Students are often eager to help out their training partners with techniques they think he or she may be having trouble with. This is usually motivated by a genuine effort to help out. That being said, sometimes these students who want to help actually interfere with their fellow student’s learning.

Here are some guidelines I offer my students when it comes to helping out their fellow students:

Ask first. Ask your training partner politely if they want your help before giving it. This can be something like, “Can I make a suggestion?” or “Would you like me to help?”. You want to make sure they actually wants your help before offering it. Sometimes a student prefers to work through a technique in his or her own mind because it helps them to retain it better.

Don’t overextend yourself. While you’re still in the early stages of your own development, stick to helping your training partners remember the sequence of a technique (if requested) rather
than trying to teach all the technical details. Sometimes the Sensei is applying a graduated training method chosen specifically for that student’s needs and by showing a different method, and your “help” may interfere with his or her teachings.

Keep chatter to a minimum. Don’t talk at length about the technique you’re working on. By doing so, you rob yourself and your partner of precious training time.

Consult with your Sensei or Sempai. Any time you offer help, it’s a good idea to verify what you showed your fellow student with a Sensei or Sempai the next time they come around to check up on you.

Let your Sensei or Sempai do their job. If the Sensei or Sempai is there attending to you and your partner, don’t interrupt them. It’s fine to ask a question about the technique. But never talk over the instructor when he or she is trying to teach, even if you are just trying to help out. It interferes with the communication process.

Ultimately, it’s great to have dojo at which everyone wants to help each other to achieve their best in their martial arts training (I’m quite proud of my own for this reason), so long as they’re doing it right. Even though we’re all on our own journeys of personal development, an important part of that development is sharing in the experience and taking pride in the overall advancement of the dojo and its students. That’s why teaching is considered to be one of the most important roles of senior students and black belts.

Tags: leadership | teaching