Knowing this kept me from writing for a long time, but I decided eventually to try, because writing about martial arts is a bit different than practicing martial arts. Certainly you should be proficient in the activity you write about, but it also requires writing ability and an introspective mindset which not all people -- and certainly not all martial artists -- are inclined to have.
Many of the best martial artists are naturals who learned by simply jumping in headfirst and never had to think too much about what they were doing. This isn't to say they didn't work very hard to become experts, but those who struggle and take a little longer to reach proficiency often are forced to think more about what they're doing, ask questions and perhaps revise how they train in hopes of better results. This sometimes makes them better teachers and, perhaps, better writers on the subject. The natural has no need to question so he is less likely to reflect or innovate, as there is no need to fix something that is working just fine.
I've been doing Kenkojuku-type Shotokan Karate for 18 years at the time of this writing and Judo for 3 years. I began teaching about 22 hours of classes per week for my instructor while I was in college and began, like most people, teaching as I was taught. I had several quality instructors, however, each with his own style so my early classes were a bit of a mishmosh. I was aware of the difference between my head instructors' lessons which were seamless and flowed logically, and my own which were typically collections of useful tidbits wedged between conditioning and sparring. Students also needed to know kata for grading purposes which left me little opportunity to consider how useful it was or wasn't, much less what might take it's place.
When I graduated college I began teaching high school. While the experience of being in front of a class teaching Karate made me more comfortable teaching academics, the experience of being a teacher also helped me in terms of being a coach. As a schoolteacher I constantly questioned my lessons and why they might go over so well with one class yet be a flop with different group, how to reach kids with different learning styles and how to motivate different types of kids to want to do well or believe they can. My head instructor, a former schoolteacher himself, would also discuss Karate-teaching with me once a week during which I learned a lot.
Fast forward a few years and I'm in my 30s, have moved from NYC to NC, have gotten into Judo, and started teaching Karate again, with no organization, official curriculum or head instructor to guide me. My first attempt is in a metal workshop fitted with wrestling mats with no uniforms, no katas, lots of contact, adults only, and few students. After a year and a half I moved two cities over into my Judo instructor's dojo, losing most of my students in the process and making a couple of minor tweaks for commercialism's sake (gis reappear and I agree to teach teens as well).
Keep in mind, it is not my intention to invent my own system of Karate, but rather take what I've learned and make my new students learn it, not how I did, but in a more efficient way. It took me three years before I could spar and apply anything resembling good technique. My students on the other hand are able to get to that point within a year's time. I still teach them many of the same things I've learned, but the methods used are often different. While I have nothing against tradition, Karate is not a koryu martial art (where the focus is on historical preservation not practicality) so I've trimmed away many things that I never found useful.
Perhaps this blog will encourage discussion and introspective thought about our training, to reconsider the value of the things we teach in Karate and whether there might be a better way to transmit that information to students or reach our personal goals. If nothing else, writing will force me to continue to think about what I'm doing and not take anything for granted.
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