What do you do...

[Christina05]

To answer a few of the questions. No it is not a beginners class. I'm taking Kenpo and I'm a polishing my green techniques to test for my brown. I guess thats why I'm so distressed :idunno:. I don't really understand why he checks in every fifteen minute I've been trying to figure that one out for the longest and still have not had the slightest clue as to why that is and never wanted to ask until now. And while he is gone I continue practicing. As for his rank well lets just say thats another story in itself.

 

[MJS]

To answer a few of the questions. No it is not a beginners class. I'm taking Kenpo and I'm a polishing my green techniques to test for my brown. I guess thats why I'm so distressed :idunno:. I don't really understand why he checks in every fifteen minute I've been trying to figure that one out for the longest and still have not had the slightest clue as to why that is and never wanted to ask until now. And while he is gone I continue practicing. As for his rank well lets just say thats another story in itself.

Just for clarification on my questions and why I asked them.

1) I ask this because depending on what rank the class is, should determine how its run, whats worked on, etc.

2) You state that you're working on green techs. In that case, the person teaching you should be at least 2 belts higher than you. In other words, I would not let a new purple belt teach a new orange belt. Why? I want to make sure that the person who is teaching has a solid understanding.

2a) This matters for obvious reasons. If he is new to teaching, or has never taught before, he should not be left alone. He needs to be under the watchful eye on a seasoned teacher. Helping is one thing..being left alone to teach a class is another.

2b) Going by what you're already said, I'm guessing he is new to teaching and is reporting because he is not sure of what to do.

3) I'm guessing the head inst. is not present during class. A big no-no IMO. He needs to be out there to make sure things are going smooth and things are being taught properly.

4) Communication is very important. You have some obvious concerns and you're really not going to get the answers until you talk to the inst.

I say this all the time when people ask questions like this, so I'll say it again. If someone isn't happy doing something, they're not going to give 100%, plain and simple. Why would they? You seem like you enjoy training. I can't stress enough that if you're not happy, you need to address your concerns with the head inst. right away! If things are still not working out, then the other option is to find a new school.

Best of luck in your training and decisions that you need to make.

Mike

 

[Shotochem]

To answer a few of the questions. No it is not a beginners class. I'm taking Kenpo and I'm a polishing my green techniques to test for my brown. I guess thats why I'm so distressed :idunno:. I don't really understand why he checks in every fifteen minute I've been trying to figure that one out for the longest and still have not had the slightest clue as to why that is and never wanted to ask until now. And while he is gone I continue practicing. As for his rank well lets just say thats another story in itself.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you are ready to test for your next rank what else is there for you to do but polish and perfect your techniques for your next rank? Most instructors will not clutter a students mind and have them worry about their next ranks material until AFTER grading.

My instructor tends to only assist me when I ask a question or need clarification on a technique. If he sees something in need of correcting he steps in.

As for intensity, I switched from Shotokan to Kempo and there is definately a difference as far as intensity is concerned. IMO, its just a difference in style. I do not find one to be superior to the other just different and both satisfying.

If you are looking to learn more or want to learn something specific, just ask your instructor about it. How could he possibly know what people want unless asked.

-Marc-

 

[MJS]

I wouldn't worry about it. If you are ready to test for your next rank what else is there for you to do but polish and perfect your techniques for your next rank? Most instructors will not clutter a students mind and have them worry about their next ranks material until AFTER grading.

My instructor tends to only assist me when I ask a question or need clarification on a technique. If he sees something in need of correcting he steps in.

As for intensity, I switched from Shotokan to Kempo and there is definately a difference as far as intensity is concerned. IMO, its just a difference in style. I do not find one to be superior to the other just different and both satisfying.

If you are looking to learn more or want to learn something specific, just ask your instructor about it. How could he possibly know what people want unless asked.

-Marc-

Its hard to really get a grasp on the OP, because many of the answers we're getting are vauge. However, I get the impression that its not so much a matter of being taught new things, but instead, not getting the full potential of the class in general. I don't go to class just so I can stand off to the side and work my techniques in the air. I can do that at home. I go to class to work my material, work with others in the class, and get my material fine tuned.

If you go back and read some of the earlier posts, it seems that a student instructor is teaching the class. This is something that I think may also be a concern of the OP. I may be wrong here though. Is this student inst. capable of doing the job of teaching? If the OP has a question, is the student teacher capable of answering it?

There should be no reason why the head inst. hides during class time. Even if he is not actually teaching the full class, being on the floor is important.

 

[Mark Lynn]

When I really stop to think about it I guess its due to the fact that prior to my Kenpo training I took Okinawan Karate and class was two hours long one hour lots of technique and the next hour drills and katas. Now I have one hour with a student instructor that reports into our Sensei every fifteen minutes and I really just don't feel like I'm getting anything accomplished in that hour.

After the reading this post at first I thought it was switching from one class to the other and the differences in your training that was causing your issues.

To answer a few of the questions. No it is not a beginners class. I'm taking Kenpo and I'm a polishing my green techniques to test for my brown. I guess thats why I'm so distressed :idunno:. I don't really understand why he checks in every fifteen minute I've been trying to figure that one out for the longest and still have not had the slightest clue as to why that is and never wanted to ask until now. And while he is gone I continue practicing. As for his rank well lets just say thats another story in itself.

However after reading both posts I think you have an issue with the assistant instructor. The remarks that I high lighted seem to point your confusion. Your last point about his/her rank again seems to have a lack of respect to it.

Pior to talking with the head instructor I would recommend sitting down and writing out somewhat of a self assment to get your thoughts straight. I would take a real hard honest look at the situation and ask myself some of the following.

1) What are my goals for taking this new system?

2) Am I getting value for the money and time that I am spending on this system (classes)?

3) Are the current classes (the way things are run) hindering me from reaching my goal or getting value from the classes? If so why?

4) Examine your feelings toward the assistant instructor, do you respect them? Are you learning any thing from them? Are you more skilled than they? Have you been in the martial arts longer than they have? Do they treat you with respect?

5) If you answered some of 4) in the negative than examine the reason why and ask yourself if there is anything you can do to make the situation better.

6) And finally aks yourself, if you go to the head instructor and talk to them and they don't give you the answer you want, then what?

In the past I have run into a situation (and I have known other instructors who have as well) when they have been in the martial arts for some time and switch to another system. In my case after being in American karate/TKD, Arnis, and having some exposure to JKD (Thai Boxing etc. etc) for about 9 years, I went to a promenient JKD school looking to experience and learn some true JKD. Well with my work schedule as it was and such I needed to have some day time classes and I was told that they were taught by a blue belt (or the equivelient rank). So here I was a black belt that would be taught by a lesser rank and still paying premiumn money for it. So about half of my training would be in classes taught by lower rank.

Don't get me wrong I wasn't ranked in JKD, nor did I expect them to honor rank I earned in another system. However the point was if I was being taught by the head instructor of the school I don't mind paying top dollar, but I had more experience and skill than the assistant instructor who would teach half of the classes I could attend, so I wouldn't be getting my moneys worth. And I decided to find another school to join.

Another instructor friend of mine switched Kenpo schools. Now even though he had been in the martial arts 20+ years and was a 3rd degree black belt in the same system I was in. He always wanted to learn Kenpo, so he joined a school and later on had to switch to another one. When he switched schools his classes were taught by an assistant (black belt) instructor. This guy didn't know my friend was more skilled than he and ran the mouth quite a bit about things he didn't know. However to my friend as much as he didn't like the guy he knew this was his way to learn the system he always wanted to learn, so he shut up and trained. He learned all he could and eventally got his black belt in Kenpo, and he still loves it, still trains in it.

I think it would do you some real good to sit down and ask yourself some of the questions I put down. My friend and I hashed questions like those between us in many a long conversations. After really thinking things through than I would go talk to the head instructor about it.

Sorry for the long post
Mark

 

[Christina05]

Well I had that much needed talk with my Sensei And it went rather well. We worked out training schedule to fit needs as well as my goals for training. Thanks for all the advice it was all put to good use.