The Positive Teaching in Aikido

Creating Space for Students to Experience Their Own Aikido Journey

There are no mistakes, only learning. This applies to both life and Aikido. We’re all working towards Aikido ideals—whether in technique, ukemi, perception, or connection with others—but we shouldn’t expect perfection immediately.

As teachers, we can do much harm by trying to make our students perfect in our eyes as soon as possible. 

For example, this is what I experienced a few months ago:

I visited a class in a different dojo. The teacher was my very dear friend and there were only a couple of students - five of us on the tatami.

At one point I was practicing with a lady around my age, a mother of a child from the children’s classes. She was a beginner, practicing for only six months, yet surprisingly skillful. She saw what the teacher proposed and composed a fluent and natural technique. I enjoyed working with her when the teacher came to look at us.

Immediately he stopped her in the middle of her technique: “No, no, that’s wrong!” He was right, there was some minor imprecision in her footwork. So, he showed her a better way. She started the technique over, correcting herself right there. I was impressed.

But as she got to the next part of the technique, the teacher said “Stop, no, not like that,” correcting another tiny detail. And then again and again - this went on for five minutes.

On one hand, I was so amazed that she could improve her technique each time he told her to. On the other hand, it felt too much. I saw her trying really hard and even that was not enough for her teacher. And she couldn’t experience her improvement because there was no time to practice.

After the class, we talked a bit and I tried to tell her how good she was. I only had a weekend seminar there and left wondering how long she could keep up this way.

Behavior like this creates pressure on our students and makes them feel incompetent. In the long run, it's demotivating and devastating.

In modern education, we know that constant criticism is inefficient—people learn best in a positive environment. Humans naturally enjoy learning and seek out small improvements. In a complex art like Aikido, there are plenty of challenges. If we add too much correction, it can be frustrating for students and eventually make them give up.

Teenagers, beginners, and women are especially sensitive to over-correction. When over-corrected, they often feel discouraged and leave the dojo—a situation that we already see in Aikido.

Of course, there will always be people who stay, even with such overly critical teaching. But is it because of their perseverance, or do they just prefer feeling incompetent and dependent on authority?

The positive way of teaching

Especially when we are seniors in Aikido and we observe a beginner practicing, we can see 10 or 20 things that could be improved in just one technique. But seeing them doesn’t mean we should correct them all—it’s impossible. That’s not the point of teaching.

The point of teaching is to create a positive learning environment where people can learn the art. A teacher is a guide to far-away horizons, not someone who should stop the first steps of students.

This is how I usually do it:

1. Seeing the positive

I maintain a positive attitude, seeing students as if they are already great. They keep coming to training sessions, they move, they try—this is a good starting point. I notice their movements and behaviors, but as long as it’s safe, it's fine.

I practice this neutral way of looking at people - to see a person as he or she is. Then I can see their opportunities to improve. 

2. Correcting as rare spice

Even if I see a possibility for improvement of technique or movement, I sometimes don’t point it out, I let the student practice. I often think to myself: “That’s fine, if we don’t give too much attention to it, it will just pass.” or “Giving this information now would just create unnecessary confusion.” 

I use individual correction as rare spice, not a basic ingredient of my teaching. 

Maybe the only moment I react immediately is when I see something dangerous.

Regarding talking, I’m interested in saying the right words at the right time. So when I have this positive vision without the urge to correct others, sometimes I’m attracted to a particular person by something he or she does. And then I know it’s a good time to speak.

3. Inviting to improvement

When I'm attracted to a person, to his or her possibility for improvement, I want to be positive. I try not to say “Stop it. No, that's not good. Your angle is wrong. You must do this and that.”

I take my time, I let the person finish the technique. Sometimes I even wait for the next technique to see if the issue is still there. And when the student has finished the technique, I say something like: “Nice! You have a very good distance. And now, you can try to make this angle bigger, you see, because it will take you out of the line of attack.” 

The words should be an invitation to improvement, not punishment for a mistake. The words should encourage the person to continue, not stop him or her in the learning process. 

I show how to do it and let the person try.

When I see it's getting somewhere and the suggestion is included in the movement, I let the student finish the technique again, and I say something like “Very good! Does it feel better now? You see? Now you have a better position for unbalancing your partner. Please, continue!”

Then I leave, and let the person work on exploring the new possibility. 

4. Teaching with a broader perspective

I would say, I'm getting more and more patient. Because when we’re learning with appropriate guidance, everybody will learn eventually at their own pace.

We do Aikido, which is a Do—a journey. This journey takes time and we’re learning for years. It's obvious we can't correct everything in one class. I prefer to let students practice and enjoy, encouraging them to keep going.

During each class, I try to see all students and work with everyone, giving each person on the tatami at least one suggestion for improvement. But surely not more than one hint to one technique…

My patience and awareness also give them space to find their own feeling and understanding of Aikido, not copy mine. 

Because the main purpose of teaching is to help students build their own relationship with the art and live their own Aikido journey.

As teachers, we should create space for this to happen—not to make others perfect in our eyes, but to give them opportunities to grow. We should relax and foster a positive environment, where the learning process is both efficient and enjoyable.

PS: By the way, don’t we also over-correct our partners when we practice with them in a class as students?