"This is why I don't teach young kids well."

The title is a comment that my colleague and friend made. I would like to talk about the quote that spurred it. It was from a recent issue of the martial arts magazine flagship Black Belt Magazine. It reads as follows:

"As much as martial arts teachers who instruct children proclaim that the arts are for fun, fitness, entertainment or self-confidence, their essence is martial, military, life and death" (Simon Scher, Black Belt Magazine April 2011, p 73).

At first reading, I know exactly from where my colleague is coming. I have understood it and encountered it. But there is something that I think is very important in martial arts physical education that gymnastics, or other sports do not bring to the table.  It is especially suited for young people, and it is this. One of the key component in teaching young children is not only letting them, but verbally encouraging them to take on that "warrior-persona." It is a role-play, almost. But it is part of them. It is part of all of us.

As instructors, we are mentors. This is true for adults, but holds especially true for youth. It is one of our responsibilities to other in teaching them. We teach them how to encounter a fundamental aspect of humanity-fighting for truth and defense. But there is more to just encountering it at the moment when it is needed. We help them to understand it. It's the "grown-up" adults that need to understand the other aspects of it (that includes the parents of children; and our selves).

The martial arts provide freedom for and within oneself- freedom of movement, truth seeking, morality [one the the key components in karate's launch into the mainstream educational world; it's publicly fudned in the oriental countries], and self.

Instructing children is a gift for many. It is also, however, an acquired skill. Teaching children is part about making karate "fun." But this is too often confused. Karate is fun because instructors are suppose to give positive re-enforcement to kids in an overdose, NOT because they are gamekeepers or babysitters. Teaching children is also about letting them learn their own selves. Martial arts for kids (and often adults) demands a certain level of co-ordination. When it isn't there, naturally for children, instructors may wisely spend time to inventively organize drills to help children do the martial arts we wish to teach them.

Instructing kids isn't about laughter. Martial arts is very serious. There is life and death, even from "just playing around" irresponsibly. But martial arts is about positive emotional re-enforcement, basic skills acquisition, and treating them with respect as human beings. Anyone can do it, but they simply need to let themselves see it. As instructors we help them to do that, in ways their own minds can understand (sometimes by teaching them the "correct" mentality).

To my colleague, I hope you sparked your own insights through this reading, as I expect that you should with your tuned mind. I had originally intended to blog on the interior life of the warrior, and how it relates to training, but that will be for another day.

Train happy. Train hard.