Lesley Jackson puts her teaching hat on to review this latest book by Martina Sprague as she finds out more about how to be a better student and slightly worried about her faults as an instructor!
The Complete Martial Arts Student
Publisher: Souvenir Press (2007) Pages: 287 pagesLanguages: English RRP: £15
Book Review:
“They are left in the hands of an instructor who is often a student himself, not a teacher by profession.” Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been taught by a person who may be of a higher rank than you but has no idea how to communicate? If so, then this book may be of interest to you. Whether your initial experiences of your first martial arts lessons are good or bad can depend on who is taking the class and this is one of the issues that Martina Sprague’s book is trying to address. So rather than being called ‘The Complete Martial Arts Student’ it should also have ‘and instructors too’ tagged to the end as this is as much a guide for the instructor as for the student.
Martina Sprague offers a long and languid read that covers every comprehensible subject related to teaching and learning the martial arts. Her subjects range from what qualities are expected of the student, principals of learning and teaching and all manner of guides to teaching and learning katas, sparring and traditional work. In fact, Martina goes way beyond the basics needed to know about learning a martial art as she offers to, “educate you about the science of learning.” This is an extremely in-depth study into the nuances of learning and teaching a martial art that explores the many scenarios and pedagogic techniques a student and instructor may encounter.
Do not think that this is a quick read though. It is very detailed and goes into a lot of depth into the smallest points that a student or teacher may encounter, sometimes infinitesimal. Therefore, to make the most use of this book, reading it from cover to cover is not the best way to approach it, rather use it as a reference to pick up more detail on a topic or issue you have encountered in class. Although this book is a bit of a doorstop, there are some interesting points that Martina offers and some very down to earth advice. For example, “When trying to learn new material, few things are more irritating than an instructor who mumbles.” Clear articulation is a must of any teacher and if you have not been trained as a professional school teacher, you will not necessarily know how to put your message across effectively as seldom does an instructor’s course teach you the actual rudiments of teaching as a separate discipline.
Simple Thinking: Intelligent Fighters -
£11.99
This book explains how to evolve individual techniques and positions as a result of the underlying Wing Chun concepts, and the forces likely to be met in combat.
An invaluable reference work, both for Wing Chun practitioners and for all 'thinking' mar
As useful as this book is though, you do need to be selective in what you choose to take on board as some may not be relevant, such as the suggestion of a fire arms demonstration to a UK audience and in places the expectation of the instructor can border on being judgemental, “Don’t let your instructor’s personal ‘faults’ get in the way.” There is a high expectation on both the student and teacher in this book and although one always desires professionalism in both, forgetting one of the most important reasons for practising a martial art could kill the enjoyment of your favourite hobby.
This is a useful student and teacher guide to training in the martial arts, but is probably most recommended to a student already practising a martial art and becoming more serious in their hobby as well as an instructor seeking to improve their teaching skills.
Lesley Jackson puts her teaching hat on to review this latest book by Martina Sprague as she finds out more about how to be a better student and slightly worried about her faults as an instructor! 
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