Huh?? What??

[sensei8]

Over the many untold years that I've been blessed to have graced the many floors of the MA, I've reached one conclusion about a fair amount of MA instructors, none particular and/or specific, just in general.

They don't speak where they can be understood when they're in the presence of fellow MAists, and even worse, with their own students!!

Are we, as instructors there to impress or are we there to teach effective MA effectively?? Well, impress your students that you can teach effective MA effectively!!

The spoken words can be a gift for the speaker, if used intelligible where the listener can understand. However, the spoken words can be a hindrance to the students because they didn't understand the words that came out of their instructors mouth. Might as well have been speaking in a foreign language.

Instructors who speak way over the heads of their students might as well not even speak at all; a picture might be worth a thousand words, in this case. Often times the instructor speaks with fancy garble in the hopes that they sound more intelligent then they really are. If instructors are showing off, including the use of very large words, then, imho, they've no right teaching anyone anything. Show off on your own time!!

Speak to the room! This saying means that you better know your audience, in this case, your students. They didn't come to learn 24 syllable words and their meanings, but they came to learn an effective way to defend themselves, loved ones, friends, and those who can't.

If I'm a professor of quantum physics and I'm speaking to fellow quantum physics, then by golly, I can speak to that room. But if I'm a quantum physics and I'm speaking to, well, me, please speak to me in plain language, and if need be, speak to me as though I've not a clue as to what you're saying about quantum physics; speak to the layperson.

Don't speak to your students as though they're unintelligent; that's uncalled for and it's also uncalled for to speak to your students with words that muddle the air with confusion.

Albeit, speak to the room with clarity, and this also means that just because you're teaching a seminar to a group of Yudansha's/Black Belts, that doesn't mean that you can speak to them in terms that they'll understand unless they've got a dictionary hear by to reference.

Speaking theory, methodologies, ideologies, and the like doesn't take words that not everyone can understand, and to not appear unintelligent, the listener will say that they understand when they really don't, This approach doesn't do any level of student any good at all.

If your listener(s) are looking at you like a deer does when it's caught in your high-beams, or like a calf who looks at a strange gate with confusion, well, better dial it down to where everyone's on the same page.

Learning is dependent on understanding across the board!! Keep the spoken words and the demonstrational instructions short and sweet, but crisp and clear!!

Your/their/my students deserve much more than that.

[sensei8]

Many Senior Dan's are the more prone to explain techniques in such a way that a student will be required to have a dictionary and a thesaurus and a medical/anatomy book with them so that they can understand what's being explained.

Example, instead of tibia, why can't they just say shinbone? I don realize that "things" have technical names, but, I believe that the student might better understand said technique(s) if we instructors would keep it simple. The MA is already hard enough to learn!!

Why is it, in your opinion, that instructors, especially Senior Dan's, feel that they need to, while explaining techniques, use very large words??

Is it make themselves seem more important and/or smarter than those whom they're teaching??

[Wastelander]

I suspect that many of them do not do this on purpose--they have simply researched things so in-depth, and have explained them so many times, that they try to find ways to explain that they find interesting. Of course, there are still plenty instructors out there who use big words and complicated phrasing to make themselves feel smarter. The trick is figuring out which is which. Usually, the first group have something valuable to teach, and the second group want you to believe they have something valuable to teach.

[DWx]

I suspect that many of them do not do this on purpose--they have simply researched things so in-depth, and have explained them so many times, that they try to find ways to explain that they find interesting. Of course, there are still plenty instructors out there who use big words and complicated phrasing to make themselves feel smarter. The trick is figuring out which is which. Usually, the first group have something valuable to teach, and the second group want you to believe they have something valuable to teach.

I'd agree that this is probably the case. Also I think not all do it on purpose either. Especially if you have educated yourself on the topic to the point that using full terminology is what comes naturally to you. You're probably not aware you're doing it and that nobody else is following you. I had quite a few lecturers at university who'd may as well have been speaking a foreign language for all I understood. Not necessarily doing it to seem clever or intelligent they were just enthusiastically sharing their topic and didn't realise that others weren't understanding words they used day-in day-out.

Heck I've even had similar scenarios at work. When I first started at my job (I sell chemicals for a living), I spent weeks trying to figure out what on earth was meant by "the ACE market". All these customers kept saying it to me and I'd just nod along pretending I understood. About a month in I finally saw it written as "Agricultural, Construction and Earthmoving", so they basically meant diggers and tractors! But of course saying ACE made sense to them and they understood it because they used it all the time.

Also using big or technical words so to speak can actually be a person unintentionally trying to distance themselves from their audience. There's actually a whole field of study in language/psychology relating to it; it's called Communication Accommodation Theory and you've highlighted the Divergence aspect where people accentuate the differences in speech such as speaking using technical terms to highlight differences in power or authority or identity. It's not always a conscious thing. Further reading in case you're interested, the irony is that the article is probably a good example of the use of technical terms that the majority of us won't understand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_accommodation_theory#Divergence

Speak to the room! This saying means that you better know your audience, in this case, your students.

This really is key. Not just for martial arts instructors and the like but really for all aspects of life. Again this is something I personally have become more aware of largely through my job in sales. Always assess and speak to your audience and try to pick up whether the other person(s) are actually taking in what you are saying. My mantra is that if in doubt:

• 1. Keep it simple
   
  2. Keep it short
   
  3. Say it 3 times

[devil dog]

I don't feel that they are trying to make themselves feel more important or trying to come off like they are smarter that their students.

I assume by senior Dan's you mean Kodansha (Nanadan to Judan). If this is the case you have to realize that often times these are the instructors that are teaching the Yudansha who are themselves teachers.

When you get to a certain level the generic names are replaced with more technical words.

I had a teacher years ago when I was in the Corps that taught the Yudansha classes and had his assistants teaching the Mudansha classes. Our instructor was ill for about two weeks and he filled in for our classes. He was brilliant and highly skilled but I doubt very seriously any of us learned much of anything.

This would have been the classes of a life time if any of us could have followed what he was saying. He often times got frustrated with us and just told us to work on our Kata because he had lost the touch of teaching those that did not have the foundational knowledge to be able to understand the words he was using and the explaination of techniques he was trying to teach us. He was just on a different plain.

I have had this same problem. When you are teaching those that teach you tend to go into less detail because they already have the basic foundations. When you switch and start to teach those that haven't the first clue then it is up to the instructor to be able to not only spot their students blank stares (because most will not tell you they have no idea what you just said) but also to be able to include those things you expect your Yudansha to already know.

I have caught myself doing this and if your really paying attention you'll hear the crickets and see the blank stares.

Of course their are those that do this as a means of showing their students that they are smarter but I think this is less the case in most instances.

Now the instructors that talk as if wispering to a mouse is a whole seperate issue in my mind. These individuals should not be teaching. I believe this is an indication of two things; one lack of knowledge of the subject and two lack of self confidence which could be because of the first. Then there are those that get very quiet when in front of other Yudansha or Sensei. These are the instructors to stay away from. If you try to keep the same or higher ranks from hearing your lessons that usually means you are a fraud.

Personally I find it hard to understand how these individuals are awarded an instructors license.

I have visited other styles and schools in the past and have experienced these instructors. I have on occcasion walked up to the instructor and respectfully said that the students can not hear the instructions and ask them to speak up. Some do and you find out that they are just soft spoken but some do not and these are the individuals that do not belong teaching. If you can not speak loud enough and clearly enough for your students in the back to hear you, much less the ones in the front of class, then you lack in confidence and that is usually because you haven't the first clue of what you speak of or you do not know if what you are teaching is correct.

We actually have all of our aspiring Sensei teach in front of several classes while being monitored by their instructor and then in front of the board of instructors. They all get told to speak up if anyone can not hear or understand their directions. If told more than once we figure that either they lack the confidence to teach in front of others or that they do not know the subject that they have been asked to teach. Either way they are not granted their instructors license until they can prove that they have the self confidence to do so. If you do not have confidence in what you are teaching it is impossible for your students to have any confidence. This is a recipe for disaster and will lead to students that are not confident in the techniques, their instructor or themselves. Thats if they can hear enough to learn anything in the first place.

IMHO it's easy to spot an instructor with a lack of knowledge. They get louder when they feel confident in what they are teaching and quiet when they lack in confidence or knowledge of what they are teaching.

Just my 2 cents.

[sensei8]

Great replies, all; thank you, everyone!! Please keep them coming!!

[Archimoto]

Thanks Sensei8, great topic.

Now that you mention it I think there are two types of instructors, those who want to teach, and then there are those who want to be the ones teaching. I think the latter has a hard time keeping it simple. Your thoughts?

[sensei8]

Thanks Sensei8, great topic.

Now that you mention it I think there are two types of instructors, those who want to teach, and then there are those who want to be the ones teaching. I think the latter has a hard time keeping it simple. Your thoughts?

In short, I believe that you've hit the nail square right on its head!!

Just teach, and don't worry about trying to appear like something that one isn't. I'm not a professor of anything, and therefore, I don't try to appear like I am in both actions as well as in the spoken words.

Just teach!! Explain the technique(s) to me in terms that I can understand. Having said that, students, if you don't understand, raise your hand, or whatever protocol is appropriate, and tell the CI/Sensei that you don't.

I've told my Dai-Soke more times than I can remember that I needed him to speak to me as though I'm the dumbest person on the planet. Use pictures, if necessary or use GI Joe's or use chalk and paper...use something until my "aha" light comes on. He was a MA genius, and I'm an idiot next to him, but I tried. So, he dummied down at times for me until I caught up and got on the same page as he was.

As I've said before...Not all BB's can teach!!

[bushido_man96]

Its great to be able to get together with a few of the people that you know you can really get to expounding on the Martial Arts. Its easy to get carried away, too. An instructor has to constantly check himself with the audience he is speaking with, and make sure he isn't going over too many heads. Save the real good stuff for those that will appreciate it.

[Harkon72]

This illustrates a fact that some overlook; A person may be an outstanding Martial Artist, but they can't teach it. Another may be a mediocre Martial Artist but a fantastic teacher. I know that most of us are led by example, and that many need to see, feel and experience the essence of the art they are being taught; but the paradox of the artist/teacher compatibility does exist, monkey see, monkey do; yet some monkeys can't be taught, while others make poor masters.