15/3/18: Thoughts on teaching

On occasion I have covered teaching the class at Steve Martin's Fighting Arts Academy.  I am not a "black belt", and although I have been doing martial arts for many years now I still consider myself a beginner. I train with people who have as much if not more experience as me, yet as I am arguably the longest serving member at the club if the boss is unable to make it, I help as best I can. ( and I must admit I do enjoy it very much).

Whenever I do this though I always question myself in terms of my credibility. I have not "fought" competitively, I've never worked the door and as for getting in fights in the street.. sorry haven't done that either. But I work hard at the club, I work hard at home and I love what I do which for me is enough (besides the boys at the club test me enough on a regular basis).

So when it comes to teaching what do I do?

I have one simple aim. Everyone gets a little bit better even if they only take one thing away. I base my sessions on how Steve teaches (and how others I have been taught by in seminars appear to approach their lessons). I take a theme, I work on a couple of variation of that theme, drill it, apply it in a controlled way, then use it to hit pads. I then do some fine detail work e.g. locks, knife/stick flow to cool down but keep brain active.

I always try and make links to what we are doing to other aspects of the curriculum (e.g. striking to stick work) and I focus mainly on technique, drilling slow with flow before adding speed and power later with pads or conditioned sparring.

That way I can look at what everyone is doing and see if there are any glaring mistakes.

This helps me in 2 ways.

1) Can I do and apply the techniques and what adjustments I need to make to my own learning.
2) it helps me "notice" my partner more and hence in sparring notice what they aren't doing to take advantage of.

As always I have a long road ahead of me but I'll keep walking it, keep learning and growing and as long as everyone gets something out of it I'll keep teaching too... but not too often mind you... got my own stuff to work on! ;0)