Instructor Training Experiences

Instructor Certification Course
March 15, 2008
Experiences

Wendy Mach


People join the Instructor Training Program for various reasons. My reasons were probably different from most people. I didn’t necessarily want to become an instructor, and I didn’t want to become a better fighter. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of the art of Shotokan karate. And more importantly for me, I wanted to face and conquer some of my own fears. I had the quest for knowledge, but not necessarily the quest to pass on that knowledge.

There is an expression, “Every day do something that scares you.” The first few Instructor Training classes scared and intimidated the living daylights out of me. Did I really think that in my mid forties I could keep up with the other trainees? It has been decades since I have been in school and written papers for a class. Would I be able to write something intelligent that would contribute to someone else’s knowledge? Would anyone be interested in anything that I tried to teach them? After the first few classes I would drive home literally shaking from the intimidation factor that I had placed on myself.

It took me a little while, but eventually I felt more comfortable during class and while writing my assignments. I have learned something new from each class and my knowledge of the principles of Shotokan karate and the principles of body movement has become greater and deeper. In one class Shihan McClary talked about the fact that you can look at a student’s stance and see that it is structurally correct, but you cannot tell if he is using his muscles correctly. This was something that I had never thought of before. It is exactly why we need to test our students periodically to determine that their stances are stable, that pressure is moving forward into the target, and that the body’s muscular structure is supporting the technique.

There have been a number of times in class that we have worked on how to “load” the rear leg so that it can drive forward into the target providing maximum support to the technique. Each time that this subject has been reviewed, my understanding of the principles of body movement has increased. By working on this in my own personal training, I have been able to improve many techniques, and improve the flow from one technique to the next. In many cases the ending of one technique automatically provides the “load” for the next technique. After learning how this works and feels in my own body, I have been able to notice deficiencies in other student’s movement. Then I have been able to both demonstrate the proper physical movement to the student, and to explain the mechanics of the movement on a level that the student could understand.

When I first started the Instructor Training Program, I thought that I would be learning how different people learn, and learning how to teach. I was surprised when these subjects were not addressed directly. What I have discovered is that we trainees have been indirectly learning how to teach. The Instructor Training classes have involved learning higher level skills and principles and having the trainees “perform” various techniques and katas working to improve small nuances of movement. After we learn these skills within our own bodies, then we can demonstrate and teach them to others. This has been an interesting discovery for me. I have not been learning how to verbally teach. I have been learning how to teach by demonstration.

Imitation is one of the first ways that infants and toddlers learn how to do things like walk. So it is very natural for karate instructors to use the “watch and do” teaching method. Students can learn more in 2 minutes of watching someone perform a kata, than they can learn in 30 minutes of an instructor telling them how to perform the kata. I am the first to admit that I had watched Sensei Deshi’s hips for years and wondered, “How can I make my body move like that?” I am still working on it.

I have discovered that I look forward to the writing assignments each month. I find them challenging and they have made me look deeper into the art of Shotokan karate and into myself. Assignments like Anatomy and Physiology, and Active and Supportive Karate have added to my depth of knowledge, and I have learned a lot while researching them. My favorite assignment has been Renoji-dachi and Sanchin-dachi as fighting stances. Since the associated Instructor Training class had focused on how to maneuver around obstacles, I chose to take the assignment out of the dojo completely and into a more natural setting. I had a great time going outside performing katas in my back yard on the wet grass, in parking lots on loose stones, and all around Mt. Misery at Valley Forge. I made numerous discoveries about sanchin-dachi and wet grass, and renoji-dachi and rocks. I also slid all over the place trying to perform long stances in all the wrong places.

For me an integral part of this experience has been with teaching classes. I started with the kid’s class. In my first 3 classes I had a student who had a short attention span and too much energy. After every class I was frustrated trying to determine what to do to get him to behave. Then it came to me. My attitude was wrong. What I should have been thinking about was how to keep him excited throughout class, and keep his attention on karate. After my attitude changed I realized that this child was going to teach me how to become a good instructor.

While I was still teaching the kid’s classes, I started developing drills that would use objects such as tennis balls, small wooden blocks, and balloons. These drills would help the kids learn skill sets that were used not only in karate, but also in everyday life. The favorite drill was using gyaku-zuki to grab a wooden block as quickly as possible from someone’s hand. The kids watched each other perform the drill and started their own friendly competition to see who was the fastest. The dojo may have become a little noisy, but all the kids were having a good time and paying attention to the lesson. Everyone waited politely for their turn to grab a block, and no one wanted the class to end. After class most admitted that they were really faster than everyone else. By working with this amazing, diverse group of kids, I discovered that I really did like teaching karate. The kids taught me how to teach.

I have also had the opportunity to teach people of all ages, physical abilities, and mental capabilities. Many have taught me more about teaching than I have taught them about karate. Kids come to karate class to have fun. Most do not care about the physical fitness, coordination, and balance benefits. They just want to have fun. So as instructors, if we want to keep the students coming to class, we have to find ways to teach karate while making it fun for the students. Adult classes are completely different. Adults come to karate class for many, diverse reasons. So the goal for an instructor when teaching adults is to design the class so that every student is challenged, and gets something to benefit them. Shihan McClary has an amazing ability to teach classes so that each student believes that the class was just for them.

I have found it to be an interesting challenge to try to teach in this manner. Before each class I design a basic structure for the class based on either a technique that I want to work on, or a principle that I want to teach. Then I wait to see who comes to class. The final class structure is determined by who is there, and what each individual needs to work on. I try to make each class challenging for all levels of ability and make sure that each student gets individual attention.

I have learned that the Instructor Training classes and teaching classes are a continuous loop of growing knowledge and experience. During the Instructor Training classes my knowledge of the principles of Shotokan karate deepens. Then when I teach a class, that knowledge helps me notice what the students need to work on. This experience feeds back to the next Instructor Training class and writing assignment, and on and on. When the trainees were given the assignment to design a class, I decided to make up 3 different classes based on 3 different audiences. At the time I was teaching a full range of classes, so I felt that it was important to make up classes for each different group of students that I had been working with. I then used these class outlines for my actual kids’ class, all rank adult class, and black belt class. Since that assignment, I have learned more from the Instructor Training classes, so that I have been able to improve the original class designs.

Finally I want to comment on my experiences with my fellow trainees. I have tremendous respect for their commitment and dedication to the art of Shotokan karate. In every Instructor Training class they have demonstrated a level of maturity and understanding that I never had at their rank. After each Instructor Training class I am inspired to work harder. We have often approached the writing assignments from different angles, and I have looked forward to reading their papers every month. When we had the assignment to choose a student and help them for the next month, I was amazed at how thorough the other trainees were in determining what their chosen student should work on and in assisting the student with personalized drills and feedback so that the student could achieve maximum results in the allotted time frame.

I can remember years ago when Shihan McClary said, “What if all of the high ranking Shotokan instructors were in a plane crash and you had to pass on the art? Could you do it?” The thought chilled my spine because I knew that I wasn’t good enough and the future of Shotokan karate would be doomed. After training and sweating beside my fellow trainees for the last 2 years, I know that the future of Shotokan karate is in good hands.