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Introduction
The technical
standard of martial arts
practitioners
in the West is extremely high
indeed,
from the modern combat sports like
Kick-Boxing and Ultimate Fighting to
the
more traditional arts of Karate,
jiu-Jitsu,
etc Western martial artists
have made their
mark the world over.
and are acknowledged by
all as being
ranked among the worlds best.
However,
the elite athletes and technicians
referred to above are just that:
Elite.
Exceptionally skilful
individuals at, or
very near, the peak
of performance standards.
Most of
us may never reach that exalted
status, a lot of us wouldn’t even want
to.
But, does that mean we shouldn’t
join a
club, and get a buzz out of
training at our
own level? Off course
not! Martial arts
training has
something for everyone, and
should be
readily available to anyone who
wants
to give them a try.
To teach all
kinds of people however, takes
a
special skill. A skill that is completely
separate to having technical ability.
And
that skill is called ‘Teaching
ability’
because it’s a fact that
being good at your
subject doesn’t
mean you can teach your
subject, any
more than being able to drive a
car
makes you a good mechanic!
The
following will act as a guide to
instructors in tackling one of the
most
demanding roles they can be faced
with: No!
not teaching unarmed combat
techniques to
commandos. Teaching
martial arts to toddlers!
BACKGROUND
Not all
martial arts instructors choose to
teach very young children (4-6 years),
as
they know it will prove an
extremely
demanding task. They are,
off course, quite
correct in this
assumption!
It requires a special set
of skills, and the
author would
certainly advice against such
an
endeavour unless the instructor concerned
has undergone some form of specialist
training to be able to deal with the
complexities
involved.
However, it is
important that instructors
continue to
refine their teaching ability as
this
will help improve performance and
maintain good practice in quality
assurance
throughout. So they are to
be encouraged to
seek out and undergo
such training. In the
meantime, here
are some of the ‘basics’ to
be going
on with:
To be able to teach a
toddlers class, the
instructor will
need to understand something
about
child development, and structure the
classes in such a way as to compliment
and
reinforce this.
Child
development has four main aspects, and
these are as follows:
-
Physical
-
Intellectual
- Emotional
-
Social
Collectively,
these are known as ‘PIES’
(nice easy
way of remembering them!)
Physical
Development
A pre-school
child will have already begun
to act
independently, they will be able to
change into their own budogi, and use
certain equipment efficiently. In
addition,
they will have good levels
of balance and
agility, so you can
reasonably expect them
to be able to
perform kicks, breakfalls and
throws.
However, it must always
be remembered that
they are STILL
DEVELOPING, so extensive care
must be
taken to avoid any and all
activities
which might have an adverse
effect
upon their delicate frames (Joint
locking, strangles/chokes, rolling
over
objects, striking hard objects,
certain
types of exercise,
etc).
Intellectual
Development
The young
child’s mind is like sponge when
it
comes to soaking up information. They
love learning new things, and the
instructor
will need be careful in not
taking them ‘too
far, too quickly’
because the mind, just
like the body,
can be overworked and
strained. So
make sure that here are regular
periods of work (learning) and rest
(play)
Generally, Toddlers tend to
learn best
by ‘doing’ (kinaesthetic)
rather than too
much listening
(auditory) or watching
(visual). That
is to say that although it IS
still
important that the instructor does
continue to both demonstrate and
explain
what they want the class to be
doing, much
more emphasis should be
placed upon the
doing, simply because
this is an ‘active’
learning style
which requires energy and
participation, rather than the more
passive
ones of sitting still while
looking and
listening to the
instructor while trying not
to fidget,
pick-noses or fall asleep!
These young
learners will already have
developed
good problem solving ability, so
the
instructor shouldn’t immediately rush in
to correct any minor mistake s/he has
noticed (unless some aspect of safety
is in
danger of being compromised)
Rather, they
should allow them some
time to try and work
it out for
themselves, as that way they will
get
a far greater sense of
achievement.
Emotional
Development
Even though
human beings are the most
intelligent
species upon the planet, it is
still
our emotions that define who we are.
The ability to ‘feel’ rather than
simply ‘reason’ or ‘think’ is what
makes our
existence so rich and
varied: what makes
us ‘human’ if you
will.
During this period, the children
will still
be developing their
understanding of
feelings (both their
own and those around
them) this is a
vitally important skill
which will aid
them in eventually becoming
well-
balanced adults.
Instructors should
show constant support and
offer plenty
of reassurance to the Toddlers,
helping them to develop their
confidence and
sense of self. They
should be encouraged to
form new bonds
and friendships on the mat,
express
their feelings in a socially
acceptable manner and also to think
about
how other people feel.
When
implemented correctly, the above
techniques will combine to result in
an
emotionally strong and secure child
who ‘feels’ valued as an
individual.
Social
Development
Social skills
are what get us by in society
at
large. Any form of group learning is
a ‘social experience’, wherein the
young
child will not only be learning
the subject
being taught, but also
certain aspects of
interpersonal
skills and teamwork. This is
where
they learn about such things as
responsibility, discipline and good
manners.
To’ wait their turn’ and
use ‘please’
and ‘thank you’
(and ‘Oose’) etc.
Children in this age
group can be expected
to share
equipment, work well in a team,
choose
their own friends and wait patiently
for the instructor’s attention. The
acquisitions of these ‘socialisation’
skills
help them understand the basic
rules and
principles of society, and
their place
within it. They will have
respect for
others, discipline in
themselves and (later
on) more of an
appreciation for law and
order.
Teaching
Methods for pre-school
children
As we all already know,
Children of this age
have:
-
A great deal of energy
-A very short
attention span
-An ability to learn
quickly
-A love of games and play
-
Varying levels of coordination
This means that your lessons
will need to be
the
following:
-Safe! (See chapter on
Health and Safety)
-Short (30/45mins
max)
-Kinaesthetic (emphasis placed
upon ‘doing’)
-Interesting, challenging
and informative
-Have plenty of variety
-Contain lots of the ‘fun’
element.
In addition,
motivational aids may be
employed such
as badges, medals, trophies,
certificates or coloured ‘tabs’ for
their
belts, etc.
This type
of ‘token economy’ plays an
important
part in the encouragement of
learning
and attainment, and is a valuable
resource in influencing and building
positive attitudes and
behaviour.
Instructors must
have:
-Suitable Qualifications
(Black belt or
equivalent plus a
coaching/training/teaching
award, etc)
-Be CRB checked
-Have a child
protection policy
-Have special
training in Child Protection
-Make sure
all Health and Safety measures
have
been taken and are up-to-date
(Including Insurances)
Teaching
Toddlers can be an extremely
rewarding
undertaking as you can often see
the
results of your efforts almost
immediately. It is well worth the
extra
efforts
involved.
by: Jaimie Richard Lee-Barron, http://www.imas.uksite.biz
Article date: April 2008.
