My Blue Belt Assistants
Last Saturday I had a
prospective student and his parents approach me after class inquiring
about our classes. As I was explaining about our classes, I mentioned my several assistants who help out during class, seeing a puzzled look I briefly explained my teaching philosophy about using assistants.
Grand Master Remy Presas (the founder of Modern Arnis) use
to tell us when we closed out a training camp how important it was to find
someone to teach the art to. He would
encourage us no matter what our rank was to find someone and teach them. GM Remy knew that by passing on something we
learned at the camp we would be growing in the art; that we learned more from
the process of teaching others than just doing a drill in the air by ourselves,
and that by being focused on helping others in some way it would enrich our
lives. We might not be able to pass on
the higher levels of the art, in fact we might be only able to pass on a basic drill, a
basic concept, a couple of techniques even, it didn't matter really because whatever it was it would help us
make the art our own and enrich our understanding of his art.
I believe in this whole
heartedly and put it into practice daily during my classes at the Rec. Center
largely through my use of assistants. I
believe that a student learning to take ownership (of a task given), feels a
sense of accomplishment when they have helped another student(s) succeed or
learn something. Often times I will have
that student stand beside me as I check out the students they were assigned to
and then offer some advice on further correction of the student but still
praising them for helping out. Using
assistants to help other students also helps build camaraderie in the
class. So while I don’t have an official
“leadership” program per say, I do select students who have shown initiative
and a desire to help out and then I'll start working with them to train them to
teach in some format or another no matter what their rank.
One of the first things I
look for is the interest of the students, these are the students who try and
come early to class. Often times these
students come to the earlier class before their own and will wait patiently on the
side lines. Generally, depending upon
several factors of how class is going that day; I’ll call them in to
demonstrate a technique, to join in a drill etc. etc. somehow or another I’ll
try and use them in class and reward their good behavior (by spot lighting
them or including them in class).
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| Cynthia, Rod, Z and Matthew practicing Yul Kok kata |
The next level is generally
the students who are of higher rank who I know (from experience) can lead
others. These students often times show
up early in order to help out in the lower level class. Because they are acting as assistants in a
lower ranked class I have them line up with me (where the instructor’s line up)
even if they are below black belt rank.
Currently I have four blue belts; the twins (Rod and Z), and Cynthia and
Matthew who have been very helpful in this regard. These four students have been instrumental in working
with and teaching the beginning colored belt class students and the assistants I want to high lite today.
That both Rod and Z are good
students goes without saying really, the fact that they can teach and help the
other beginning and intermediate belts are icing on the cake so to speak. While I monitor the whole class I’ve over
heard the boys at times telling the student they were assigned to “Mr. Lynn
says….” Or “Mr. Lynn has us do it this way” etc. etc. I couldn’t believe the detail that would be
repeating what I say in class, almost word for word descriptions of techniques
or applications. However they tend to
connect with the younger kids in ways that as an adult I can’t, all of the
while staying on task trying to help the student they were assigned to. |
| Matthew teaching Wade position for the front foot sweep |
Cynthia and Matthew have a
similar skill set in reaching out to the students and teaching them at their
level. The other day I assigned Cynthia
and Matthew to work with two of my Orange
belts on their prearranged one steps drills that are required for their next
stripe. Cynthia and Matthew covered more
material teaching these students than I had on at least two classes prior to
this one. To top that off Cynthia and Matthew had them performing better than I
had.
Cynthia and Matthew like Rod
and Z before them often come to the earlier beginner class specifically to help
out. All of these students (Cynthia, Z Rod and Matthew) work very
hard during class and are excellent examples of karate technique at their belt
rank levels; their katas, their blocks, kicks and punches are all very
good. All four of them know all of the requirements that I have taught them for their next belt level and Matthew and Cynthia also learned our Modern Arnis anyos (katas or forms); Anyo 1 (Empty hand form 1, and the stick anyo 1-3.
 |
| Cynthia helping Jack with one step #4 |
At the end of every class I
always instruct the students if they were helped by an assistant then the
student should go to the assistant and thank them. Likewise parents if your child has been
helped by these assistants, I’m sure their parents would like to hear from you
as well. Considering that all four of
these assistants are 10 years old and younger; their parents are taking time out
of their busy schedules to bring them early to class often times waiting patiently
for two hours while their kids are helping and your child out. You can do this in person by stopping by and thanking them, or if you ever want
to email me your comments I’ll be sure to pass them on.
Next time I'll write about our Purple, Brown and Red belts assistants.