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andrejbauer's Blog Blog Tools Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 06-15-2009 11:48 PM
andrejbauer
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Status: Public
Entries: 2
Comments: 5
Views: 32,175

In Teaching About correcting students Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #1 New 09-01-2009 01:09 AM
This is my first blog post on the forum, so perhaps I should write a couple of sentences about myself. I have parcticed aikido for 14 years, I am a nidan, and I regularly teach in our dojo. So I am just another beginner

It's enlighthning to read the blogs written by beginners because they show me how they think. This post is really a reaction to a number of posts by people who have practiced for less than a year and who like to talk in terms of "sensei's favorite ukes" and "sensei's correcting students".

While it is impossible not to prefer some students over others, one should not judge sensei's preferences based on who he talks to or calls up during class. When I leave a student alone that is almost always because he is doing fine (which is not the same as doing perfectly), not because I dislike him. The worst thing I can do is to interrupt someone who is learning well by himself. And I call up ukes according to their abilities and characteristics. If I want to show that sankyo is effective, I'll call up a strong guy who cannot take pain. If I want to show to a short person how to do a technique, I'll call up the tallest person available, and vice versa. And for spectacular throwing around I'll call up someone who will take it easily and will immediately get up for more, with the characteristic expression on their face that says "That was fun but where am I?"

I used to think I corrected students when I showed them various points of technique. But nowadays I experience the process in terms of showing them how I do things and how I percieve what my teacher does. It is really up to the students to figure out what is going on and what they want to do. Even though beginners don't believe it, at least not here in the Western society, they learn more when I just work with them as a partner than when I stand around and preach.

I once read (in "How children fail" by John Halt I think) that the trouble with teaching is precisely the fact that teachers think they can instill knowledge into children directly, whereas at best they can only hope to help the children learn by themselves. It's precisely the same in aikido.

Of course, the best strategy for a beginner is to just try to learn the technique by observing his sensei. Eventually they will start thinking about technique as just a prop, but usually that does not happen until they have some experience (and a high kyu rank).
Views: 2123 | Comments: 3


RSS Feed 3 Responses to "About correcting students"
#3 09-05-2009 04:53 PM
I am in agreement with you , however , I also am not I mean a comination is probly best becuase everyone lurns difrently. I alos enjoy teachers who show it using as many diffent tecnices as posable. I am one whom needs to be shown ,then alowed to walk throw it and correct nicely when need, then alowedto pracice to conprhend/time to understandwha just went on, then I usly have it down, not that every now then remiders arnt good.
#2 09-01-2009 11:55 AM
ninjaqutie Says:
I agree... working with my sensei is always a learning experience for me. Even if I don't quite understand what he is getting at, I usually end up learning something else in an attempt to learn what he is getting at. Haha.
#1 09-01-2009 06:10 AM
Shadowfax Says:
Quote:
Even though beginners don't believe it, at least not here in the Western society, they learn more when I just work with them as a partner than when I stand around and preach.
I believe it. Its much harder for me to learn by observing. I need to feel things in order to really understand them. Working with Sensei as a partner is always eye opening. Thanks for sharing this perspective!
 




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