23 August 2010

Developing a Progression for Education

Judo is an educational system. That’s why it was so successful at the end of the Meiji Restoration. Unfortunately, as an educational system, it has not attempted, in the U.S. especially, to develop instructors to guide students along the educational path.

Imagine if you sent your children to school and there were no teachers. Imagine if you enroll in a college program and no professors are teaching. This is how judo develops students.

With this in mind, I have often wondered how to make it simpler to develop students into teachers as they grow in judo. Some of my thoughts have related to using the USJA’s Coaching Certification Program, requiring my students to assist in instruction, and encouraging them to do research. While these are certainly good things for students, they are not sufficient.

Recently, I started to look at how public education works to develop students and cover the material required. In the state of New Mexico, a book of standards exists which lists all of the items a student should know upon completion of the academic year for every course. Teachers have to develop lesson, unit, and activity plans to complete the standards. The better the planning the easier it is to complete all the standards.

In my case, I decided that having my standards for promotion (available on my club’s website) clearly written was insufficient. The next step was the path for teaching the techniques. I spent the last few weeks working with Visio to develop “fish bone” charts for several ranks (Junior 1-4 and Hachikyu-Gokyu; available here). The next part, well, I guess that will be developing the lesson plans for every step.

While this may seem excessive for some, I think it is the bare essentials for running not just a successful program, but a repeatable program.

15 August 2010

On the Subject of Ranks

What is the purpose of rank, especially in regards to judo? Is the purpose to get as high in the belt rankings as possible? Is it to show off how much you know? Is it to get to a rank sufficiently high enough to accomplish your goals? Is it just to get a black belt? Why do we have rank?

Apparently this is a discourse that has occurred frequently throughout judo’s 100+ years. It probably won’t stop for a number of reasons including the individual’s perspective on judo as martial way or combat sport. Some will advocate its elimination because other similar sports, like wrestling, don’t need such a ranking. Some will advocate its continued use because of tradition. I don’t like either advocation.

When beginning judo, using the USJA senior ranking system, one starts with the white then progresses through yellow, orange, and green until coming to three stages of brown. I equate these levels as the primary and secondary education phases of judo. White through green, to me, are the phases where one learns the basic alphabet, syntax, and grammar of judo. The brown belt levels are the high school level; this is where the basics start to be developed into an individual’s style and interpretation, preparing them to really begin learning judo.

The early black belt grades, shodan through sandan, are the baccalaureate levels of judo. Certainly these individuals may be outstanding in the basics of judo with a large and broad general knowledge. Unfortunately, at this level, extrapolation, novel interpretation, and transmission of this knowledge are lacking.

The yodan and godan levels are the Master’s level of judo learning. Here the black belt is learning through experimentation and leading how best to teach and transfer skills and knowledge to the initiate. This is the stage where most judo instructors should start their career as instructors.

The rokkudan through hachidan levels are the Doctoral levels of judo learning. Here the judoka is developing their judo through diligent study and experimentation. Here they should be putting out their knowledge to the masses. The specialties developed here narrowed early and broaden as the levels increase.

Higher levels exist, however these individuals should be walking encyclopedias of judo and there really is no academic equivalent.

Obviously, the previous explanation ignores both sport and tradition as reasons for grading higher. So what should we do with the competitors or the traditionalists? You have me in the trap, I’m afraid. I never studied competitive judo while developing, so what I know of it you can put in your hat and still have plenty of room. On the other hand, I was raised in a traditionalist program. I believe that tradition plays a strong role in the development of a judoka. But tradition without evaluation is blind faith and I am sorely against blind faith.

So, allow me to talk about my perspective on sport and sport ranking. I do not believe a student under the green belt level is ready for competition unless that student has spent time in other arts similar to judo and has attained a sufficient level. Upon attainment of the green belt, however, competition is necessary to evaluate a student’s skill in comparison to others. Shiai is an evaluatory tool for most students, however, and should not be a medal chase. Eventually, perhaps at the ikkyu/shodan level, the student who would like to pursue shiai as a significant goal should have training dedicated to the pursuit of medals as, by this time, they have a sufficient grounding in the essentials of judo to be adequate and specialization at this level will not be as detrimental as it would be at lower levels.

I certainly will not discourage any of my students that wish to compete from competing, as long as they are at least a green belt. I will encourage my students that desire to compete to take up physical conditioning and endurance training to complement their judo. I do encourage my green belt and above students to compete, as long as they are training consistently.

So, what about the ranking of competitors? I believe their success in competition should be rewarded. The difficulty lies in the level of reward. Should one reward a “one trick pony” for beating everybody with one or two moves? I don’t believe so, no matter how far they take that one trick. The flip side of that is the competitive judoist that wins consistently using numerous waza to win.

How far should competitive success take the competitor? I don’t believe a competitor should be able to progress above another with greater knowledge. For example, an individual who cannot compete for some reason learns the full go kyo to both sides, nage no kata, katame no kata, ju no kata, trains daily, assists the club, and does a host of other helpful activities for judo may rank to sandan or yodan. A competitor that wins all the time in tournament but can’t do a single kata and only knows half the go kyo and rarely helps at the club could make it to nidan or sandan. On the other hand, the competitor who knows the same as the illustrated non-competitor should make it to yodan or godan, and faster to boot.

As to the initial questions, I know I haven’t answered them. Those are questions that one has to answer for oneself. I know the answer for me. What is it for you?

09 August 2010

Why Should I Show Up?

I have a pretty laissez faire perspective on attendance. I refuse to force students to come to class, especially as the rise up to and past the brown belt level. There are reasons for this but mostly it derives from my personal belief that success in any chosen endeavor must come from within.

So, why should a student show up? This isn’t just about judo or martial arts, it relates to most areas of human endeavor.

When a student starts an activity, especially judo, things are difficult. Moving is hard. Falling hurts. Everybody can throw you and you can’t throw anyone. Instructors and teammates should encourage the new student to keep coming because it will get better. As a student progresses things become less difficult for a time and success becomes more frequent. Then comes the brown belt.

The brown belt grades are hard grades to pass through. They are not especially challenging physically, but they become more mental, especially here. A black belt is not just a brown belt with seasoning. A brown belt needs to show mental discipline and good character. While there are many ways to show these qualities, if you desire to show them, you must show up!

Why should a student show up?

The grades lower than brown belt also have trials and tribulations to undergo. Showing up often and participating much helps growth. Learning to deal with that student who is shorter or heavier than you helps you understand judo better. Learning to deal helps you deal.

You need to show up to class because without class you cannot grow in your judo. Reading about judo is good. Watching judo videos is good. But they pale in comparison to getting on the mat and trying these things out!

Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. No matter how many shadow uchikomi you do, no matter how many times you practice your foot sweeps against a pole or a wall, no matter how many times you work alone you cannot progress without qualified input. You get qualified input at class!

Show up, have fun, learn. You will get better.

08 August 2010

Contemplation of the Future

Every judo club needs to look to its future. What happens if the unthinkable happens? What will happen to the club if the sensei leaves? Will the club continue? Who will teach? Who will take care of the paperwork that the sensei does?

Let’s start with what it takes to run a club, specifically Roswell Judo Club. Roswell Judo Club is organized as a sole proprietorship. This is not the best organizational structure, however a 501(c)3 structure costs a fair bit and we are not ready for that. The business aspect, as anathema as that is to many judo instructors, requires tax considerations, such as gross receipts; inventory ordering; scheduling events; and membership filings.

The business considerations require an individual that understands basic bookkeeping, business demands, and judo association guidelines. I certainly won’t say that I’m the world’s best business person at the moment, but I haven’t had anyone volunteer to take over or even learn how the operation works. I probably won’t look into that until 501(c)3 status is attained anyway.

The second aspect of running a club is instructional. Who will teach the classes? Does it require only one instructor or can there be several instructors teaching different classes? Simply put, I think several instructors would be a much greater idea than a single person. Multiple instructors mean that when one must go for the time, the classes aren’t cancelled.

Unfortunately, training instructors is a bit different than teaching judoka. Judoka learn techniques and how to apply those techniques. Teachers need to know the techniques and how to apply them, but that is the least of the concern! Teachers have to know how to transfer that knowledge to their students effectively. A teacher that teaches adults only may or may not be able to teach kids and vice versa. This takes time, both to learn the techniques and learn to teach them.

Right now Roswell Judo Club is not facing this situation, but how far in the future should a club look? In RJC’s case, we have to look about a year and a half to two years in advance. Why do we have to look a year and a half to two years? Currently we don’t have anybody at a level to take over. While we do have two brown belts on the rolls, one is leaving town soon and the other is less available to take over. After these two brown belts our highest grades are orange which will take until at least December of 2011 to move to the low brown belt grade. The most probable case will be May of 2011.

My club members need to understand that I’m not looking at leaving right now. I do want to make it clear that every student should be looking at the future and thinking about what they want to do with their judo. Do you want to be a teacher? Do you want to start your own club? Do you want to just be a club member? All of these are fine and we’ll certainly get you to where you want to be.