{"id":25,"date":"2015-10-29T23:54:14","date_gmt":"2015-10-30T03:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainetraditionalkarate.com.stem.arvixe.com\/blog\/?p=25"},"modified":"2018-10-02T15:06:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T19:06:31","slug":"have-you-hugged-your-sensei-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mainetraditionalkarate.com\/?p=25","title":{"rendered":"Have You Hugged Your Sensei Today?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Have you hugged your Sensei today? It is “International Appreciate Your Sensei Day” after all. … Okay, I made that up. But really, isn’t every day really one in which you appreciate that which you receive from your Sensei and other instructors? \u00a0I am particularly appreciative today for a\u00a0reminder lesson I recently received on effective teaching methods.<\/p>\n

Now, I do have a little tea in my blog cup on this one. I’ve taught in special education classrooms, in residential treatment facilities, and\u00a0in public schools.\u00a0 I’ve coached middle school soccer, track, and basketball. \u00a0As a graduate student, I regularly lectured to 500 or more University students. I’ve presented or co-presented research at national and international conferences in front of thousands of professionals. \u00a0Oh man, despite such fairly extensive experiences, did I ever get schooled by\u00a0a 10 year old boy a few weeks ago on how a one size fits all approach to teaching is a recipe for massive failure.<\/p>\n

At our annual training workshop with the US Director of our karate federation, I was tasked with helping run a\u00a0lesson on use of the bo (staff). \u00a0We’re spinning; we’re spinning; we’re spinning the bo when “plink …. plink \u00a0…. plink, plink, plink, rattle, rattle, settle” \u00a0Ah, the distinctive sound of someone dropping the bo on a\u00a0basketball court floor. (Cut me a little slack, how would you describe the sound?)\u00a0 The guilty party – a 10 year old green belt from our dojo.<\/p>\n

“Oh, ten pushups,” came out of my mouth – a reduced sentence for dropping a weapon while training. \u00a0The student had picked up the bo and stood at attention, eyes forward, back straight, heels together, bo and hands to his sides – he didn’t move. \u00a0 … \u00a0With a hundred people in the gymnasium, I thought the noise had prevented the student from hearing me. \u00a0“I know it’s usually 25, but you can just do ten,” I clarified. \u00a0Nothing. \u00a0I stepped into the student’s line of sight, “it’s okay, you can do them now and then we’ll all move on to the next exercise.” \u00a0There was no ambiguity at this point – I had eye contact with the student. \u00a0I had spoken gently but firmly. \u00a0Drop a weapon – do some pushups. \u00a0It’s just the way it is.<\/p>\n

The student dropped down and made it about half way down on\u00a0number 1. \u00a0I immediately realized that I had COMPLETELY\u00a0BLOWN IT. \u00a0His arms shook under the weight as he struggled to push himself back up. \u00a0Trying to redeem myself, I quickly instructed\u00a0“you can just owe me the rest. \u00a0Let’s get back to work.” \u00a0He got up and we all moved on as a group.<\/p>\n

During the next break, I stopped to talk with the student’s mother. \u00a0“I’m sorry Mrs. X (not her real name). \u00a0I think I was a little tough on Student Y (nope, not his real name either). \u00a0I may have inadvertently upset him.” \u00a0I told Mrs. X what had happened. \u00a0She understood immediately. \u00a0She explained that her son has a hard time with pushups and that they usually do them at home so he can work on his upper body strength without everyone watching.<\/p>\n

Let me recap. \u00a0There are 100 people in a gym with you, many of whom you don’t know. \u00a0You’ve been working hard – you’re hungry, you’re tired. \u00a0 You are the cause of a sound that makes everyone pause, albeit momentarily, to take notice of the associated event that we all know so well. \u00a0Under these conditions, you are then asked to perform a task which makes you extraordinarily self-conscious.\u00a0 You are 10 years old.<\/p>\n

Options?\u00a0 The student\u00a0could have cried. He could have stomped his feet and thrown a temper tantrum.\u00a0 He could have wet his pants and gone running for his mom.\u00a0 I likely would have done all of the above at age 10.\u00a0 Heck, now at 44, I probably still would.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t though. Despite the frustration and anxiety he likely felt inside, this remarkable\u00a010 year old didn\u2019t even flinch.\u00a0 He did one of the most respectful things he could do\u00a0\u00a0\u2013 he stood in a perfect attention stance as he contemplated how to handle the situation.\u00a0 When the time came to do the deed, he didn\u2019t talk back, he didn\u2019t roll his eyes, he didn\u2019t walk away.\u00a0 He dropped and did the best he could.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m proud of him.\u00a0 Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan Karate-Do, once said “The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection<\/span><\/strong> of character<\/span><\/strong> of its participants.”\u00a0 <\/em>At age 10, this young man demonstrated more character, resolve, and respect than is shown by\u00a0many adults with whom I interact on a daily basis.\u00a0 Hopefully, by now, Student Y has forgotten my blunder.\u00a0 I, however, will not forget the valuable reminder he gave me that day.<\/p>\n

You see, long after the world has forgotten whether you failed or succeeded, were slighted or wronged, won or lost, it will remember with great clarity how you conducted yourself under such circumstances.<\/p>\n

So, what does all this have to do with International Appreciate Your Sensei Day?\u00a0 Nothing really.\u00a0 I kind of got off on a tangent and liked where I ended up so I went with it.\u00a0 Sorry.<\/p>\n

It is funny sometimes how the lesson learned through the study of karate-do has little, if anything, to do with the material being practiced. That happens to me quite a lot actually. I think I’m heading in one direction only to find myself arriving at a different but equally interesting destination. It’s okay. Eventually I end up where I thought I was going. It just takes me longer. I am fortunate that my Sensei is patient and understands this about me. It’s like at a Nitan Bo seminar last year when I was struggling to learn a kata. I overheard our Sensei’s colleague (respectfully) pointing out “Shawn doesn’t seem to be getting this.” My Sensei’s response, “It’s okay, he will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed. \u00a0I did … eventually. \u00a0Similarly, I will get to my black belt and beyond someday – but at my own pace and on my own path. \u00a0If I am lucky, I will have plenty of side lessons like the one above along the way. \u00a0 You see, my Sensei teaches me karate, and, in doing so, provides me an ever growing repertoire of jaw-droppingly lethal techniques I hope I never have to use. \u00a0More importantly, my Sensei and instructors walk with me, encourage me, and guide me in my exploration of karate-do as a framework for living and a way of being.\u00a0 \u00a0With every step along that path I become a better person.\u00a0 \u00a0Hmm. Maybe this post really is about Appreciating your Sensei after all.<\/p>\n

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Have you hugged your Sensei today? It is “International Appreciate Your Sensei Day” after all. … Okay, I made that up. But really, isn’t every day really one in which you appreciate that which you receive from your Sensei and other instructors? \u00a0I am particularly appreciative today for a\u00a0reminder lesson I recently received on effective … <\/p>\n

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