What I Learned About Teaching From Karate, Day 1: Diamondcutter

This past weekend I had the pleasure of coaching my former students in the ring, along with a present student. In the top picture is Miss Emma and me, right after her final fight of the day.

Below that are three brothers, all of whom were my students over different years. Now they're all grown up, and they don't need my advice for fighting, but I sat in the chair for each of them at different times anyway. It was hard to get good shots of them fighting (and the bottom one, I could only get standing there), but I gave it my best. On top is Michael, the oldest of the three. Next down is Matthew, the youngest; and then at the bottom is Colin, who came in between.

Over the past years, I've done a series of posts all week before the spring black belt test. Actually, I did it two years ago, and then I tried last year, but got nil reaction, so I kind of preempted it. Anyway, it's called What I Learned About Teaching From Doing Karate.

If there is one thing that I have found out through this journey is the power of discipline. Over this past weekend, I played the part of a coach. As a coach, I would go in and sit with kids while they are waiting to go, sit in the chair while they're fighting (think Mickey from Rocky), and make sure that the scorekeeper is keeping score properly. I also became a water bottle-carrier, a headgear tracker, a blood-wiper, and the counselor for some of those who didn't win their fights. It doesn't take much--just the simple things go a long way.

As a coach, I get to let kids pound on me, I get to dole out push-ups when kids are talking and not listening, and I get a loud "Yes, Sir!" when I tell them to close their mouths and listen. This is a little different from the classroom.

I do have to say that recently, however, I covered a Wednesday night at the dojo (Thursday is my normal night...), and I saw some students I hadn't seen in about a year and a half. These three screwballs would be right at home in 5-1, and it was no surprise to me when I had to hand out about 175 push-ups between the three of them. At the end of the class, at the part where each kid walks up to shake my hand, all three of them had big smiles on their faces. "Man, we missed you!" one of them said. When I went out to the bleachers between classes, their parents said, "We missed you."

Love that. As a teacher of karate (or just a regular teacher), we don't discipline out of anger. We do it the way a diamond cutter gets rid of the stuff that's not a part of the diamond.

Okay, so I guess I try to do this, but last week was a major victory in the dojo on that front.  And I see it every day at school as well.