One evening many
years ago, I had another group of beginners,
The first night
I mostly tried to explain what Isshinryu was and what they would experience in
class as time passed.
Of course I did
not expect they would remember most of what I said, handouts for some of it
would leave with them for their parents to understand.
Outside of a few
things, the remaining class time after my introduction would be allowing them
to watch the others, more advanced, in class.
Along the way
there was a standard practice, where I would shout 10 pushups, and they would
observe all the other class members do them.
I then explained
that class was not meant for punishment time,
But at times
when someone would lose concentration,
This was not
like school.
They would be
given some pushups which no one really liked, not as punishment but to make
them focus on class.
And of course I explained that was dangerous
for me because
That would also
work to make them stronger,
and able to one
day defeat me.
Then as we were
the Boys and Girls Club I explained if that did not give them their focus back,
they would not be punished,
but sent
downstairs to play,
as we did not
want their lack of focus to affect others who want to train.
And over the
years that was the result very, very few times.
This time the
father stayed for the 2nd class.
When it was over
he took me aside saying,
“I have had
previous karate training,
Do you know you
are actually teaching them karate?”
I responded:
“Sure, I am teaching karate, that is all I was trained to do.”
I understood his
comment. Obviously they had visited many other ‘karate programs’ and observed
something very different for the youth instruction.
Of course when I
began, really nobody was giving kids karate instruction. Almost all programs
were adult programs.
There would be
an occasional article in some magazine about youth instruction, and individual
instructors often allowed some kids to attend class, but the instruction was
not addressing kids needs per sae.
When I would
walk around Scranton at lunchtime, I saw tons of dance studio, which were
geared mostly for young women taking dance classes. It made me think, something
similar was possible for young people.
When I
approached the Scranton Boys Club with the idea of a class, it was new ground.
Instructors I
met, from all over the place at tournaments,
Thought I was
crazy for teaching kids.
They most often
said “Karate is for adults.”
When I
tried to tell them teaching kids was the
future,
Non of them
wanted to believe me.
Of course at
that time I had no real idea of what I was getting into.
I had three
brothers who had begun with the program Charles Murray had tried in his church,
that program ended when he returned to the USAF.
A new shodan, I
began teaching just as Charles had trained me.
After three
months, I only had the three brothers left in the class.
My wife, a
trained phys ed instructor, gymnastics and swimming and diving coach, suggested
some ideas I should follow.
She also shared
her Junior High Girls Swimming Instructors Manuals from college. Books that
were far more advanced for teaching teenage girls than any karate book in
existence, at that time.
So I began with
another group of boys and paid attention to what they needed, and the program
became successful. My program in time convinced the Boys Club to admit girls in
the program. That was a success too. In fact year by year the girls won more
trophies at the few tournaments we attended, and led to our hosting youth only
karate tournaments.
Of course I
continued to learn as I progressed. My original thoughts were I was going to
get lots of high school kids.
That was not the
case, only those who had a deep interest in karate choose to enter the program.
Then there were
the incidentals, such as awarding certificates when students got promoted.
One day I had an
idea, and when promotions happened, only belts were awarded. In all these years
no one ever asked for their certificate.
It would take
the average young person to 7 to 9 years to make shod an in our program. It has
occurred but only if they have a real desire to learn our karate. Of course by
that time they are mostly through school and then them move on in life and
leave.
The average young
person, who finds they like the program, stays an average of 2 or 3 years. All
of them are involved in many activities. Many are on multiple teams at the same
time.
I know many
instructors have found this out. Students come and go on their own needs. It is
easy to get invested in students training, and then face the disappointment
when kyu or dan students choose to do something else.
I had to do some
unlearning. For what I discovered is that my students were not going to be
lifetime karate-ka. It time most of them would move on.
I began to think
on that, what I remembered was what things were like when I was young. Many
adults gave their time to conduct summer programs in the town park, or be a
baseball coach, a choir leader, youth fellowship program leaders and many other
activities. They put sharing activities with the young as having more value to
the town than there own free time.
What I was doing
was using karate the same way those adults did. To share with the young. To
give them tools to help them better decide what to do with their lives.
It wasn’t that
everyone should study karate for life, but that they learn the more important
lessons. That they will learn from their own efforts. That they learn at their
own pace, from their own effort.
A more important
lesson than learning a kata.
You are having
an impact on their lives, and if that impact allows them to eventually choose
other than karate is the right thing for you, then you were successful.
Adults kids, no
difference.
While most
adults who reach shodan stick around an average of 17 years or so, in time they
will make other choices.
If the knowledge
you shared helps them know to choose other things, they you succeeded with them
too.
In the end long
term karate tends to be for those who make the very personal choice to keep
training.
If they also
choose to assist sharing the art, that is fine too.
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