Teacher for a day?

[AceHBK]

If you could teach your class for the day what would it consist of?
What all would you do in a one hour class?

 

[Kacey]

Um... after 15 years as an instructor, it's hard to say what I would do as a new instructor, but here are the things I consider when deciding what to teach - which is a fluid decision that changes based on what I see from the students.

- what events (testing, tournaments, seminars) are coming up that students will be attending, and what do they need to know before the event?

- what did I teach last class (week, several weeks, month)?

- what did people have problems with / questions about last time?

- what did I miss last time? (I tend to overplan, in case things go faster than expected, or the person(s) an exercise was aimed at didn't make it to class)

- what have people requested recently?

- what haven't we done in the last class (or several classes, depending on the skill area)?

- who showed up tonight? (my plans become as finalized as they get during warmups, when I know who is there that night)

I have a general sequence - warmups, line drills, patterns, sparring (free and step, grabs/throws/releases/controls) - but sometimes one segment will be extended, compressed, or left out on a particular night, depending on the questions above. Instructing is a skill, as much as performing a kick or completing a pattern, and requires practice. The first time I taught, I was convinced I was an idiot... over time, it got better - although there are still days when I am convinced I am an idiot!

 

[AceHBK]

Thanx that was very informative. I willthink about what you said and try and come up with a gameplan like you have. I have to teach classes thurs and fri so I am trying to get a variety of things people do to assist. Hearing about others routines will help me finalize something so I am not just "winging it".

 

[bdparsons]

Time to see just how good people's basics really are. No matter how much you learn, on any given day you are no better than your basics.

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

 

[Martial Tucker]

Time to see just how good people's basics really are. No matter how much you learn, on any given day you are no better than your basics.

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

Totally agree....basics are everything, especially stance work.
We split our class time roughly into 1/4ths.

First 1/4: warmup exercises
Second 1/4: varying drills on basics
Third 1/4: Work on a concept that carries over from one class to another,
e.g., maybe defenses based on arm bar; sweeps;combinations,
etc.
Last 1/4: Either kata or sparring, determined by who shows up, and how
they looked in the earlier basics drills.

 

[rutherford]

Assuming this is one of the training groups I attend, we'd work double and single legs takedowns and appropriate defense the whole class.

This is one area where I feel I have a deeper level of knowledge than the people with which I train, and I'd use a progression similar to the one Vlad shows on his Escape from Holds DVD.

We'd start with the mechanics of a safe double and single leg takedowns, and the person getting taken down would get a lesson on how to not get hurt when they get hit and not give up too much position during a successful takedown.

Then we'd talk about the Sprawl and work it.

Then, we'd simply try to get out of the way with footwork. Then we'd go to redirecting/structure breaking with open hands, redirecting/stopping with closed fists, stopping with strikes.

Then we'd talk about the guillotine choke and work it.

Then we'd free play, after a discussion of the proper timing for a takedown.

I'd like to have more than an hour.

 

[LeiDren]

I wish we did more takedowns at our school. Most of our classes are focused on combinations and sparring, with a runthrough of the poomse up to Koryo. Maybe once a month we'll do some self defense, which usually involves takedowns.

Can anyone recommend a good source for takedown videos or that sort of thing? I might be starting as an instructor for my school in October, and I want to try to branch out a little bit. With the master's permission, of course.

 

[jvtkd]

Um... after 15 years as an instructor, it's hard to say what I would do as a new instructor, but here are the things I consider when deciding what to teach - which is a fluid decision that changes based on what I see from the students.

- what events (testing, tournaments, seminars) are coming up that students will be attending, and what do they need to know before the event?

- what did I teach last class (week, several weeks, month)?

- what did people have problems with / questions about last time?

- what did I miss last time? (I tend to overplan, in case things go faster than expected, or the person(s) an exercise was aimed at didn't make it to class)

- what have people requested recently?

- what haven't we done in the last class (or several classes, depending on the skill area)?

- who showed up tonight? (my plans become as finalized as they get during warmups, when I know who is there that night)

I have a general sequence - warmups, line drills, patterns, sparring (free and step, grabs/throws/releases/controls) - but sometimes one segment will be extended, compressed, or left out on a particular night, depending on the questions above. Instructing is a skill, as much as performing a kick or completing a pattern, and requires practice. The first time I taught, I was convinced I was an idiot... over time, it got better - although there are still days when I am convinced I am an idiot!

Nicely said, even though I've only been learning how to instruct for a few months.

 

[Hand Sword]

I would just go heavy on self defense study.

 

[karatekid1975]

Time to see just how good people's basics really are. No matter how much you learn, on any given day you are no better than your basics.

I totally agree. I would drill basics. Specially for the higher ranks that are getting sloppy. I'm a technique geek. I'm always drilling basics, so this is what I would do. I would take all the blue and brown belts aside and clean up on technique before they get to red (advanced class ... red and above).