Coaching People

Coaching people

As a Martial Arts coach, sensei, shihan or Sifu it is common place to apply a subscribed syllabus of techniques methods or training to your school or group and teach people within the pre determined methods of the tradition. But is this enough? Does it fulfil your responsibilities as a Coach / Teacher but more importantly does it provide the solutions that the individual might require.

Of course structure is useful to a degree in teaching martial arts. With a set goal of training we can work towards a obtaining a certain skill set or method over time. However, especially in the early stages, the idea of a ‘one size fits all’ solution to the movement or structure problems of the individual falls down.

It is in this early stage that your MA coach should take time to specifically recognise and rehabilitate and movement or postural deficiencies so that your body is a capable container for the knowledge and methods it is about to receive.

It is not enough for everyone in the group to stand in horse stance for 20 minutes if 20% of those people cant stand in horse stance properly due to varying postural or structural problems.

In my opinion the Martial Arts Coach should cater for the following when he takes on the responsibility of teaching people his method.

• Recognise & rehabilitate movement or postural deficiencies specific to the individual
•  Provide a framework for the individual to use to advance their overall health.
• Provide a ‘Box Free’ Learning Environment and Philosophy.
• Provide practical, proven and honest Combative training methods.

As someone who came from Japanese arts with a lot of structure and a vast catalogue of techniques to the Chinese Arts with a few principles and virtually no Hierarchy and structure I can certainly see the rational and reasons for both. But which would I suggest as best?

It’s an interesting question and personally I don’t think that either really nail the coaching process as I experienced them.

1. The danger with structure is that the individual never gets the underlying simplicity behind all the complexity.
2. The danger with Freedom is that the individual never grasps the complexity behind the simplicity.

It is my opinion as a coach that we should be looking at each individual and giving them a specific exercise and skill set initially to work out any problems they may have. These methods can come from anywhere provided they are right for that individual ... they can be Tai chi, Xing Yi, Ba Gua, Modern Cardio training, even Weight training ... if thats what the individual needs.

After this point training structure can be picked up and utilised to provide specific combat skills or health training.

Does your coach give you specifically what you need? That is the question every martial arts student has to ask themselves honestly. Forget the colour belt round their waist, forget how many fights they have had or the reputation that follows them, look honestly at the present situation you are in and see if you get what you need.