A Message from Dr. David Hooper sensei: "Of the five main roles of a good teacher, the least important, is actually teaching. If a teacher is spending all his time and effort in front of the class teaching, then he is clearly doing something wrong. In the karate world it is often assumed that once you have reached a certain level you are, by definition, a teacher. Regardless of any natural aptitude, let alone qualification, an individual might possess in that regard, the belief exists, that if you can do it, you can teach others to do it too. If you have a string of awards and competition medals in your sleeve, then so much the better. Many karate associations rely on their senior black belts to instruct and help expand their empire. Like a gigantic “Ponzi” pyramid scheme, a huge turnover of students allows those at the top to maintain their position, by expecting each new black belt to perform their teaching duties, and help cope with the next big influx of recruits who have been seduced by a sophisticated and enticing advertising campaign. Albert Einstein famously said, “I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn”. In Taku-dai karate bu (Takushoku University Karate Club), one thing that surprised me was that Tsuyama sensei, the head coach was so frequently absent. The club however, enjoyed the reputation of probably the strongest and most successful university karate club in Japan. Tsuyama sensei actually structured a training programme for the club, and from which the class never deviated, whether he was present or not. Japan’s ability to consistently produce karateka of an exceptionally high standard is not due to any evolutionary quirk of nature. It happens because there are a sufficient numbers of dojos where the conditions in which learning can occur have been created. It is often not the sensei who intervene directly to “teach”; rather it is the sempai who are setting the example, providing the model and “facilitating” the learning process. What the sensei is doing is simply setting up and structuring the programme, within which everything else takes place. If I might be permitted to offer a little bit of advice to those with responsibility for students of their own association, it is this: do a bit less actual teaching and devise a programme of training that allows enough time for actual practice. Practice is not merely repetition. Practice demands creativity and invention. It is about making progress and moving on by engaging. Students need to discover things for themselves. It’s not the theory of karate that students have difficulty with; it’s the execution. Unless you do enough of any technique to get consistency and a feeling for the movement, the process of self-discovery can’t even start. The study of traditional JKA karate is life-long pursuit. Nobody can give you the answers. The secrets of karate are revealed only through consistent and regular training. Sometimes, it is on your own, when we unexpectedly catch a glimmer of light and make a bit more progress."
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:18:19 +0000
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