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Working with new martial arts students

30/5/2018

Martial arts are challenging and as a result, many people quit within the first few months. In my last blog I focused on some of the challenges new students encounter, based on our experience as instructors and school owners in the traditional Korean martial art of Kuk Sool Won™.

The first few months are exciting for new students, but they can also be daunting. How instructors respond to these challenges can make a big difference to how new students experience their introduction to martial arts. Here are some of the ways we try to make these early stages less overwhelming and more enjoyable for white belts at our Kuk Sool Won™ school.

Making new students feel welcome: It is important to create a welcoming, friendly and safe environment. If the instructors and students make a new person feel welcome, they are more likely to feel comfortable and their early experiences will be enjoyable.
Providing good information: There is a lot to learn when you first start a martial art. To make this process easier, we provide all of our new students with a fairly comprehensive induction pack. This gives information for example, about our martial art, etiquette, the rules of the dojang, their syllabus, and martial arts terminology. We also provide our new students with a complete uniform (with badges sewn on) and t-shirt so that they feel like the fit in and look and feel part of the school from the beginning.
Having a buddy: One of the best forms of support comes from other students. Our more senior students look out for our new students, particularly at the start of their training. They answer questions about etiquette, help with basic skills like how to tie a belt correctly, and provide guidance and support. This also helps build a sense of collegiality and makes a new student feel much more welcome.
Developing patience: Learning a martial art requires the development of many new skills. It takes time and patience. Many new adult students are particularly hard on themselves. We work with our new students to build their martial arts skills at their own pace and in a way that encourages the development of patience. This also means being creative with teaching methods as everybody learns differently.
Gradually conditioning the body: The first few months of training can be physically challenging. There is a risk that new students will push themselves too hard, resulting in injury. We teach our students how to gradually condition their bodies for martial arts training. They also learn how to listen to and work within the physical limitations.
Building trust: Martial arts training is all about relationships. If a new student develops a good, trusting relationship with their instructor, they will listen, learn, and want to keep training. If they don’t, they won’t want to be there and are more likely to quit. By working with new students respectfully, patiently and gently, instructors build that trust. Students are more likely to ask for help or advice (and follow that advice) if their instructor has taken to time to build a respectful relationship.

Starting a martial art can be a little daunting but it is also an exciting time. A white belt in Kuk Sool Won™ learns so much in their first few months and it is incredibly rewarding as an instructor to see their growth and development. It is also our job to make sure we make these first few months as easy and stress free as possible, as they transition into martial arts training.

JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero

Copyright © 2018. Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero. All Rights Reserved.

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The challenges of being a white belt

21/5/2018

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Starting a martial art can be a very challenging experience. Depending on the style of martial arts, there can be a lot of material to learn at white belt level and at times, it can feel overwhelming and daunting. You are in a new environment, with people you probably don’t know. You are learning new skills and physically challenging your body in new and demanding ways. Everything is new and you can feel completely out of your comfort zone. I know I certainly did during my first few months as a white belt in Kuk Sool Won™. It was physically very hard for me and I felt outside of my comfort zone by how much there was to learn, particularly about the etiquette surrounding a traditional martial art. Fortunately, I had a very patient instructor who gently helped me through those challenging first few months.

I am now a Kuk Sool Won™ instructor and school owner and I regularly work with our new students. In the collective experience of myself and fellow school owner and 4th degree black belt, SBN Caroline, we have found that our new Kuk Sool students tend struggle with some or all of the following elements.

Etiquette: As a traditional Korean martial art, Kuk Sool Won™ places a strong emphasis on etiquette. There are for example, rules of behaviour both inside and outside the dojang. We address each other in a respectful manner and we respect rank through the use of titles. Bowing is also part of the tradition of our martial art. These etiquette rules can feel uncomfortable and challenging at first. They take time to learn and new students may worry about making mistakes or getting the etiquette wrong.
New material: Everything a white belt does will be new to that student. For example, they have to learn how to execute different types of kicks and hand strikes, which they may never have tried before. They also learn forms (called hyung in Kuk Sool Won™) and self-defense techniques, all of which will be new and challenging to them. It is like learning a new language. It can be very hard at the start. Even a new student who has trained in another style of martial arts will face challenges when they first start Kuk Sool, as there will be many physical and technical differences, which they need to adapt to and learn. As well, much of our terminology is in Korean, which takes time for new students to learn.
Physical challenges: Martial arts requires us to develop strength, fitness, speed, coordination, balance and flexibility. This is martial arts specific and happens over years of training. While the Kuk Sool syllabus is designed to gradually condition the body, training at white belt level is still physically challenging and our bodies need time to become adjusted to it. It is common for new students to feel frustrated by the limitations of their bodies, particularly when they see what other students who have been training for a while can physically do.
Memory: In our style of martial arts, new students learn a lot of material as white belts. They need to learn and remember a hyung (form) and a number of self-defence techniques. Our white belts can struggle with their memories, particularly for those who have not actively trained their memory skills for some time. Gradually their memories will improve, but remembering the syllabus can be particularly daunting in the early stages of training.
New environment: Being in a new environment with new people can be nerve-wracking for some people. It can take time to feel comfortable with other students and instructors.

While it is not possible to remove these challenges, there are ways to make the first few months easier for new students and in my next blog I will focus on these. The key message for new students though, is this. It is completely normal to feel outside of your comfort zone when you first start. Your fellow students and instructors have all been there and experienced it. We understand and want to support you through the challenging first few months. Stick at it as the rewards of martial arts training are definitely worth it.

JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero

Copyright © 2018. Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero. All Rights Reserved.

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Why new students are great for a martial arts school

9/5/2018

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We have recently had a few new people join our martial arts school (Kuk Sool Won™ of Pukekohe and Onewhero). This has given me the opportunity to reflect on the many benefits white belts bring to our school, as well as the challenges and issues they face when they start their training. In this first blog in a series relating to white belts, I will look at why new students are great for a martial arts school.

We really value our new students and it’s not for the reason you make think. Sure they bring in some more income for us, which helps with the costs of running a martial arts school. But our white belts bring much more to our school than money.

White belts bring energy and enthusiasm to a school. They are excited about their training and their enthusiasm is infectious. For example, I teach a class of 5 and 6 year olds and we have recently had 4 new students join us. I feel energised at the end of our class by their passion for learning and the joy they bring to their training. A white belt’s enthusiasm also rubs off on other students. It makes the school a happy, vibrant and energised environment, which is great for everyone.
Observing and helping white belts shows our other students how far they have come with their own training. This provides an important sense of perspective, as it is easy for students to focus on their challenges and the things they cannot do well. They can easily lose sight of what they do know and their own achievements.
Our more advanced students learn by helping our white belts. They get to practice and refine their fundamental skills and material. This enables them to develop a deeper understanding of the basics, which in turn, helps them to improve as martial artists.
The process of learning something new, like martial arts, requires a great deal of patience, practice and perseverance. It takes time to develop our patience. Over time we also begin to understand the importance of consistent and good quality practice and we learn how to persevere with our training despite the many challenges we will face. White belts remind us of the importance of these “3 Ps”, how they affect our training, and more broadly, our lives.
Every new person brings something unique to a school. They all have different skills and abilities, personalities and life experiences. This diversity makes for an interesting, rich and dynamic environment and helps build the collegiality that is encouraged in a traditional martial arts school.
Without white belts, we would never have any black belts. They are the foundation upon which a traditional martial arts school is built.

In my role, I specialise in teaching our white belts. I choose to do this as I find working with new students to be very rewarding. Everything they learn is new to them and I enjoy seeing their progress and being part of their martial arts journey. I feel that I am, in some small way, able to make a difference to their lives. Teaching our white belts also reminds me of how far I have come with my own training, which is a humbling experience, As well, it helps me to continuously refine my own skills and knowledge of the basics of my martial art. Therefore, I gain at least as much from teaching our white belts, as they do from learning from me. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

For those of you who have recently started a martial art and feel that you are “just a white belt”, I urge you to wear your white belt with pride. You are a fundamental part of your martial arts school and bring so many important benefits to your fellow students and instructors.

JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero

Copyright © 2018. Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero. All Rights Reserved.

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Feel like quitting your martial art?

2/5/2018

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In our experience and as discussed in my last blog on perseverance, the majority of people who quit martial arts training do so at two key points; within the first few months and shortly after becoming a black belt. There are many reasons people quit. The novelty of training may have worn off and they may be struggling with the commitment required to progress. They may have become frustrated with themselves and believe they are not good enough. Or they may be struggling with injury or illness. For newly promoted black belts, they may feel that they have achieved their goal and don’t want to make the commitment to several more years of training to progress to the next level.

There are a myriad of reasons for quitting. However, the way people quit is similar. They will often tell their instructor by text or email after they have made the decision to leave. Some just stop training without even telling their instructor. Others will say they are taking a break, but in our experience few will ever return to training. While students may quit in different ways and for differing reasons, one thing is consistent. They rarely talk to their instructor about the difficulties they are experiencing before they make the decision to quit.

At some point during your martial art career you are likely to feel like giving up. So what should you do if you feeling like quitting?

Talk to your instructor about the difficulties you are having. A good instructor will find ways to help you and can give you guidance and advice. For example, we have students who struggle with their memory. We can provide reassurance, as well as teaching different ways to develop their memory skills. For those struggling with injury, we can adapt their syllabus to work around that injury. If we know about the difficulties you are experiencing, we can help.
Talk to other students you trust. Martial arts builds a sense of collegiality between students and they become a good source of support and guidance. They may have felt like quitting and can give you advice on what they did to get through that difficult time.
Give yourself some time before making a final decision to quit. You may just be going through a bad patch, related to the belt level you are at. By sticking at it, you may find that you are able to work through your difficulties and as a result, become a better martial artist. For example, most students struggle with their memory in a martial art likes ours (Kuk Sool Won™), which has a lot of material to remember. This is challenging, especially during the first few months. Eventually you will develop your memory skills if you stick at it. It is part of the process.
Remember that if you decide to take a break, you are unlikely to return to training. A better approach maybe to reduce the amount of training you are doing for a period of time.
If you do decide to quit, try to let your instructor and other students know in person so they have the opportunity to say goodbye to you. This is particularly important when you have been training for several years. Close relationships are formed through martial arts training and it can be hard on your instructor and fellow students if you quit without saying goodbye.

Martial arts training is not easy. It is difficult and you are likely to feel like quitting at times. I am interested to hear about your experiences. Have you ever felt like quitting and if so, what did you do about it? Please leave a comment.

JKN Jane Hurst
First degree black belt and school owner
Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero

Copyright © 2018. Kuk Sool Won™ of Onewhero. All Rights Reserved.

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Working with new martial arts students

The challenges of being a white belt

Why new students are great for a martial arts school

Feel like quitting your martial art?

Caroline and Jane Hurst

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