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Sparring with Newbies
Learn by teaching.
 More of this Feature
• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: Eyes Wide Shut
• Part 3: Play-by-Play
• Part 4: Go Topless
• Part 5: One Dimension
• Part 6: One Attack
• Part 7: Learn by Teaching
 Related Resources
• Limit Yourself for Growth
• Martial Arts: Beginners
• Martial Arts: Disabilities
• Martial Arts: Tae Kwon Do

Mastery Required

It's an old saw that to really learn a subject, you should teach it to another. To be able to teach another person, you'll have to know your subject inside and out.

It's the same with the martial arts. You can learn while sparring with newbies even if you can't give up enough advantages to make it a fair fight. Observe what the newbie is doing. What fundamentals are lacking? Are there flaws in body position, movement, awareness, reaction, or implementation of a technique?

Always Learn

Some students who advance to higher levels, even black belt level, become jaded and feel they have nothing else to learn. Often, when asked to teach junior levels, they feel taken advantage of--after all, they're not going to learn anything by teaching beginners, are they?

Experienced martial artists know that the opposite is true--teaching makes you learn more. Your techniques have to be perfectly crisp and executed without flaw--that class of kids will "grow up" doing their techniques just like yours. You'll have to know every nuance and limitation of your curriculum, if you're going to critique others.

Use the tips in this article to enhance your teaching, and learning experience.

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