observations on teaching total beginners

[jjcruiser]

Somehow--and likely to their detriment--I've ended up with the non-bogu beginners several times over the last few weeks. I noticed a couple things this time around that I hadn't appreciated before.

First, I noticed what a big deal just showing up is. I've been with the beginners maybe four times in the last two months and each time it was literally a completely different group (1-3 people). Beginners show up on here all the time asking what they can do to improve and wanting cross-training resources or ways to do suburi in an apartment or asking when they can get on bogu. I think I'm going to limit my advice from now on to: just show up. I know summer can be a busy time but it's very hard to learn Kendo if you take off six weeks between practices. Relately, I often wondered for myself and have had others ask me "what can we do to thank our sensei for their teaching" and my nascent opinion on this is the same thing: just show up and say thank you. I was guilty of overthinking this when I started.

Second, I've noticed that even if there are multiple ways to do something it's best to just tell beginners one way. In the last two weeks I've had three separate sensei adjust my grip and kamae and it's confusing to me. Yet I made a mistake with some beginners the other day by pointing out that some people teach one fist and some two and some teach baby finger handing off the end of the tsuka and others not, etc. I should just pick one. It's too confusing otherwise. On that note, I do find it odd that there's such variation among otherwise homogeneous-seeming sensei about basic chudan kamae. Left eye/throat/top of mune; grip issues; offset issues; etc. At least I'm learning who prefers which approach so I can adjust it when doing keiko with them.

[Halcyon]

I think I'm going to limit my advice from now on to: just show up.

Amen. As Woody Allen said, 80% of success in life is just showing up.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Good observations, jj. Here's another one for you: when correcting a beginner, try to pick only one or maybe two things to fix. I used to tell them a dozen different things. After about the 3rd or 4th bit of well-intended advice, they tend to shut down. My sensei would arrive, watch them silently for a few minutes, pick out the fundamental flaw and ask them to fix that, and magically about 2/3 of the other problems would go away.

[IaidoFrog]

At my first kendo dojo they only allowed beginners 4 times per year. This seems to have both pros and cons associated with it. The pro I'm thinking of here is that it might encourage a bigger group.

I'd like to second the idea that for any given student focus on correcting one or two aspects of their kendo per practice. Personally, I feel overwhelmed when within one practice I'm bombarded with lots of recommendations. (I'm also kind of a slow learner.) So it is very helpful for me to be able to focus on one or two things to improve per practice.

Thanks for sharing with us!

[jjcruiser]

At my first kendo dojo they only allowed beginners 4 times per year. This seems to have both pros and cons associated with it. The pro I'm thinking of here is that it might encourage a bigger group.

I'd like to second the idea that for any given student focus on correcting one or two aspects of their kendo per practice. Personally, I feel overwhelmed when within one practice I'm bombarded with lots of recommendations. (I'm also kind of a slow learner.) So it is very helpful for me to be able to focus on one or two things to improve per practice.

Thanks for sharing with us!

Thank you!

I agree with the "focus on one thing" issue; that's been my general approach to all sorts of teaching, not just Kendo. Especially for kids.

With respect to the four times/year thing--that's our policy too. The problem is that not everyone respects it and how do you handle that? For example, I had someone show up a couple weeks ago that started in the spring beginner sequence but had only been "on and off" since then. I'm leading the beginners because the sensei aren't able to that evening, and I never feel comfortable saying "you cannot practice because this isn't a beginner sequence starting time." If you keep very strict records and are a sensei or prepared to actually kick people out if they don't abide, I guess you can enforce the once-a-quarter beginner class issue. But for someone like me that's really in a "stop gap" mode I don't feel comfortable doing so for a lot of reasons when someone shows up and acts like they are supposed to be there.

[Neil Gendzwill]

The way we approach it is that we have a registration period for 2 or 3 weeks at the start of that term. If anyone new shows up in that time we will take care of them, either by having the whole class do a review of the 1st day stuff, or have someone take them aside, or just give them special attention. Once the registration period is over, we don't accept any newbies, period. However if someone got in during registration, they can still attend class even if they've missed a lot. They are just told not to expect any hand-holding and to keep up as best they can. Those people will quit soon anyways.

[jjcruiser]

Hm. Thanks for those thoughts. It's a little above my pay grade but if the issue comes up I might suggest that.

[rfoxmich]

Yes! An under appreciated skill for teaching kendo or anything else is "root cause analysis" Example: The beginner's left foot is pointing out to the left.. you can tell them to straighten that foot until you are blue in the face..until you tell them to square up that left hip that's dragging back, the root cause isn't fixed.

My teaching: Find the one worst root cause common among the most students. Give a correction for that along with a few illustrations of what that root cause uh...causes. Rinse, repeat.

Good observations, jj. Here's another one for you: when correcting a beginner, try to pick only one or maybe two things to fix. I used to tell them a dozen different things. After about the 3rd or 4th bit of well-intended advice, they tend to shut down. My sensei would arrive, watch them silently for a few minutes, pick out the fundamental flaw and ask them to fix that, and magically about 2/3 of the other problems would go away.

[dwez]

Good observations, jj. Here's another one for you: when correcting a beginner, try to pick only one or maybe two things to fix. I used to tell them a dozen different things. After about the 3rd or 4th bit of well-intended advice, they tend to shut down.

This also happens when they get into normal practice and as they go up the line of motodachis they're each giving advice. I found it was handy to say to them
"did Sensei/Sempai give you any advice?"
"Yes."
"What was it?"
"Relax more/use more left hand/don't grip so tightly/etc."
"Do that more then "

if they said no I'd then perhaps offer some advice, it can be a quicker turn around too. Ultimately that advice comes after they've done their drill, they probably won't even think to apply the advice until the moment they next finish practicing with Sensei and he reminds them that's what they said and repeat until fade. So they never actually try to improve the problem with the solution.

[Jiyoui]

It's that time of year again for us university clubs...

@Mr. Fox, it's worse trying to teach how to teach to those trying to gain experience in teaching.
Q: Root cause of inability to do or understand root cause analysis... is...

[Halcyon]

It's important not to talk too much when giving instruction, especially to beginners. If you can't make your point in 5 seconds, they're either not ready for the advice, or your advice itself has missed the mark.

Also, you have to give beginners the satisfaction of working hard and figuring things out for themselves. This is part of the pleasure of learning.

[Zornocology]

The relationship between Kendo and Aikido is indeed interesting although they don't have as much in common as you might think. In both cases it is imperative to find a dojo/sensei.

[Michael Hodge]

I think I'm going to limit my advice from now on to: just show up.

That's exactly it. I and another person are responsible for teaching the off-the-street beginners in our iaido club. I've come to the point where as soon as they walk through the door each quarter, I let them know that the first six months or so will be the among the most difficult part of their iaido journey but that it will get easier and less confusing through hard work. Retention was a big thing initially in our club, and we've been able to temper that somewhat by spacing out our orientation phases to a quarterly let-in whereas it was monthly many years ago.

I recommend that while I'd prefer they show up every class to ensure they log maximum floor time to absorb the basics, that life comes first and family, career or their personal health supercede everything. I tell them how thoroughly they learn the basics during the first few months will dictate their progress, and to some degree their enjoyment of the art down the line. Confidence building is an absolute must for new folks; I keep telling them that they'll get through the physical pain once their bodies grow stronger with repeated practice and that they should persist through it. Seems to help too; we have an increasing number of new students that are showing an impressive zeal for showing up for more.

[jjcruiser]

That's exactly it. I and another person are responsible for teaching the off-the-street beginners in our iaido club. I've come to the point where as soon as they walk through the door each quarter, I let them know that the first six months or so will be the among the most difficult part of their iaido journey but that it will get easier and less confusing through hard work.

That's very interesting! Maybe this is a difference of Iaido and Kendo. I'd say the first six months were the easiest for me in kendo, and it feels like it's gotten harder. The physical stuff you exclusively focus on at first was a lot easier for me than the mental aspects (like understanding how to apply pressure).

[Michael Hodge]

Well, all the kneeling and focused isometric ability needed to get up again does tend to cause a lot of folks difficulty in iaido, especially when tatehiza is thrown into the mix. For beginner's it's a combination of that and all the detail that they have to absorb is what makes it difficult. I sympathize with them to a degree.