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Benefits of Martial Arts Instructor Resources Mental Requirements Musings

Building Good Character in Children: NWSMA’s “Character Contract”

If you’ve been at the dojo recently, you may have noticed that a new activity has taken the place of the Summer Bingo Board.

building character in children
NWSMA’s “Character Contract” aims at building character in children.

Many parents hope that martial arts programs will help with building good character in children. Inherently, they can & do.

But I got to thinking. (Nothing new here).

What if there was a way to encourage our students to think critically about their actions, both IN and OUTside of the dojo? Especially outside, where we instructors often don’t know how they act.

And so, the “Character Contract” was born. Read on to find out specifics!

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Instructor Resources Musings

3 Reasons Why Martial Arts Partner Drills Work (and what makes them fail)

Today, we’re going to talk a little bit about martial arts partner drills. I’ll identify the important aspects of movement learned via partner drills. Then I’ll talk a bit about what makes partner drills fail.

Arnis
Arnis partner drills.

Partner drills form the “glue” between static movements and reality. On a continuum, form would be the least realistic. In form, there’s only an imagined opponent.

Partner drills and sparring practice movement against an opponent. They’re pretty realistic. 

Street defense is the most realistic. There are no rules, mats, pads, or equality of size/strength–only survival of the fittest.

(That is not to say that form isn’t important!! Form is the place where you perfect your techniques & movement by maximizing efficiency. Form builds strength, and can be a great HIIT activity in and of itself).

So what *d0* you learn during partner drills?

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Instructor Resources

Learning Styles Adults vs Children

learning styles adults vs children
NW School of Martial Arts students doing a group activity.

I believe teaching is a skill. It comes more easily to some than others. But with time and effort, it can be developed just like any other muscle.

In a martial arts school, an instructor may be dealing with both adults and children. Sometimes, like at our school, adults and children are in the same class. This post talks about the differences between adults and children and offers a bit of advice for how to handle that in class.

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General Instructor Resources Musings

Sweating the Details, AKA Why Your Instructor is So Picky

Anyone who’s said, “Don’t sweat the details,” has probably never met any martial arts instructors.

martial arts instructors
Sensei checks a student’s posture in class.

Perfectionist martial arts instructors are common, especially in karate styles. (Don’t we know it!) They seem to love watching you sweat as you try again and again to get each little thing right. All at the same time.

If you’ve ever thought, “WHY are the details so important?” or “Does it really matter if I do it this way or that way?” then this article is for you.

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Instructor Resources

Instructor Tips: 5 Martial Arts Awareness Drills

Instructors are always telling their students, “Be aware.” Today, I have 5 martial arts awareness drills that focus on doing awareness, not just telling it. Let’s first talk a bit about the importance of awareness.

We all know that awareness is a key part of basic self-defense. Knowing what is around you and sensing intention are easy ways to avoid bad situations. Any long-time practitioner of martial arts knows this, and probably practices it pretty unconsciously.

Beginning of test
Clearing the mind opens it for awareness of your surroundings.

For your students, though, this may not yet be part of their routine. As an instructor, it is your job to convince them of the importance of habitual awareness.

I was lucky enough to have a terrifying instructor as a white belt. I was 11, and taking Mr. U’s class always made me sore the next day. One day, he sat us down and gave us a lecture that, 13 years later, I still remember vividly.

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Instructor Resources Media Musings

Summer Martial Arts Training & Why It’s So Important for Children

Summer is tough for martial arts students and instructors alike. It’s hot. It’s sunny. And guess what? There’s no school! It’s so tough to sleep in and–

Wait, what’s that you say? No school? NO SCHOOL!

No school = more time to spend practicing martial arts and working hard for your next rank…….right?

Your instructors would love to see you in class over the summer. We’re not telling you to skip family vacation, (as much as some of you teenagers might like to). Family time is important, and *short* breaks are good for rest and re-focus. Or practicing your forms in an exotic location.

Let us explain why summer martial arts training is so crucial.

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Instructor Resources

Instructor’s Corner: Summer Martial Arts Bingo

Instructors with summer martial arts programs: I just had an awesome idea, and I want to share it with you.

Everyone loves playing bingo, right? And everyone loves taking the summer off from martial arts.

We all know that taking the summer off from martial arts can set students back. We all forget things when we don’t do them often enough. It’s disheartening to watch students slide back multiple belt ranks because of sketchy summer attendance.

You know that summer martial arts training is a great time to focus on achievement and building skills. But this isn’t always enough to convince your youth students.

I came up with a “Summer Martial Arts Bingo” game to help get students involved in the dojo over the summer.