Student Plateau!

**korean dragon** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 10:26am

I am a instructor at my TKD school and I have recently notice that all of our highest non-blackbelt students have reached a plateau in their training. they no longer are getting better and seem stuck in their habits. With some of them it's like they come to class, but they aren't trying to improve or over come their weaknesses. I know this is because they haven't realizied there more to learning then just showing up. Part of me wants to tell them them this, but the other part me says this is about their personnel growth and they need to find the drive to move forward on their own.

I'm just not sure what I should do with these kids!

**Miguksaram** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 12:44pm

Here are suggestions:

1) Direct approach..."Listen, if you want to progress to the next level you need to show me improvement in what you have learned. I noticed that you need to fix this, this and this. Here is what you can do...."

2) Change up the drills. Approach what they are learning in a different way. Sometimes, especially at higher levels, they tend to get in a redundant state of practice. So switch up how they are learning techniques.

3) Be anal. Show them some advanced technique and then break down the mechanics. Show them that if they have good basics they execute the more advance technique much better.

4) Start analyzing how you are promoting. Perhaps the problem is that they are promoting too fast. How are you measuring their progress? Do you have periodic testings to gage where they are in their learning process? How do you know when they are ready for the next belt level? Is it after they attend X amount of classes? Do you have a stripe test methodology? If so how do you execute it?

**korean dragon** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 8:45pm

Thanks Miguk. I do try to mix things up, but there is a curriculu they need to learn so their is only so much I can do.

I've tried the direct approach short of saying "You suck and if you don't get in togeter you'll never get any better.

I highly doubt our grading system is the problem because at these students level they have to wait a minnimum of six months just be eligible to test let alone all the things they are supposed to know.

I may just have to be more anal about their techniques, my only worry is how I balance working with them on their techniques and teaching the lower students their's.
The main problem is that they are forgetting what they already know. They aren't practising like they should so right they get alot better they fall back to their old level.

again thank you for the advice.
Korean Dragon

**Colin** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 9:23pm

If "Demotions" were more common, and a legitimate threat, I don't think you'd see this happen that often. More likely people would stop showing up/go to a different school if they got demoted, but hey - if it's about preserving your schools credibility, I'd say go for it.

Perhaps at the start of a class one day, you ask everyone to take off their coloured belts, and run a lesson plan where they have to "earn" their belt back by the end of the lesson.

Just an idea.

**korean dragon** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 9:32pm

Originally Posted by Colin

If "Demotions" were more common, and a legitimate threat, I don't think you'd see this happen that often. More likely people would stop showing up/go to a different school if they got demoted, but hey - if it's about preserving your schools credibility, I'd say go for it.

Perhaps at the start of a class one day, you ask everyone to take off their coloured belts, and run a lesson plan where they have to "earn" their belt back by the end of the lesson.

Just an idea.

Intriging idea! How would you suggest I do it, I need alittle more info.

**Colin** · Posted On: 4/15/2011 9:41pm

Well, I really don't know much about the way that you run your classes, and my own personal experiences in TKD Dojang are limited to dojo busting (a story for another time), but this was what I observed:

- Start class warmup/stretch/pushups/etc
- Line up mimic strikes blocks as called out
- Split class into grading groups for work on syllabus
- Sparring

If this is anything like how your class is run, perhaps at the "curriculum/syllabus" stage of the lesson, you could run your own personally customised drill.

(if one of your students is someone with a lazy sidekick, include a few sidekicks, if one of them drags their feet and moves too slowly, set up a drill that requires a bit more agility, forcing them to use their feet properly, etc)

I'm sure you can figure out one or several drills that force the crappyness into scrutiny.
Hope this gives you an idea of what I mean.

**MasterYourself** · Posted On: 5/26/2011 8:55pm

Originally Posted by korean dragon

I may just have to be more anal about their techniques

They will thank you for it someday.

**Katriona1992** · Posted On: 5/30/2011 6:15am

Originally Posted by Colin

Well, I really don't know much about the way that you run your classes, and my own personal experiences in TKD Dojang are limited to dojo busting (a story for another time), but this was what I observed:

- Start class warmup/stretch/pushups/etc
- Line up mimic strikes blocks as called out
- Split class into grading groups for work on syllabus
- Sparring

If this is anything like how your class is run, perhaps at the "curriculum/syllabus" stage of the lesson, you could run your own personally customised drill.

(if one of your students is someone with a lazy sidekick, include a few sidekicks, if one of them drags their feet and moves too slowly, set up a drill that requires a bit more agility, forcing them to use their feet properly, etc)

I'm sure you can figure out one or several drills that force the crappyness into scrutiny.
Hope this gives you an idea of what I mean.

Can we hear your dojang storming tales now, Colin? *pouts and collapses on a comfy looking beanbag nearby; grabs hot chocolate*

**idmartialarts** · Posted On: 6/20/2011 12:42am

Everyone eventually 'plateaus'. Over the years people tend to create habits. When that happens they tend to stop improving for awhile. We all reach that stage, but we eventually come out of it. Bringing in people for seminars really helps. It's something new & exciting to most students. Just to help break the pattern we'll take everyone to the track & run sprints, bleachers, etc. Anything to create motivation. Training is like going to work, even if you like you job it gets old after year & years of the same thing, so you just stop trying so hard. In other words, you hit a plateau!

**jaysulsa** · Posted On: 6/20/2011 3:11am

I may just have to be more anal about their techniques, my only worry is how I balance working with them on their techniques and teaching the lower students their's.

separate the class of high rank of lower ranks , two different classes or on the same class divide the groups (high from lower) and do the advance techniques to the high ranking group, that way they do something different and the lower rank get even more motivated

believe me is more tired some for the instructor but at the same time more joyful ,cause you know they left happy