Author: kumablog

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

Andragogy is a pedagogy adapted to adults. (1) 

It primarily deals with education. This article is the follow-up of our previous article on the subject, published two weeks ago. (2)

In this second part, we will cover the last three items of the andragogy system developed by Knowles. (3)

Japan is a hierarchical cultural society, and andragogy is not the best system for their culture. Westerners can benefit from andragogy because we have Descartes’ logical approach to life. We need to understand to accept. The Japanese don’t; they must comply. Japan has been an obedient society since the Kamakura Jidai by Minamoto Yoritomo. (4) (5)

Hatsumi sensei said that “Japanese don’t understand Budō.” It might be because of that. Obeying mindlessly to a system without understanding leads to a loss of creativity. And Budō is all about creativity.

In the first part, we covered the first three items of andragogy: Need to know, Strong foundation and Self-concept. Knowles says adults are interested in “Readiness” or, to put it straight, “How can this benefit me?” Knowles defines Readiness as “adults are most interested in learning subjects directly relevant to their work and personal lives”. As Budō teachers, we do the same. I always ask three questions to any new student coming to the dōjō: “Age or family, past budō experience(s), job.” With a few pieces of information on his age and family situation (spouse, siblings, kids), It gives you some understanding on his mental development. Past Budō experience explains their reactions on the mats, how they walk (i.e. their relation to space) and their vision of the world. Knowing their professional world gives you a glimpse of their mental process and access to their daily dictionary. We use a specific dialect in the workplace when interacting with our peers. But each time we join a new group, we must learn another vocabulary. I discovered that using IT analogies with an IT guy, physiology with a nurse, or car parts with a mechanic shortens the time to acquire new knowledge. (6)

The fifth item is what Knowles calls “Orientation”. I prefer “reason”. What it means is that adult learning is problem-centred rather than content-oriented. Put differently, teachers should do their homework to know why things are done in a specific order or manner. That is why basics are an essential part of our training. I remember teaching once at a prestigious school of Engineering. I explained the power of Boshi ken compared to Fudō ken when my Uke turned to his peers and said, “Yes, power = force/surface.” This happened in the 90s. Since then, I have used it every time I have engineers in front of me. Adults need solutions to their problems. They feel they are losing time when you only teach theoretically.  

Last is “Motivation.” This one item is partially linked to the previous one. Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators. They must be motivated and feel the gain that regular training brings. If when they begin, they often dream of becoming a modern ninja (sic.), they want their studying time to benefit them (physically or mentally). I travelled a lot to Japan, and each time, I came back more affluent than before. Now, motivation can be destroyed by personal difficulties (job, studies, family); in that case, don’t overthink and apply the “never give up” attitude. These highs and lows are logical. Keep always the big picture in mind.

In Japan, pedagogy is Kyōjuhō, which is composed of “teach+instruct+rule.” (7) It is not limited to the education of youngsters, but the word “Androgogy” doesn’t exist, no surprise here (cf. what I wrote at the beginning). The word Jōnindenshō made up of Jōnin (adult) and denshō (transmission), seems to be the best to explain how we need to transmit Budō to adults. (8)(9)

As a teacher, if you use these six steps when teaching adult classes, I can guarantee an acceleration in learning. 

Teach the NeSSROM to your adults:

• Need to know, 
• Strong foundation,
• Self-concept,
• Readiness
• Orientation,
• Motivation

And you will help them reach their potential.  They are adults. They have already constructed their life. They are not going to war any time soon. Be authentic and teach them what they need to become better humans. They need Budō to continue their evolution.

If you educate the Jōnin (adults) with andragogy, they turn into Chōnin; they go from adults to “supermen” or “Übermensch”, as Nietzsche defined it. (10)(11)

Andragogy is the best tool to achieve that.

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1 Andragogy refers to methods and principles used in adult education. The word comes from the Greek ἀνδρ- (andr-), meaning “man”, and ἀγωγός (agogos), meaning “leader of”. Therefore, andragogy means “leading men”, whereas “pedagogy” literally means “leading children.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andragogy#:~:text=Andragogy%20refers%20to%20methods%20and,%2C%20meaning%20%22leader%20of%22.
2. https://kumablog.org/2023/10/01/do-you-believe-in-andragogy-or-pedagogy-part-1/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Knowles
4. Minamoto put the Samurai class above all others. He reorganised the empire, and disobeying was punished by death. That was in 1185. Eight centuries later, today’s structured society makes it nearly impossible to apply andragogy.
5. More on Kamakura Jidai (鎌倉時代, Kamakura jidai, 1185–1333): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_period
Sidenote: “jidai” 時代 means period, epoch, era, age. Please do not mistake it for the Starwars Jidai.
6. Takamatsu sensei said we must be curious about everything when studying Budō. That could be one of the reasons.
7. 教授法 kyōjuhō: Pedagogy = teach +instruct + rule(s)
8. 成人, jōnin or seijin: adult 
9. 伝承handing down (information); legend; tradition; folklore; transmission
10. 超人, chōnin: superman or Übermensch as defined by Nietzche in Zarathustra. 
11. Übermensch: For Nietzsche, the Übermensch is a being who can completely affirm life: someone who says ‘yes’ to everything that comes their way; a being who can be their determiner of value; sculpt their characteristics and circumstances into a beautiful, empowered, ecstatic whole; and fulfil their ultimate potential to become who they truly are.…

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

A few months ago, Sebastian from Brazil came to train in Paris for a week. We had fun on the mats and outside and discussed a lot. Pedagogy in the dōjō was one topic. At one point, Sebastian coined “Andragogy” or “pedagogy for adults.” I didn’t know the term. After reading about it, I would like to share my thoughts here. (1)

When you create a new dōjō from scratch as a young teacher, beginner students are in their twenties. Two decades later, the same ones are now grown-ups in their forties. They are adults with families and responsibilities. Therefore, you must adapt your way of teaching if you wish adults to keep coming to the training.

To achieve this, you need two things to happen. First, you must see this as necessary; second, you must switch from pedagogy (aimed at kids) to Andragogy (designed for adults). If you don’t, your dōjō will die, or you will become a “Budō guru” claiming to have all the answers, even when you don’t have them.

Andragogy, defined in the 19th century, is a way to turn the science of pedagogy aimed at kids into a set of principles used for the education of adults. In the 80s, Malcolm Knowles listed six items defining how adults react to learning. This system is called Andragogy. (1)

If you have young students and adults, you must teach differently. Use pedagogy for the first ones and develop your skills in Andragogy for the latter group. These items are helpful and should be used in the dōjō when you teach an adult audience. (2)

I’m adapting hereafter the list given by Knowles in his books and giving it a “touch of Budō” for application on the mats:

Need to know: Older students do not receive education like young students. Adult students need to know the reason for learning a waza. As a teacher, you must give them the technique’s origin and sometimes the motivation to learn it. In any ryū, there is a logical order of the waza within each level. Waza #1 leads to Waza #2, which leads to Waza #3. That is why you should never teach the ryūha like a melting pot of techniques but in a logical order. That, too, answers the expected “need to know.”    

Foundation: The basics of Taihen (physical try) lead to Kuden (experience). This experimentation process results from long hours of training and failure through “trial and error.” It is how an adult brain gets a strong foundation. Younger minds want magic, and adults demand logic. In the ’90s’ and the ninja boom, it was common to hear teachers explaining that in “ninjutsu, we have to forget the form and rely on the feeling.” To that stupid argument, I say that 1) to forget anything, you must learn it first. That is why we need a solid technical and historical foundation. Only a solid foundation will give the adult the necessary answers to improve his knowledge.

Self-concept: You must be careful with adult students. They “need to be responsible for their education decisions.” They want to see where they are going and when they will reach foreseeable milestones. They must also have a system of evaluation to follow their progress. For this reason, in Paris, we have developed a syllabus where each student validates their progress. When they think they are ready, they ask the instructor to take the test. That changes dramatically the state of mind during the examination process. We designed the KEEP in 2005. Since then, no one failed the test. (3) 

In part 2 of this post, we will cover the remaining three out of six defined by Knowles. But I hope you already understand why teaching adults differs from teaching kids. The same content will have to make sense to them. They have a life, and we established earlier they demand logic, not magic or mystical stuff. Teachers have a responsibility toward their students. What they teach is a way of life, not a sport. If you want to teach adults properly, then it is time to try Andragogy.

(part 2 is coming soon. It will cover the last three items of Knowles: Readiness, Orientation, and Motivation )    

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1 Andragogy refers to methods and principles used in adult education. The word comes from the Greek ἀνδρ- (andr-), meaning “man”, and ἀγωγός (agogos), meaning “leader of”. Therefore, Andragogy means “leading men”, whereas “pedagogy” literally means “leading children.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andragogy#:~:text=Andragogy%20refers%20to%20methods%20and,%2C%20meaning%20%22leader%20of%22.

2  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Knowles

3 K.E.E.P.: The Kyū Examination Evaluation Program regroups all the techniques from the Tenchijin plus the basics of the primary weapons we use in the Bujinkan. The whole syllabus is not made of 9 Kyū but of 9 modules. There are three levels of basics (commonly referred to as 9th to 7th Kyū), three Taijutsu modules, and four Buki waza modules. 

I don’t believe in classes per rank. In Japan, everyone is training with everyone, and this is the same in my dōjō. In a class today, it is common to have beginners doing techniques with a Shidōshi or Dai Shihan. If you want to keep adults training together despite their different levels, you must do that. Whatever module we study, a beginner and an advanced student can learn something new. Psychologically, a high rank is not training the 8th kyū program but more profound ways to develop his taijutsu. You can download the Tenchijin chart and the K.E.E.P. manual at http://www.koimartartart.com in the “Bujinkan library” section.

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

A critical aspect of Budō is to accept the change offered by Nature. We keep adapting our certitudes to new realities. This evolution requires hard work and humility.

As a young teacher, I was sure I knew all the correct answers. And I was critical of the other high-rank teachers. It was more “ego” than “knowledge” with a pinch of immaturity. We all go down the same rabbit hole. The main goal on the path of Budō is to get out of it at some point. Many get lost. 

As a teacher, I learned from my mistakes and grew up. As I matured, I wondered why other people, Budō teachers, work colleagues, friends and family often had different opinions than mine. That is when I discovered that everything in life can have multiple truths, all valid to a certain point. No one is always right (yin-yang balance), so I tried to see things through the eyes of the people arguing with me to understand their point of view. 

Until recently, I had no name for it, but psychologists have. They call it “reversibility”, which is called “Kagyakusei” in Japanese -please note the gyaku hidden in plain sight. (1)

I have been applying kagyakusei since the turn of the century. I don’t limit its use in the dōjō; I also use it daily. By “Shadowing” the others, you develop a real competitive advantage. Knowing your adversaries, partners or colleagues, you grow into a Bujin. Developing reversible thinking is a chance for your quest on the path of life. (2)

Reversibility is in tune with Sunzi’s Art of War and his famous sentence, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. You will succumb in every battle if you know neither the enemy nor yourself.” (3)

Seeing the world through your opponent’s eyes becomes second Nature, so ingrained that you don’t think it anymore. At this point, countering Uke’s intentions is very simple. 

Around 1920, Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, explained that “reversibility refers to the cognitive recognition that initial conditions can be restored.” He was more interested in child development, but his ideas can apply to other areas. As we all are young padawans on the path, we too are children but in Budō. (4)(5)

A short definition of reversible thinking is “the ability people have to reason things in different directions. That is, the ability to see things from one perspective but also the opposite perspective”. Again, in the dōjō, you can take advantage of your opponent if you develop reversible thinking. I wrote about change in a recent post about kawaru (6). Transformation begins by accepting that others might be right, too.  Accepting that others have different visions as valid as yours, even when opposed to yours, makes you more tolerant and nuanced. 

Through years of practice, you get it. You have your own beliefs, but someday, someone shows a different truth as valid as yours. You begin to doubt and wonder. Now you have two options. The first one is to dismiss the fact you could be wrong, refuse the evidence, discard the new approach (truth), and stick to your original belief. 
The second one is what I consider the Budō approach. It is to accept the other’s input, analyse it, and honestly choose the best option. 

Humans tend to go for the first and discard any idea that is not theirs originally.  In Budō, we look for what works in and out of the mats.  That is the secret of being a Bujin. (7)

Reversible thinking leads you to success. 

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1 可逆性 かぎゃくせい reversibility2 from https://homework.study.com/explanation/what-is-reversibility-according-to-piaget.html#:~:text=Per%20Piaget%2C%20reversibility%20refers%20to,returned%20to%20their%20original%20spots.
3 Sunzi: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/730164-know-the-enemy-and-know-yourself-in-a-hundred-battles
4 Reversible thinking is people’s ability to reason things in different directions. That is the ability to see things from one perspective and the opposite perspective. This ability helps you solve complex problems and see all positions on the spectrum between the two opposites. It’s a kind of thinking that broadens your perspective and makes it easier to solve personal or professional problems. You can deal with your problems more logically and directly, thanks to reversibility. 
5 Piaget https://homework.study.com/explanation/what-is-reversibility-according-to-piaget.html#:~:text=Per%20Piaget%2C%20reversibility%20refers%20to,returned%20to%20their%20original%20spots.
6 https://kumablog.org/2023/09/23/kawaru-are-you-giving-a-chance-to-change/
7 武人, bujin: man of valor…

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

At the end of the class, Nagato sensei said, “if you master one thing, you can master anything”.

It reminded me of how Musashi became a fantastic painter after mastering the art of the sword. (1) In his famous book “Gorin no Sho”, he writes, “When I apply the principle of strategy to the ways of different arts and crafts, I no longer require a teacher in any domain.” (2)

This universal mastery is visible when you train here in Japan. The Japanese Dai Shihan are so good that whatever new field they begin to study, it turns out to be great. I often hear students being amazed by how the Dai Shihan play with the many weapons we use in the Bujinkan, and I keep reminding them that the Japanese discovered the weapons at the same time we did. As a result, many students dislike me for being critical. Many don’t get that the Bujinkan does taijutsu with weapons, but many teachers do taijutsu on one side and study weapons on the other. We are not studying Karate and Kobudō; we are studying Budō Taijutsu!

The Japanese Dai Shihan are so good and master taijutsu so well that it looks like they are very proficient with weapons without having spent hours learning the forms. In 1993 Quest released the Bō jutsu video. Everyone was amazed at the movements and the waza on the video. After a few years of training bō jutsu, I began to see some weaknesses in the forms performed by the Japanese. I spoke to Noguchi sensei about it and was startled by his answer. He said, “you know how playful Hatsumi sensei is; we discovered bō jutsu the day of the shooting in that temple. That was our first time using it.”

Mastering one to mastering all is not some lovely philosophical saying; it is a reality. And you can see that at every training. Yesterday, Stephane (Dai Shihan of the Kuma dōjō) began with a basic Musō dori.  Every beginner knows Musō dori as it is part of the basics of the Tenchijin. When Nagato sensei did his first variation, he linked it (again) to the Shinden Fudō ryū and the wing of a bird. (3)

For my friend Stephane, it was a long class. Stephane is very good at attacking. He loves rugby and can be as devastating as a rugby pack pushing forward to get to the trial line. In Paris, when he is my uke, I must move correctly not to be hit, and I have to do it right because there will be no second chance. We have a WhatsApp group for the dōjō. His avatar is a gorilla which says a lot.

Yesterday, facing Nagato sensei, the gorilla was like a little bug. Whatever speed and power he used, Nagato sensei was ahead of him, controlling the situation and moving naturally. His mastery of footwork gives him an innate understanding of the whole encounter, and he reacts naturally to anything that comes to him. There is no force, only an endless flow of moves that trap uke in a world of wonder. That is what mastering the Bujinkan basics is.

So when after the final bowing, he said, “if you master one thing, you can master everything”, it made perfect sense to me. 

Master taijutsu today so you can master your life tomorrow.  

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi
2. Gorin no sho: Hundreds of versions of the book exist. I prefer the one by Kenji Tokitsu (https://www.amazon.com/Miyamoto-Musashi-His-Life-Writings/dp/0834805677), but if you didn’t read it, here is a pdf version (that I didn’t study): https://ia802701.us.archive.org/32/items/MiyamotoMusashi-BookOfFiveRingsgoRinNoSho/Book_of_Five_Rings.pdf
3. Note for beginners: in the Shinden Fudō ryū, many waza refer to birds. As you cannot grab with a wing, the idea is to use your elbows as a wing to redirect the attacks and trap the opponent’s fist or weapon. The use of elbows is Nagato sensei’s favourite gimmick.  …

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