On September 2, 2010 senior students and instructors of Calgary Kyokushin Karate gathered for their first Instructor’s Training session of the 2010/2011 season. The CKK Instructor’s Training course is a series of seminars presented by Sensei Brad Gillespie throughout the training year to senior students and instructors that aims to standardize teaching practices and technical knowledge among the core of 15 instructors that take part regularly in teaching at various levels in the Calgary dojos.

Attendees include all students green belt and higher who have instructional roles in CKK, from simply assisting part time in children’s classes, to full instruction of advanced adults.

Every three-hour seminar is comprised of a theory portion and a technical portion. Theory topics include communication, coaching, public speaking, child psychology, and motivation and are presented in an interactive round-table format. In the technical portion of the seminars, instructors are set on their feet in a real-time class environment, where critical technical points of kihon, kata, kumite, and goshin jitsu are explored.

Finally, instructors engage in role playing where very realistic dojo situations are enacted, and instructors are given the opportunity to practice their instructional skills first-hand. Scenarios include: technical errors, difficult children, bored students, lack of spirit in the dojo, and many others. Serious and intimidating mock- instruction challenges in the seminars are tempered with good cheer and a collaborative spirit of support and learning among the group.

CKK Instructors participate actively and willingly in these seminars, which are held four to five times annually, and always report excellent results when they return to the dojo and their real-life teaching.

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