The Complete Guide to GKR Karate

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Class structures

Karate teaching and training can be quite full-on at times. Many of the activities and training drills are highly active, complex and for beginning students, quite confronting. It is essential for both the instructor and the students that there is visible order in the dojo and some clear and easy to follow structures and routines. While there are several routines that GKR already implements, there is a large degree of flexibility for each branch/senior instructor. There is no best way of teaching that I can list here. What is important is to be aware of the different options and identify and consider their relative merit for your particular class.

Leadership

While humility is an important trait for karateka to embrace, a karate instructor has a responsibility to their students. Each of us, as students of karate, need role models early on and mentors as we mature. An instructor must aim to excel in the area of leadership. When a new student walks into the dojo, it should be clear who the instructor of the dojo is.

Dojo roles

In new dojos, there will most likely be just the instructor and their students. However, more established dojos can be enhanced by incorporating other roles. These develop a win-win situation. Giving students the opportunity to take on new roles and responsibilities not only provide positive reinforcement, but helps to develop their overall development. Some examples of roles that can be included in a dojo are:

• Assistant instructor - having a second instructor in the dojo is obviously good for the rest of the students and it gives you the opportunity to split the class and work with a smaller group of or individual students, but it is also very beneficial for the assistant themselves. To teach something generally requires a depth of knowledge about the topic. The opportunity to teach can help a student develop their depth of understanding.

• Class leaders - putting one or more students out the front of the class as examples can be a great way of helping new students learn the basics. It can also be a good way to help lower/middle grades pick up a new kata or learn new moves.

• Dojo host - having one or more students allocated to helping new students is a great way to promote a positive atmosphere within your dojo. By first greeting new students and then helping them learn the basic procedures, can make the first nervous class much easier to get through. A good host could also train next to the new student if this fits with your class composition.

Formal format

GKR already has a formal class format. Having a format that all the students know is very beneficial. It allows the students to be aware of and focus on the physical elements of their training without, what can be a distraction, of looking at the instructor and concentrating on learning new material. Instructors should use this format regularly - especially with lower graded classes. Knowing what the class involves is comforting to students and also provides them with the opportunity to pace themselves through class and focus their focus on the areas that they know they need work on.

Whole-class instruction

A significant part of karate instruction involves drills. Most of the drills (Eg: kihon) are beneficial for students of all grades/ages. It is also easier for the instructor to manage the class and focus on the elements that they believe are important for the class to learn/practice. It is important in very large classes to keep the student's attention or the focus will be lost. Some strategies are:

• Keep the talking brief - students won't like standing in a stance for long periods of time while you explain something in depth. They also won't be able to comprehend the concept as well if they are under physical duress.

• Enhance the talking with visual aids - use your sempai to demonstrate techniques to help the visual/spatial learners. You can also use students from the class. This provides an opportunity for possible formal interaction with the students.

• Include concrete and personal examples - try not to be too general with your explanations of why techniques are done in a particular way. Your students don't go to your class to learn what works for most people or someone else - they want and deserve to know what is best for them.

• Ask questions - students very easily slip into the "hai" response mode, where they will just respond without actually thinking about what you said. Engage their cognition and help them develop.

Group work

There are many reasons to use group work in any teaching environment. First and most importantly, groups provide the students with less formal learning situations. This allows students to develop and learn personally and socially. Working in homogenous groups (Eg: similar ability, age or size), allows students to learn from each other and will also improve their confidence - which is holistically beneficial. Heterogeneous groups (mixed abilities, ages, sizes) are also beneficial for students. It can help them think outside the square. Karate instructors should use groups in their classes on a regular basis. Obviously, a group of white belts can't be left alone, so make sure you allocate a sempai to help them.

Individual attention

For many parts of karate training, a student's development would be optimized with personal teaching and training from their instructor. While this is not usually possible for much of the normal teaching situation as the rest of the class needs to be taken care of, it will be something special for any student who may need such attention (Eg: for students before their brown/black belt gradings). It is also useful to provide the whole class with space to themselves and help them learn how to train by themselves (Eg: kata or shadow sparring).