Learning & Teaching

Three Stages of Learning

The approach to learning and teaching Karate can be identified by three stages.

1. Learn - slow and careful repetition of techniques with compliant two person practice

2. Practice - faster and controlled repetition of techniques on impact pads with less compliant two person practice

3. Train - intense yet controlled repetition of techniques on impact pads with robust two person practice

Deliberate Practice

The underlying method applied to each stage is called Deliberate Practice.

Ericsson & Pool summarise the Deliberate Practice very succinctly in the book Peak page 99 - page 100 (Ericsson & Pool, 2016) :

1.      Develop predefined skills under the scrutiny of an expert teacher

2.      Growth is outside one’s comfort zone and only occurs with full effort

3.      Target performance with well-defined goals & expected results

4.      Concentration & focus

5.      Feedback & revise

6.      Mental training is required in collaboration with physical training

7.      Incremental & iterative training to take skills from basic to advanced.

How To Improve

I created Five Ways to Improve.

Sort [Seiri] - Leave only that which is absolutely necessary. Samurai Miyamoto Musashi said in his Book of Five Rings "Do nothing that is of no use". Don't add anything to the karate techniques. Keep it simple as instructed and don't embellish techniques with wasteful movement.

Set in order [Seiton] - There is a place for everything and everything should be in its place. In terms of context - don't use competition sparring for self-protection - and vice versa.

Shine [Seiso] - Keep everything in top condition. Keep it clean. Train continually & remember Shotokan Precept #11: Karate is like boiling water: without heat it returns to a tepid state.

Standardize [Seiketsu] - Training should be consistently a high standard. Shotokan Dojo Kun #1 - Strive for perfection - not only of technique but also of good character. Remember Shotokan Precept #18 Perform Kata exactly; actual combat is another matter.

Sustain [Shitsuke] - Continually review your karate and ensure the foundations, the roots, of your karate are sure and strong. Funakoshi's Rule #5: Try to see yourself as you truly are and try to adopt what is meritorious in the work of others.

Modern teaching methods can be applied to ancient disciplines and the result is a more rounded, motivated, enthused and able Karate student or Karate Ka. There is also good advice to be found in the old ways which resonate with the contemporary methods. To such the approach of Shuhari [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari] is applicable.

Curriculum

Finally, having a good syllabus for grading purposes is essential, with a deeper and broader curriculum behind it. See Figure 1 Curriculum

Figure 1 Curriculum

References

Alred, D. D. (2016). The Pressue Principle. Penguin Life.

Ericsson, A., & Pool, R. (2016). Peak Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. The Bodley Head.

Fairbairn, W. (1942). All-In Fighting. The Naval & Military Press.

Funakoshi, G. ((29 Mar. 2013)). Karate-Do: My Way of Life. Kodansha America, Inc; Reprint edition.

Funakoshi, G., & Takagi, J. ((29 Mar. 2013)). The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate: The Spiritual Legacy of the Master. Kodansha America, Inc.

K. Anders Ericsson, R. T.-R. (2018, 05 05). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Retrieved from The University of Southern California: http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/gel/EricssonDeliberatePracticePR93.pdf

McCarthy, P. (2015, April). The Quadrant Drill ~ Uke-waza. Retrieved from International Ryukyu Karate Research Society: http://irkrs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/