Is 1 Hour Enough Time to Run an MA Class?

Millionaire

hi lads:

Its sunday, a rest day from training, and too hot outside to do much (oh it such a hardship living in Thailand... ). So I am messing about on the net reading about my passion Martial Arts.

Here is a question?

Is 1 hour enough time to run a proper MA class?

I was looking at famous MA instructor Dan Inosanto www.inosanto.com school Jeet Kune Do, MMA, Thai, BJJ etc... and I see all the class are just 1 hour long.

I also notice in many commerical MA schools in USA, again the classes are one hour long.

Considering the average MA punter, who is not training to fight in competition, or not having a 20 year love affair with martial arts (just like I am), is going to train 2 nights week on average.

Is 60 mins enough time to teach them, considering you do a warm up. , maybe teach a new technique, and then practice that, and then finish with some sparring etc?

I found in my own experience when I was teaching KM last year, my classes were 2 hours, as I wanted to give my people, as much time under my supervision to train what I was teaching.

Any thoughts, opinions etc etc?

Me personally, I do over an hour most days, over here with the heat, and training outside in the humididy (its never less than 90 degress hot), 60 mins of intensive Muay Thai, leaves just about everyone exhausted. and I feel guilty I have not time to work more training in!!!! :eek:

dlofnep

1 hour is fine, but I think 1.5 to 2 hours should be standard. 1 hour feels kind of rushed.

JohnMc1

The problem with alot of martial art clubs in the US is that they are very commercialized. They are just catering to the sunshine boys and girls [They just want to look good on the beach during the summer] Alot of classes have push-ups, crunches, stretches and then they practice techniques by punching and kicking the air. Alot of Traditional Martial Arts clubs have all but done away with sparring.

Quillo

You can cover quite a lot in 60 minutes.

However, a lot of MA classes seem to spend a large proportion of the class time working on fitness and flexibility instead of techniques. General fitness and flexibility can be looked after at home (or in the gym) - the class should be just that, a class.

Now, some occasional direction on the correct fitness and flexibility training that people should be doing is important - it just doesn't have to take up half of every class.

Years ago my TKD instructor in Limerick made the point that "you train at home, you come to class to learn".

If you can get students there early and warmed up before the class, then a full-on 60 minutes can be very productive.

buck65

Good point Quillo , my class is 1 hour but we frequently run to 1hr 15 mins -my fave type of class is : a good warmup 10 mins, light stretch 5 mins, patterns (maybe) 10 mins, some more stretching and some bag work or techniques 20 mins, crunches push ups intensive stretching 10 mins , sparring 2/3 2 min rounds, perfect.
I think stretching is important (especially for us over 30s) and the more warmed up you are the better maybe.

Cake Fiend

My personal ideal class would be 1.5 hours. This gives you enough time to get something done, but it's short enough that you can give it a bit of welly throughout without passing out at the end.

I'd say most people can only spare one hour or so midweek for their MA though.