Once you know how, it’s much easier…..

From Matt

I was working on the new Pramek manual the other night and I came to the section on learning.
How to teach, how to learn.
One of the hand written notes I had from the hours I used to spend in the Kennesaw State University (Go Owls!) was the following:
‘Learning is “change due to training or experience”. Provide both training and experience in which the student applies the knowledge in order to gain experience.’
To the other side of the page was written:
One you know how someone stands, you can make them fall down.
Once you know how someone learns, you can teach them.

As an instructor this is an very important thing to remember – as someone designing an entire system, like Pramek, it’s even more vital. Why is that?

We learn three ways in Pramek. Anyone who has our Human Equilibrium video has seen it in action. We learn through theory, movement, and application. This provide all three levels for change due to training or experience.

We train in the theory – we learn about the science behind what we are doing.

We train through the movement – we find what our capability is through movement – how fast we are, how slow, how hard we can hit, how low we can crouch.

We combine these and experience through the application – where the rubber hits the road. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s slow – but we put our training through the experience of application. ‘…applies the knowledge in order to gain experience.’

It repels me when I see someone with 50 certificates on their wall, teaching one of those certifications for women’s self-defense….first, if you know 50 arts, which are you going to teach.

How do you even keep them straight!!!!

And they are teaching pistol disarms and most of the time person has probably never held a pistol. I drove by a school the other day, walked in to their women’s self-defense class, and this is what I saw. She couldn’t even hold the pistol properly…she had no idea what the line of fire was other than a rote statement. She probably went to one seminar and was now teaching firearms – without even understanding the psychology of the pistol.

She had not been trained, and she did not have the experience. She was an aerobics instructor who went to a self-defense course, then went a few more times, and got a certificate to teach under someone else.

She hadn’t learned – she was repeating something taught to her.

This isn’t training – it’s dangerous and irresponsible.

Which leads me to my question – if learning is change due to training or experience….what are you doing to learn. What training or experience in your classroom are you having, what change to your training routine, or curriculum?

Most martial art instructors would benefit from a course or two in how to actually teach. It’s one of the things I picked up from some of my former teachers. They were educators who were teaching martial arts….versus people who looked at you and said, ‘Why can’t you get this – it’s so simple.’ I took a slew of education classes in college just to learn how to teach.

One you know how someone stands, you can make them fall down.

Once you know how someone learns, you can teach them.

1 Reply on Once you know how, it’s much easier…..

  • donjose78 says:

    Matt,
    Good post. Reading this I am completely in line. Recently I attended a class on being an instructor in my profession. The first day of class they asked of us students “what is learning?” The result was a statement similar to yours. A change in behavior as a result of experience.

    I like you’ve included the application portion of what you have learned as it is a higher level of learning above knowledge and even comprehension. Application is the change, it is an experience which leads us to through or levels of learning-more knowledge, understanding/comprehension and so the cycle continues. If and only if one applies one-self.

    Thanks for the good training. I’ve gained knowlege, am beginning to comprehend, and look forward to applying all i’ve learned, in the classroom, on the streets, and in life.

    I like the program. We are getting there bro!

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