Students criticising my class

[WorldKarateka12345]

Hello,

I am new here and think this forum is exactly what I need in order to receive some guidance.

I teach a junior class within a small club, I have about 20 students aged from 7 to 12. I train them and the main club instructor (my sensei) grades them, he sees them in class a little and invites some of them to do the first half of his class.

Recently, some of the students in the senior class, who are late teenage and on their 20s, have been criticising the standard of the junior class and newer members of the senior class.

I take it as a personal insult regarding the juniors and I am fully aware that I shouldn't and that is a personal flaw I need to work on (any advise on this would be appreciated )

However I also think that it is an insult and disrespectful to our senior instructor. He has been training for over 40 years and knows what he is doing. If he thinks they are good enough to wear their belts then out of respect that shouldn't be questioned. He's not the type to pass people for no and stands by the moto "it's a marathon, not a sprint". The students who are criticising are also complaining about the way our main instructor is running his class. I am adamant that he is doing nothing different and would not and is not focusing on newer members.

I was wondering if anyone can offer any advice on how to deal with this. I don't want to go in heavy handed and say if you don't like it leave, I would like them to be more respectful and understand that they were not always the standard they currently are. I remember them all as young grades and we treated them the same as we do our junior grades now. They have the perception that standards have dropped and the current junior grades are miles away from where they were at the same grade.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

[liger]

First as you said do not let these kids get under your skin. Letting yourself get angry about it means you have already lost.

Perhaps sit them down and have a question/answer session to get to the exact reason why they are criticizing. Then you may be able to answer there frustrations and yours. I would recommend a good book on karate by Gechin Funakashi. Karate-Do My way of life it has some very good perspectives on karate that may help this situation. It may be a good read for them especially if they are older. Upper belts should be respectful and understanding how ever if they have an issue with something they should be able to go to you and voice and talk out there problems in a non disrespectful way.

I am not an instructor just an upper belt. If anything helps let me know.

[DWx]

First of all welcome to the forum WorldKarateka12345

My feeling would be to sit down and have a chat with your senior instructor about it. You can name names if you want or just be more generalized with it but make sure he knows how you're feeling and what you've experienced. Hopefully he'll then take the offenders to one side to discuss or if not, have a general discussion with the class about it. You've just got to carry on regardless and keep your own standard high.

[Lupin1]

Ahhh, the old "in my day, we had higher standards!" routine.

Explain to them that the younger belts have the same standards they did and that they're remembering it differently. Bring up a comparison of their parents saying school was harder in their day or kids behaved better or something like that.

Things get changed around in our memories. What looks "too easy" to them now seemed harder when they were first learning it and it seems harder to the kids learning it now. It just looks too easy to your advance students because to them now, it IS easy stuff.

As teenagers, they're probably experiencing this phenomenon for the first time, but it's something that happens a lot in different arenas as you go through life (as in some of my examples above).

Sit them down and explain that to them. Then if that doesn't work, do what my instructor does and tell them when they're instructors and teach their own classes, they can set the standards. Until then-- your class, your rules.

[Luther unleashed]

There will always be somebody to criticize te standard of another martial arts studio. ALWAYS! I think that the important thing is to address attitude right away, I make students do push-ups, and if teu don't correct the problem they do more push-ups and I let them know they can do push-ups all class long if tet like, up to them. It nips it in the bud right away.

I have about a year of assistant teaching experience and have taught on my own for going on 7 months now FYI. You can always talk after class, and YOU SHOULD but in class that is my way. I always follow up after class though to address why they were doing push-ups, and let them know I want to see better, and let them know what I see them doing good at, to encourage them.

Good luck.

[sensei8]

First of all welcome to the forum WorldKarateka12345

My feeling would be to sit down and have a chat with your senior instructor about it. You can name names if you want or just be more generalized with it but make sure he knows how you're feeling and what you've experienced. Hopefully he'll then take the offenders to one side to discuss or if not, have a general discussion with the class about it. You've just got to carry on regardless and keep your own standard high.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Solid OP!!

Solid post, DWx!! Her advice is great!!

Questioning Senior's is the fastest way to find yourself being called on the carpet in the CI's office. I was taught that this is a big no-no; not to be tolerated!!

I've seen my Sensei sit down in the last row, and announce to them that if they think that they can do better, than by all means, show me a better way. Yet, in the same breath, I've seen Soke say..."Are you more knowledgeable than your Sensei? More than me? You came to learn Shindokan from me, and your Sensei. We didn't come to you!!" That, imho, was akin to..."Who is without sin, let him cast the first stone!"

Ask question, disagree, and whatever else it might be, but do it with respect.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It seems that this sort of situation most often happens when students forget an important aspect of physical skill level evaluation in martial arts. First it is necessary to remind them that "standards" are very loose. It is more appropriate to talk of guidelines. Second, every individual student is evaluated and compared to themselves and not others and not to the previous cohort evaluated before them.

Skills are individual and personal in that no two students will have identical skills or even the same weaknesses. Nor will they improve or learn at the same pace. If the new students meet the general expectations, they have earned recognition for their skill improvements and that is that. It is an ongoing process and does not end with a new belt or what have you.

lastly, these students must be reminded that there is a time(never during training) a place(always privately) and a way(respectfully and politely) to ask questions or give opinions but that should be chosen wisely to be received or given consideration.

[WorldKarateka12345]

Thank you all so much for your replies.

I will speak to them and use the examples about school being easier now and children being more badly behaved. You’re right, it probably is the first time they’ve experienced such a thing. I’ll try to explain and guide them so they don’t become they type of people who complain about the ‘youth of today’ when they are older

Thank you for helping me to see they need guidance and not too take it personally.

[Harlan]

As I read this, you are stating that seniors attending your teacher's class (NOT yours) are critical/gossiping of the juniors training with you that are invited to train with them.

Your teacher's problem. Pass it along, that there is a lack of dojo mojo on the part of XXX. Ask him if he thinks you should change your curriculum at all.

If it continues, and seems personal, a beat down isn't a bad idea.