Ok, we've discussed this in the past in parts, but how do we take adults who aren't used to any contact at all in their lives, and get them used to hugging and punching and rolling around with other adults?
One of the biggest challenges many students face, especially at the beginner level, is making physical contact with another adult, especially in a violent context. Many adults go through their daily lives without touching other people. In fact, many go out of their way to avoid any kind of physical contact what so ever, except possibly with their loved ones, and beginning students are often uncomfortable touching or being touched by another adult. I think the process of desensitization should begin in a studentÂ’s very first lesson.
Several steps are helpful in desensitizing students to contact. First and foremost is professionalism. The instructor must make sure that everyone understands that all contact is done purely for the purpose of training. The best way to convey this message is for the instructor to simply be professional in his dealings with the students. Even when in compromising positions which could be misconstrued, even when working with children, if the instructor is focused and professional and conveying honest useful information, everyone focuses on that and pays attention.
Secondly using focus shields with students is a good way to help to get them used to feeling incoming force without frightening them unduly. Using the focus shield allows the student to feel differing degrees of force through an intermediary. This allows the student to adjust to force, and practice resisting the force, and see another student throwing blows at them, without actually hitting them, yet.
Thirdly techniques should be practiced on the body with increasing degrees of force. The students are taught to practice their techniques at touch and light contact, and contact is increased over time as the students move into more advanced classes. Beginner students are repeatedly reminded to use control and touch their targets. Intermediate students are taught to use heavier contact while still using control. This process continues in more advanced classes. At all levels students are practicing on shields, heavy bags, and other punching targets with heavier contact so that they can continue to develop power with their techniques.
Additionally doing regular drills in classes where students grab or push each other to work defenses against those attacks, both in the context of techniques and in unscripted motion based drills helps to familiarize the student to spontaneous contact. This helps to break down the barrier that the students have put up against contact. This process continues into all categories of attack with greater contact at more advanced levels.
These are just some of the basic steps involved. There are many other drills and training techniques which can be used, such as sparring and sensitivity drills, but the real key is to begin the process early. If the instructor waits until the brown or black belt level to hit someone, several problems arise.
The most important aspect is to care about the students and be conscious of their unique challenges, while also pushing them to reach outside their comfort zone. That is what a good instructor does. It is important to listen to the students and be concerned with helping them grow as martial artists. The instructor knows what they need to achieve, but he must listen to his students to know how best to lead them to that goal. All students learn and process information differently and being sensitive to each student's needs helps to motivate them properly.
What's funny to me, is that my wife is a cosmetologist, and she experiences the same thing in her line of work. Think about it. How often does a pretty young woman spend five to ten minutes massaging oils and shampoos into your skin? She gets weird reactions from men and women both, because they just aren't accustomed to that degree of intimate contact.
So how do you do it? What drills do you use? What's your philosophy? Your approach?
-Rob
One of the biggest challenges many students face, especially at the beginner level, is making physical contact with another adult, especially in a violent context. Many adults go through their daily lives without touching other people. In fact, many go out of their way to avoid any kind of physical contact what so ever, except possibly with their loved ones, and beginning students are often uncomfortable touching or being touched by another adult. I think the process of desensitization should begin in a studentÂ’s very first lesson.
Several steps are helpful in desensitizing students to contact. First and foremost is professionalism. The instructor must make sure that everyone understands that all contact is done purely for the purpose of training. The best way to convey this message is for the instructor to simply be professional in his dealings with the students. Even when in compromising positions which could be misconstrued, even when working with children, if the instructor is focused and professional and conveying honest useful information, everyone focuses on that and pays attention.
Secondly using focus shields with students is a good way to help to get them used to feeling incoming force without frightening them unduly. Using the focus shield allows the student to feel differing degrees of force through an intermediary. This allows the student to adjust to force, and practice resisting the force, and see another student throwing blows at them, without actually hitting them, yet.
Thirdly techniques should be practiced on the body with increasing degrees of force. The students are taught to practice their techniques at touch and light contact, and contact is increased over time as the students move into more advanced classes. Beginner students are repeatedly reminded to use control and touch their targets. Intermediate students are taught to use heavier contact while still using control. This process continues in more advanced classes. At all levels students are practicing on shields, heavy bags, and other punching targets with heavier contact so that they can continue to develop power with their techniques.
Additionally doing regular drills in classes where students grab or push each other to work defenses against those attacks, both in the context of techniques and in unscripted motion based drills helps to familiarize the student to spontaneous contact. This helps to break down the barrier that the students have put up against contact. This process continues into all categories of attack with greater contact at more advanced levels.
These are just some of the basic steps involved. There are many other drills and training techniques which can be used, such as sparring and sensitivity drills, but the real key is to begin the process early. If the instructor waits until the brown or black belt level to hit someone, several problems arise.
- The student has already adjusted to and accepted the degree of contact inherent in his training. To drastically increase that, especially after so much time, without ramping it up slowly, would certainly intimidate the student.
- Students who were naturally predisposed to heavier contact, or looking specifically for it in their self defense training have probably already left the school, leaving no one who can role model toughness and fortitude for the weaker students to emulate.
- It seems hard to except that a student could learn effective self defense and acquire street applicable skills without engaging in some level of contact with a resisting opponent.
The most important aspect is to care about the students and be conscious of their unique challenges, while also pushing them to reach outside their comfort zone. That is what a good instructor does. It is important to listen to the students and be concerned with helping them grow as martial artists. The instructor knows what they need to achieve, but he must listen to his students to know how best to lead them to that goal. All students learn and process information differently and being sensitive to each student's needs helps to motivate them properly.
What's funny to me, is that my wife is a cosmetologist, and she experiences the same thing in her line of work. Think about it. How often does a pretty young woman spend five to ten minutes massaging oils and shampoos into your skin? She gets weird reactions from men and women both, because they just aren't accustomed to that degree of intimate contact.
So how do you do it? What drills do you use? What's your philosophy? Your approach?
-Rob
