Instructing Tips

Perception and Action. Student actions are sometimes much different from what they perceives is their actions. Students may perform continuous right front kicks when the instructor is commanding left front kicks. Until the problem is pointed out, students perceive they are performing the kick properly. For beginning students, instructors must concentrate on training students to correctly perceive their actions. Do not give detailed explanations to beginners. Do not try to teach everything about a technique to beginners at once, it may be confusing, boring, and even misleading. Instead, concentrate on helping them correctly perceive their own actions. 

Potential. Instructors must assess each students ability and potential and strive to narrow the distance between the two. In large classes, observing and responding to the gaps in each student's abilities is a matter of balance. A balance between the needs of many graceful students versus the needs of a few awkward students. Some students only need to be directed through a series of exercise while others must be prodded, challenged, and carefully observed. Balancing the two situations is difficult but doable. Customize your solutions for the individual student. While it may seem you are spending too much time on an individual student, the class as a whole may be rewarded through the experience you gain from working on solutions for the one student.

Make allowances for student physical shortcomings. Do not place constraints on techniques that do not allow for individual physical differences. If you do, you may discourage students whose physical limitations do not allow them to perform the technique as described. A technique may be precisely defined and still allow for its use by most students. For some disabled students, techniques may required modification to fit their needs.