Gonna be teaching a self-defense seminar

[cross]

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!!

Dont get me wrong, im not suggesting that he should turn it into a lecture. You can discuss and learn this type of information without going over the top. To work on situational awareness actually do it. Do role-playing has Bushido_man mentioned, replicate scenarios, and actually practice avoiding and recognizing obstacles, watch out for multiple attackers etc.

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.

Perhaps there is some misunderstanding, the majority of my post alludes to doing something other than fighting the person. Its one thing to tell them to get away and run. The way they will be able to do this is by understanding why situations occur, how to spot warning signs and by doing the above mentioned drills. Not by standing there and practicing ju jitsu wrist escapes.

[evilgollum]

Thank you very much for the excellent feedback cross. You bring up some great points. I must confess, although experirenced in karate I have no real self-defense training. I am unable to refer the children to anyone else, since due to the small population of where I live there is no onw else able to teach. I understand and agree with many of the points you made, and I will make an effort to unclude this mental/mindset training as well as the escapes (most of the lock/grab escapes I will be teaching are very simple first-week-of-jujitsu kind of techniques, just things like twist hard and fast toward the thumb.)

I will make an effort to stress shouting out, calling attention to yourself, and avoiding dangerous situations.

[Sensei Rick]

Please let us know how you do!!! If ya need any help along the way, we're here for ya!!

[evilgollum]

First class was tonight, so if any of you are interested, here is how it went: I have a grid sent to me by a central office of Young American's Schools of Self-Defense (I wish I could just teach whatever I wanted, but that is still several years down the road) telling me what I am supposed to teach for each week. Week 1: High block, front kick, straight punch. Also: Run, Yell, and Tell. I taught them the basics of making a fist, rising block, front kick, and a basic punch, but I also talked about what to do if someone comes up and attacks them. I talked about throwing an arm up to reflexifvly block (something I did once, not on purpose but reflexively, that saved me from getting punched), and about how running away is always better than fighting. I ended up lecturing about the importance of running away as opposed to punching back quite a bit. Next week's "teaching grid" is the same thing, so I think that I will run some more excersizes where the kids are just walking along and they have to block someone who throws a punch and run away. It is really different working with kids so young. Teaching karate classes I had grade school kids before, but I had forgotten how poor 3rd and 4th graders are at paying attention.

I know that I am unable to give them as good of self-defense training as they could get from a trained self-defense specialist, but I am going to teach more than just karate punches, kicks, and blocks. I will stress escape techniques and mindset a lot.

[bushido_man96]

Sounds great. It is too bad that you have a forced curriculum to teach. The awareness teaching will pay off for you, I think.

As far as teaching blocks, I don't think I would worry too much about the little things, like making sure the other hand comes back by the ribs, etc. I would want that other hand up for blocking.

[Sensei Rick]

That's fantastic!! keep up the good work, and learnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!

[USCMAAI]

As stated by other post, keeping your techniques simple is one of the most important things. Just as important is concentrating on Environmental Awarness. Teaching people how to pay attention to what is happening around them is the key! Most assaults can be avoided this way. Teaching students when to leave or go get help is very important and should be stressed. Remember even 8 weeks of instruction is not enough, and you have to stress that continuous practice of techniques is very important (this also allows you the opportunity to offer follow up and advanced self-defense courses). Good luck