Things your instructor did not do

[ArmorOfGod]

What things or programs do you have in your school that your instructor did not do?
Do any of those things bother your instructor? If you do things differently, where did you get those ideas?

AoG

 

[terryl965]

All I did was run a summer camp for my already students, so we made some extra cash for this coming year tournaments.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I use belt stripes, which is something my original teachers never did. I came up with the way I use them from my own ideas.
For each kata learned, they get a stripe the color of the next belt. This helps me look at each student and see what kata they have to learn next. Also, I do green stripes for A's and B's on report cards every 9 weeks. The kids and parents love that.
Next, I added in a purple belt level. Students were staying around a 10 months or so at blue belt, so I split the requirements and made the first part purple belt. This seems to kill the "blue belt blues." By doing this, we are now the same belt colors as EPAK, which we originally came from. I think one of the older teaches may have dropped purple over the years and I have basically added it back.

AoG

 

[AMP-RYU]

I added a few belt colors. I have added orange after yellow, and purple after blue. Also I don't require my student to keep their t-shirts tucked in all the time. I feel you learn better when comfortable not looking "good".
Also I dont use mirrors! I feel you will lose students just because of mirrors! See when a new student starts they feel goofy, then when they see themselves in the mirror, this proves they look goofy. If you cant see your self, you cant feel goofy! This brought my success rate from keeping 1-8 students to keeping 2-3's! Try it, it works!

 

[jarrod]

in shingitai jujitsu we are free to add to the syllabus as we see fit so long as the core skills are included. so if you have a background in another martial art you are free to add that at your club. so other than the permitted additions i have ommited the yellow belt, because most of my students are poor college kids who don't mind waiting to get their green belt & skipping a promotion fee, nominal as it is. also, i hate to see grown men wearing flourecent colored belts, but that is a personal thing. so my club has white, green, blue, brown (3 levels), black.

jf

 

[IcemanSK]

I've incorporated boxing techniques & more joint locking techniques into my program. I use a few different terms for things than he does. (For example, he says "square stance" where I say "front stance."etc.). Other than those, I'm quite similiar.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Also I dont use mirrors! I feel you will lose students just because of mirrors! See when a new student starts they feel goofy, then when they see themselves in the mirror, this proves they look goofy. If you cant see your self, you cant feel goofy! This brought my success rate from keeping 1-8 students to keeping 2-3's! Try it, it works!

I agree with you about the mirrors. The main school I came through used mirrors and the head sensei loved them. I always felt they distracted me.

AoG

 

[ATC]

Also I dont use mirrors! I feel you will lose students just because of mirrors! See when a new student starts they feel goofy, then when they see themselves in the mirror, this proves they look goofy. If you cant see your self, you cant feel goofy! This brought my success rate from keeping 1-8 students to keeping 2-3's! Try it, it works!

Hey!!! What about those students that love to look at themselves in the mirror. You know every school has some. As they spar they are busy looking in the mirror during every technique. Ha ha ha ha...

 

[hkfuie]

I let people get drinks during class. But I warn them not to even ask if my instructor is visiting.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Hey!!! What about those students that love to look at themselves in the mirror. You know every school has some. As they spar they are busy looking in the mirror during every technique. Ha ha ha ha...

Otoh I as a newbie like the mirrors. Not because I look in them much (I seldom do), but because it is sometimes an easy way of figuring out if your stance is correct.

 

[shihansmurf]

I use English terms in place of Japanese, for the most part.

I have incorporated a lot of boxing and throwing techniques. I also utilize a lot of terminology from American Kenpo to explain concepts and principles.

I use the five methods of attack theory from Jeet Kune Do.

I wear a black Gi instead of white.

I emphasize conditioning a great deal more than he did, especially weight training which is part of class.

I don't do three and five step sparring. I still do one steps, but only to 7th kyu. At 6th and higher I help the student design their own one steps.

Other than those things, not much different. To be fair, I was always actively encouraged to make the art my own and I try to do the same for my students.

Mark