Who knows about this blog

Apparently, no one who wants to respond. :) That's okay. I'm discovering that I don't have a great fire to push my ideas into the world or get responses.

But, I've told some groups about it. I told the students in one of my graduate classes right away. It is on constructivist learning on the internet, and this blog fulfills one of the assignments. I also told my kenpo club and my instructor and a few others right away. A few weeks ago I told the folks on the kenponet, which is a big mess of martial artists, and a pretty critical bunch at that. I would have figured some of them to start arguing that I'm wrong by now. :)

I don't know if anyone would find this thing by accident or not. In the settings, I okayed listing it for others to find.

Oh, well.

Peace,
SGB

7 testing

It looks like I'll be testing at least 7 people this Saturday, going for yellow, orange, and purple ranks. One person is holding off, planning to learn a few bits she missed and practice over the holiday break. This should be a good test. I plan to work them rather hard, which always makes for a good test. :)

Peace,
SGB

4 quadrants drill

Tonight we did the 4-quadrants drill (just made up that name, don't know if it has a name otherwise).

There are 4 techniques in the beginning levels that all play off the same general idea. The defender steps back with the left foot, presenting the right side, and handles the defense and offence primarily with the right side. These 4 techs have initial blocks / parries that cover each of the 4 corners, facing the bad guy. This means that one tech covers the upper right quadrant, another the lower right, and so forth.

Putting them together, the student has 4 techs to do that remove much of the doubt and conflict that might hinder the response time of a beginner. Specifically, all step the same way (roughly), and have the right arm defending. So, the defender just has to step back and stop whatever hit is coming. By that time, the defender will be falling back on their training (based on repetition), and can do the rest of the tech as needed.

So, for the drill, everyone pairs up. They take turns in some manner (lots of ways to do this -- tonight we did 2 attacks, then 2 defense, then 2 attacks, etc, and using a "musical chairs" kind of process to switch up partners). The "bad guy" will either swing a right roundhouse punch or a left roundhouse punch (taking up the 2 upper quadrants), and the defender must read the attack and defend with one of the 4 self-defense techniques. Then, after a bit of this, we add in a kick for the lower quadrants. The defender has to "read" the motion of the bad guy to determine what is coming, and react immediately, meaning the drill forces the defender to not process information consciously, but rather rely on training and trust their own reflexes and "position recognition". This is why it's so important that they need not decide how to step -- that decision is a big complication for beginners that can't easily be handled yet.

For beginners, we make the reading easy, a clear step in with the punch, cocking the punch first, etc. For more experienced students, there is less warning, better control of "tells", faster and harder punches, etc, until a point where the bad guy is doing his best to foul up the defender, and throwing some solid strikes.

The drill develops ability to read, reaction time, below-conscious processing, trust of the body's reactions, trust of the training, confidence, comraderie, and lots of other stuff. It's not a bad drill.

We also did variations on wrestling described in a post below. These were also interactive (1-on-1 and competitive, specifically), and teach some of the same lessons as above, but also how to manipulate the opponent, throw or off-balance someone, keep one's own balance, etc.

Peace,
SGB

Attitude

There's a lot I can write about attitude in martial arts, but it's 2 am, so I'm going to keep this very focused.

One thing I do at the end of every class is have the students do the technique they learned in the air. I give them 3 or so chances to make it as good as they can. This has really helped, I think. In any case, nearly every time I do this, I tell them that they need to impress themself.

It might go something like this:
"Don't worry about me, don't worry about your neighbor. You know how hard you've been working, how well you are doing. You also know how much better you can do, what your potential is. Well, your real potential is even better than what you think it is. Now, I want you to give it your all. I want you to impress yourself. Later on, you can impress me. Right now, impress yourself. Do better than you thought possible. Go!"

Then, at the beginning of the test, I tell them that now is the time when they have to impress me. I remind them that they have more potential than they realize, and that they still need to impress themselves. But today is the day to impress me.

Peace,
SGB

FYI, how classes and tests are organized

Regular class:
Bow in
warm up exercises and review of known material like drilling basics
stretch
get a drink of water
learn new basics
learn new self-defense tech or form or set
questions
bow out

Test:
Bow in
explain purpose and format of test
warm up exercises -- pushups happen between every step from here on, we do 500 or 600 pushups, or more, depending on how long the test goes
stretch
drill basics in the air, starting with first belt, and progressing through all belts (all tests are cumulative)
drill self-defense techs in air, progressing as before
do self-defense techs on bodies, progressing as before
do forms and sets (this part is usually done individually -- the other parts everyone is moving at once)
recite current pledge from memory (we sing goofy kids songs -- loudly -- between pledges, for the fun and to clear out echoic memory; the point is to understand and commit to the pledge, but we have memorizing too as a way to make sure the student has spent a little time with the pledge before testing)
do more exercises or sit in kneel, depending on what I think they can do, while I double-check to make sure I'm satisfied with each promotion, and give a letter grade to go with the comments I've been keeping.
Belt ceremony, for those that pass.
Bow out.
Pictures and food (my wife usually makes homemade bread or cookies or something, and drinks)

Peace,
SGB

Tests

Tests are strange things. We are all business. It's harder work physically and mentally than regular class, longer with more movement per minute, no horsing around or exploring an issue.

The only talking, generally, is what I do when starting the test, what I do for the belt ceremony, what I do for giving instructions, and what they do when answering my questions about why we do this or how we should do that.

We do a fair amount of body work on each other, but not, as a percentage, as much as regular class. After the test, everyone feels very connected and happy to have survived it. It's a good feeling.

Peace,
SGB

End of semester mess

So, my grad classes (4 of them) for the semester are ending, and we're preparing for the belt test in kenpo. And the holidays are here. I'm frazzled.

In the different areas of my life (when I think of things as compartmentalized), I'm responding in different ways.

With school, I am having trouble thinking clearly, and getting the motivation to get the work done. But, I'm doing it -- in fact I'm doing all the work early because my schedule is too tight to leave anything to the night before it's due, since I have no nights free all this week. I'm also getting really obsessive about it, which is a good sign that I'm stressed.

In kenpo class, I'm still able to think and get new ideas. In some ways it's a refuge from school. But, I have less confidence. I second-guess my choices and ideas, and I mumble or briefly digress in class. As a result, I have to give extra effort to keeping everything simple, lest I start second-guessing what I do. Generally (and this may be a bad sign), I follow my plan or idea anyway, then second-guess after I've done it.

I need to ask for feedback, get another perspective on what I'm doing in kenpo class. I'll have to remember to solicit feedback tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here comes the belt test. So far, at least 3 are testing, each for a different color of belt. I expect a few more to step up before test day.

Peace,
SGB

Not my regular class, not my regular methods.

Tonight (Monday night), I ran a stress-reduction class for campus RA's. Actually, I ran 2 sessions. Since they knew no kenpo, and the purpose was stress reduction, I talked briefly about ways martial arts reduce stress, made sure they all sweated a lot, and taught them a few basics and had them do the basics on pads and on each other. In the second session, we also had time for some wrestling-like activity. This was kenpo related only in that the basics were kenpo basics. Otherwise, this could have been any martial art.

I found that I was searching for ways to make the class more interactive and to pair people up. Our regular class has a structure conducive to constructivist methods. And, the regular students have a base of information and a knowledge of class structure that allow more constructivist exploration. Finally, the regular students are used to working on each other, opening lots of options for constructivist methods.

With a bunch of beginners doing a slightly non-standard format, I did not have as many options for using constructivist methods as I usually do. I was limited to having them do 2-person stretches, practicing punches and parries on each other, and some wrestling. We did not have options for the cool interactive drills, or the usual exploration that comes with learning a self-defense technique, and so forth.

But, I did have 2 regulars come to class to work out and help, and they both told me they were great sessions. This suggests, again, the value of doing basics and repetitive drilling, and argues against some of the more cognitive stuff, and constructivist stuff. I'm starting to wonder if a push for more constructivist approaches might weaken rather than strengthen what we do.

Peace,
SGB

Some interactive drills

Here are a few of our interactive drills that I mentioned earlier. The abbreviations are all for various self-defense techniques that the participants know. DS is a defense against a right grab or punch, SoD against a left, ID and DH both against a front kick. The 4 of them work together to defend in each of the 4 quadrants, the 4 corners of the space between the defender and the bad guy, if the bad guy is standing in front of the defender. Star Block Set is a quick set where we go through 5 blocks in a specific order.

--- --- ---

Line Drill – attacker throws left or right, defend with DS or SoD

Line Drill – attacker throws left, right, or thrusting front kick, defend with DS, SoD, ID or DH, teacher plays “wild card”, attacking with unexpected attacks so that students had to bring in idea of spontaneous response

Balance Drill (1 on 1) – 3 or 4 variations, all variations of what we used to call "Indian wrestling" when I was a kid. Lay a belt on the ground. Start with both feet on a belt, both participants touching hand and foot (like sticky-hand/sticky-foot wrestling), with the goal of pushing either foot off. Lots of variations. Ends with front foot on belt, no touch requirement, pushing the front foot off.

Wrestling (1 on 1) – a sort of light wrestling, the idea being to get the opponent to put one knee or more to the ground, playful and non-competitive (as much as such things can be).

Semi-circle drill – An environmental awareness exercise, where one person is in the middle, and others are spread around them in set positions, and the person behind them picks who attacks when, with limited options for attack. Lots of variations.

Sticky hands -- a bit hard to describe, you have to do it to understand it.

Star Block Drill – progression, many variations. Start with 1 person does "Star Block Set" in horse stance while other sends out strikes to block. Progress through lots of variations. End with both people in stance and moving and switching which stance is forward while firing attacks that work with Star Block Set and defending with front hand.

Sample lesson plan, with 2 techniques described

Here's an example of my class notes, the daily lesson plan. I figured I should write a description of Sword and Hammer, since I mentioned it below, then thought I might as well give an example of a class note that has a description within. So, here's the note from a class where I taught S and H, then, for the intermediate students, taught another technique called Thundering Hammers. I have not edited this, so it has jargon and idiosyncratic cues you might not understand. But hopefully you'll get an idea of S and H, probably the simplest self-defense technique in the system.

-- SGB

--- --- ---

Open, exercise, drill basics – outward handsword, back hammer fist, drill techs, stretch

Beginner Tech: Sword and Hammer (Flank Shoulder Grab)

1. An attacker at 3 o'clock grabs your right shoulder with their left hand.

2. As you pin his hand with your left hand, step to 3 with your right foot into a horse stance as you execute a right outward handsword to your attacker's throat.

3. Follow directly with a right hammer fist to the attacker's groin. (Utilize marriage of gravity with this strike. Sink with the strike.) Grafting Flow End of Obscure Wing

Lessons:

2. Pin dead hand. Back-up mass sideways

3. Marriage of gravity.

"Grammy tech." Kill then hurt. Ethics of self-defense. Etc.

Introduce the pledge. If time, review Grasp of Death. Questions? Close

Open intermediate class

Intermediate Tech: Thundering Hammers (Front- Right Step-Through Punch)

1. An attacker from 12 o'clock comes at you with a right step-through punch.

2. Step your left foot to 10:30 into a left neutral bow facing 1:30 as you execute a left inward block to your attacker's right arm. Note: Your right arm will be hanging. Grafting Flow Dance of Death Sleeper Flashing Wings Flashing Mace

3. Shuffle towards 12 o'clock utilizing back-up mass as you pivot into a left close kneel and execute a right horizontal bottom fist to your attacker's midsection. Note: Your left arm will cock high above your in preparation for your attacker's response. Your right knee will check your attacker's right leg and buckle it.

4. Shift into a right close kneel facing 4:30 as your right hand checks across your attacker and checks their right shoulder down. Continue the flow of motion to maximize the marriage of gravity and execute a left inward overhead hammerfist to your attacker's kidneys. Note: Your right hand will be cocked high, your left knee will be putting pressure on the back of your attacker's right knee. Grafting Flow Crossing Talon End of Grasp of Death

5. Your left hand checks across your attacker's back and essentially slaps the back of attacker’s head as you shift back into a left close kneel facing 10:30 and utilize gravitational marriage and execute a right inward overhead hammerfist to your attacker's neck. Note: Your left knee will again put pressure on the top of your attacker's right kneecap. Grafting Flow End of Crossed Twigs

6. Step your left foot to 7:30 into a right neutral bow facing 1:30 as your left hand wraps forward to the left side of your attacker's face. Roll their face so it is facing you. As your hand finishes, loop it through and execute a quick right backfist to your attacker's right jawbone. Note: The follow-through will cause your right hand to end by your right hip.

7. Push drag to 1:30 as you execute an upward palm strike to your attacker's face.

8. Cross out towards 7:30.

Note: Try this technique with one hand or even no hands.

Lessons:

1. Or right jab.

2. Slight step off. Lazy hand.

3. B-UM. Cock left immediately, should be on way as you double them over.

4. Inserts? Don’t overdo them or you lose the flow.

5. Cock high immediately. Keep the hammers coming.

6. Short and quick.

7. Drive up and back, watch for bad guy’s arms.

Upper case and lower case.

Questions

Close

Curriculum

We have a set, organized curriculum, though we have a lot of leeway as to when and how we teach each piece, and we do a lot of stuff, like interactive drills, that aren't on the curriculum.

Our curriculum is online. You can go through the club's webpage at

http://restech.wustl.edu/~kenpo/

or go directly to the curriculum section of the webpage for our association

http://ukkd.tripod.com/curriculum/adult/index.html

-- SGB

The pre-emptive strike

Here's a nice controversial topic that comes up again and again. When people talk about self-defense, they usually mean that the bad guy strikes and they defend themselves. Then, inevitably, the question comes up -- "when is it okay to strike first?"

The short answer is, not often. :)

Our first pledge goes
"I come to you with only "Karate" - empty hands.
I have no weapons; but should I be forced to
defend myself, my principles or my honor;
should it be a matter of life or death,
of right or wrong; then here are my weapons -
"Karate" - my empty hands."

That opens up some ideas to mull over, and suggests that self-defense is justified in a few ways, not just by the incoming punch.

Looking strictly at moral issues (as opposed to legal restrictions), let's see. This is my opinion. I encourage you each to add your own, or critique mine.

1) Most think violence is okay if you are working as an agent for a governmental body empowered to send you out with that authority. That means that cops and soldiers can engage in violence, under some specific restrictions. The cynic in me needs to point out that often they can engage in violence outside of those restrictions and still get away with it.

2) the most common justification given in these kind of discussions is emminent threat. You know you are going to get attacked, there's no doubt, and you jump first. It is very important to take some time and think this scenario through, to figure out and discuss some situations and cues that tell you it is definitely go-time. Don't just let this issue go and hope you can figure it out when the need arises. The ethical issues are too important and the situations too subtle and complex to just hope you can figure out the right thing to do when you are in the heat of the moment.

To elaborate, none of us are mind readers. Human motivation is hard to read, and human behavior is hard to predict, especially for criminals, and sociopaths, and desperate people. If we postulate a specific situation where it is clearly go-time, it's fairly easy to poke holes in the scenario, offer reasons why it might not be go-time because the bad guy might choose to back down, etc.

Then comes paralysis of analysis. Don't let all this stop you when you need to act. The goal is to help identify when it is go-time, not talk yourself out of going when you need to. And, you'll never think up every situation, so relying on ethical principles may prove more helpful.

3) Saving someone else. Human life is precious, even if it isn't your own. We can discuss all day on who should be helped and in what situations. This also needs some serious thought, and carries great risk.

One thing I am reminded of is a principle for nations to go to war under just war theory. Nations are justified in going to war if they are attacked, if they are under clear and immenent threat (troops are gathered and ready to roll across the borders), and if their allies are attacked (if we have sworn to defend them in treaty). Nations are only obligated to go to war in defense of allies with whom they have protective treaties. Nations are not obligated to defend themselves, but they may be obligated to defend their friends.

In class, we engage in discussion about the morality of violence and nature of self-defense multiple times each semester. It comes up in the process of teaching techniques, and in the process of talking about the pledge, and specifically when we cover a technique called Sword and Hammer, in which the response is far more vicious than the initial attack we are supposed to be defending against (the bad guy grabs the shoulder from behind and to the side, the defender responds by chopping the bad guy's throat). The tech is a great think piece, just begging a few interesting questions, and provides a platform to discuss those questions. It serves as an example from which we have to find, as a group, either a justification, or resolve that there is no justification. Each time it's brought up, the conversation is a little different from last time, which is fine. The point is to get students to think about, and discuss, the ethical issues in self-defense.

Besides that, the tech teaches some nice physical lessons about striking from point of origin, body fusion, and so forth. :)

-- SGB

P.S. Another way to approach this issue to discuss when being the first to strike is not justified, i.e. ego fights, etc.

Distance outside of class.

I'm getting tired of making posts about social interactions, but I want to make a last point.

Kenpo is a connective force. I feel a sense of brotherhood with my fellow kenpoists. Every time we sweat, bleed, or laugh, we feel closer.

However, it doesn't do much, and maybe shouldn't do much, to build a connection with non-martial artists. If I go to family gatherings, like Thanksgiving 2 days ago, kenpo doesn't help me feel connected, at least not directly.

There are some little connections. I'm more relaxed thanks to kenpo, so I'm more open with people. Every so often the conversation can take a turn that makes knowledge of martial arts, self-defense, or related ethical issues relevant.

But, generally, I spend a lot of time doing something that doens't connect me to, say, my in-laws, and kenpo rarely comes up. This isn't a problem. Just an observation.

-- SGB

When social connection goes wrong.

Continuing on a theme of social connectedness, I've been thinking a lot lately about in groups, out groups, and how it feels to be a beginner.

I've heard a couple students now talk about how it can be socially difficult when starting in our club. We don't have cliques or any of that, and we all accept and help each other surprisingly well. But, there are groupings of students. The grouping that stands out is the hardcore students, 3 or 4 who have been doing this since the club started, who are serious about training, and who have volunteered for teaching or officer duties.

Fact is, not everyone comes to class for the same reason, and not everyone can be so intense or give so much time. University students are particularly concerned with not having time to do all they want. I am willing to make allowance for these varying levels of commitment, and let them know they are welcome in class even if they've missed one or two. They can even come part-time and be welcome, if they are willing to advance more slowly and work the material at home to keep it fresh. And, I tell them to do all the kenpo they can, but school comes first.

But, my attempts to make the club open to students with varying motivations and levels of intensity does little to ease this sense of there being a core group seperate in some way from the rest. Just seeing the fire in the eyes of the hardcore students is enough to indicate they have set themselves apart. I also see some advantages to having this hardcore group, both to keep the club going strong and to serve as models for the students who want to become hardcore.

But, on that first day, in that first month, really up until the first test (when everyone starts feeling more connected), new people probably feel pretty left out, second tier. They aren't, not in my eyes, and not according to the hardcore students, who have all expressed a desire to have everyone feel equally part of the group. But, the sense is still there.

I don't know what to do about it, or even if I can or should do anything about it. I'm open to suggestions.

-- SGB

Social stuff that reaches beyond class

My last post gives so little of the totality of social interaction, that I figure I should give a little more. There's no way to share it all, online. Online social interactions among martial artists, while interesting and important, are nothing like real-life interactions.

Anyway, for all the students who've been working a while, and many of the new students, when we leave class, we continue to feel connected. I think part of this is from helping each other so much. Part of it is from sharing an obsession. :) Part is that we always have such a good time when together, both on the mat and off.

A big part of it is testing. We have pretty tough tests, that push the students' endurance and ability to focus and persevere. Tougher is better come test time. This also builds bonds, as we all stagger out, sweating and aching, and feeling like we've done something meaningful, something powerful, and we've done it together. When I'm running the test, I get frustrated, because I can't be out there working with them. I find myself pacing and walking all over the floor, dodging strikes as I evaluate them. In those cases, we all still feel bonded even though I'm not sweating like they are. This is partly because I participated as instructor, and partly because of a sense of shared experience because they know I've been there, done that, and will do it again for my instructor when it's my turn to test.

-- SGB

social aspects in class

So it's the holidays, time to go see people I don't see much. It gets me thinking about connectedness with folks, and social interaction.

MArtial arts, the way we do it, is pretty social. Sure, we spend some time doing the same thing in a group without interacting, like with some of our warm-up exercises, most of the stretching, and of course much time spent in lines doing basic moves again and again.

But, much of what we do is interactive as well. We do some exercises and stretches together, such as when we warm up by wrestling or doing technique lines (a way of having the whole class take turns playing bad guys and defenders). But the real interaction comes when we start learning self-defense techniques. We interact on a very physical level. There are some questions and very brief discussion, like I've described in previous posts, but mostly we interact with bodies, with encouraging each other, and trying to help each other.

There is a strong component of students teaching or helping each other, usually when person A is trying to punch person B, B has problems dealing with it, and A and B work together to figure out what the problem is. For the last part of class, my role as instructor is wandering among the pairs as they practice on each other, looking for ways to help them or help them help each other.

There is a sense of interconnectedness, of shared effort, and of giving and taking freely. This is one aspect of the sense of brotherhood martial artists share.

-- SGB

More about the trip

This time, we weren't going to a major get-together. Instead, we were just taking the opportunity to visit and work out with the folks at the base school.

We worked with Carla, an instructor at the base school. She targeted a lot of our workout toward customizing self-defense techniques so that they will work more effectively for smaller defenders, since most there were lightweight women (and I suggested the topic). That was on Saturday.

On Friday night, or rather starting around 1 am Sat morning, I also ran Trina and Casey through a session focused on hitting heavy bags. We used 2 bags, both with bases, not hanging. One was low and just a big padded tube shape, so we did a lot of legwork there. The other was a "Bob", which is a punching bag shaped like a person, specifically an angry-looking guy with no arms or legs. We make many jokes about good old Bob. My goal was to get them both to understand how to strike with purpose and intent, penetrate properly, feel the effects on their own knuckles, and, thanks to Bob, fitting the right weapon (kind of strike) to the target (without hurting themselves).

The best base-school trips are the ones where we are going to attend seminars and step-tests. We get to see many more of our fellow kenpoists, both from the base school and other schools. If it's a seminar, we get to learn from the best martial artists out there. Every year we see Richard "Huk" Planas and Zach Whitson at the base school - phenomenal and world-famous martial artists and instructors. Twice a year (unless there's some snag) we go to a step-test, which is a 6 or 7 hour test where we work ourselves past exhaustion reviewing everything in the system in air and on bodies. There is something beautiful about being part of a group where everyone is working well past their own limits. Maybe it's because most of us hit an altered state of consciousness from sheer exhaustion. :) Dragging ourselves out right after to eat and crack jokes is pretty good, too.

-- SGB

Taking a trip

This weekend, leaving on Friday and getting back in the wee hours Saturday night, 4 of us drove across 2 states to visit the base school (where I got most of my training) back in Lafayette, Indiana.

I love these trips. Everyone is relaxed, we get to talk at length about anything we want, the workouts are interesting, and we get to eat together and generally bond. They are a pretty funny bunch.

This weekend it was Trina, Casey, Barrington, and myself. This was the first trip for Trina (new to kenpo this semester) and Casey (she started last school year). Barrington managed to sprain his ankle on Thursday while practicing for a hip-hop dance show, so he was on crutches and couldn't work out.

Certain things always seem to happen on these base trips. We all sleep on the couches and floor at the base school, so we play (work out) late into the night and take a while before we go to sleep, because it's essentially a sleepover. During the 4.5 hour drive, we always end up getting into discussions about race relations, in part because we're comfortable with each other and there are always people from multiple races (and other minority groups) along. In the early trips a few years ago, we used to make jokes because the usual crowd was myself (a white guy) and everyone else was from one minority group or another. Driving through the midwest can be a bit odd when it's 3 black guys and a white guy. We get funny looks when we stop for gas. :) When we're not talking about race, we usually talk politics or philosophy, sometimes religion. University kids are fun to talk with; they can make intelligent arguments and are aware of the issues and facts.

These trips are great. I'm glad to hear, as we head back, everyone talking about how much they learned and how glad they are that they went.

Of course, a month later when it's time to go again, we still have trouble getting a big crowd to go. College students all think they are so busy. If they think they are busy now, just wait 'till they have jobs and families and lives -- and grad school. :)

Peace,
SGB

Trouble-shooting

Usually, when learning a self-defense tech, we spend a fair amount of time doing the technique on each other. In the process, folks work out the kinks. Almost all the time, the problem is the need to do each basic move better. Usually, with such a diverse group of students of varying skills, sizes, and approaches, lots of errors are made, and I get a chance to advise on how to improve.

If the problem is a common one, I will pause class, review the problem, and review the solution or solutions. On occasion, if the problem also leads to a useful optional way to do the technique (a useful "what if?" moment), I will cover the option. If the problem is unique to that person, I will cover it quietly with them while the rest of the class keeps working out. If I know the person has the ability to solve the problem themselves, then I ask pointed questions to get them started on finding their own solution. Honestly, I do this much of the time anyway.

On Tuesday, we had a somewhat unusual situation. The class did the tech well enough that there weren't many problems to solve. So, I took a different approach, and asked people to find all the places where the tech could go wrong, and why. It was useful. Folks were trying to apply point of view of the bad guy, the defender, and 3rd person observer. They were very good at figuring out when the techs could go wrong, identifying how to keep that from happening, and even identifying principles to follow in order to prevent issues.

I was happy with the results.

-- SGB

Belt Rankings

Oh, yeah, just to clarify when I mention colored belt ranks, here's the order in American Kenpo:

White
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Blue
Green
1st Brown
2nd Brown
3rd Brown
1st Black
2nd Black
and it goes on from there until 10th Black

Everyone starts with a white belt, and tests for all other belts, in order. After they have demonstrated understanding of the material and have met minimum time-in-grade, they do a grueling cumulative test to earn the next belt. That means they have to keep up with the old material as well as learn the new material.

Peace,
SGB

Students as teachers

This happens in three ways in our club.

First, we do almost everything on body, meaning we pair up or form technique lines and apply the moves and self-defense techniques/combos on each other. This is a chance for us to help each other. We don't spend a lot of time talking about it, but rather do quick corrections and feedback on effectiveness. (It's a time for "less yak, more smack") :)

Second, I encourage each student to work out with each other outside of class, and point out the most experienced students as resources to learn basic moves and provide the expert eye.

Third, starting at blue belt, I give students the chance to teach a class or two in the semester. At green belt, if they want to, they can teach more regularly (say, teach 1 of the 5 classes each week). In the brown levels, everyone has to spend a minimum amount of time teaching. Nothing clarifies and solidifies my understanding of kenpo quite like teaching kenpo.

Peace,
SGB

More non-constructivism

The last post brings to mind another point where martial arts is not always constructivist. Constructivists seem to have an aversion to the idea of a teacher teaching the student. They want the teacher to be a help-mate, not an expert who gives good information.

Fact is, there are good ways and bad ways to punch, to kick, or to do any other basic move. The practitioner must have proper body alignment, must engage the body in the right way, must understand where the power is coming from, have the coordination to use power well, and have excellent targeting and an understanding of how each strike will affect the bad guy. All of this requires good teaching. There are tricks and methods to make the teaching part more interactive, but the fact is, in the end, the instructor needs to teach the students how to do the basic moves effectively, and test the results. The work may be physical, but it still means the teacher serves as an expert imparting vital information -- a sort of moving lecture where everyone ends up sweating, including the teacher.

Students could try to develop proper technique themselves, but talk about reinventing the wheel! It might take years to get basic moves right, and the students may develop less-than-effective moves that work kind-of right, and never figure out the really effective moves. This is particularly true for the moves that include locks, holds, and throws. It is interesting to spend a bit of time, sometimes, letting the students try to come up with the best way to, say, put on a center wrist lock, but the teacher will still have to step in and demonstrate the lock.

Peace,
SGB

But not all constructivist

Not everything in our classes is an example of constructivist approach. It's all physical, and all done in groups, but that doens't necessarily mean constructivist.

For example, martial arts skill depends heavily on repetition. We can't have confidence in our ability to use effective motion / technique under pressure until we've drilled that technique countless times. We have to make the technique ours.

To that end, we spend a fair amount of time, usually at the beginning of class, doing the same basic move again and again and again. For example, we might stand in horse stance (a stable way of standing designed to let us focus on the upper body) and practice horizontal thrust punches (the basic martial arts punch) a few hundred times.

I don't see a way around this -- we need repetition and practicing basics in the air has proven a vital way to build skills and proper technique. Anyone have suggestions on other ways to do this?

Sometimes what we do is practice on each other. For example, one person does punches, while the other person blocks them. This is very interactive, and leaves big bruises on the arms. :) But, it's not quite the same -- not quite so pure an example, not quite so clean a line -- as practicing "in air".

Peace,
SGB

What would you do?

One example of the use of constructivist methods can be found in preparing to learn a self-defense technique. Let's say I'm about to teach a technique where we learn how to defend when the bad guy grabs with both hands from the front and pulls in. What I do is demonstrate the attack, then have the students get into pairs or small groups.

I say "okay, grab each other and pull in. Take turns. When you are grabbing, I want you to think about why a bad guy would do this to someone. Also, think of what the bad guy might do next. When you are being grabbed, also think about why, think about what they are doing to you, and think about your options for defense. After a couple grabs, try some options out, both as bad guy and defender."

They do this, and seem to have fun doing it. It's a physical sort of pursuit; not much talking except to critique each other's results. After a couple minutes, I stop them and start asking what they found, giving each person a chance to explain what they think and also demonstrate on me or on their partner. In this manner, we come up with a few options for defense and also have a chance to critique and praise each other's ideas. I find people are most critical of their own ideas, usually. I try to apply the "expert" eye.

Then, I start teaching the self-defense combo / technique for that class. Almost always, someone has already come up with the first move, or a variation, so I can start with what that person did.

This practice is consistent with the recommendations of Ed Parker, Sr., the guy who developed American Kenpo. He said it is important to analyze self-defense from three perspectives -- the bad guy, the defender, and the 3rd person observer.

Peace,
SGB

Authentic learning via resistance

One example of trying to make martial arts training more "authentic" is the process of practicing self-defense combos on resisting partners. This means the defender responds to the attack with the self-defense technique, while the agressor (bad guy, "dummy") tries to resist in as realistic a way as possible. A major problem for some martial arts clubs is a decided lack of realism -- the bad guys throws a punch, then stands like a stone statue while the defender whacks away. Resisting is a way to complicate the situation to more closely simulate a live confrontation. The defender has to do their technique very well to make it work, and has to develop timing, have good range, hit targets precisely, and be able to deal with anything that goes horribly wrong. A resisting partner will make sure everything goes wrong, if the defender lets them.

A few rules about how to do this more-or-less safely (sometimes it hurts, and it's exhausting, but it shouldn't lead to injuries):

First, some strikes can have a bit more force, like a punch to the stomach. Others can not. Nothing worse than someone who doesn't understand the difference between hitting the stomach and hitting the throat!

Second, the dummy has to dummy well ("don't be a dumb dummy"), meaning if there's a groin kick and there is that lovely "chok" sound as the foot hits the cup, then the dummy should respond as if struck, whether that be bending over or sinking down. I find this part easier than it sounds. With a little practice, it's easy to feel, even at full speed, a good hit from a bad one. (And if the dummy gets it wrong and doesn't react well every so often, then there's that much more to work with.)

Third, and most important, is the idea that the dummy makes that first attack as the technique is designed for, then works like mad to evade, counter, slip and dodge, attack, or otherwise gum up the defender. The defender has to be able to strike effectively, invade space, control zones, and all the rest well -- well enough to overcome resistance. The resistance has to be as realistic as the participants can make it, short of a doctor visit. One vital part of this whole thing is that the defender doesn't quit when a tech goes wrong. Rather the defender continues the defense to resolution, doing whatever the situation calls for even if she or he wanders far from the pre-planned moves, then next time works to get the tech right.

Kenpo's self-defense techs/combos are beautifully designed. "Pressure testing" reveals that the tech is made well, but the practitioner is weak in the application. Almost always, in my limited experience, this is because of a poorly done basic or a timing issue. A resisting partner reveals weaknesses in execution that aren't apparent when working with a compliant partner.

In my opinion, working with resistance should be a gradual development, done when all parties are ready and at the limits of their ability. (Don't push them into more resistance, just offer it and they will seek it on their own, at the pace they can handle.) In other words, the pressure testing for a yellow belt will differ in intensity and kind from the pressure testing for a green belt. But it must be done eventually, and everyone must know from early on that they are working for more realism, more "live" training.

Doing techniques on a resisting partner is a real eye-opener. And fun, to boot.

-- SGB

Defining Constructivist methods

I've mentioned MA, now I'll mention constructivist teaching methods for the non-teachers.

First, I'm no expert. These ideas are all new to me. I'm learning about them in a class I'm taking while pursuing a Masters in Library Science. This blog, actually, is part of the work of that class. Constructivism seems more a collection of priorities and principles than an organized approach or defined methodology.

Some links:

Tons about learning theories at http://tip.psychology.org/ , constructivist section at http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html

Minimalist listing of principles: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/drugfree/sa3const.htm

A paper with a rather colorful overview (hurts my eyes): http://www.prainbow.com/cld/cldp.html

The too-much-information entry: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc_data/constructivism.html

Also, here's my grossly oversimplified take on some basic principles, a shortened version of a list in our textbook. (Learning to Solve Problems with Technology: A Constructivist Perspective, second edition; Jonassen, David H, et. al.; 2003 Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; p.6-9) Following each description will be the buzzwords the book lists, sort of theoretical synonyms.

1. Good learning is active, meaning the student interacts with the environment and learns to manipulate objects and ideas. It is about adapting to the environment and adapting the environement. (Manipulative / Observant)

2. Good learning is constructive, meaning the student will make mental models to better understand what he or she is studying, will question, and will reflect on what they've learned and done. This grows out of active learning. (Articulative / Reflective)

3. Students should be seeking a specific goal in their learning (Intentional), such as solving a problem, troubleshooting, developing strategies, or applying an idea in a new situation. (Reflective / Regulatory)

4. When teachers present an idea or problem, it should be as realistic as possible (Authentic). The idea is to apply information in a way that is complex and "realistic", emphasizing "real-world" and problem-solving tasks. Teachers should resist the urge to simplify or dumb down a problem, and thereby limit understanding. This is the easiest for me to understand, though I think there are times to go complex right off, and other times to provide principle first and then go complex, depending on the nature of the information and the student. (Complex / Contextualized)

5. We should work together, collaborate, do group projects, or otherwise interact in our learning (Cooperative). What benifits are emphasized will depend on how the group is constructed and what the group members do to organize the work and interactions. (Collaborative / Conversational)

In future posts, I will try to cover some examples, give some criticisms, and elaborate when I can. Those of you who do martial arts, especially hands-on work like we do in kenpo, are probably already thinking of examples.

-- SGB