Basic Class Structure

There are lots of good formats of a class and plenty of bad ones. The goal of every seasoned instructor is continually mix things up for the purpose of preventing the material going stale.

All that being said, the following structure has served me well over the years.

Part One: Talk to the class.

Five to ten minutes before the class get in there with the students and talk to them. The conversation doesn’t necessarily have to be serious, but it is a fantastic way to see what everyone’s attitude is like. Have they been sitting behind a desk all day and anxious for a heavy workout? Have they been outside all day and need something smooth. Have they had a stressful day and need to be reassured.

Obviously, not everyone is going to have the same attitude, but knowing this before starting the class will go a long way to help in its success.

Additionally, you may find this to be an awesome opportunity to work with a student who is struggling or encourage the entire student body to prepare themselves before the class (i.e. stretching or walking through their Katas).

Part Two: Warm up the class

This is essential in getting everyone on the same page. Not everyone had the same type of day before stepping on to the dojo floor, nor are they all at the same level mentally and physically. A good warmup will not only help everyone be prepared for the class, but also get everyone prepared to work with each other.

There are many methods of achieving this. A tried and true sequence is Jumbi Undo, Sanchin, Hojo Undo, Kotekitae, generic exercises followed by a good stretch. Obviously not all classes will have the skill level to go through all of that. Either way, a good warmup should last ten to fifteen minutes.

Part Three: Class Theme

Every class should have a theme or a goal. This does not have to be stated to the class, but it should be relatively obvious to those who are paying attention. There are a whole host of goals to pick from and many that can be made up. Classic goals include, Kata Training, Sparring Drills, Kumite Practice, Physical Fitness, but the list goes on.

Depending on the class, the focus on the class theme should be somewhere between seven and fifteen minutes.

Part Four: Pattern Interruption

Humans, no matter how dedicated, naturally lose focus over time. A good pattern interruption goes a long way to help everyone refresh their focus and, in many scenarios, help relieve a students soreness on more physically challenging themes.

A pattern interruption must be something that focuses the class attention on something different than theme. If the theme were Kata Practice - having everyone work the bags would be a good pattern interruption. Reversely, if the theme were Sparring Drills, then running the class through a kata would serve the purpose.

Either way, a good pattern interrupt of five minutes will get the class ready for the Class Theme.

Part Five: Review Class Theme

The duration of this is either the same length of time as the first round on the Class Theme, or a bit shorter. After the Pattern Interruption, you would have the option of reviewing the same material, adding to the material you have already worked on or a mix of both.

For instance, if the theme was introducing everyone to a new kata, before the Pattern Interruption work the class on the first half, and after, quickly review the first hand and then continue to the second half.

Part Six: Fun Ending

This is different for every group of students. The goal is have everyone end on a high note. If the Class Theme included a challenge, then this should be something that everyone finds easy to do. With adults, leaning towards the physical fitness is usually a good idea, while with kids a fun game is usually a crowd pleaser

While I don’t always adhere to this class setup - I have found this to be robust.