How many classes per week?

[OneKickWonder]

I have a friend who insists that you have to attend more classes to be a better martial artist.

He's right of course. In a way. But I don't believe it's quite as black and white as that.

I believe it's not about the number of classes, it's about the quality of those classes, your attitude towards training, and how much you practice and what kind of practice you do outside of class.

Thoughts please?

[Himokiri Karate]

I have a friend who insists that you have to attend more classes to be a better martial artist.

He's right of course. In a way. But I don't believe it's quite as black and white as that.

I believe it's not about the number of classes, it's about the quality of those classes, your attitude towards training, and how much you practice and what kind of practice you do outside of class.

Thoughts please?

I agree and let me add a dimension. In boxing there are no classes. You show up to the gym any time it's open and after warm up you get 10 minutes with the trainer one on one and afterwards you work on what you need to work on. Afterwards he checks up on you to make sure your doing things right.

[sensei8]

3 class per week are a staple. However, schedules of either the school and/or the student have a lot to do with it; 1 a week is far better than 1 class a month or once every two weeks.

Availability loves to get in the way of schedules.

[singularity6]

Quality > quantity.

More classes will be better, if they're productive. I feel that students must also practice on their own, if they would like to improve faster.

[OneKickWonder]

I was thinking about my training years ago compared to now.

Taking just kung fu as an example, there was only one class per week. It was only a 90 minute class, and a good chunk of that was meditation.

Yet good progress was made. Why/how? Well, we'd do some basics, but we'd be scrutinised the whole time. Then most of the class would be dedicated to a single technique. Over and over and over. Usually partnered. One attacks, one defends. Over and over and over until we're told to swap sides. We'd leave with bruises all up our arms from repeatedly blocking / being blocked.

It meant that as a young adolescent, I was able to effectively apply a technique and escape when physically attacked by a grown man, and it meant I can still remember most of what I learned now, more than 30 years later.

Contrast that to now. I spend close to 8 hours per week in class. But in that time we cover a very broad syllabus. And we fight thin air a lot more than each other. It's still good, but it means progress on any one technique is slower.

[tallgeese]

I have a friend who insists that you have to attend more classes to be a better martial artist.

He's right of course. In a way. But I don't believe it's quite as black and white as that.

I believe it's not about the number of classes, it's about the quality of those classes, your attitude towards training, and how much you practice and what kind of practice you do outside of class.

Thoughts please?

Quality is important. But why are you in a class if it's not quality already? That should be one of the criteria for even putting your name on the line. After that, hours of training matter. Assuming that quality is a forgone conclusion if you're at a good guy (everyone needs to do their homework on this) then more of it will be better.

Yes, training out of class is important, but this will be different for different practitioners. I generally look these days at out side of class training to be conditioning, strength training, etc. (I hate it when classes spend half their time on this) because you'll get way more out of supervised training than working on your own. This may be different for highly trained individuals, but even they will benefit from a partner to work against.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Homework. That is what makes all the difference. In martial arts as in any type or study, the key to developing and refining skills is practising on one’s own time in addition to, and beyond whatever is learned under supervision of a teacher.

A student who only does class work and never studies or does homework will not assimilate skills or knowledge as much or as quickly as a student who studies regularly, does all the homework and ask questions when the teacher is available.

Life’s other important commitments take much time out of the average person’s day. Those who progress the fastest and improve the most are invariably the ones who take, and make time to train, practise and review on their own regardless of how often they can make it to training

[OneKickWonder]

Homework. That is what makes all the difference. In martial arts as in any type or study, the key to developing and refining skills is practising on one’s own time in addition to, and beyond whatever is learned under supervision of a teacher.

A student who only does class work and never studies or does homework will not assimilate skills or knowledge as much or as quickly as a student who studies regularly, does all the homework and ask questions when the teacher is available.

Life’s other important commitments take much time out of the average person’s day. Those who progress the fastest and improve the most are invariably the ones who take, and make time to train, practise and review on their own regardless of how often they can make it to training

Very good points. But consider this. Names are changed to protect the innocent lol.

Cuthbert trains 3 times per week in class. His focus is on the outwardly extravagant jumping/flying/spinning kicks. Outside of class he watches YouTube videos of the 'teachers yourself the jumping spinning flying double 720 backflip kick in 5 minutes flat type. Yet his arms fly open every time he kicks, and his grasp of the more subtle aspects is non existent.

Tarquin trains 2 per week, and is not great and the jumping spinning kicks. Nor does he particularly want to be, having quickly learned that he has too much body weight to focus on such high energy demanding techniques that are high risk anyway. Tarquin has figured that the basic principles and basic techniques themselves form an awesome set of skills. Tarquin can easily dominate Cuthbert in sparring because while Cuthbert is flying around, Tarquin has got the footwork and judgement to enable him to get in the best position. Tarquin prefers the simple kicks and strikes and joint manipulations and throws that he knows he can make work. Outside of class, Tarquin practices balance and strength and performs forms slowly, looking at the subtleties of each move or posture change, or quickly, to see how the more explosive shift of weight feels in terms of balance and momentum.

Cuthbert is physically more fit and agile. Tarquin is more focused and grounded.

So who is going to be the best martial artist in the future? Cuthbert or Tarquin?

[singularity6]

Homework. That is what makes all the difference. In martial arts as in any type or study, the key to developing and refining skills is practising on one’s own time in addition to, and beyond whatever is learned under supervision of a teacher.

A student who only does class work and never studies or does homework will not assimilate skills or knowledge as much or as quickly as a student who studies regularly, does all the homework and ask questions when the teacher is available.

Life’s other important commitments take much time out of the average person’s day. Those who progress the fastest and improve the most are invariably the ones who take, and make time to train, practise and review on their own regardless of how often they can make it to training

Very good points. But consider this. Names are changed to protect the innocent lol.

Cuthbert trains 3 times per week in class. His focus is on the outwardly extravagant jumping/flying/spinning kicks. Outside of class he watches YouTube videos of the 'teachers yourself the jumping spinning flying double 720 backflip kick in 5 minutes flat type. Yet his arms fly open every time he kicks, and his grasp of the more subtle aspects is non existent.

Tarquin trains 2 per week, and is not great and the jumping spinning kicks. Nor does he particularly want to be, having quickly learned that he has too much body weight to focus on such high energy demanding techniques that are high risk anyway. Tarquin has figured that the basic principles and basic techniques themselves form an awesome set of skills. Tarquin can easily dominate Cuthbert in sparring because while Cuthbert is flying around, Tarquin has got the footwork and judgement to enable him to get in the best position. Tarquin prefers the simple kicks and strikes and joint manipulations and throws that he knows he can make work. Outside of class, Tarquin practices balance and strength and performs forms slowly, looking at the subtleties of each move or posture change, or quickly, to see how the more explosive shift of weight feels in terms of balance and momentum.

Cuthbert is physically more fit and agile. Tarquin is more focused and grounded.

So who is going to be the best martial artist in the future? Cuthbert or Tarquin?

Yep. Quality.

[JR 137]

Quality trumps quantity, so long as there’s enough quality training time. Only going to class once a month, no matter how good the training is, isn’t exactly going to be better than going a few times a week to mediocre classes.

Developing muscle memory and constant refining of it are key. As is consistent work against resistance. Think about a baseball player; he needs to see live pitching regularly to maintain his skills. Simply swinging a bat without a baseball coming his way doesn’t work.

But within the quality vs quantity discussion, something is better than nothing, provided the something isn’t counterproductive to the skills being worked on.