Long classes?

[JusticeZero]

I'm only going to really be able to teach once a week or so. Does anyone have any thoughts on long (4+ hour) classes?

[sensei8]

The longer the better, but, I'm a freak in that. I imagine it's more if the student will be able to have that much time available in their schedule or not. I'd tend to think that they'd not have that much time in their schedule to do 4 hour blocks.

Overall average might be 2 hours. 2 hours is easier to arrange into ones schedule than 4 hours.

Either way, it's something that's not been ventured before and it might be worth trying...or...your students will die trying...or quit because you're trying to kill them.

In closing, teaching 2 times a week for 2 hours each would be more doable, imho.

Good luck and let us know what happens?

[Throwdown0850]

I'm only going to really be able to teach once a week or so. Does anyone have any thoughts on long (4+ hour) classes?

4 hours is way too long imo.. If your classes were anything like mine were then respect for you man if you can go 4 hours....wow

[Grego]

my classes are two hours or so, maybe longer.

However, when you have people that do Karate during free time....well, its alot easier to find two hours twice a week than it is to find four hours once a week.

[joesteph]

Since you did say "or so," could it be two two-hour sessions, perhaps a week night and a Saturday morning?

Or would you have a Saturday with one two-hour morning session and one two-hour afternoon session, but expecting that these are students who can come only one day a week themselves? It would likely be composed of adults with time crunches but MA desire.

EDIT: I'm referring to two separate classes. A student would likely be taking just one of these. A self-defense JuJitsu class I'd taken earlier this year was only once a week, on Saturday mornings, lasting an hour-and-a-half, and I profited by it.

Edited April 13, 2009 by joesteph

[tallgeese]

I think it'd be tough. Aside for the cardio componant of keeping going for that long you have to look at a mental loss of intensity and concentration over that time frame.

[Throwdown0850]

I think it'd be tough. Aside for the cardio componant of keeping going for that long you have to look at a mental loss of intensity and concentration over that time frame.

Exactly..

[JusticeZero]

When I look at my schedule and the committed schedule of the studio I have use of - the owner has TKD classes 5-8 pm every weekday, and I have to buy food for my family - I find that I have... Either Saturday, or Sunday. I can only do both -sometimes-. But I have pretty much as much of that day as I want.

[bushido_man96]

I would tend to agree with tallgeese. If you plan to train that long, then watching intensity levels and how tired the students get will be very important. Also, planning the classes will be important, as you will want to handle highly technical stuff early on, when the students are fresh, and work more on conditioning or whatnot toward the end.

Could you do a class during the week, after 8:00 pm? That might be a better solution to one 4 hour class. Then, you can have two classes.

[tallgeese]

If you're going to do a big block like that, or have no choice, then I'd break for about 15 min each hour and radically alter the focus of training after each break.

So, maybe (and just using an example form what I do), start with some mitt work and drills for hour one, maybe some light sparring DRILLS. For hour two, move to grappling work. This will flow pretty nice from the stand up. For block three, I'd switch gears and go for some knife/club work. Striking and cutting, locking, offense, defense- run the gambit and get the mind working along differnt paths. Then, for block four, I'd get some standing jj work in for a finish. If you're up for it, you could do simulation sparring here or attack/defend drills to fininsh on a higher cardio note.

You can see how the mental focus changes with each hour, that will help keep it fresh. Don't get me wrong, I still think its an uphill battle. But left with that optioin, I'd try something along those lines. I'd also switch up the order frequently to keep it from becoming routine.