Teaching Strategies/Philosophies

[xing_jian108]

Finally, it took me a few tries to quote you correctly. I can do it now.

[Greenknight2]

Well, the school I go too has a large kid program. Basically, at Brown Belt the kids get thrown in with the adult classes, certain things you don't do with them. There also is a color of characters program, that the kids do before they have to get there blackbelt. They do the same blackbelt test as the adults. There is a couple of people who teach kids classes. The school also has other things going on during the year for students.

There's a purple belt, who in the past studyied Kenjutsu who teaches the little "ninja's" class. He does great with the kids, he attitude is, "I dont' care if you like me, you will respect me." The other guy was too nice, at times and the kids walked over him. I think it's good for these kids to get this early on. Basically, alot of times the kids play a game, such as "dodgeball" type of activity to other things.

Women's self defense course can serve as an introduction to Martial Arts. The same arguement could be made about someone who gets a yellow belt and then quits. By the way, my teacher does teach run away like little girl. Personally, I like hit them in the knee and run like the wind. Hey even i can run like the wind when the guys got a hurt knee.

I'm not a buddist and neither is the teacher I train with. We are not TKD. The hard part is not incorporating into the art. I view the best way to spread my views is be kind, and nice, not telling people what they already know in there own hearts. So basically, find other sources that same the same thing. For example he found a motivational speaker that said give away ten percent of your income because it trains your mind that you must be rich to give something away. If someone else truelly, believes in there heart what they say is right they dont' need me to say so. If offend someone I will appologize for it.

[Greenknight2]

One thing too is that the kids that stick with it, well they accomplish great things. I know a young man with a third degree black belt and a black belt in weapons. He can swing a pair of nunchuckas well... it's a site to see. He was the validiatorian of his class.

If anyone wants to know more of the school. I can show the schools website.

[Void]

I train in Mixed classes, ie juniors and seniors

Our style we line up Rank order, highest at the front

through to the lowest at the back

Because juniors have tones of energy, sometimes in warm up

we push the lines to the back of the Do Jang (hall) and the front line start

jogging up the hall then back, then then next line does the same .. and so forth

each line from front to back is a team,

you then speed things up jogging faster,

then Race. the Instructor chooses what to do ..

ie sprint to the end, 10 press ups then sprint back, tag the next and then they do

the same ..

some ideas

Sit ups
Pressups
Squat thrusts
star jumps
center punches etc etc

its really great as the competition really motivates the juniors, they hate doing

pressups / sit ups when in normal lines, but when its a race they love it.


things we do is the last line back gets pressups etc ..

or the instructor will call out who came first? and the lines have to put their hands

up to say which finished first

if more than one line put there hand up at the same time .. more pressup / sit ups

Its quite fun really .. sometimes people put their hands up to make other lines do

pressups to


Because kids can get board easily its good to mix things up with them, add some

new things ..

the other day when i took over the warm up for one of my instructors


i got everyone in to the middle of the hall and told them the front of the hall is

north , back south .. left wall east .. right wall west ...


then i randomly called a direction, and they all have to race to the correct wall..

after doing this for a bit.. reverse the directons .. ie north is now the back wall ..

south the front all etc

this way all students have to really think .. its really great ..

you can get them to do different exersises at the different directions .. ie

pressups a the north wall etc


I do think that dealling with them .. they need to know the boundrys too and who

in charge, because they will walk all over you if you dont..


They are really rewarding, and if you encourage good behaviour, effort focus

good stances etc ..

they will really want to please and show their best. this way other juniors will

want to do the same..

Good luck with the little monkeys

[onefocus]

Well, i'm no teacher Xing, but I do believe that there is teaching and learning, in the interaction with others, if you are open to the idea. a friend of mine used to say, try and understand what you have to do, then learn how to do it. try and understand what you've learned to do, and why you have to do it.

hope it helps.

peace

onefocus.

[pazman]

I'm not even Buddhist really, but I can understand what Xing is grappling with. I think for most of us on this board, we have reasons beyond learning how to fight when we practice. I train in Aikido, which typically has lots of philosophical baggage attached to it, and I've heard lots of strange ways to express philosophy of the art. In one such case, the instructor would the students down in the middle of class and give a short speech. This is a horrible ways to do things as it is boring and it takes away precious training time. Rather, I think that the philosophy should be self-evident through the physical training itself. Anything that should be mentioned to any length verbally should be shared in more social and informal situations. I go out drinking with my aikido club every few weeks and this is a good, relaxed setting to ask the teachers about history, philosophy, etc.

So, the real problem is this: How does the way you train express what you want students to ponder? If the training method doesn't match with the philosophy, one of the two needs to change. Xing, what is it about your kung fu that is Buddhist besides the beads, the altar, and the historical connection? Figure that out, learn to physically teach that aspect, and you're set.

Think back to the 'heart to heart transmission' aspect of Chan; there's not much need for words.

[onefocus]

sometimes training in silence, helps to stir the mind toward meditation on a certain point. or maybe explinations/demos' on the symbolic representations of forms, fist, animals...ect. for instance, the dragon is rich with practicle and symbolic meaning. by asking the students what it means to them, gives them a personal intrest in further study of the deeper insights to be found within the form/fist, ...


peace

onefocus.