“In learning, you will teach. In teaching, you will learn.” – Phil Collins.

I have previously discussed reasons to take private lessons and how to get the most out of private lessons. Both of these posts were written from the student’s perspective. Fun reads, weren’t they? 

In this post, I discuss the 5 benefits of teaching private martial arts lessons from an instructor’s perspective.

The apparent financial aspect will not be discussed. Instead, I will discuss several benefits instructors can derive from teaching private lessons.

Semi Private Lesson in progress

(1) Getting to know the client: On a personal basis, you will get to know about their families, their jobs, and their worldview. In terms of martial arts, you will get to know their physical weaknesses and strengths. I look for the structural and body positioning weaknesses so that we can spend time working on them. I particularly watch for footwork and aim for the efficiency of movement. 

Every client is different from others. They move differently. They will have different speeds and timing. Some may be smooth, and others may not be so.

The challenge is to personalize each client’s teaching and maximize their potential. Some will learn the flow drills quickly, and others will take a bit longer. Either way, it’s okay. You need to know the client well and tailor the lessons accordingly.

Then there’s knowing the client on a psychological basis. One of my clients moves very well but lacks a fair bit of confidence. The challenge isn’t teaching physical skills but instilling the mentality to execute techniques with confidence and verve. This requires a keen eye and attention to every move the client makes and feeling their energy.

(2) Personalize lessons for the client: When working with a client, you can personalize the lessons for their particular level and focus on the material they need to work on. 

I first focus on body structure before techniques. The number of techniques or flow drills they know does not matter to me if they do not move properly or lack good body structure. Non-telegraphic movement and efficient technique are what I seek to teach the clients. This requires knowing how to break down and explain techniques in a way that they can grasp quickly.

I learn from teaching kids and adults alike!

Children, on the other hand, approach things a bit differently. On the one hand, they will engage in drills designed to build basic skills. However, I have learned that they need to play games. I will not play games for the sake of games. I will play games that incorporate martial arts skills. For example, Miguel likes to engage in make-believe Star Wars laser sword fights. The only caveat is that he must incorporate Filipino Martial Arts through footwork and techniques.

The bottom line is that what you teach depends on their skill level and personalities.

(3) Light bulb moments: Clients will ask “what if” questions during our lessons; these impromptu questions often turn out to be my favourite moments.

Most of the time my answers are pretty straightforward. Other times, the questions can open a new area of exploration/ investigation that can shape how certain material is taught or presented. This is undoubtedly one of the great benefits of teaching private lessons.

For instance, I worked with a client on Bamboo Spirit Flow Drill #2 the other night. We covered the basic clears when the question was asked “what if the opponent’s hand/arm is not there to hit when you clear?” My answer was nothing new. I didn’t reinvent the wheel. I showed the client a couple of ways to deal with his “what if?” scenario. This made me think about how to recast the “clearing” drill in a new way for my students. For some reason, I find the benefit of teaching moments more common in private lessons than when I teach a class at the community center.

(4) Improve your teaching: One of the great benefits of teaching private lessons is that every lesson presents opportunities to improve your teaching.

Sometimes this means explaining a technique differently before the client, whether a child or an adult, “gets it.”  Experimenting with phrases and terminology is often the norm in private lessons.

Terminology that may work with an adult may not necessarily work with a child. This requires some creativity and thinking to connect with the child.

When it comes to the content of the lessons, I have found some differences. While some adults enjoy rote drilling techniques, I have found that some children do not enjoy this. This requires mixing things up a bit. Through interaction with different clients and trial and error, I have learned what generally works with adults and children. In short, with consistent private lessons, your teaching will improve incrementally over time. You’ll end up being a great teacher in no time!

(5) Sharpen material: When I work with advanced adult students, I’ll often focus only on certain material that the client needs to work on. For example, I may work only on Flow Drill #3 (Counter to the Backhand Clear) and the three variations and do it for the entire lesson.  

Due to the nature of the flow drills, the client and I constantly work and tweak the material while pushing each other. Working with a tight set of parameters, it’s a great way of sharpening certain concepts and materials. And within that tight set of parameters, one can find avenues to explore. “Aha!” moments often happen in these lessons and are always a blast. If the client knows the material well and has a good body structure, I’ll ask him or her to push me hard in the lesson. This is where we get into the timing and rhythm of techniques. The benefit of having an advanced partner in a private less is being pushed. This is often something that I don’t get to do often in a group class.

Over to you, are there any other benefits to teaching private lessons that I may have overlooked? Let’s hear them!

Additional Reading