DEMONSTRATE … DETAIL … DRILL – Theory to Practice
How are you with teaching NEW skills? Translating that technical information, simplifying it and putting it into a set that challenges both junior and senior grades, kids and adults?
Demonstrate:
When first introducing a technique or skill, it’s best to show how it’s done. Provide a visual representation of the skill, inspire the student in performance and motivate them to want to learn more!
Detail:
The difference between ‘Thrive & survive is in the detail’ so don’t neglect it! You need to slow the skill down and show the technique in a more specific manner. For self-defence, you will break it down strike-by-strike, emphasising body mechanics, control and targeting amongst things. For patterns / forms, you will probably only work on half a dozen moves in detail each class, until you complete it.
On the turn side be sure to assess and monitor the group you are teaching as too much detail can sometimes be a distraction from physical learning, ‘learn through play’ as I say … which leads nicely to –
Drill:
Then of course, drill, drill, drill. This is where your ability as an instructor to disguise repetition comes in handy. Make sure that your students have plenty of time to repeat the moves so that they become proficient before you move on to something new … and always refer back through the previous D’s!