The Merits of Working with Difficult Students

July 20th, 2010By Category: Culture

A few weeks ago, while teaching an action class on simple breakfalls, I had a particularly challenging experience working with a student. At the time, we were working on reverse rolling breakfalls (which admittedly, is not the easiest technique to understand), and he was struggling to get it. I explained the logic of the movement in what I was thought was a systematic and easy to understand way, demonstrated it, and let him practice it, but that still didn’t seem to be enough. As such, I went back to demonstrate it again, explained it again, and had him try it again. Still no go.

After this process repeated itself a few times, he began to get flustered, and eventually (in front of the other students, and anyone else in earshot for that matter) quite strongly told me that the way I was explaining it was completely inconsistent with the way I was doing it. Coming from a traditional martial arts training background (i.e. Teacher’s words = correct), I was kind of shocked and taken aback by it. I thought about how if I had ever said anything like that to one of my teachers I probably would have been kicked out…if not lost a few of my teeth in the process. (To this day, I still have a scar on my bottom lip from one such ‘act of arrogance’ on my part.)

At the same time though, I like to think that being a martial arts instructor means NOT just reiterating what or how you were taught, but truly internalizing it, so you can critique it, adjust it, and make it your own… and just because that was how my teachers would have responded, that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how I had to. As such, I decided to simply lead the group by example, extole the virtues of patience, and continue to work with him until, sure enough, he got it.

Perhaps there are those who would argue that I was being `too soft` , but if the ultimate goal of teaching is the continual growth, proliferation, and evolution of one’s knowledge base, craft, and/or passion, then it would seem as though one’s responsibility spans not just reaching those who are easy to get to, but those who are harder to reach as well. Afterall, anyone can look like an `expert` when they are working with people who naturally `get it`. If, on the other hand, I can`t reach out to, access the logic of, and ultimately earn the respect and loyalty of those who are hard to get to, then what right do I have to claim that my degree of experience differenciates me? The fact of the matter is, I don`t.

Furthermore, in reaching `the difficult ones`, one not only necessitates one`s own evolution as both a teacher and an individual, but finds great allies as well. At least in my own teaching experience, oftentimes, it is those people who are the hardest to get to that will stick with you the longest, appreciate you the most, and in the end, understand the true meaning of what you are trying to convey the best.

…Or at least given the fact that I was undoubtably the single greatest pain in the ass that my own martial arts teachers every had, I would like to think so.

Author of this article

Chuck Johnson

Chuck Johnson is a Martial Arts Instructor/ Action Film Actor based in Tokyo, Japan, and Michigan, USA. He has been teaching for 16 years, holds ranks in Taekwondo, Judo, Capoeira, and Karate, and is an experienced bodyguard. He is also a member of the Screen Action Stunt Association, and Society of American Fight Directors. Additionally, he has 10 years of ELT experience, and is the developer of Phat English, a system that uses specialized hip-hop music to teach the subtle nuances of GAm English pronunciation. For more information, visit www.chuck-n-action.com or follow Chuck on twitter at chuck_n_action

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