My first student

[Daisho]

So I just took on my first student for traditional Jujutsu / Judo /Aikido. When I first began my training it was alot of footwork tai sabake, and I wanted to stress early on the importance of learning and maintaining your neutral distance. To teach my student that when she decides to enter within that neutral area she's given between herself and an opponent, it's with purpose and explosiveness.

However aside from my sensei's constant insistance on maintaining your distance at every moment in the dojo, and some hopping around to teach me to immeadiately find my "safe" distance each class, I wanted to know if anyone had any ideas on other training techniques to really get that point across to my new student.

Because of her small size, I really want this understanding to become a part of her instinctual muscle memory, as in close combat she'd need to have initiative and room to generate power for any positive outcome.

Anyone teaching anything similar that could share some ideas. My sensei feels the training classes between me and my student will take on a life of their own, and she'll learn that which she should through my patience and empathy. I understand what he means, but I really would like to incorporate a tried and true exercise to help in this process. Anyway, to make a long story short, I know boxers regularly train in finding their distances, but am not having any luck finding info on how they go about that.

Thank you very much for your time =)

[ironsifu]

congratulations! lol i just signed up my first new student for my new location a few hours ago. feels great doesnt it?

little do they know, they just made history.... make sure you photocopy the check, and frame the application!

[bushido_man96]

I think practicing striking practice will help this. Let them start out slow at first, and then gradually pick up the pace as they are able to control the distance and speed. Have one partner just stand and present a target, and let the other practice the techniques, and see how they need to adjust. Eventually, they'll figure out their spots.

Congrats on your first student!

[unknownstyle]

i agree with bushido man since i started out striking it made it alot easier to figure out distancing in throws and controlling techniques. i dont know what type of striking you incorparate. but one thing i do know works is if your student gets to close you throw a front kick at them to show that they are in you striking area

[tallgeese]

Agreed, striking will make the understanding of the distance gap much easier.

You can also set up free-for drills to instill this. From a striking standpoint, glover up and try to hit her. Make her defend with proper body movment and maybe some accessory hand motions. A few rounds of t his everynow and agian will help show her the distance gap theory in practice.

You can also do the same thing by grabbing. Start in a tight posture and grab her wrist (im working off the premis that your talking about standing jj here) , she can then execute a basic defense of some sort. Then start backing away to show her the drop in effectiveness when the arms become too extended. Now that she's at a range, have her avoid the grab all together (I usually use the same circular motion that is used for ecapes and tuite set ups). This will help her understand the extent of a basic (very) grappling range. As she progresses along, depeding on your system, you can incoportate any number of attacks, up to and including attempts to body lock or shoot and add them to the drill. It's really useful for making peopel understand shere the gaps extend to.

Now for penetrating those gaps with commitment, I'd start with the above drills. Once she has them down, start calling out a command to engage. She then needs to decisively penetrate with either a strike or entry to grappling depeding on the direction you systems leans to.

I often use this same kind of thing while sparring. If I'm watching someone being too hesitant and simply covering and soaking shots, I'll yell in to attack. Then, if they are listening to their trainer, they'll crash the gap and go. This too can be set up as a drill.

Just some ideas that you might be able to adapt.

[Daisho]

wow, thank you for taking the time to reply Ironsifu, congrats on your first student as well! I've been excited for this experience for the past year, but now I feel like a bundle of nerves lol. Probably would be more confident would it have been a male student though. For this girl's size, I really feel I need to narrow down the training to stress potent openers, and give her tools to negate a more powerful attacker.

I think an early emphasis on striking and and grab defense is excellent advice for teaching her to find her distance. I was just a bit worried that the repetition of her learning striking combos might lock that into her muscle memory.

as many times as I've repeated the same techniques, it's definitely weird how much more you analyze every part of each movement when you're thinking about teaching it to someone else. it's like I could incorporate the techniques effectively when called upon to, but planning on teaching them is forcing me to really understand the purpose of the technique. I haven't been this excited about my art in a loooong time

[Daisho]

im working off the premis that your talking about standing jj here

our JJ is derived from our kenjutsu, just minus the sword. So it's decisive movement to close distance (usually a strike), followed by immediate takedown, or should the person be armed as well, aikido styled grabs to control the weapon weilding hand.

btw, your post was very helpful, and much appreciated

[tallgeese]

Glad it was helpful. Good luck with your first student.