Encouragement does wonders. It provides confidence, motivation, drive to achieve. But if that is the case, why is it that we are always being discouraged?
During training yesterday, we were once again reminded that "we are all shit, you need to train harder". I don't appreciate it at all.
Our coach always says to us that we should enjoy our kendo, train hard to improve, but then we are continually being told that we are shit at it. How does that encourage us at all to be better? When we train hard, work hard, try to improve, only to be beaten down by the words that we have not improved and we will never be better?
Being humble is one thing, being encouraged is another. Classically, Kendo is probably a martial art with low retention rates for many reasons. The cost, the fact that gaining skill and rank takes considerable amounts of time, the pain, the dedication and so on. But, if you get through all of that, you then have to deal with someone telling you that you never improve? Why would you continue to spend your time, efforts and energies to just get crapped upon like that?
Positive reinforcement and encouragement works. People who feel good about what they do, do it better, harder and enjoy it more. Telling me that I am shit, does not make me enjoy it. Then what am I to do?
I don't know about other clubs and dojo's if they hold similar attitudes, but from what one of my friends told me, at least one doesn't. At the end of each training session, they always receive some small encouragement from the people they have trained with. It doesn't have to be something big, that will inflate their head and ego, but as simple as, your men cut was better today, keep working on it. Or, your kiai was good when you did that cut. Or, you didn't retreat during jigeiko, good work, and so forth.
Where is the appreciation? Where is the care? Where is the support?
Motivation is a funny thing. Yes, some people will work harder and strive harder to acheive when they are told that they are bad at something. But if they work hard, and strive hard to acheive better, but do not get any positive encouragement for their work, they will lose heart. This is the problem. Then you run into people losing movitation to train since they do not enjoy it, and then they may move to greener pastures.
So, I believe that sometimes, these kinds of methods are defeatist to the cause of Kendo. Humble and knowing that your skills are not as good as others, is fine, I can accept that I suck compared to many people. Perhaps I have a over-estimation of my abilities, but that is ok because reality always teaches us that anyway in jigeiko or competition when you see yourself get thrashed. But don't keep telling me that I'm shit, please?
During training yesterday, we were once again reminded that "we are all shit, you need to train harder". I don't appreciate it at all.
Our coach always says to us that we should enjoy our kendo, train hard to improve, but then we are continually being told that we are shit at it. How does that encourage us at all to be better? When we train hard, work hard, try to improve, only to be beaten down by the words that we have not improved and we will never be better?
Being humble is one thing, being encouraged is another. Classically, Kendo is probably a martial art with low retention rates for many reasons. The cost, the fact that gaining skill and rank takes considerable amounts of time, the pain, the dedication and so on. But, if you get through all of that, you then have to deal with someone telling you that you never improve? Why would you continue to spend your time, efforts and energies to just get crapped upon like that?
Positive reinforcement and encouragement works. People who feel good about what they do, do it better, harder and enjoy it more. Telling me that I am shit, does not make me enjoy it. Then what am I to do?
I don't know about other clubs and dojo's if they hold similar attitudes, but from what one of my friends told me, at least one doesn't. At the end of each training session, they always receive some small encouragement from the people they have trained with. It doesn't have to be something big, that will inflate their head and ego, but as simple as, your men cut was better today, keep working on it. Or, your kiai was good when you did that cut. Or, you didn't retreat during jigeiko, good work, and so forth.
Where is the appreciation? Where is the care? Where is the support?
Motivation is a funny thing. Yes, some people will work harder and strive harder to acheive when they are told that they are bad at something. But if they work hard, and strive hard to acheive better, but do not get any positive encouragement for their work, they will lose heart. This is the problem. Then you run into people losing movitation to train since they do not enjoy it, and then they may move to greener pastures.
So, I believe that sometimes, these kinds of methods are defeatist to the cause of Kendo. Humble and knowing that your skills are not as good as others, is fine, I can accept that I suck compared to many people. Perhaps I have a over-estimation of my abilities, but that is ok because reality always teaches us that anyway in jigeiko or competition when you see yourself get thrashed. But don't keep telling me that I'm shit, please?
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1 comment:
I find what you're writing here very interesting. I've had a similar experience with a swimming coach once, and some of my friends doing kendo have been saying that there's very little praise in their club.
Personally, it makes me want to work harder if I get praise when I do things right or just better. Too much negative focusing never helped me. The jujitsu club I'm training in now is wonderful - they tell you what you do wrong to help you improve and praise you when you make it.
I'm currently on an exchange to Japan. I've joined the kyudo club, but it's nearly extinct because there's hardly anyone coming to train. I've been thinking about joining kendo (with a very strict teacher, it seems, but he's not there as often...) Any suggestions?
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