motivational skills to provide a good role model and plenty of encouragement interspersed with meaningful guidance, you may be surprised at the sudden turnaround in your student’s learning.
Excerpted from TEACHING MARTIAL ARTS by Sang H. Kim
Deft management is an integral part of teaching. How you manage your school atmosphere determines how your students perceive your teaching skills. A well managed classroom is identified by four characteristics.
The first three are directly related to your ability to accurately set clear objectives and to plan a course of action. However, number four is perhaps the most difficult and deficient area for martial arts instructors. Many instructors create a work oriented tone in their school, but few can combine it with a pleasant atmosphere. Often the atmosphere is tense and harsh. Punishment is meted out frequently and junior students are subjected to the demands of their seniors without regard for their welfare.
Read MoreExcerpted from Martial Arts Instructors Desk Reference by Sang H. Kim
The behavior problems associated with ADD and ADHD tend to lead to other problems. Children who are disruptive in school are quickly labeled troublemakers, ruffians, bullies or just plain dumb. Children at the other end of the ADD spectrum are labeled lazy, stupid, underachieving or spaced out. To make things worse, these children often have trouble understanding why their behavior is wrong. This explains the ADD child’s tendency to look genuinely shocked when he gets in trouble. One of the biggest challenges to improving the behavior of the ADD child is teaching him to recognize the consequences of his actions and to see things from other peoples' point of view.
There are some steps you can take to help manage the behavior of students in your class with ADD or ADHD including:
1. Identify problem behaviors.
Objectively identify what problems are the biggest impediments to the child’s learning. These may not be the most annoying behaviors or the ones you would most like to correct, so take an unemotional inventory, perhaps involving other instructors or the child’s parents. Making a chart can help. For each item, list the behavior, when it most frequently occurs, what triggers it and how disruptive it is on a scale of one to ten. Try to be as specific as possible. For each problem, write down at least one strategy from this report for eliminating or changing the behavior.
Read Moreby Sang H. Kim | Excerpted from TEACHING MARTIAL ARTS
The foremost element in teaching is careful planning. Plan the objectives for each class and delegate the amount of practice time you will allow for each. For effectiveness and safety, carefully consider the type and number of exercises and skills you will teach in every class. Set goals for each class. Students can perform better and learn more quickly when they have goals to work toward. In setting your classroom goals, it is best to identify each individual’s strengths and weaknesses whenever possible. This insures smooth progress and avoids unnecessary frustration. For the greatest motivational value, goals must be specific and reasonably difficult to accomplish. (For a more detailed discussion of planning, see Chapter 5)
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