A 3 Step Approach

Teaching children can be tricky and is much different than teaching adults. Adults will more often have a longer attention span and can handle a bit more theory within the lesson. Adults have typically made the choice to be there and to learn, where as kids, on the other hand, are really only interested in having fun. So we either need to find a way to make the content fun or we hide the content inside the fun.

I have found some fairly consistent success with a certain approach that I’ve been utilizing for a while and I thought it might be worth sharing. This is definitely not the only approach, but hopefully it’s one you might be able to add to your repertoire. As I go through these steps, I will also share the example of a recent lesson where we worked on the roundhouse kick.

Part 1 - The Knowledge. Fun.
Part 2 - The Focus. Funner.
Part 3 - The Application. Funnest.

The Knowledge
This portion should come first and needs to be kept short. It can be used as a refresher for the older students, and/or as a brief introduction for the newer ones. You really only have their attention for maybe about 3-4 minutes here, max. Although this would be considered the “theory” portion of the lesson, it cannot just be talking, and needs to be balanced with doing. In fact, the doing should lead the lesson, not the talking. They also still need an opportunity within here to move and have some fun as well.

Roundhouse Example. We stayed set up as a full class with an instructor at the front. The Instructor immediately had them go into a bow stance (they did NOT start with talking) and had them do a few roundhouse reps. Then, while still in a bow stance, they started to refresh the class on the components of the roundhouse and took them through a few more reps in a “step-by-step” format, challenging their balance and having some laughs with it. They finished with the last few at full speed once again. This portion was kept short but active.

The Focus
This portion is a specific aspect that you want to work on and would also likely be the bulk of the lesson. So within the overall lesson, what will your main objective be for this particular class? Ideally, this is an activity where the student isn’t repeatedly TOLD what they should be working on, but rather is a fun game or challenge by which they will have no option BUT to work on said skill.

Roundhouse Example. We partnered the students up and had them find a dot along the ponywall. The first partner held the wall for stability while doing a roundhouse kick, up to and including the 3-point. While holding that 3-point, their partner then placed a bean bag on their ankle, from which point they were challenged to complete the kick (slowly) as many times as they could without dropping the bean bag. As far as the students were concerned, this was a “don’t drop the bean bag game”, which for them was a fun challenge. But in actual fact, they were working on their proper 3-point, their body alignment and hip strength.



The Application
This portion comes last and should be the most fun. We want to end the overall lesson on a really high note. This is also the students opportunity to apply what they were just working on and for the instructors to see how much of it potentially sunk in. I think of this section as “organized chaos” and should be fast paced with smiles and pink cheeks by the end. At this point in the lesson, I would be looking less to correct any of the students, and more just taking mental notes of what needs work the next time.

Roundhouse Example. We separated the students into groups lined up towards the heavy bags. They were challenged to run to the bag and then had to do 1 or more roundhouses at the direction of the instructor at that bag. The first round may have been a low roundhouse. The second, high then low. Third, high, low, high. And so on. The final round they got to do their best flying roundhouse.


By the end of this particular class, I was really impressed by how their technique was looking in the Application portion. Everyone was pivoting and getting that proper body alignment that they had gotten used to along the wall, and many were implementing really good 3-points as well, especially when challenged with those different height kicks. And they were having a blast at the same time.

What truly made me realize that this approach had some benefits, was when Sihing N Csillag planned their next class on the side heel in the same format. It was essentially the same general setup, with different content, and the students didn’t even notice. At the same time, they were able to reiterate some of the similar skills between the roundhouse and the side heel (ie. the pivot and body positioning) and by the end of the second class we were seeing some really amazing progress. Sidenote: This is now making me take a good look at what lessons might work really well back to back.

When we discover a successful drill, our instinct tells us we need to replicate it exactly so that we get the same result. But what tends to happen is we will use it over and over to the point that it becomes old and boring, no longer having the same effect. Instead of copying the drill itself, I’m trying to figure out what made that drill successful and then replicate the approach. I think if we can figure out how to do that, the potential for successful drills, and successful classes, become endless.

FWAAAAAAP!!!

I was feeling really poorly a couple weeks ago about my side heel. Really poor. It had been building up little by little until it eventually broke me.  And so I finally just bit the bullet and blogged about it. Sometimes I feel a bit silly blogging about things like that because it can come off as just a bunch of complaining or a "poor me" attitude.  But I feel like the first step for me in solving something is to literally just say it out loud and get it off my chest. And when I finally acknowledged it, I immediately felt a certain amount of relief and a sense of determination to finally move forward, rather than continuing to skirt the issue and pretend all was well.  Once I said it out loud, publicly, I had nowhere to hide.

Although this "simple" step brought an immediate sense of relief, there was ovbiously still more to do.  Sometimes we fail to take any actual steps to move forward, changing nothing, and we often just end up back in the dumps.  Surprisingly, I often find that it really doesn’t take a whole lot to turn things around.  But there needs to be some sort of plan.  Any plan really.  The plan phase is organic and can change and evolve.  So really, to start, anything is better than nothing.  What was important here was not to lose the momentum that was initiated with the acknowledgment.  If I let too much time pass, I'd end up back under that glass rock.  So I made a commitment to myself to simply work more consistently on my side heel by, at minimum, doing at least 25 reps per leg every day.  I know that doesn't seem like much...and it's not really.  But I thought that maybe this would at least develop some daily consistent attention to this kick AND provide the potential to expand and go deeper if the opportunity arose.  So for all intents and purposes, I just wanted to make a simple plan that would promote consistency and sustainability.  

As I was doing these reps one morning, I was offered some advice to just speed up.  I was told that all the pieces and parts are there, I just needed to connect them and the only way I'd be able to do that would be with speed.  So I did.  And all I can say is "holy crap".  It feels like it went from,

"Okay, crane, then pivot, thrust out, don't forget foot position, woah, watch your balance, pivot back, don't forget the crane, careful now, okay back to bow stance, good, reset, get ready for the next, and..."

to

"Okay, SIDE HEEL, BAM!"

I’ve been so timid of my side heel that I thought the best approach was to take it slow and be really meticulous.  Keep things simple and broken down.  But in actuality, that wasn’t keeping it simple at all. Quite the opposite actually.  I was overcomplicating it by continuing to (slowly) analyze each step.  And I don't mean that all the work I've done up until this point has been for naught.  Not at all.  There’s definitely value in doing things slowly. Obviously to start with we have to in order to figure out all the bits and pieces involved.  But eventually you hit a plateau continuing to use that same approach.  And you have to add the next element.  For me, right now, that seems to be speed.  I think until you speed it up, everything is still slightly disconnected no matter how much you think you have it tied together. When you go slow, there is no way that your body can actually do all the components properly in sequence while getting that full range of motion, full muscle application, full extension, full expansion.  You have to kick with speed to make all of that stuff click and come together how it should.

It feels good to have something tangible to be working on that I believe is taking me to the next level with this kick.

But my story doesn't end there.  

With such a huge potential for progress with implementing speed into my side heel, I started thinking about my front thrust.  Although not a kick that I shied away from, I felt like I was still doing it the same old way.  Slow.  Meticulous.  Calculated.  SAFE.  And so I thought..."hmmm...I wonder what would happen if I applied this speed approach there as well."  And once again, "holy crap".  I took a video for "posterity's" sake.  The first comparison is of today and from 2021.  The second is from today and 2023 and is pretty much where it has stayed until now.  Yes, there is still lots to work on, and always will be (if I'm lucky).  But the element of speed is certainly taking things up a notch.  And yes, I know that I should also apply this to other kicks, the roundhouse for instance, but that's for another day.

But again, my story doesn't end there.

Taking this knowledge even further, I'm applying speed to my kicks in my forms.  I'm noticing that my kicks tend to get a bit "safe" in my forms.  I'm not sure why.  Perhaps because there is a lot more going on, a lot more to think about.  But I've decided to stop playing it safe and just go for it.  And I am loving that "fwaaap" sound that many others always seem to have.  It's not very loud...but it's there!  And it's something that I've always wanted for myself but just never thought I would be capable of, yet here I am.

Exactly where I am supposed to be.

Project Kindness

First off, thank-you to Todai Bauer for putting "Project Kindness" together.  This was such a lovely idea and keepsake.

Secondly, thank-you to everyone for submitting their kind words.

This project was valuable to me in many ways.

As I read through the comments that others made about me, I found it interesting how many of them followed a common theme, many people even using alot of the same descriptors.  And it made me feel good to hear these things from several people.  They can't all be liars...😂.  But it was also somewhat curious how there were a few outlying comments.  Things that I don't really see in myself and so it was interesting to have some of those things pointed out as well.

Something else I found really interesting was that I could almost hear a specific voice in certain comments...as if I could hear the person speaking to me.  I think this might be due to becoming familiar with how people "talk" through their blogs.  When I felt I could hear a voice, it seemed to have an even greater impact.  And sure, I might have had the wrong voice, since they were all anonymous...but even so.

As I wrote my own comments for my fellow team-mates, some of them came very readily to me, while others I found more difficult.  It's easy to say nice things about people, generally speaking.  Especially about the people in this group.  But as I tried to really pinpoint something truly unique about each of them, I became very aware of which of my team-mates I had obviously created bonds with, and those that I need to get to know better.  Oddly enough, for certain people, this realization came as a bit of a surprise.  So above an beyond the original intent, this project has inspired me to try and make some deeper connections and to reach out more to my team mates.

Once again, thank-you Todai Bauer for organizing this initiative.

2 Minute Blog - Topic #1 - Superpowers

Whenever I think of superpowers I always think of that show Heros.  There were so many interesting powers that they had.  I mean, the obvious one would be the one where you absorb other powers.  But if I recall...you could only have one at a time.  So that's not as cool.  Lol.

I think the superpower I would choose would be healing.  A close second might be breathing under water.  Although I'm not sure I'd ever go deep in the ocean because it's dark and you never know what's lurking.  But still, I think

Times up!

A Revisit to My Achilles Heel

We talked about this quite a bit in class tonight, but I need to recap and also add some of my more personal thoughts...frustrating as they might be.

So I looked back, and I have no less than 45 blogs (since I started blogging in July of 2020) that are about the side heel.  Most are about my struggle with this kick.  The odd one is about how I think I might have figured something out.  But then it typically reverts back to a struggle.  In any event, the side heel has, historically, been a big challenge within my kung fu. In fact, the very second blog I ever wrote was titled "My Achilles Heel" and was about...you got it...the side heel.

I still don't feel confident or competent with my side heel.  I think, at most, I have the pieces lined up.  I know what I'm supposed to do.  But I still haven't yet been able to connect it all.  And I think that sounds pretty sad at a brown belt level.  There are times where I think I might be getting close, usually when just throwing them in the air...but then you put a target in front of me, and everything I thought I knew, or had figured out, changes.  Everything is just slightly off.  I can't feel that release of energy....or that nice full extension.  I always feel jammed.  Technique seems to have disappeared.  Just all in all really poor.  

And what's more frustrating, is that my partner, or an instructor, will say..."that one looked good"...or..."that one felt strong (on impact)"....or.."yup that was a good one"....but to me....none of them "feel" that way.  They all feel disconnected....choppy...weak...soft....incomplete.  And because I can't seem to determine which ones are good...I also can't seem to develop a baseline to work with or something to aim for.  And I've been feeling stuck here for quite some time....bascially since that very first blog.

"See Ya"

Although the road to the banquet is tremendously busy, frantic, tiring and demanding...as is the day OF....the day AFTER (or even at home that same night to be honest) always sends me into an immediate feeling of sadness, longing and nostalgia.  And to be quite honest...I feel a little lost and alone.  It seems funny, I know.  But there is this crazy sense of purpose...along with this intense team atmosphere in the last couple months of the year...everyone working together towards this huge goal.  And then...Poof...everyone goes their separate ways..on to new things.  Okay, okay...I know it's not that dramatic....but I have big feelings sometimes.

In fact...this clip here pretty much sums it up.  And I'm Elaine.  Lol.

I know it's silly.  I'll basically see you all again tomorrow.  And we carry on essentially the same as we have been.  But that feeling remains for a time, nonetheless.

Having said that, the night itself was amazing.  I am tremendously proud of my partner and I.  For one, her Student of the Year Award.  Well deserved for so many reasons.  And I'm not too proud to ride her coat-tails a bit.  Then there was the finale of our fan form.  Did I have some bloops?  Yes.  Unfortunately, my fan got stuck on me during our nunchucks.  Boooo.  So I had to abort the last one.  Then I had to adjust the catch a bit...and it caused a bit of a blurp in my steps following.  It was a bit humorous though.  It's funny how your mind works so fast in the moment.  I remember thinking "Hmmmmm....I don't think this is the right stance I'm supposed to be in for this particular move....hmmm...so that means, in order not to screw up the next bit, I have to STAY in this stance for this next fan opening.  Yup...okay...this is right now....Aaaaaaand...carry on".  But seriously...I truly remember those thoughts...even the Hmmmmmmms.  Yet when I watch the video, it's incredible to know that this internal dialogue occurred in about a half a second.  AND we didn't drop it...and that was the biggest win of all....lol.

Then there are my own students.  I always make a point of going around the room to chat with all of them.  I want to make sure they are happy and excited and that they belong. I try to alleviate any nervousness.  It's not easy getting up in front of a crowd.  It's not easy as adults!  And so I just think these kids are so brave and amazing every single time they put themselves out there like that.  And I'm so very proud of them for this huge accomplishment.  And my hope is that when they are in the IHC, it will be a non-issue.

The lion and dragon dance was spectacular as well.  Everyone did a fantastic job.  As a mom, I'm crazy proud of Emma.  As an Instructor, again, I'm so proud of my students.  And as a team member, I'm in awe of the rest of the team.  AND we pulled off the drumming.  Lol.  I'm not sure if anyone, aside from my drumming counterpart, truly understands the difficulty with all the different patterns...going in and out...drumming against the other drum....etc, etc.  I recall, when getting back into a typical 3-star, after maintaining the 3 1/2 for quite some time, my brain was on overdrive convincing my hands not to go back...while also telling my ears not to listen to the thunder drumming across the way because it's easy to get pulled into that other rhythm as well.  My arms feel kinda weak and jelly-ish today...as does my brain. Can't seem to pinpoint why....lol....Although on a serious note, I'd never get any better without Sihing Lindstrom pushing us to the brink of sanity.  Now we know we can and I can't wait to see what's in store for next year.

So yeah.  All in all...a pretty amazing night.  No wonder the nostalgia hits so quick.

Ps.  A big, giant, huge thank-you to Sihing Sharida Csillag for recognizing my distress call during the eye-dotting ceremony.  Not sure if anyone else noticed...hopefully not....but I started off with a "cheater" technique.  I did it last year and it was super easy to maintain, while also giving me a free hand to hold the dampening mat on the drum.  I don't know if it's that I am now just accustomed to long durations of thunder drumming, but the "easy" way was making my arm and wrist burn and I couldn't maintain it!  So I switched to regular.  BUT then I could no longer hold the mat and so it started to slide.  I attempted to hold it with one leg sort of against the drum.  But then it just started to slide more the other way.  So I attempted to hold it with both legs and ended up in this weird position where I was kinda standing like a hockey goalie.  Omg.  I wanted to burst out laughing.  I didn't know what to do!!!  Thank goodness I was able to catch Sihing's eye and "talk" to her with eye and head movements.....while desperately trying to maintain the thunder drumming.  Thank goodness she came to save me.  Hahaha.  This was one of the funniest moments of the night that I just had to share.