I took a training

As Karesz was away on a Wednesday a couple of weeks ago, he asked me to take the training. This doesn't happen too often but I always enjoy preparing for a training because it helps bringing together some of the technical bits I already know but maybe I haven't managed to connect them together yet.

This training was supposed to be about ikkyo as the previous Sunday was a class introducing ikkyo, and Wednesday classes are usually about doing very similar things to Sunday's classes, only in a more dynamic way. I prepared for the class by creating a plan that includedikkyo in suwari waza and tachi waza, from shomenuchi to katadori and katadori menuchi . However, at one point in the training I noticed that we had hardly started the actual techniques and there was only 15 minutes left. I decided to leave out thekatadori and katadori menuchi techniques because I didn't want to rush the whole training and there were two beginners for whom that would have been to much.

What I learned was the following:

I realised how different the two kinds of trainings we have are (i.e. adults' and children's trainings). When I write a plan for the children's training I can't write enough because I need to switch between exercises and techniques very frequently to keep the kids busy and attentive. Also, I need to leave some of them out when they don't make much sense to do in a particular situation. For example, I can't go on with another shomenuchi technique if the kids seemed to be uninterested in the previous one. For the adults' class, this is the other way round: there are so many things to explain about one particular technique, there are so many versions I want to show them that the list I prepared before my Wednesday's is probably enough for 3-4 classes if not more. I think this too long list also comes from the fact that I don't take adults trainings regularly (and I wouldn't want to do it either as I'm not at an appropriate level of expertise yet) and there are so many things I learned during my aikido years and I see them from a different angle fromKaresz. He has a way of teaching which emphasises control, he always shows the irimi points (unstable points), he encourages ukes (attackers) to challenge the tori (defender, can also be called nage). His is one way of looking at things and it's probably useful for me as well as this is how I got to my current 1st kyu level. On the other hand, my angle is from a co-operation point of view so I prefer that we learn to move together first, and while moving together in a kind of harmony the level of control and challenge can be increased gradually. To follow this way of thinking, we had some game-like exercises yesterday, for example: I do anikkyo cut, you counter it and cut back, then I counter, etc.: it's a step forward and cut - step back and let the other cut thing; when I say 'stop' (could be any word), however,whoever's turn it is finishes ikkyo with a pin. Not too traditional method but, in my view, it's good for learning to work together.

I also learned about my teaching style: I'm far from being as 'entertaining' as Karesz. This probably comes the fact that sometimes I tend to take things (and myself) too seriously which can be counterproductive. I think I'm getting much better by taking the children's class (and I include the Children's class in my CV, too :D), but I need to improve in this sense more. A sign of improvement that, although not verbal, people seemed to enjoy was when I introduced props: a big ball to learn abouttegatana , distance and centre; smaller but heavier balls to help students learning to roll. This also comes from the children's class where I try to use everything that is available: we have been practicing withjo (staff), bokken (wooden sword) which is often used in aikido but I don't always use them in the traditional way. We often use boxing bags or pads to roll over them, practiceukemi with them. During Wimbledon Tennis, as it is pretty close to where we train we used a tennis ball to improve tegatana and a sense of centre. Before that, once we had practiced with kitchen roll (and it's time now to bring that exercise back :)). Extra belts are also very good tools to improve various skills through games. Maybe adults would also enjoy, who knows.

My conclusions: a good class should be well managed in terms of time, number of exercises and techniques, levels of challenge and speed, and students need to be kept busy both physically and mentally. I think trainings should give a chance to do a lot of physical exercises, and a chance to start the brain working so what's been practiced and heard will need to be digested at home, before the next training. Next time I will probably learn something different.