In order to assist beginning or experienced students and practitioners alike, I am listing 8 tips that I share with my own students in order to enhance their training experience at our school.
1. Safety first. Always remember to train responsibly with your training partner. You are responsible for your partner’s safety and they are responsible for yours. Train only at a level of intensity that allows both you and your partner to remain safe at all times. Remember, everyone should leave class in the same condition they came.
2. Train slowly. Until you and your partner are familiar with the material being shown, always train slowly. Training the wrong habits in a rushed fashion often leads to greater time unlearning them and relearning the correct habits.
3. Awareness. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Take a moment to make mental note of where you are. This aids with developing the warrior’s mindset.
4. Competition. This is not a competition but rather a shared learning experience. Set realistic goals. Be patient with yourself and your partner. No one becomes an expert overnight. Repetition is the key to progress while strong basics create the foundation for continued growth.
5. Respect. Respect your partner and yourself at all times.
6. Empty your cup. There is a Zen Proverb often used by martial arts instructors which states that a student must first empty their cup before they can learn. We simply say, “bring an empty cup”. There is no reason to discard previous knowledge attained in another art, just be mindful that you are not here to practice another art. By bringing an “empty cup” so to speak you will have several cups of quality tea to enjoy without wasting a single drop.
7. Sharing. Inquisitive open-minded cross-comparisons leads to positive growth. Critical closed-minded comparisons create roadblocks to learning. The late Dr. Moses Powell often said, “each one teach one.” This applies to students and teachers alike. When an environment of shared exploration is present the learning curve goes up considerably.
8. Have fun. While you are in class you are present to not only train and learn, but of equal importance is to enjoy yourself and your time with your classmates.
The guidelines listed above are merely a starting point for practice, so much more can be said on this topic. One of the things I like to tell students as they train with me is to look at this as a long-term investment in themselves. I have observed that many times beginners start off with a great deal of enthusiasm and drive, however as the months go by this can begin to taper off, and at times this is due to some of the guidelines listed here being forgotten or overlooked. My students have found that being reminded of these guidelines has deepened their practice and prompted them even further along in meeting their training goals.
As an instructor it is my responsibility to see to it that my students get the most out of their training with me. I have experienced that when the occasional student has had to leave due to a change of career, family obligations or various other reasons; their return was not only due to their positive experiences in our school, but more importantly I credit this to the fact that these guidelines were actively encouraged. Not only have my students benefited from this but I have personally found this to be of great assistance to my own continued training throughout the years.
Professor Brandon Jordan
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the
permalink. Comments are closed, but you can leave a trackback:
Trackback URL.
Training Guidelines
In order to assist beginning or experienced students and practitioners alike, I am listing 8 tips that I share with my own students in order to enhance their training experience at our school.
1. Safety first. Always remember to train responsibly with your training partner. You are responsible for your partner’s safety and they are responsible for yours. Train only at a level of intensity that allows both you and your partner to remain safe at all times. Remember, everyone should leave class in the same condition they came.
2. Train slowly. Until you and your partner are familiar with the material being shown, always train slowly. Training the wrong habits in a rushed fashion often leads to greater time unlearning them and relearning the correct habits.
3. Awareness. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Take a moment to make mental note of where you are. This aids with developing the warrior’s mindset.
4. Competition. This is not a competition but rather a shared learning experience. Set realistic goals. Be patient with yourself and your partner. No one becomes an expert overnight. Repetition is the key to progress while strong basics create the foundation for continued growth.
5. Respect. Respect your partner and yourself at all times.
6. Empty your cup. There is a Zen Proverb often used by martial arts instructors which states that a student must first empty their cup before they can learn. We simply say, “bring an empty cup”. There is no reason to discard previous knowledge attained in another art, just be mindful that you are not here to practice another art. By bringing an “empty cup” so to speak you will have several cups of quality tea to enjoy without wasting a single drop.
7. Sharing. Inquisitive open-minded cross-comparisons leads to positive growth. Critical closed-minded comparisons create roadblocks to learning. The late Dr. Moses Powell often said, “each one teach one.” This applies to students and teachers alike. When an environment of shared exploration is present the learning curve goes up considerably.
8. Have fun. While you are in class you are present to not only train and learn, but of equal importance is to enjoy yourself and your time with your classmates.
The guidelines listed above are merely a starting point for practice, so much more can be said on this topic. One of the things I like to tell students as they train with me is to look at this as a long-term investment in themselves. I have observed that many times beginners start off with a great deal of enthusiasm and drive, however as the months go by this can begin to taper off, and at times this is due to some of the guidelines listed here being forgotten or overlooked. My students have found that being reminded of these guidelines has deepened their practice and prompted them even further along in meeting their training goals.
As an instructor it is my responsibility to see to it that my students get the most out of their training with me. I have experienced that when the occasional student has had to leave due to a change of career, family obligations or various other reasons; their return was not only due to their positive experiences in our school, but more importantly I credit this to the fact that these guidelines were actively encouraged. Not only have my students benefited from this but I have personally found this to be of great assistance to my own continued training throughout the years.
Professor Brandon Jordan