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From: Jason Stanley
3rd Dan Shitoryu
1st December, 2002

Teaching can be fun. Teaching can be easy. Teaching can also be difficult and daunting. This article is written for those of you who are thinking about taking the next step in your karate. It's for those of you who are about to start teaching others.

While most of this article will appear to be common sense, it amazes me how many instructors don't do half of these things. So here are 10 tips to better teaching…

1. Plan Your Class.
When you first begin teaching, it's good to have a plan. There is nothing worse than standing in front of a room of students and not knowing what it is you are about to teach. Make sure you are prepared.

Know what you want to work on for that class. Try not to deviate from your plan. It is very easy to go off on a tangent and teach something totally different to what you originally decided. There will be plenty of opportunity to explain those other things at a later date.

Write a plan and stick to it!

What happens to your plan when you originally planned your class for 10+ people and only 4 students attend? Or when you wanted to do a specific drill that requires groups of 5 people and you have 12 in your class?

You better think quickly. You always need a backup plan. You don't want to been seen as not knowing what to do. Remember, students look up to you when you are instructing. You cannot waiver, or show weakness. You are their Sensei. So you need to be prepared.

Make sure you have several things you can work on for that particular part of your class. Being flexible in what you have to offer is an integral part of teaching.

2. Building Blocks.
When teaching a new technique break it down into manageable steps. I rule I like to use is to work backwards. (I don't mean to do the technique in reverse. For more on this see the article on 7 Steps to Achieving your Goals)

By showing the final application of the technique at the beginning, your students will gain an understanding of the final goal. It's then important to break it down into bite size pieces.

Then show the technique in stages working backwards.

Finally get your students to practice the new technique from start to finish.
eg. Using the Working Backwards Method for teaching a spinning back kick.

1) Show your students how the complete technique works.
2) Go to the step immediately preceding the impact of the kick. In this case it would be when your back is facing the target, and your kicking leg is raised ready to strike.
3) Teach the kick from this stance making sure the kick goes direct to the target.
4) Then go to the step immediately preceding the last. In this case it would be the step before the final kick. i.e. the spin.
5) Teach your students how to go from their fighting stance into the spin without actually doing the kick.
6) Get your students to practice each of the steps in sequence with a slight pause at each step so that they understand the importance of each step alone and as part of the sequence.
7) Now practice the technique as a whole.

In this example, if you were to teach a spinning back kick in one movement, your students would not understand where they are to be immediately preceding the impact. And frequently they will pick up their legs at the wrong time and miss the target. Not to mention lose balance and often fall over.

However, teaching this way ensures they understand each part. You're probably thinking that the spin is now wasted because we are pausing at each step and the technique is disjointed. Yes, it is at this stage. But remember we are teaching from scratch.

Once you are happy with the technique in stages, you might need to modify it in order to get a better flow. This will be the time to point out some of the finer details.

3. Variety is the Spice of Karate.
Different students want to be taught different things. Some just want to fight all day long. Some want to work on kata. Some want to learn more self defence techniques.

Of course there is a syllabus and you need to make sure you teach everything in that syllabus. No doubt your students need to be prepared for there next grading. However, it's quite often a good idea to break your class into 3-4 sections.

Do some basics, do some self defense, do some fighting, do some fitness work, etc. This helps your students stay enthused in your class. For most people it is very difficult to work on one thing for an hour or two and stay motivated. On average people can stay focused on something for 15 - 20 minutes before they lose their focus.

4. Two Points Per Class Section.
Work on 2 points per class section, not 10-20. Often when we first teach, we are so eager to teach so much. Sometimes we try to cram in 5 years of what we know into 60 minutes! It's not going to happen.

When teaching new techniques or drills, pick 2 things you wish to work on for that part of your class and stick to it. You will then give your students plenty of time to work on each without overloading them. You don't want to rush through your class, trying to force students to learn more than what you have time for. This will simply frustrate you because you don't have time to explain it all. It will also frustrate your students because they do not have enough time to learn.

For instance a simple class structure might be as follows.
0 - 5 mins - Warm Up
5 - 20 mins - Basic Technique
20 - 35 mins - New Fighting Combinations - 2 New Applications
35 - 50 mins - Self Defence Application - 2 New Defences
50 - 60 mins - Stretch & Cool Down

Both you and your students will benefit from this simple rule.

5. Speak Clearly and Concisely.
Karate is a difficult thing to learn. And you don't want to make it more difficult for anyone by speaking softly. Firstly it will appear to some students that you are not confident in what you are teaching.

Secondly a student might not feel comfortable in asking you to repeat yourself when they don't hear you. Their understanding of what you want may not be what you intended. So please, speak clearly and loudly.

Some instructors talk more than others. You need to find what works best for you and your students. Some students prefer lots of technical information and some like to just work hard.

Remember, the number one reason students begin karate is for self defence. The second reason is for fitness. Both of these require students actually doing something physical. Not just sitting there listening for 55 minutes of your 1 hour class.

Explanation is critical when teaching. However, try to be concise. After your class, ask yourself how you could have said less but still have got the message across. This will help you and give your class more time to physically work. If you are blabbing on and repeating yourself, your students will become unfocussed and bored.

6. Count Slowly!
When teaching basic technique you must make sure you give your students enough time to complete their technique. This is critical. If you rush your count, your students rush their technique to keep up. This results in poor form and frustration.

As you are counting, watch your students. Are they struggling? Or are they yawning? It will be up to you to regulate the count. And as simple as this seems it is one of the things that new instructors get wrong all the time. Like anything in karate, it takes time and practice.

7. Demonstrate Everything.
By actually demonstrating everything you want out of your students, you will also save time. Why? This way everyone will know exactly what you want right from the beginning.

It's also really important to show full technique when you teach. Don't assume that your class will know what you mean. Some simply won't hear you, so by demonstrating everything with full extension on your technique, you increase the opportunity for you class to understand what you are teaching.

8. Time Patterns.
Here is a real secret for you and your students for remembering what they have learned. In his outstanding book, "Use Your Memory" Tony Buzan explains this best.

"First you retain more of what you have learned after a few minutes have passed since the end of your learning period; second, you lose 80 per cent of the detail you have learned within 24 hours of having learned it. The rise is beneficial, so you want to make use of it; the decline can be disastrous, so you usually need to make sure that it does not happen."

He goes on to explain the concept of Review and Repetition in detail. The entire process is outside the scope of this article; however the basics are as follows.

The timing of reviews of learned information should be based on calendar cycles for the most recall. i.e. days, weeks, months, years, etc. This has been scientifically tested and proven.

So how do you apply this to karate?
Your first review of what you taught in class should be 10 minutes after you have finished. Of course this is not always possible because people leave after your class is over. However, if you structure you class so that your students are learning for most of it and then you finish with fitness work, meditation or stretching then you will have time for a quick review before you finish your class.

The second review should take place one day after. The third a week after and the fourth review a month after. The fifth review at six months, then the next at one year. This is the minimum you should do in order to remember something.

Again this can be difficult for students to learn and instructors to teach because students may or may not train on the chosen days for the review. This is why it's important for both you and your students to keep a journal of everything you learn or teach and review it regularly in your own time.

This is the key to your students improving quickly. Review and Repetition.

9. Be Patient.
While you have similar types of people in your class, each person in your class is unique. Students may have health considerations. Some may be restricted in movement. Some people might lack confidence and some might be uncoordinated. There is no good or bad, worse or better. There are just differences.

As an instructor you need to be able to identify the reasons why students may or may not be able to achieve what you are teaching. Don't be disheartened when you do not see results immediately. It takes time and it takes practice. Be patient.

10. If You Can't Do It, Don't Teach It!
Never try to teach something that you yourself cannot do. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and it is your strengths that you should teach to others.

If you teach something you're unsure about, you will become unstuck. Students ask questions for one reason - they do not understand and would like to know more. This means you need to be prepared. You need to have more answers than they have questions! If not, then your credibility as a teacher diminishes.

Make sure you are competent. You need to be able to explain and answer any questions that might be thrown your way. You also need to be able to demonstrate.

If you cannot do a hook kick properly, do not teach it!

In closing...
I hope this brief article has been of interest and value to you. I hope it can inspire you to try new things or reinforce those beliefs that you currently have. When you first begin to teach, you first begin to really learn.

If you are unsure about teaching or don't feel confident, I suggest you bite the bullet and give it a shot. This will improve your self confidence and better your understanding of your karate.

If there is more than one instructor at your club, tell your Sensei that you have aspirations to teach. Ask your Sensei if you can sub instruct a class with them. More often than not, they will be pleased that you are interested in helping out.

The benefits to you as a teacher of karate are endless. Not only will you be able to help others improve, but you will gain a better understanding of your own karate technique.

Jason Stanley
www.karatetips.com

References; Use Your Memory - Tony Buzan.