How to teach Kids ?

[SenNoSen]

Hello,

I am from Mauritius Island and we have recently launched the Japan Karate Association of Mauritius and we sometime train on the beach with the kids who love it. Having always their attention in the dojo is not always easy ...

On a general note, I was wondering if we could share our experience about teaching, kihon, kata, kumite to kids in the dojo. Personally I am interested in improving the pedagogy with new concept

Any recommandation from other styles or school would be much appreciated.

Thanks

SenNoSen

[Spartacus Maximus]

A good start would be to plan teaching based on the average concentration and attention span of each age group. Also important to consider is each age group’s physical and cognitive development. A basic overview of this can easily be found in any decent library or online. Consider that some things are physically and biologically impossible at certain ages.

Lessons ought to be kept simple with as little detail as possible. The average child or youth is easily confused and bored with details. Focus on gross movements and imitation. Everything can be refined and explained as the student matures and progresses in ability.

If something must be repeated, disguise it into some kind of exciting activity, otherwise they will get bored or give up before taking away any benefits. It is also effective to limit content to match the age group. No more than two or three very basic techniques at a time works best.

It depends on the method to the madness. Teaching martial arts to youth and children can be a good experience or it can be like making a soup sandwich while herding cats in an insane asylum.

One word: patience.

[SenNoSen]

Thanks a lot Spartacus,

Yes you are right, patience is a must. I find it difficult to when it comes to discipline which is a must in martial art.

To keep the course attractive, I sometime include games and small competition and it seems to work but I wonder if this is correct since one may view this as conflicting with the spirit of budo.

[Spartacus Maximus]

If the method works well for its intended purpose, it is correct and good. There is often more than a single effective way to teach.

“The spirit of budo” or other such intellectual and philosophical concepts are beyond the grasp of children and youths. It is much more important that the instruction methods allow them to reproduce, repeat and remember physical concepts and correct body mechanics. They should also enjoy learning in a relaxed atmosphere and look forward to their next lesson.

[OneKickWonder]

Number one rule of teaching kids anything.

If it isn't fun, the only thing you'll teach them is how much they hate it.

Life is short. Kids have a natural wisdom that we tend to lose as we grow up. If it's not fun and it's not necessary, then it's a waste of valuable life time. We can learn a lot from kids. To teach them anything of course the discipline has to be there, but mostly we must teach on their terms. They're not interested in our terms.

As for 'the spirit of budo', I'm not entirely sure what that means. But I wouldn't try too hard to be Japanese. They don't get everything right, as is evident by the fact that so many of their young people sadly commit suicide because of the pressure they are under.

[JR 137]

Thanks a lot Spartacus,

Yes you are right, patience is a must. I find it difficult to when it comes to discipline which is a must in martial art.

To keep the course attractive, I sometime include games and small competition and it seems to work but I wonder if this is correct since one may view this as conflicting with the spirit of budo.

Kids must be allowed to be kids. No other way around it. Sparticus Maximus hit the nail on the head with his posts. The more games and competition, the better. That doesn’t mean games the entire time with a sprinkling of karate thrown in; it means games which teach and reinforce the fundamentals of karate.

Before starting to come up with a curriculum and teach it, one should really define why they are teaching karate to children and what are the desired outcomes and goals.

“Teaching kids” isn’t very descriptive nor will it get enough insight from us, as there’s such a range in ages. What age group(s)? There should ideally be separation of different age groups, ie 4-6, 7-10, 11-13, etc. There’s a night and day difference between teaching these age groups. Keeping kids of all these ages together is a recipe for disaster. This would be almost as bad as keeping a 16 year old with an 80 year old in the same class. At least the 16 year old would hopefully have some patience, unlike the youngest kids.

If you define your desired outcome, you’ll have an easier time with your expectations and planning. IMO the point of teaching kids karate is a very simple one - to teach them the physical foundation of the art, and to get them to love training and want to continue it as an adult. The goal isn’t to teach perfection of technique nor is it to turn them into warriors. No matter how hard you try to achieve those goals, you never will. Look at kids playing other sports football (soccer), basketball, etc. No matter how hard coaches may try to get them to play as a team by spreading out and moving the ball around efficiently, all that ends up happening is the kids crowd around the ball and just kick it anywhere or throw it anywhere. The ball typically ends up in the goal or basket more by luck and chance than by actual skill. Strategy is way over their heads because their brain isn’t capable of understanding it. Looking at it through that lens, karate is absolutely no different. Forget strategy and tactics. Look into basics - block, punch, kick. A thing I’ve noticed is kids struggle with kata too. Thinking about it, how necessary is it for them? The younger, the less necessary, yet I see teachers spending far too much time with it with them.

What is “the spirit of budo?” Is it polishing the basics over and over again without questioning the teacher, doing exactly as he says when he says it like in those old movies? Or is it a lifelong love of karate? Is it physical or mental?

Absolutely teach values such as respect, discipline, hard work, etc. Absolutely teach fundamental movements and techniques. But keep it realistic and reasonable.

[sensei8]

Children students need constant stimulation, otherwise, they get bored faster than a speeding bullet. When that happens, their learning curve isn't shortened as it should be.

Challenging students of all ages is paramount to their learning curve. Children are even more so because they absorb just as fast as they don't, and often times, they reject what's before them even faster.

If children students aren't have fun, while learning, they'll be seeking other avenues to stimulate other than the MA. There are a plethora amount of fun and effective and stimulative and challenging drills to provide for kids. Find them, tweak them, re-invent them, and listen to what children students say and how they say it.

[MatsuShinshii]

Although I don't teach kids I am a father so I will give one piece of advice; Patience, patience, patience, patience and a lot of Tylenol.

[SenNoSen]

Thanks JR137 for the valuable inputs.

I Agree, the teaching must be fun so that they are motivated to continue until they become adults.

For JKA Karate the spirit of Budo is:

1. Seigi: The right decision and rectitude

2. Yuki: Bravery and heroism

3. Jin: Compassion and benevolence to all

4. Reigi: Courtesy and right action

5. Makoto: Truthfulness and utter sincerity

6. Meiyo: Honour and glory

7. Chugi: Devotion and loyalty

Some parents bring their kids to do karate because they want them to be more disciplined, increase focus (some kids are even Hyperactive) and have a balance physical activity in using both legs and arms.

For young kids, we could find a way to teach some of these principle ex: rectitude, courtesy, right action and sincerity.

The challenge is therefore to adapt specific training to the adequate age group

[DWx]

Everyone is spot on with the fun aspect.

I'd also add that I've found kids to respond better to positive reinforcement rather than negative. Rather than telling them they're doing something wrong, praise them when they do things right. If they are in the wrong position, move them to the correct one and then tell them it's good. It builds them up rather than stressing them out when they are wrong.