Teaching before Shodan

[Dent]

Osu!

Several of the threads have led me to wonder whether teaching before Shodan should be part of the curriculum for the grade.

I've been part of Dojo where it is, and where it isn't, so I have my own opinion, but I'm very interested in hearing the opinions of others.

Osu!

[vapor]

I have been part of classes where 1kyu students were asked to teach part of the class....usually just the warm up section, and it is an eye opener for them, and a good experience...

Even though they have done 4, 5 or more years of this week in and week out, when you are standing in front of a dojo full of students, it changes their perspective on things, and on more than one occassion they have choked up a little with nervousness ,etc...

So, I think it is a good experience to have----whether you make that official or not ...hard to say.

vapor

[Kansetsu]

During my journey into Aikido, when my teacher was away on business or personal trip away from the dojo, it was my responsibility to lead class. Not that i was Teaching them anything (i couldn't teach, cause i knew nothing....), so i lead class several times, starting from 4th Kyu. Now mind you, when i was 4th Kyu, i was with my teacher for about 3 years. I just didn't test often. lol.

It really does change a student's perspective when standing in front of the class. It's a Really a great learning and growth experience. I enjoyed it a lot. My experience was that a lot of the students were more interactive when i was leading class than when Sensei was teaching class. There were more questions, more suggestions, more requests for demonstrations with break down of the techniques.

Like the old saying..."Sensei Teach Class, but the students really learn from the Sempai"

[hasbeen]

i taught "lower grades" after my 3rd kyu and was invited to take "warm ups" on a regular basis even when we had 3rd dans in the line up, i think our sensei realised that having the confidence to teach is an important aspect in overall development and this helped me a great deal.

so my answer is a definite yes.

[Nix]

Teaching is in our syllabus for higher grades (2nd kyu and up), but many students atart to assist earlier. I myself started assisting Sensei with the childrens beginner class when I was 6th or 5th kyu. Today, as a 3rd kyu, I am trusted with about 25-30 of our highest ranked juniors. I think it's a good thing for several reasons:

1) You mature both as a person and as a karateka, as you have to show other skills than just technical skill, such as confidence, improvisation, theorethical knowledge and more.
2) You need to answer many odd questions about everything, thus you need to learn a the deeper meaning behind each technique, each kata, history, etc., thus gaining a better understanding of theindividual things and karate as a whole.
3) You are able to give something back to the dojo that taught you. People will respect you as a dedicated member who will give small sacrifices in order to keep it running.
4) It's loads of fun!!

So yeah, I'm definatelly voting for teaching pre-kuro obi. I think the best thing is a smooth transition. Everybody who've practiced for a few years can assist in a beginners class; correcting kihon, beeing a guinea pig when the teacher is demonstrating, teaching how to tie a belt etc., then moving on to more difficult things and gradually becoming more independent when more confident.

[jcbel]

I agree it should be compulsory even if just for the experience - I have seen senior grades struggle just leading a warm up... granted it's not everyone's cup of tea to be standing in front of the class.

[nikimester]

Osu,

It is part of the curriculum because at certain times you have to prove that you have learnt enough for your grading. And of course if you learn how to teach as well, you will have a bigger knowledge of it, more precise. You have to be able to explain how to and why to do the techniques in this way or another. When you know that you gonna teach it, you will start to learn all the new techniques in another way.you will look at the whole from a different point of view.

Osu,
Niki

[Lucy]

My sensei asks us to take warm ups and other parts of the session in build up to the shodan grading. I started doing this when i was a 2nd kyu. It says in our syllabus that 'the applicant's character and general ability as an instructor will be taken into consideration' and 'the applicant must be able to teach and fully explain the basic techniques of the grading syllabus' so yes you must be able to instruct before shodan.

In general gradings students are asked to come out and instruct the others what to do in the kihon section of the grading, so its good to have that experience and be confident in teaching before hand.

[ksan]

My old shihan actually taught me how to teach.. he made a point of this.... regular lessons with him watching me and feedback immediately after. Sometimes i had to make classes up by myself, sometimes he would give precise instructions (ussually on stuff i wouldnt cover because he knew i didnt really like it. Its easier to teach what you know well) Sometimes i would get a warning up front and i would have some time before the class to decide on what to teach, sometimes he would just tell me to take the class out of the blue (when i thought i was just training that night). He also showed a lot of things, you wouldnt notice up front.. one of the things he taught me was "never let a single student leave the class (loo break or so), always send his/her training partner with him/her" This is to prevent a student passing out, out of sight and you not noticing it till it was to late.....

[Dent]

Osu!

Excellent feedback from all. Looks like it isn't only unanimous, but some good ideas coming in too.

Please keep those responses coming.

Osu!

[seienchin]

I taught my first full class as a 6th kyu. I know that sounds bizzarre, havig now heard that other people just starting to teach at 2nd kyu, but at my dojo, it was embedded from the beginning.

A solidly performing 9th kyu would be deployed to teach kata to the new whitebelts. It taught us a lot about kata. the 6th kyus were regularly given the task of taking the new whitebelts to teach them sanchin stance, how to make a fist, how to step, how to punch. They would get private tuition from a 6th or 5th kyu until they were ready to join the main class.

We would often be deliberately partnered low grade/high grade for partnered activities, with the senior being given the brief to teach the lower grade.

Everybody, from the whitebelts up, participated in taking the count at usually one or two classes a week.

And the standing tradition was that if ever Sensei couldn't make it, whoever was the ranking kyu grade would take the class.

So - that particular day it was me. Even within each kyu, we knew exactly what the ranking order was, so we knew who was senior for that purpose. (but realistically, if there were two of the same grade, we would share the resonsibility).

Then for 4th kyu grading, I had to actually be graded out the front - taking the warmup was one of my "gradeable" activities, as was leading basics. it just grew from there.

I really valued that part of my learning, and I cannot imagine what it must be like for people who have not had this graduated build up to teaching. I didn't even plan to have a dojo, it just grew under my feet, when, as a new shodan, I agreed to teach some nephews some basic blocking techniques . Their neighbours saw this going on an asked if they could "enrol" their kids and so on and so on. That just couldn't have happened if I hadn't been "grown up" as a teaching karateka.

I owe my sensei a great deal.

[Bloke]

I ran a dojo as a 3rd Kyu - it was out of necessity and it helped build my confidence no end. Its different now and for insurance purposese there may be a minimum grade to teach a class without a qualified instructor.

We run off essentially the same syllabus as Lucy so our experiences will be the same.

[Nix]

You ran a dojo? As in you acted as a branch chief? Then again, I know a dojo that was founded by some bluebelts from our dojo that had moved - it wasn't untill later that they got an official yudansha branch chief.

[DKKC]

We've always been told that a 10th Kyu should be able to teach the stuff they already know, though you're not required to do so. People start assisting in teaching others usually from their 6-5kyu upwards (or downwards?) and starting from brown belt they have sometimes led classes either part of the class, or all of the class with the lower grades kids classes. As we do a lot of knock down training in our club and not everyone is interested we sometimes split the class up and one of the non black belts has to lead a group for the time of the split.

[elsabra]

in my opinion, teaching is a really good experience but there is no use to make it an official requierment for higher grades. yes, i agree it's good and sometimes necessary though not everyone can teach... therefor it's more important as a senpai to give personal example and make it part of the syllabus.
osu!

[Bloke]

Originally Posted by Nix

You ran a dojo? As in you acted as a branch chief? Then again, I know a dojo that was founded by some bluebelts from our dojo that had moved - it wasn't untill later that they got an official yudansha branch chief.

Not a Branch Chief - Ireland is such a small country we only needed one Branch chief at that time. The guy who started the dojo had me helping him - 6 weeks later he emigrated and I inherited the dojo. One of my students runs it now.

[blackdog]

We are encouraged to take parts of the class from pretty early on, and from 4th kyu on we are very much involved in helping to train the grades below us either out the front or in small groups.

Our Instructor has also started a tradition in our dojo which i think is fantastic. When a kyu grade earns a new obi, he presents the new belt (knotted) and asks the student to remove and knot their old obi and confirm their commitment to training and helping others learn before accepting their new grade and the responsibilities that come with it.

The same sort of ceremony that happens when you earn your Shodan.

Then, if you want to, he invites you to take the class.

The kids love it (I must admit i like it too ) it makes earning that new colour all the more special

All our students teach grades lower than themselves at different times, like a 9th kyu teaching a white belt the first kata or some other basic techniques.

They say that if you really want to learn something, you should teach it to someone else!

I think personally it is almost vital to have a bit of practice taking a class before you get to a senior grade.

Our instructor was unavoidably delayed about a month ago, and myself and the other 4th kyu (a young lad of 14) did the entire class. I was a little nervous at the start i must admit, but the fact that my instructor had prepared us by having us teach the class from time to time meant we were able to be put on the spot and take the class without any problems.

My instructor also asks us to always have a "lesson plan" ready in our heads, so that if we are ever put "on the spot" we can confidently walk to the front of the class and get straight into it without "umming & ahhhing"

[Dent]

Osu!

I really like what I am reading. It seems that the value of teaching is mostly for the teachers. By allowing others to fill that role from time to time, they can appreciate other elements of the Karate journey.

Osu!