Gonna be teaching a self-defense seminar

[evilgollum]

I'm going to be teaching a self-defense class to elementary, junior high, and high school kids. I've done shotokan karate for several years, but I have learned bits and pieces of kung fu, jujitsu/judo and taichi. I imagine that I will rely mostly on a combination of jujitsu and karate techniques, heavily favoring the jujitsu.

I was just wondering is people had some general advice for me. This is my first time teach a self-defense seminar (I'm a first year college student) and, although I have taught kids before in karate classes, I don't think I have ever taught such a diverse crowd age-wise. Any tips?

[Sensei Rick]

As a fellow student of shotokan you know that one day has little meaning. I can only say that you need a philosophy for your class. Our company uses "break free and RUN!!!" talk about simple release techniques and getting the heck outta there. better to live and fight another day. Also concentrate on simple striking points, eyes, ears, nose throat and of course, between the legs. Come up with your own clever phrase that they can remember like, if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. How ever you feel about that phrase it worked and 15 years later I bet you can remember what it's from. GOOD LUCK!

[bushido_man96]

Good luck with your class!

Keep in mind what Rick said, with keeping it simple. I wouldn't get into knife disarms or anything tricky like that. Some general awareness and safety stuff would be good for them.

As for techinques, I would not venture to propose anything. Everyone has different ideas on self-defense methods, so I would not venture anything there. Nor do I really have the experience to do so comfortably.

[evilgollum]

Perhaps I should have been more specific. This is not going to be a one-time class, but a once a week class which will go on for about 8 weeks.

I do indeed plan to repeat simple and easy-to-remember phrases, as well as focus on a few weak point of the body. The philosophy is this a bit rough still (I don't want to encourage the kids with the shotokan philosphy of 'hit them first, but only if they are going to hit you,' becuase it is a bit tricky to get the details of it, and it could easily be misunderstood and used to initiate fights where none would otherwise occur.) but it will be focused mostly on a, evade/break the grip and escape concept, with offensive techniques used only for distracting an assailant (or of course for damgin him/her if it is a very serious situation).

Conincidentaly, while my self-defense class will be on Mon evenings, I plan to be taking aikido on Wed evenings. From what I've heard of it, I think I should be able to use quite a bit from the aikido class in the self-defense class.

Thanks for the advice, and please, keep it coming. Just looking for whatever general tips you all have.

[Sensei Rick]

Well, decide what you want them to know at the END of eight weeks and work backwards from there. Teach simple kicks. Front snap, front push and knee kick. You can teach round house but don’t be too critical on form. Concentrate on hammer fists, knees and elbows. Simple escapes involving dropping block are effective and easy to learn. Tell them to say stranger and fire rather than help. Tell them to raise a fuss in public if a stranger has them. Tell them if the stranger tells them their name it isn’t good enough; tell the little ones that their parents must know the person for them not to be a stranger. Anything else????

[Chuilli, Kyo Sah Nim]

we do seminars all the time...and its all about

K I S S

e t i t

e m u

p p p

l i

e d

theses people dont know the arts like you do, so keep it simple. and have fun with them. good luck

[cross]

When reading this post please dont take offense. I am not posting this with any malice or disrespect intended. Rather i have a genuine concern that the approach it appears you will be taking with the classes will offer little to average self defense skills at best.

I do indeed plan to repeat simple and easy-to-remember phrases, as well as focus on a few weak point of the body. The philosophy is this a bit rough still (I don't want to encourage the kids with the shotokan philosphy of 'hit them first, but only if they are going to hit you,' becuase it is a bit tricky to get the details of it, and it could easily be misunderstood and used to initiate fights where none would otherwise occur.) but it will be focused mostly on a, evade/break the grip and escape concept, with offensive techniques used only for distracting an assailant (or of course for damgin him/her if it is a very serious situation).

The physical portion is very small when it comes to self defense. If you spend the majority of the time working on physical responses (which is the impression that i get from your post), then you are focusing attention in the wrong area. The "how to avoid confrontations", "how to effectively defuse an aggressive situation", "why do these situations commonly occur", "what is going to happen to your own body when you are placed under large amounts of stress and how can you use this to your advantage" are all things that need to be covered in a fair amount of detail before you get to the physical if you are serious about teaching these kids applicable self defense skills.

By that im not suggesting you follow the common trend of most schools where you begin by saying "always avoid violent situations if you can and be aware of your surroundings. Now ill show you how to kick".

So the genuine advice i would like to offer you(assuming you dont already have all the needed information and ability to teach the above mentioned) is to refer the class to someone else who specializes in teaching self defense. Whilst i have no doubt that you are a highly skilled martial artist, keep in mind that martial arts often dont translate to real self defense. Sure they have alot of similarities, but so does being a vet and being a doctor.

In the event that you cant refer the class to someone else, then you may be able to find enough information to get you through. Here is a good place to start:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

When you are offering the service of teaching self defense, you have a duty of care to the consumer. To give them anything less than the best, most current information, or purely focusing on the physical is not adequately fulfilling that duty.

With respect,

Cross.

[Montana]

When reading this post please dont take offense. I am not posting this with any malice or disrespect intended. Rather i have a genuine concern that the approach it appears you will be taking with the classes will offer little to average self defense skills at best.

I do indeed plan to repeat simple and easy-to-remember phrases, as well as focus on a few weak point of the body. The philosophy is this a bit rough still (I don't want to encourage the kids with the shotokan philosphy of 'hit them first, but only if they are going to hit you,' becuase it is a bit tricky to get the details of it, and it could easily be misunderstood and used to initiate fights where none would otherwise occur.) but it will be focused mostly on a, evade/break the grip and escape concept, with offensive techniques used only for distracting an assailant (or of course for damgin him/her if it is a very serious situation).

The physical portion is very small when it comes to self defense. If you spend the majority of the time working on physical responses (which is the impression that i get from your post), then you are focusing attention in the wrong area. The "how to avoid confrontations", "how to effectively defuse an aggressive situation", "why do these situations commonly occur", "what is going to happen to your own body when you are placed under large amounts of stress and how can you use this to your advantage" are all things that need to be covered in a fair amount of detail before you get to the physical if you are serious about teaching these kids applicable self defense skills.

By that im not suggesting you follow the common trend of most schools where you begin by saying "always avoid violent situations if you can and be aware of your surroundings. Now ill show you how to kick".

So the genuine advice i would like to offer you(assuming you dont already have all the needed information and ability to teach the above mentioned) is to refer the class to someone else who specializes in teaching self defense. Whilst i have no doubt that you are a highly skilled martial artist, keep in mind that martial arts often dont translate to real self defense. Sure they have alot of similarities, but so does being a vet and being a doctor.

In the event that you cant refer the class to someone else, then you may be able to find enough information to get you through. Here is a good place to start:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

When you are offering the service of teaching self defense, you have a duty of care to the consumer. To give them anything less than the best, most current information, or purely focusing on the physical is not adequately fulfilling that duty.

With respect,

Cross.

100% in agreement here! IMO, teaching anything physical to people in a short course on self-defense is wasting not only their time and money, but yours as well. Two weeks after the course is completed, 98% of the people won't remember what was taught, and won't have the muscle memory ingrained nearly well enough to use what they learned. A waste of time. Teaching them how to avoid conflict and defuse a conflict can last them a liftime.

[bushido_man96]

Since you will have the time, do role-playing in each of the sessions. Do some research on what the popular forms of attack are, and then role-play. Role-play everything, from the approach, to the attacks, the defenses, etc. Whatever you do, don't do anything that is going to give these kids a false sense of security. Explain the reality behind the situations of being attacked, whether it be by a bully, or a kidnapper.

[Sensei Rick]

The physical portion is very small when it comes to self defense. If you spend the majority of the time working on physical responses (which is the impression that i get from your post), then you are focusing attention in the wrong area. The "how to avoid confrontations", "how to effectively defuse an aggressive situation", "why do these situations commonly occur", "what is going to happen to your own body when you are placed under large amounts of stress and how can you use this to your advantage" are all things that need to be covered in a fair amount of detail before you get to the physical if you are serious about teaching these kids applicable self defense skills.

He mentions that he is teaching kids, including elementary kids. Some of these things you mention only come with life experience. He is totally qualified to teach this seminar...... even a non martial artist can teach this. I suggest you google "project safe sheild". It's a highly researched and effective CHILDRENS safety awareness course. When teaching these things you must be able to get into the kids simple things they can remember. Your talking about things here that will bore them to death and may inhibit there learning.

I agree with much of what you say in your post and the website you mentioned is good too. But I believe you can give these students good value and good lessons without delving into fight or flinght responses via Dr. Fernandez!!

In as much of what you say is good, it seems that you are dicounting teaching kids to get away and run. Self defense situations leave very little time for this much thought process and all that thinking stiffles your responses. I love the keep it simple.

I remember my sensei telling me a story of a man (soto I beleive) who was a great judo practitioner and was the last person to recieve his black belt from Kano as I recall. When asked how many judo throws he knows he replied 8. Now, he knew all the throws in the judo cirriculum but, he only used the 8 that worked for him. Now I may have some of the facts wrong but the point of the story is the same. Keep it simple SIR!!

Everyone so far has made great points, and gullum you have much to think about. Go ahead and do it, you never learn anything by not trying, just ask Tom Edison about that. Your future classes will get better and better as you go along. If i've learned anything from teaching, it's that I learn as much from my students as they do from me. I wish you success!

ps. Great points bushido man!