One to One Action
Wed, Sep 1 2010 03:34
| private lessons, martial arts, pricing, training, Wing Tsun Kung fu, practice, martial arts Altrincham
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Whenever I've joined or worked with a martial arts class be it my own, another WT group or even other arts and styles you see the same thing every time amongst the students. You see the guy who is always late or skipping sessions with flimsy excuses, the guy who never listens and always practices his interpretation of the exercise set. There's also the fella who questions every detail or idea before trying it first alongside the guy who seems to pick everything up after one demonstration.
You might recognise yourself or more likely a buddy in amongst those caricatures with a laugh or wry smile. I can tell you that at one point or another I've felt like every single one of those guys and more. But it's the last fella I want to talk about here. The guy who always seems to know what's going on in class, what each exercise is roughly about and where it fits in to the rest of his training. Some dismiss it as natural talent - “he's just got the knack and doesn't need to work at it” but I would honestly say it's one in a thousand who naturally pick everything up with little reference or coaching and that's being generous.
Look at what this guy does in training – I bet you any money he turns up early every session. I bet you he phones his instructor when he's too sick and gives a week's notice when he's going away etc. so he never misses a thing and reminds his instructor when he's missed a lesson or exercise. When the teacher calls you round to demonstrate does this guy get picked out to demonstrate on or is he almost pushing forward to get as close to the demo as possible? Of course he is.
To really excel it takes it hard work, dedication and patience. You have to accept that some days aren't your days, that plateaus will come and go and these are not points at which to give up. I don't mind admitting I've contemplated packing up WT and martial arts altogether now and again. I've heard some rather pathetic excuses from quitters in passing “I didn't have the time” can be complimented by “I didn't understand it” or the ludicrous such as “I didn't like X in the club”. You'll notice that these people always look to others and external factors as being responsible for their failures. That there is no talk of what they did to fix these problems first.
The guy who walks away from my class because he “didn't understand” was also the guy that never once asked a question, or accepted help. He never acknowledged emails or asked about what he could do at home. These aren't cardinal sins but look at them as choices. How does he expect to understand something he doesn't engage in? Turning up for an hour or two a week is a great start but to achieve more you have to do more. What does our friend from earlier do when he finds himself no longer understanding?
Usually he'll pull me aside during practice time or at the end of the lesson and run his questions or thoughts by me. In some cases we might not have the time or scope to fix it there and then. Often we then look at scheduling some extra time in the form of a private lesson. “Privates” as we call them at my club are usually an hour long lesson booked at the students convenience and basically they get the use of myself to work on ideas, topics and material they feel they are lacking in or I feel will steer them in the right direction. The time spent one to one is usually like a month's worth of classes in one shot for a lot less money and time.
Before gradings I get lots of requests for my time but students requiring extra time and attention can call on me at any time. These types of lessons were a resource I used successfully with my teachers. Even when I was a student and struggling for cash I always found a way. A private once a month, a seminar, a week long course were all paid for because my training was priority number one. That's not the case for everyone. You need to to sit down and think about how much it's worth to you before embarking on private lessons.
In privates all your mistakes are analysed they can be spotted and usually fixed there and then. Or alternative ways of training can be laid out. You can get a chance to feel how every impulse and exercise is intended to be as your instructor is the person feeding you everything you need as many times as you need it. Many students arrive for a private lesson and then have no idea what they want or need to cover in the hour. Trust me, your teacher will know what you need.
The benefit of privates are numerous. You can get a feel for gaps in your knowledge, you can also get a much deeper understanding of a topic so when it pops up in class you're one step ahead. You also find it promotes a respect and trust between you and your teacher. If you spend more time and money seeking out your teacher this is not only a compliment to them but it shows a desire to learn and achieve. Something highly valued in students by instructors.
Some people will book sessions in an ad hoc fashion, some will have one session and not feel the need to have another for months some students book one every week almost always in the same time slot. It's a personal choice. In my club I offer discounts for regular bookings. The money is less important than encouraging students to train more and seek more input into their WT. A one off session costs £23 and a regular booking or a block of ten are priced at £20 per hour respectively. Compared to music lessons, or personal trainers we tend to be cheaper not because WT is worth less but because very often students are already spending money on regular class sessions and I like to focus on getting more sweat, dedication and questions out of my students than their pin numbers.
Now ask yourself, whereabouts the guy at the front of the class always watching, always asking questions in his own time fits in? How many private lessons does he take to get ahead? It doesn't really matter does it? The question is what are you doing and prepared to do to learn more? How much effort are you happy with to feel like you are progressing?
The answers across a class will vary wildly and so they should. Not everyone can excel and not everyone will. But what everyone can do is fulfil their potential. To do that they must be prepared to push on a little bit – to go to that extra session, to accept the opportunities presented to them when they can. Otherwise you're wasting my time and even worse you're wasting your own.
You might recognise yourself or more likely a buddy in amongst those caricatures with a laugh or wry smile. I can tell you that at one point or another I've felt like every single one of those guys and more. But it's the last fella I want to talk about here. The guy who always seems to know what's going on in class, what each exercise is roughly about and where it fits in to the rest of his training. Some dismiss it as natural talent - “he's just got the knack and doesn't need to work at it” but I would honestly say it's one in a thousand who naturally pick everything up with little reference or coaching and that's being generous.
Look at what this guy does in training – I bet you any money he turns up early every session. I bet you he phones his instructor when he's too sick and gives a week's notice when he's going away etc. so he never misses a thing and reminds his instructor when he's missed a lesson or exercise. When the teacher calls you round to demonstrate does this guy get picked out to demonstrate on or is he almost pushing forward to get as close to the demo as possible? Of course he is.
To really excel it takes it hard work, dedication and patience. You have to accept that some days aren't your days, that plateaus will come and go and these are not points at which to give up. I don't mind admitting I've contemplated packing up WT and martial arts altogether now and again. I've heard some rather pathetic excuses from quitters in passing “I didn't have the time” can be complimented by “I didn't understand it” or the ludicrous such as “I didn't like X in the club”. You'll notice that these people always look to others and external factors as being responsible for their failures. That there is no talk of what they did to fix these problems first.
The guy who walks away from my class because he “didn't understand” was also the guy that never once asked a question, or accepted help. He never acknowledged emails or asked about what he could do at home. These aren't cardinal sins but look at them as choices. How does he expect to understand something he doesn't engage in? Turning up for an hour or two a week is a great start but to achieve more you have to do more. What does our friend from earlier do when he finds himself no longer understanding?
Usually he'll pull me aside during practice time or at the end of the lesson and run his questions or thoughts by me. In some cases we might not have the time or scope to fix it there and then. Often we then look at scheduling some extra time in the form of a private lesson. “Privates” as we call them at my club are usually an hour long lesson booked at the students convenience and basically they get the use of myself to work on ideas, topics and material they feel they are lacking in or I feel will steer them in the right direction. The time spent one to one is usually like a month's worth of classes in one shot for a lot less money and time.
Before gradings I get lots of requests for my time but students requiring extra time and attention can call on me at any time. These types of lessons were a resource I used successfully with my teachers. Even when I was a student and struggling for cash I always found a way. A private once a month, a seminar, a week long course were all paid for because my training was priority number one. That's not the case for everyone. You need to to sit down and think about how much it's worth to you before embarking on private lessons.
In privates all your mistakes are analysed they can be spotted and usually fixed there and then. Or alternative ways of training can be laid out. You can get a chance to feel how every impulse and exercise is intended to be as your instructor is the person feeding you everything you need as many times as you need it. Many students arrive for a private lesson and then have no idea what they want or need to cover in the hour. Trust me, your teacher will know what you need.
The benefit of privates are numerous. You can get a feel for gaps in your knowledge, you can also get a much deeper understanding of a topic so when it pops up in class you're one step ahead. You also find it promotes a respect and trust between you and your teacher. If you spend more time and money seeking out your teacher this is not only a compliment to them but it shows a desire to learn and achieve. Something highly valued in students by instructors.
Some people will book sessions in an ad hoc fashion, some will have one session and not feel the need to have another for months some students book one every week almost always in the same time slot. It's a personal choice. In my club I offer discounts for regular bookings. The money is less important than encouraging students to train more and seek more input into their WT. A one off session costs £23 and a regular booking or a block of ten are priced at £20 per hour respectively. Compared to music lessons, or personal trainers we tend to be cheaper not because WT is worth less but because very often students are already spending money on regular class sessions and I like to focus on getting more sweat, dedication and questions out of my students than their pin numbers.
Now ask yourself, whereabouts the guy at the front of the class always watching, always asking questions in his own time fits in? How many private lessons does he take to get ahead? It doesn't really matter does it? The question is what are you doing and prepared to do to learn more? How much effort are you happy with to feel like you are progressing?
The answers across a class will vary wildly and so they should. Not everyone can excel and not everyone will. But what everyone can do is fulfil their potential. To do that they must be prepared to push on a little bit – to go to that extra session, to accept the opportunities presented to them when they can. Otherwise you're wasting my time and even worse you're wasting your own.