DO WHAT DOES NOT COME EASY

Read through these posts and a recurring theme, a lietmotiv, should emerge: what is the most effective way to teach, and the corollary, how do we learn? There are numerous rules of learning. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the metric that it takes 10,000 hours to perfect a skill in Outliers (2011). That magic number implies a hugeContinue reading “DO WHAT DOES NOT COME EASY”

LEVELS OF TRAINING

Traditional pedagogical transmission reinforces hierarchical structure: Shoden (初傳, beginning teachings) Chuden (中傳, intermediate) Okuden (奥傳, hidden or inner teachings) … and then there is Kuden – the secrets taught “mouth to ear.” This is a good way to ensure structured progression (kyu -> dan) and maintain social gradients (kohai -> sempai). Mass production and replicable standards isContinue reading “LEVELS OF TRAINING”

SPOTTING

I am failing my new year’s resolution of teaching to the test. Concepts and connections are taking precedent over technique in my classes. This morning the only technique I taught was ai-hanmi-katate dori kokyuho (and its variant irimi nage). I have covered kokyuho previously but this morning I used it as an exemplar of precision positioning. ToContinue reading “SPOTTING”