Teaching General Rules
Class Activities
- Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises
- Stretching and flexibility Exercises
- Punching Techniques
- Kicking Techniques
- Kickboxing Combination Drills
- Sparring Training
- Weapons Training
- Self-Defense Training
- MMA Forms Training
- Cool-Down
Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises
Begin class with a short period of low-intensity cardio exercises to warm the body — jumping jacks, windmills, moving around the room or moving in place.
Stretching and flexibility
Using the hamstring stretch, assess students’ flexibility and record the numerical assessment on the Pre-assessment Chart. (See attached). Following the hamstring stretch, go through a general stretch of the body to facilitate blood flow to the large muscle groups and prepare the body for exercise.
Cool-Down and Class Review 6 minutes
Even though it is often ignored, the cool-down is as important as the warmup. Abruptly stopping an activity may cause the blood to pool and slow the removal of waste products in the body. It may also cause cramps, soreness and other problems. The cool-down gradually reduces the body temperature and heart rate and speeds the recovery process before the next training session. The cool-down is also a good time to review the material presented
Starting Class
- Students will line up according to rank and seniority. The highest ranking member present will be on the right.
- The Instructor will take a position in the front and centre of the class.
- The highest ranking member of the class will call the command, attention and salute to the Instructor.
DURING CLASS
Proper respect and discipline shall be maintained at all times, and MMA ritual should be followed in a uniformed manner.
- When the Master Instructor enters the hall during a class, the Instructor on the floor should call the class to salute. After respect has been paid, the class should return immediately to training.
- When a student comes to class late, he or she should wait until recognised by the Instructor, then approach him, salute and get permission to join the class.
- When a student must leave the hall during the training he or she should first receive permission from the Instructor.
Classroom Management tips For MMA Instructors
These 6 classroom management tips for martial arts instructors will help you take your teaching game to the next level!
- No matter what they teach, teachers find ways to ensure that their classroom runs smoothly. Good classroom management should also help a teacher prevent disruptions before they occur.
- Effective classroom management techniques ensure that your students spend the maximum amount of time doing what they love: practicing martial arts.
Greet each student by name as they arrive. Smile!
- By greeting each student individually, you acknowledge their presence in the class. Kids love the validation that they are part of the group. Making sure each kid gets some personal attention can help prevent disruptive attention-seeking behaviors later on in class.
- A greeting can help gauge a students’ mood as they enter the class. Knowing where your students are at emotionally can help you help them later on in class–especially if someone is having a tough day! We all know a smile can change a day, so make sure you give kids a big grin as you say hello!
- At our school, students are expected to bow to each black belt who is present. This is a great time for us to say hello to the student! As an added bonus, this is a great way to help make sure we get an accurate attendance record filled out.
Define & explain your expectations.
- You should have a “no tolerance” list of behaviors, and it should be consistent for all assistants and instructors. It’s important to define and list these expectations, so that everyone is in the know.
- At our school, for example, we expect students to raise their hands before speaking, not interrupt adult conversations, not argue with their instructors, and remember their own gear, belts, uniforms, and water bottles. Instructors consistently assign consequences (from reminders to push-ups to loss of privileges) for behaviors that are do not meet expectations.
- We coach the class and individuals on these rules to make sure everyone is on the same page. As a bonus, parents get to hear you explain the principles behind the rules, which helps manage their expectations as well.
Spend quality time with the newbies Personally.
- My preference is to have a senior instructor spend time with new students during their first 2-3 classes. We go through the rules, walk them through new routines (like bowing to black belts), and answer questions.
- New students are sometimes prone to “testing the boundaries.” During the first month of a student’s training, I keep a close eye on them. Not only does this clue me in to their personality and how to best work with them, but it also gives me the chance to talk to them about behavior changes before they become a bigger disciplinary issue.
Establish (and balance) your class routine.
- It can be tricky to strike a balance between keeping things interesting and keeping to enough of a routine to provide structure for kids who need it. Following a general routine (such as warm-ups, small group work, then large group activity at the end) can help.
- Too much routine can hurt students too! If students are mindlessly “going through the motions,” they aren’t building strong brain connections for the skills they are learning. This affects both physical technique development AND memory.
Monitor exciting activities, including transitions and partner work.
- Transitioning from activity to activity is often when challenging behaviors crop up. Whether its lining up with a reminder for silence at the water fountain, or posting an assistant in the changing rooms before and after class times, monitoring transitions helps.
- A small trick–if I have to go grab a focus pad or other item, I have the kids do sets of jumping jacks, frogs, situps, etc, and then have them hold “waiting stance” when they’re done. (Waiting stance is a horse stance with the arms held out to the sides and they love to compete to see who can hold it the longest, lowest, etc).
- Most kids need help with time management and self-regulation. If you have kids partnered up or working in small groups without an assistant supervising, glance over to make sure they’re on task. They may need redirection.
- Assistants help keep the class running smoothly by reminding the kids of the rules and leading them through drills.
Discipline problems are best dealt with BEFORE they become an issue in your classroom! Reflect on these 6 areas of classroom management–what are some ways YOU use them in your schools.
How to Maintain Discipline and Focus in the Classroom
Instructor Awareness
- Don’t take student behavior personally. Understand that a student’s poor behavior is not a personal affront, and that it indicates some underlying issues that need to be addressed.
- Have students take an active role in identifying what appropriate behavior looks like. Establish a set of “ground rules” and discuss these with students. Give students the opportunity to suggest additional rules that would make them feel safe and respected.
- Inform students clearly and concretely about the consequences of inappropriate behavior. Identify behaviors that will result in their being removed from class or suspended if they disrupt class; this approach can serve as a deterrent to participating in disruptive behavior.
Instructor Actions
- When students are distracted, assess what is distracting them, briefly engaging them in identifying the cause, as necessary, and then lead them back to a more focused state.
- Avoid public recriminations, corrections and confrontations with students. Take students aside privately to address inappropriate behavior. Disciplining students publicly shames them and pushes them resist in order to “save face.
- Make a point of providing positive encouragement resistant students to do their best in class. Encouragement often works better than being stern. Even students who maintain a resistant stance may show improvement if they are encouraged. In particular, follow up consequences for inappropriate behavior with positive encouragement.
- Divide the class into small groups when some students misbehaving (if you have enough adults to lead each small group). Many students who behave inappropriately will increase this behavior if they do not have a big audience.