A Capoeira is Astute: You gotta study to improve

I first mentioned this in class the other night, but I thought I might blog about it to share with more people. Sorry there are no good links.

When I first started teaching in Midtown at Eagle Claw Kung Fu, there was a gungho guy that trained with us. He was super gungho. It was always a please having him in class, then one day he decided to train with another group. To us he had just disappeared. Subsequently, he became a personal trainer and quit capoeira. Probably a year after he quit, Guile met up with him and asked him why he quit. His explanation was, "Juba doesn't explain things enough."

Guile was baffled, and when he told me, I was baffled as well. If anything, I think I tend to over-explain. This is all on purpose, and it's part of my theory that class is time for instruction, not training. This may be my teaching style and specific to me, but here's why I think over-explaining capoeira sequences and movements is important.

There's a huge danger, in my opinion, in not understanding the importance, purpose, and risks of a movement. On the other hand, it can't hurt to know too much about it. Here's where I'm coming from (this is solid learn theory, by the way):

When you demonstrate a movement, there are three levels of understanding that the student has to go through. First, s/he needs to know what the movement is, i.e. see it for the first time and know what it's called. Second, s/he needs to know the purpose of that movement and it's relevance, i.e. when I should use this movement, why I need to learn this movement. Third, s/he needs to practice and get good at the movement. In other words, You need to know the Why's of a movement—when should you do it, why would you do it, etc.—before you learn How to do it.

If I am certain that a student made it through stages one and two, then it's a safe bet that s/he can make it through the third stage. If that same student gets hung up on the Why of a movement, you can be sure that s/he will never train that movement on his or her own.

I understand that not everyone needs over-explanation. But I segment students into two camps: Those who need to understand the Why, and those who put up with the information. In under-explaining, I might alienate those who need it most: Beginners.

What do you guys think? Have you ever had a workshop with someone to explained this really well? If you take my classes, do I explain too much? I'd love to hear what anyone has to say.

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