Life lessons from the dojo
Mar. 17th, 2018 01:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eveglassToday I got to help teach the kids' class, and even got an open offer to continue to teach the kids' class if I show up early enough. So... yay teaching!
249: Just because you're experienced in some things doesn't mean you're experienced in everything
You'd think that with 8 years of karate experience, I'd have encountered pretty much everything I need to pass my first few belt tests. But if you thought this, you would be wrong. One of the things that's needed at comparatively low belt levels in this dojo is break-falls and rolls. And while I've had a handful of classes for this, it was really no more than a handful. I am woefully bad. I am worse than many of my fellow white belts. Will I get it? Sure, one day. Will I get it before my belt test on June 2? That, my friends, is an excellent question. But it just goes to show that you can't get too cocky. Even if I know most things I need, that doesn't mean I know all the things I need, and that makes all the difference.
250: Training can happen on multiple levels
As I mentioned in the intro, I got to help teach the kids' class today, for the first time. (Well... second time, but Thursday's class doesn't really count.) Part of today's kids' class was having the students get up in pairs to do their katas, with the sensei evaluating one student and me evaluating the other one. Obviously, on one level, this was training for the kids who were doing the katas. But at the same time, it was training for me. The sensei pointed out that when evaluating kids, we need to be sure to find a part of their technique to compliment before critiquing, and only to critique one thing. So at the same time she was critiquing the kids, she was also critiquing my critiques. It just goes to show that if you're a good enough teacher, you can make these sorts of corrections on multiple levels at the same time.
251: Clothes can indicate an intended audience
This is gonna be a little more on-the-nose than most of my life lessons, but can we be honest here? Karate gis are not made for women. I pointed out in one of my very early "life lessons from the dojo" that if you have any sort of curves at all, they get exaggerated by the karate gi, which is clearly meant for very thin, very straight frames. Today, though, I wanna take it a step further. White pants just should not be part of uniforms meant for women. I was terrified all class that I was going to bleed through onto my brand-new gi, especially with all the rolls we were doing. Why, then, do our uniforms consist of white pants, even for a dojo that is entirely female? Partly it's tradition. (Karate gis are white, have always been white, and That's How It's Done.) Partly it's because I don't think women aren't represented enough at the very highest levels, where these sorts of decisions are made. And honestly, by the time you reach those levels, you've figured out your own tricks for not bleeding onto your pants. Still, though, it's one tiny way in which women are reminded "this activity isn't made for you", even if you're surrounded by other women.
249: Just because you're experienced in some things doesn't mean you're experienced in everything
You'd think that with 8 years of karate experience, I'd have encountered pretty much everything I need to pass my first few belt tests. But if you thought this, you would be wrong. One of the things that's needed at comparatively low belt levels in this dojo is break-falls and rolls. And while I've had a handful of classes for this, it was really no more than a handful. I am woefully bad. I am worse than many of my fellow white belts. Will I get it? Sure, one day. Will I get it before my belt test on June 2? That, my friends, is an excellent question. But it just goes to show that you can't get too cocky. Even if I know most things I need, that doesn't mean I know all the things I need, and that makes all the difference.
250: Training can happen on multiple levels
As I mentioned in the intro, I got to help teach the kids' class today, for the first time. (Well... second time, but Thursday's class doesn't really count.) Part of today's kids' class was having the students get up in pairs to do their katas, with the sensei evaluating one student and me evaluating the other one. Obviously, on one level, this was training for the kids who were doing the katas. But at the same time, it was training for me. The sensei pointed out that when evaluating kids, we need to be sure to find a part of their technique to compliment before critiquing, and only to critique one thing. So at the same time she was critiquing the kids, she was also critiquing my critiques. It just goes to show that if you're a good enough teacher, you can make these sorts of corrections on multiple levels at the same time.
251: Clothes can indicate an intended audience
This is gonna be a little more on-the-nose than most of my life lessons, but can we be honest here? Karate gis are not made for women. I pointed out in one of my very early "life lessons from the dojo" that if you have any sort of curves at all, they get exaggerated by the karate gi, which is clearly meant for very thin, very straight frames. Today, though, I wanna take it a step further. White pants just should not be part of uniforms meant for women. I was terrified all class that I was going to bleed through onto my brand-new gi, especially with all the rolls we were doing. Why, then, do our uniforms consist of white pants, even for a dojo that is entirely female? Partly it's tradition. (Karate gis are white, have always been white, and That's How It's Done.) Partly it's because I don't think women aren't represented enough at the very highest levels, where these sorts of decisions are made. And honestly, by the time you reach those levels, you've figured out your own tricks for not bleeding onto your pants. Still, though, it's one tiny way in which women are reminded "this activity isn't made for you", even if you're surrounded by other women.
