Busy teaching not training

[JoanneDisFan]

My question is how do you make sure your training, and not just teaching?

Now here is some back story to my situation. I've previously trained in Wado Kai Karate up in Canada and moved down to Arkansas over 15 years ago. I have a Brown belt in the Wado Kai (3 years training). Since then I have trained in a mixed club that used jeet kun do, and tae kwon do (2 yrs independent club) and earned my shodan, and also trained in shorin ryu karate (18 months part of a very small association) and was awarded my shodan in that style. I have since left the association I was with and returned to teaching the Wado Kai (independent) which I have the most training in. I'm running a club that meets twice a week for 2 hours. First hour is mixed all ages, all ranks. 2nd hour is mostly adults and teen and those wanting to learn more. I'm getting lots of hours teaching in, but not much time in training. Add in the fact I'm not sure where to focus my energy in training. I'm out of shape, but not having a goal such as a belt testing has me floundering along.

Any advice?

[Zaine]

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

First thing's first I would build a curriculum. That would help you focus the classes and also help your students grow. Then I would set a testing schedule. Commit to having the possibility of a test ever X times a year on Y days. This does not mean that you will always test on those days, it just means that if you have somebody who is ready to be tested, that will be the day that you do it.

Now on to your first question. It's hard as an instructor to realize that we are actually learning when we teach. Try to keep a journal after every class and write down something that you learned that day. For example, if you learned a better way to explain some piece of Bunkai then you yourself have also learned. Otherwise try coming in early or staying late to do some solo training or, invite different students to that so that you can train.

[JoanneDisFan]

I have a curriculum and lesson plans. Plans are great so it gives a guideline, but we can change as needed. I've been teaching since 1997, (with a few breaks is there to have kids) so I'm comfortable with this aspect.

My struggle is making sure I take the time to get in some solo practice and what to focus on working on when I get the time. I am a stay at home mom, so I do have some time during the day if my little one is occupied with the tv or computer, but I'm frequently interrupted. Our club meets in a church gym so I don't always have access to the nice large space, but my living room is decent size that I can do most katas.

[Rateh]

I currently teach 25 hours per week. I find the best way to train is to pretend I am a student, and make a lesson plan as if I was teaching myself. I try and make sure the plan goes over the things I will be teaching the students the next week, to make sure I am sharp on that material.

[mal103]

I currently teach 25 hours per week. I find the best way to train is to pretend I am a student, and make a lesson plan as if I was teaching myself. I try and make sure the plan goes over the things I will be teaching the students the next week, to make sure I am sharp on that material.

But who corrects you? Unless you are soo good that you can self train or have been able to keep training everything properly, which I doubt.

If you havn't got the enthusiasm to do some training yourself then you have no place in trying to pass it on to students.

You need to urgently get back in the line in front of someone else, if there is nobody else then you need to find someone somewhere, even if its once a month for a day.

I trained under someone who gradually got worse at their own technique and skills, they ended up teaching rubbish or missing parts of Kata. When I started teaching the students that went in front of both of us were getting taught different things in the same system! I used to cringe when I was in the line and they showed bad technique. In the end I had to split and now train with a much better Sensei who has had to do a lot of corrections on me but has sharpened my skills. This i am then able to pass onto my students who have also noticed the difference in me and my lessons.

I complement this by working on Kata and line work myself during lunchtimes at work, this is fine to keep it fresh and work on lesson ideas but not a supplement for proper Dojo training.

I would say you have to teach/train equally, I am looking to move one of my teaching sessions so I can attend more training.

Even if you have been training for years I don't believe that you can just teach and not train (or just self train), you will eventually lose your technique, speed, skills and forget stuff that you will learn properly in a Dojo.

Please don't pass on your bad mistakes to anybody, there are enough people in McDojo's doing exactly that!!!

This is not meant as a personal attack but based on my experience of seeing fat, slow and useless instructors who have stopped training.

[JoanneDisFan]

Even if you have been training for years I don't believe that you can just teach and not train (or just self train), you will eventually lose your technique, speed, skills and forget stuff that you will learn properly in a Dojo.

I totally get this, but am currently between instructors. I still go to some workshops as time permits. I'm working on several angles to find a new instructor, including going back to the association in Canada, but the problem there is distance and very little chance of actual floor time in a dojo. It would mostly be skype calls and once a year workshops. I thought I had found a good alternative in a Shorin ryu organization located just 4 hours away, but that failed when he stopped teaching, about the time we joined the association, other than the occasional workshop. That and we were the only club in his association, which we found out after we joined him.

I want to find a good instructor that shares the same philosophy and am picky about who I associate under.

[mal103]

I want to find a good instructor that shares the same philosophy and am picky about who I associate under.

Absolutely. I ended up running my clubs alone as it makes it easier to choose who I train with and there is no politics, if someone states I have to join them to train with them then I go elsewhere. I am lucky I have some good Dojo's and some good Seniors nearby.

Good luck with your search, for now just be the best you can be, just being in a position of teaching should motivate you enough to keep training.

[Rateh]

I currently teach 25 hours per week. I find the best way to train is to pretend I am a student, and make a lesson plan as if I was teaching myself. I try and make sure the plan goes over the things I will be teaching the students the next week, to make sure I am sharp on that material.

But who corrects you? Unless you are soo good that you can self train or have been able to keep training everything properly, which I doubt.

If you havn't got the enthusiasm to do some training yourself then you have no place in trying to pass it on to students.

You need to urgently get back in the line in front of someone else, if there is nobody else then you need to find someone somewhere, even if its once a month for a day.

I trained under someone who gradually got worse at their own technique and skills, they ended up teaching rubbish or missing parts of Kata. When I started teaching the students that went in front of both of us were getting taught different things in the same system! I used to cringe when I was in the line and they showed bad technique. In the end I had to split and now train with a much better Sensei who has had to do a lot of corrections on me but has sharpened my skills. This i am then able to pass onto my students who have also noticed the difference in me and my lessons.

I complement this by working on Kata and line work myself during lunchtimes at work, this is fine to keep it fresh and work on lesson ideas but not a supplement for proper Dojo training.

I would say you have to teach/train equally, I am looking to move one of my teaching sessions so I can attend more training.

Even if you have been training for years I don't believe that you can just teach and not train (or just self train), you will eventually lose your technique, speed, skills and forget stuff that you will learn properly in a Dojo.

Please don't pass on your bad mistakes to anybody, there are enough people in McDojo's doing exactly that!!!

This is not meant as a personal attack but based on my experience of seeing fat, slow and useless instructors who have stopped training.

Sorry, but I think you completely miss-understood my comment. I do not train in class at the school as I am the highest rank and do not have a class to attend. But I am not the owner, just the head instructor. I have a master instructor above me, who I go to for technical advice, as well as watching when he teaches something and picking up on anything he says that I do not normally say.

[mal103]

Apologies, most of my reply was aimed at the original poster.... maybe I should have quoted them before I started rambling.

[sensei8]

Welcome to KF; glad you're here!!

My question is how do you make sure your training, and not just teaching?

Simple. You don't teach all of the time. Not every hour in a 24 hour day!

Besides, you're not teaching 24 hours a day. There's still plenty of time before and after classes to devote to your training. You don't have to train each and every second of the day...at times, I did. And when I did, I neglected my family at times and there's nothing I could do or say, after some time, to make it up with my family.

So, I train at home. I train before the dojo opens. I train between classes, but only if there's a time gap large enough to allow it and only if I've no other pressing business to attend. I train after I've closed the dojo.

But, it's a sensitive balance because I no longer put anything before family and family time. I don't train every single day because family needs me off the floor. My family understands my responsibilities to my dojo and to the Shindokan Hombu, and my family knows that my training is a essential part of my daily life and a very critical part of my MA journey; I MUST train. But, even a hard core training MAist, needs a break from time to time.

Balance...something that you'll have to work out.

Edited September 14, 2014 by sensei8