Repeat

Most people are content to let progress in martial arts just happen. They take the training as it comes, and do the test when the instructor says it's time. It is a perfectly fine way to progress, kinda like the seasons.

Others look ahead, and try to achieve their next level as soon as they can. They understand that missed classes can cause significant delay, and do what they can to maintain near-perfect attendance.

The only way they can improve upon this is to take private lessons.

Our instructor is the best one to approach for this. However, he already has a full-time job, a family, and teaches up to five hours per day. He can only do so much.

When I was a White Belt, I got Stirling to teach me privately. He's the only one certified to give full private lessons besides the main instructor. Unfortunately, he's moving to Australia soon. I'm gonna miss him.

This leaves all the other Blue Belts. We cannot give full, private lessons. This means we cannot teach any class that a student hasn't experienced at least once, but we can do subsequent repetitions. Each class must be repeated three times in order for a White belt to qualify to test. We can run them through their second or third repetitions.

I've done this a couple of times. I don't mind at all, but it does cut into my own training at the Friday open-mat sessions.

I've figured out a solution. I've stopped going to Saturday open-mat as I find that so few people show up I can't get motivated to work hard.

If anybody asks me to help them repeat lessons, I'll suggest Saturday. I'd train them for half the time, which is enough for them to get credit, and then make them help me with my Blue Belt stuff. I can always use a victim....I mean partner.

Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.