Great Balancing Act: Developing Depth vs. Covering the Curriculum

1. Great Balancing Act:Developing Depth vs. Covering the Curriculum • 2010 Shoshin Ryu Instructor Workshop

2. Finding the Middle Way • Too much depth • Students don’t get thru the curriculum • Students don’t get good recall • Student’s don’t progress broadly • Students aren’t good at Goshinjutsu • Each Finger is its own Art

3. Finding the Middle Way • Too Little Depth • Students can’t function well - application • Students can’t grow • Students just dabble with new things - haven’t learned to take time to ‘master’ moves

4. Today we will focus • On More Depth while making efficient use of time • All students need to have a command of how to move thru all the curriculum • then it is easier to add more depth

5. Vision • You need to project what you want • You need to expect that of your students • You need to teach, lead them to that spot • Vision of Dojo: Shodan, polite, sincere, great base to grow on in each finger of SR, earnest worker, excellence in Self Defense, Helpful

6. Teaching Depth • First Present info • Then Do, praise, review • repeat • reminders (<5 sec) • focus on what you want • No standing around

7. Stand back and watch • See what students do • correct or praise: 1-3 words • See how students train • increase intensity • better time management • See overall picture • Call out corrections, praise, suggestions

8. Have a plan • For class • For each rank • For each student

9. Applications • Basics: know 3 bunkai • Ability to Apply: throw/ nikkyo/ strike/ ground work/ from side instead of front • From 10,000 things know one...from one thing know 10,000

10. What is important? • What are the 3 most important points for effective: • strike/ block • kick • throw • joint lock

11. Let students learn • But you don’t have to do everything for them... • Keep them focused on things that matter • Drill, monitor, drill • Set high expectations

12. Give Opportunity to Go Deeper • Friendship workout • Gasshuku gives you lots of time in one area • One extra class per week for just... weapons or groundwork or kata • Find a way to make it happen: Park/ Garage/ other dojo • Demos: work their tech to perfection, faster, shaper, more kime - give them a variation at end for flair/challenge. work this for a least 1month

13. Give Homework • Help them Create their personal practice • 10 min per day of basics • Goshinjutsu shadow boxing • kata • reading list • bunkai challenge

14. Teach: strive for perfection • Instead of giving more - get student to perfect yoko geri, kiba dachi - whatever they don’t do well [less can be more] • “To create a master one needs to work both the strengths and the weaknesses” • When teaching - what, how and why - focus on what and how but come back to why on occasion

15. Challenge • You don’t have to give student everything they want... • Emphasize clean basics and lines - let them work on it • Earnest work outs are part of martial tradition - don’t let it go - if you aren’t in shape improvement will come slowly

16. Exposure to SR • It should be just part of the training that you go to: • Nationals • Yudansha workshop • Visit other dojo • Gasshuku

17. Finish with Something Enjoyable • Getting better is fun • Fast self defense is fun • Death walk is fun • Circle of death is fun • Circle of pain is fun • Rolling is fun • Doing is fun

18. You Should Never Feel Stranded • Shoshin Ryu is here for you: call/ email/ go see • me • brian • a SR friend or dojo • board-member

19. It Won’t All Go Well • If the Church can’t get it right every time after centuries of practice then we can’t expect you to either... • And that is ok. Laugh, learn from it, forgive others and move on.

20. So you made a mistake • Don’t fret, don’t get angry and certainly don’t drink this much... • Learn, laugh, forgive yourself and move on. • to wallow in your your failures is not helpful to anyone.

21. Solve the Problem • Be creative • See how others have solved the problem • Use your Heiho • see SR Guidebook • Never stop flying the plane

22. So take time to plan • How will you get more depth into your students? • How many extra focus training sessions will you have? • How will you be more efficient with training time? • Write it down - now

23. Find the Middle Way • Guardrails • too deep: students stagnant • too little Deep Depth: can’t solve goshinjutsu problems. Can only move in certain order. limited application. • Use time wisely • Drill to excel • Remind student as they are doing • Praise good motion • Plan: monitor balance

24. We Will Now Train • Teach a Basic • new group of students (and how deal with usual problems - what are they? Brian will help pass these out) • what are key points that make a difference? • brown belts • example of application • 4 groups - how to challenge each group • Challenging - how do that? Is it fun? Push them.

25. Eiheiji

26. Gokukuji

27. Kashima Shrine

28. Kamakura

29. Muranaga Soke & Tengu Book: Tengu-geijutsu-ron of Chozan Shissai

30. Thank you for your... • Time & Attention!