Which do you prefer to teach?

Question

When you are teaching self defense, do you prefer to teach a specific technique or an actual principle that can be applied to many self defense motions? Do you change this depending upon belt/experience level? Do you prefer a combination of both? Please only people who actually train and teach. No cyberninja's or keyboard warriors needed.

Answer 1

i agree with what the last answerer said they go to together.theres no point teaching one without the other and you always teach ppl of a higher belt or experience level different as they grasp techniches and principles much easier,obviously.

Answer 2

I teach a mixture of Kung Fu and Kempo Karate. I teach principles and prearranged techniques. I try to teach enough technique/methods that will satisfy my students. I diversify my approach to help all of my students...

Answer 3

It depends on the level.  

Most of the time I'm teaching young novices so I drill them on a few specific moves and nothing more.  It usually takes them a long while to even grasp those.  

If I am teaching adults, then we will drill the specific move until they get that and then talk about variations and principles.  If I'm working with advanced students, we'll drill the specific move once or twice, then jump into variations and principles.  If the students are really advanced or expert level, I'll break out the mats and do some free form self-defense where they have no idea what the attacker will do and it may not even be one of the situations we drill on.

Answer 4

I have Tae Kwon Do / Hapkido and Kenpo I do try to stick wit the basics that the child has signed up for when doing forms and onesteps,  but I do find myself adding bits and pieces from one style to another in just general training only because some of the open hands and extra kicks seem more natural when mixing styles sometimes. I do advise everyone to try different styles to see what they would be more passionate about because thats what they would excell in faster "what style they are more passionate about"

Answer 5

1st I explain the difference between self defense and sparring .

Bobbing weaving feinting jabbing are all sparring skills and are rarely seen or used in real street attack situations or any kind of match up where both partys square off outside each others punching range.

Self defense on the other hand starts from a short step away or is an ambush .

I have them stand both with their hands at their sides and the defender isn't allowed to back up he may side step or go forward but not back up anyone who has a problem in learning this is placed with his back to a wall.

Attacks are

push and punch

grab and punch or head butt or knee or tackle

punch and kick or vice versa

double punch left right right left

As the attacks all start from the hands down posistion all attacks are sudden sucker shot attacks no warning .

Then we start on the ambush type attacks tackles from behind head locks bear hugs arm restraints .Ambush attacks can be from any direction but the front.

The principles involved are explained as each new situation is involved and many show a definite link to kata while sparring techniques rarely do.

Both sides of the equation are given equal time and gradings lean more to expertise in self defense scenarios than sparring .This is after all the art of self defense not the art of sparring or even fighting.I will leave that emphasis to the sports types .

I often have the student react to an attack with out being shown any defense just to see and mostly for him to see how his natural instinctive reaction without being shown what to do is so similar to kata maves.

There are no secrets you already know it training just shows you what nature and evolution has given you and to use it in a positive way.

Answer 6

I would rather teach an actual principle because different situations call for different techniques and if they don't know the overall picture of what to do they will die. Also, I think that if you only taught a specific technique it would be stuck in their heads and try to use it in the wrong situation.

Answer 7

well i like to do a combination of both, first i will talk to my student about safety of course! then i will talk about specific principles  hat can be applied to most self defense and then i show them the technique

Answer 8

i don't teach except when playing with someone i know who asks a question.

(the usual bs exchange between students of diff. schools)

If I did teach I would probably focus on teaching them the very basics needed for understanding of an overall theory or concept- if I had limited time I would teach the most applicable technique to the widest variety of situations and not get to into detail about counters, and counter to counters to counters as I would likely be teaching people who have little interest in pursuing (and if they were It would be a taste and sample anyway) and would cover more common situations.

odds of coming up against someone who is a trained martial artist is probably not so high- so if I can't teach everything- I would teach what would be most applicable that I can teach in the limited amoutn of time.

I would certainly start with proper power generation techique however and teach to put power behind the most basic strikes (punches and kicks).  I would show some escapes from common holds that an "untrained" person might use- then expand from there, depending on time factor.

of course if its a regular class with regular returning students you don't have to worry about a "cram" session.

Answer 9

Technique follows principle.

First I like to explain what we are working on and why - then I explain typical responses and why to respond that way.

eg. Response to a jab/cross or jab/hook combo.  I explain that the jab/hook is a common combination and very often used by skilled as well as unskilled fighters.  Then I will show responses - 4 or 5 usually - that change the momentum of the attack.  Cover/counter, bob & weave, trapping counter, closing or opening centerline, and a takedown response.  With each response I explain a scenario in which a defender would use the response and we drill each for a few minutes.  At the end of the specific drills, I like to do situational sparring - one partner throws the 1,2 the other defends with a move we studied.  This puts the move into a new light - adding in distance, timing, footwork to the move forces the student to apply himself differently than static drills.

I like the same concept for beginning students, but with fewer options, and much less complexity.   I'll show 2 very basic responses - bob and weave or cover/counter - to beginning students.  We may incorporate some movement once the students get the basic response, but no sparring.  Sparring of any kind is reserved for more advanced students.

Even advanced students and instructors have to review the basics before moving on to advanced technique.  Use it or lose it.  

Why try to go for a takedown to mount to armbar when a simple cover / counter works great? I've seen way too many people frustrated trying a "new move" because they couldn't pull it off sparring.  Knowing WHEN to use a technique is as important as the technique itself.

Answer 10

Well, I'm still a student but my instructor taught me actual principle and then specific techniques.

Answer 11

I would rather teach someone how to use their hands to defend themselves. Instead of waiting to be black belt and turning in their hands for the feds. Might as well tell them to own you.

Answer 12

I don't teach anyone, I am not a high level cordao.  But I do go to classes to learn.  And in every class we do some common moves for practice and repetition.  But whenever we learn a new technique I am always really excited.  I am especially excited when my mestre teaches b/c he tells us the point of the move while we are doing it.  As a student, I would say that I prefer to learn the new technique.

Answer 13

When instructing I always put the technique first. This is a basic learning curve that works well with everybody. (Its the same as in mathematics= 1+2=3; then they teach why with apples)

In my experience I have always found that people will first grasp the basic physical motions as I guide them through slowly. As they see the technique beginning to take hold and work I begin explaining why it works. The explanation starts say with a joint manipulation, that the joints only bend in so many directions and only so far. Then as they begin to understand the body mechanics of that I tell them to follow the pain of the other guy (where as the other guy must follow their own pain to try and get away). Moving from there to locking a small joint all the way up to locking the spine.

I don't leave out other concepts such as intercepting, avoiding, redirecting, and preemptive, to only certain ranks or skill levels. These concepts apply to everybody and are a must for the ability to react instinctively. I have to take more time in teaching these with the lower ranks, but still go over them and quiz them with the higher ranks... (giving physical examples of each through spontaneous attack and defense).

I think that techniques and concepts/principles are one-in-the same and cannot be seperated... only in understanding, but once one understands the why, they are the same.

bunminjutsu - We train the same way in my dojo. There's no such thing as backing up. Only stepping in a backstance, but that is for absorbing and countering. This concept of retreat is such a difficult one to get out of some people its amazing. Nobody really expects their enemy to step forward and/or to the side during their onslaught, and are easily taken aback and overwhelmed by it. Probably the most important concept in learning to protect one's self.

Answer 14

The two go together .

Answer 15

We first teach a specific technique against a specific attack or hold.  

We then show how that technique can apply to other holds, or use the same method to escape a different circumstance.

We also don't use active resistance until the fundamental of the technique (leverage or lock, etc.) is understood.  At higher belt levels, we add the active resistance so that the student can make "real" adjustments for the technique to work.

James

Answer 16

Good question !!

When I was teaching I taught both, first the specific technique then the principles behind it for example one of my favourite techniques is kote geshi ( wrist throw ) the throw its self is very easy to teach but the principle/s under pressure in an adrenalin situation can vary as during application self defence techniques are not if rarely text book applied,Yes depending on experience of students and abilities often the techniques need to be broken down into many steps so I did change things to suit the level of experience.

I no longer teach and hope I'm not viewed as a keyboard warrior as a result ,best wishes :)***

Answer 17

In the Army i was trained in Dirty Street Fighting.  That is what i taught to the troops.

Answer 18

Behind every technique there is an actual principal. It always enhances the technique for the student to understand the principal. Sure it takes longer and some patience to get the principal across. Even though it may at times be a little tedious the student benefits and will be able to adjust the technique to fit his individual physiology.

This can be said for teaching other things besides Martial Arts.  Learning why stances are important for balance and positioning is as important as the individual stances. Learning why things work always makes a better student. A race car driver who understands basic physics will be a better driver. It will even help the driver to know a little mechanics as well.

Yea! I believe I'm honored now to pick up my first troll.

I agree with the nice lady  from down under they both go together. Technique without principal is fairly hollow. They must go together.

Answer 19

It its MUCH better to teach a concept (or actual principle in your terms) to a student rather than a series of techniques. For example, say you teach a student 5 defense techniques against someone grabbing you from behind. If someone grabs them in real life and none of the techniques work on the attacker, the student is going to hurt.

But if you teach the concept, a student can use dozens of techniques and possibly create their own. When teaching a concept, it is important to show techniques and explain how/why these techniques work in accordance to the concept.