What's the hardest thing to teach?

I'm only currently hold a 5th kyu ranking so I can't really offer much in the aspect of 'teaching' but when I practice with beginners and particularly beginners with a background in another art, I find they are very rigid and tense and their movements are very choppy. I find the hardest thing sometimes is getting some beginners to relax and just listen to what you are advising and picking up where they're going wrong. I particularly have a tough job working with most of the middle-aged male beginners. They don't listen, rush through techniques and try to use their strength and sometimes I feel they are not only a danger to themselves but also to the other practitioners within the dojo. I understand that they're learning, but when a higher grade offers advice and picks up where you go wrong you should work with that. Or maybe they don't like being told what to do by a female who is younger than them?

Couldn't agree with you more John... couldn't agree more.

This is not for Aikido in particular, but I reckon that the hardest thing to teach is patience. Today, we live in a world of instant gratification, people want everything now. This means that a lot of students don't realise that getting a belt now is not as important as the process of learning that comes before getting a belt. It takes patience and perseverence to progress and learn properly but few people want to do things that way.

I'd argue that a lack of patience is the cause of the "belt factories" we see so much of today.

"I want patience and I want it right now!"

I paid particular attention tonight to what I taught and what the students did, just to record the results for you, and it's more like they are up for "doing what they know" rather than following the instructions. I gave clear instructions for very simple techniques and had a cornucopia of different variations done by the students... not one of which was exactly what I taught them to do.

It was on every technique, and it wasn't even close to what was shown to them. I don't think it's a hearing problem or a problem of understanding, it's a problem following instructions.

There is much to be said for "traditional" teaching methods. My teachers would say very little and let you play. They'd come around and demonstrate on you some and then let you discover for yourself what they meant. Maybe one day you'll figure out what they meant. So much for patience.

Yep, I dunno what the answer is... :P

The following aphorism from Kung Fu-tze (Confucius) seems to sum up traditional attitudes rather neatly: "I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson."

The Analects. Internet Classics Archive, http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/analects.2.2.html ...

Based on peoples comments I think it's pretty safe to say that the hardest thing to teach someone is something they "already know".

Damn... well put oldman.

Oldman, you nailed it, but it's not something they already know... it's something they think they know, but don't. If they did know it, they wouldn't constantly have to change to what the instructions are.

I had one student last night that I must have told thirty times "don't fold their hand backwards" (doing sankyo) "keep it vertical". Every time I looked, they had the uke's hand folded backwards trying to spiral their wrist.

That's why I changed my signature on the boards. It would be nice if they would follow the instructions when they're given rather than trying every other option first.

patience, sincerety, and zanshin

Wrist,

Think of some of the recent “Aikido doesn’t work” or the “X vs. Y” threads. They all have a similar theme, if it’s not Neanderthal – grunt and hit with stick and rock - fighting it must not work – cuz after all who would just stand there with their arm out? It could be attributed to instant gratification, patients any number of things. I would say what it all boils down to, is your art requires appreciation of the subtleties so IMO it’s the same as trying to explain a sun rise to someone who wont open their eyes.

I run into similar issues with Hapkido, just trying to get them to relax, step correctly, hell I would be happy if they could just get the wrist position correct, it’s one of those things that – again IMO – some people get and some people don’t – even if it is something they REALLY want to do.

Just my .02
-JBC-