November 22nd, 2015

From Anne Burgevin, Ik-kyu
Ueshiro Okinawan Karate Family Dojo,
State College, PA

Corrections

One of the hardest things about karate training is to know how to take a correction from an instructor. The quest to “take advantage” of corrections can be laid out in a series of challenges:

Challenge #1: Stay positive: Consider the correction as a gift, a “teachable moment.”

Challenge #2: Focus: Tune in with full attention and intensity on what you are being told (or shown).

Challenge #3: Apply the correction repetitively: Stand taller, get lower, strike harder, hit first with your eyes. Repetition helps to internalize the correction.

Challenge #4: Go further than the correction itself: Explore implications of one correction for other parts of one’s training. For example, if receiving the chest block correction for keeping the non-blocking hand solidly in the pocket, work this principle for all blocks.

Challenge #5: Don’t be stingy: Share the correction with others, especially more junior students whom you feel are likely to benefit from that information.

Challenge #6: Stay humble: Rest assured that your teacher is helping you to improve your karate. Show your appreciation for his or her corrections with a hearty "Arigato, Sensei".

Learning karate is a life long endeavor and involves receiving many corrections along the way.

Anne Burgevin, Ik-kyu
Ueshiro Okinawan Karate Family Dojo,
State College, PA