TEACHING KATA
ONE-ON-ONE FOR THE FIRST TIME
When talking about kata, I like to use Kanshiwa as a model. The chances of a new instructor teaching a beginner student SANCHIN for the first time are remote. That responsibility is usually handled by an experienced instructor.
Students learning Kanshiwa for the first time all have three common attributes.
They are nervous.
They have very little knowledge of Uechiryu (Yes, you may have a student who has studied another style, but his or her knowledge of our style will still be limited).
Their SANCHIN will be limited at best (Even if they are able to go through the whole kata, their footwork, body posture and hand position will still be in the early stages of development).
With all that in mind, here is the approach I recommend the most.
First, start by talking to your students ABOUT THEMSELVES. Remember, people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Asking them how they have been enjoying their training, or what questions they may have, is a good way to start any training session. However, do not let this go too long. In my experience, anything longer than a minute usually gets people too far off track.
Now would be a good time to employ two of my favorite techniques: D-E-C-R (Demonstration, Explanation, Correction and Repetition) and the Three Times Rule.
Start off with a quick explanation. “So today we’re going to work on your second kata. It is called KANSHIWA. This shows a slightly more practical way of utilizing SANCHIN. I’ll show this to you very quickly and then we’ll get going.”
Proceed with a quick demonstration of the whole kata. To save time, include a quick explanation with each move, but do not let the kata last more than a minute. It is very easy to make a new student more nervous than he or she already is.
Once the demonstration and explanation is done, put the student’s fears at ease by saying, “That is the whole thing. Today we’re just going to work on the first six moves.” To anyone, learning six moves is a lot easier than learning a whole sequence.
From here I recommend standing to the left of the student. Since the first movement in KANSHIWA involves the student pivoting to the left, you can do the kata side-by-side with the student and be in his or her view.
Now we employ the Three Times Rule.
Guide the student through the kata and stop at the THIRD PUNCH. That’s right… stop right there!
Unless the student is the next Kanei Uechi, you have already given him enough information. Ask if s/he has any quick questions and then reset. Start the kata from the beginning.
Guide the student through the kata and stop at the THIRD PUNCH. That’s right… again!
Reset and then begin the kata for the THIRD TIME! This time continue through the two side kicks. They’re a little harder than the punches, but now that the student feels comfortable with the punching sequence, his mind is ready for the more complicated techniques.
Repeat this another two times and then go into the horse stance sequence.
At the time of your choosing or comfort level, you may opt to stay side-by-side with him or move in front of him. I usually recommend staying side-by-side until the student goes through the side kicks at least once.
The beauty of teaching a kata like this is that your student should be able to go home and remember the first three punches. Think about it. If you followed the above sequence correctly, the student will have gone through the punching portion seven times! With this method of teaching, it will give the student something to sink their teeth into at home and you something to work on the next time they come down.
Marcus Traynor