Last night was my first time teaching a class on my own. Talk about nervous! I've taught before in my usual club, but as we only train once a week, it's not really enough and so I thought that what better way to do a bit more training and highlight the faults with my techniques as well as introducing others to the art, than starting a class? So, as it was straight after work, and the football was on, there were only four of us last night. However, it turned out that such a small number was really helpful, I could give my undivided attention to each of them!
None of them had trained any kind of martial art before, so they were complete beginners in every sense of the word. I didn't particularly encounter any problems- although with them being absolute beginners and not having any senior students to demonstrate with made it a little difficult to teach I suppose. There were a few groans while we were warming up and stretching!
We covered zenkutsu dachi, oi-tsuki, and all the four basic blocks. It makes you realise how you must have looked when you first started! Teaching stepping forward was difficult- karate is a different way of moving than what you're used to so teaching people to bend their knees whilst moving forward produced some strange results. We learnt how to make a fist properly first, and the difference between what they thought was how they should make one and how we should make one- a tighter feeling without squeezing. In oi-tsuki I taught the movement of the knees and the importance of ending the technique with the punch and step simultaneous- i.e. so that all the muscles are working together to provide as much power to the fist- especially pushing the hip forward to make the step, and driving into the ground. Furthermore, teaching the line of travel of the arm during punching, and keeping the shoulder down was something that needed constant attention. I think that they picked up the techniques very quickly, but all of them had particular problems in trying to perform Gedan Barai- just a confusion of what the arms do really. They also all found it difficult to keep the shoulders down, and use the hips to drive the punch/block, rather than the torso. They really were model students, though, and they listened and put 100% in. We then practiced Kihon Kata, and to finish off did some hip throws from the first move of the kata. We all thoroughly enjoyed it, and when given the chance to come back again, they all were really keen.
Teaching others teaches you to look at your own technique, and to ensure that every movement is correct, such as hand position, stance, line of travel etc. and that just because you understand how to do something, doesn't mean others do.
So it looks like my nerves weren't necessary, and that hopefully I've set three more people on the path to enlightenment, as it were! I'm really looking forward to teaching again, and telling you all about it.
