Using Critical Thinking in the Classroom

The importance of critical thinking for everyday life is difficult to overemphasize. This is especially true now, because the confluence of modern technology and the media has created a virtual explosion of knowledge accessible to practically everyone in any reasonably advanced society. This is good and bad. In the past the news was considered a sound, reliable source of unbiased information (not saying it was, just that it was perceived to be). Now, it is almost essential to filter what the news says, because things are generally blown out of proportion, exaggerated, or just plain wrong. Many news sources operate on a business model that attempts to maximize viewers/hits/etc.. In this case, critical thinking means that you critically analyze what the media is saying before you decide whether you believe it or not. There are multiple factors that you need to consider, like past history of the source, credibility of the story, your general understanding of what they are talking about, number of media outlets reporting it, and the cultural background of the media. There are a lot of variables, and it takes a lot of effort just to see if you believe something or not.

Not everyone is willing to put forth that effort. Why not just believe the media? They wouldn't lie to you! Generally, I think that's true (and don't worry, I'll tie this into martial arts here soon). The news relies on its reputation, and it can't afford to mess up its stories. "Fluff up" maybe, but not mess up. Just because you are a critical thinker, it doesn't mean you don't trust your news sources. For most things, you can probably just accept what they say because you know it is reasonable, possible, and the consequences of telling an outright falsehood would hurt the news organization. But you accept it because of this thought process, not despite it. If you hear what you believe is highly improbable or hard to understand, then your curiosity should be peaked. For example, the media isn't very good at reporting science stories. They are outright terrible at it in my opinion, especially when it's targeted at a non-science demographic (which it almost always is.) This is due to the fact that the people that work in the media have degrees in journalism, writing, and other similar areas, but they probably do not have science degrees. They may be very intelligent people, but they aren't trained in science. Often they rely on arguments from authority, such as "scientists say that...", and these often misrepresents what the scientists are saying. The conclusions that the media try to make are at times absurd, and a lot of time they are designed to sell papers and increase web site hits. For instance, the threat of an asteroid hitting the Earth is real, but whenever scientists issue press releases about these near-Earth asteroids, the media often mischaracterizes the threat. A "1 in 300 chance of Asteroid 1122D hitting the Earth in 50 years" doesn't sound nearly as good as "Scientists Think Asteroid 1122D Likely to Hit Earth," or something like that. It may not be factually false, but it is definitely misleading. So when I read the news, I am always suspicious of how science is reported, because I have good reason to believe it will not be reported correctly.

Just as the media is a source of information, so are the instructors in martial arts. Anyone who is training in the martial arts, especially for self-defense, must use critical thinking to analyze the information they get, in the classroom or elsewhere. Critically analyze doesn't mean you instantly disagree with your instructors, though. On the contrary, you must put your trust in their rank as a sign that others have seen them fit to pass on their knowledge. A new student has little choice, having no knowledge from which to base the instruction. The more advanced a student becomes, the easier it is to decipher the information. The student may not be good at certain things, so its not just a matter of useful vs. useless. Short people can't perform certain techniques on taller people, for instance. But, the knowledge should be grounded in reality. If the things the students are "learning" sounds too far-fetched or hard to understand, then there is a good chance that something is amiss. A little research may clear it up, or may led to new questions. If you're not satisfied with the answers, your critical thinking alarm should start to go off. Good instructors back up what they say with demonstrations and try to teach their students. An instructor is there to pass on knowledge, not confusion and mystique.

What makes a good Martial Arts class?

Opinion about what makes a class good varies a lot. I couldn't hope to derive a formula for the most effective and desirable aspects of a high-quality class. However, I have compiled a list of some of the important aspects of a classroom that should be true for most martial arts. While these are purely my own opinions, they are not singular or even uncommon opinions in the martial arts. In keeping with good critical thinking, each opinion is backed up with a reason. Here are some of the important aspects of a good class.

1. You should feel safe in the classroom. There is definitely no reason to continue classes in an environment where you do not feel safe. If there is potential for injury (such as in full contact sparring), it should be a mutually agreed upon situation where the consequences are understood. One of the instructor's primary functions is to ensure that the students are not injured. They are practicing moves that could lead to serious injury. The key to safety is discipline, control, and respect. The student should look for these essential ingredients. If you are asked to perform something that seems dangerous, it is without doubt in your right to ask for clarification, further instruction, or to decline. The good instructors will be able to teach you why you can do it, and why it isn't as dangerous as you think. (Assuming, of course, it really is something reasonable.)
2. The class should always (will always) obey the Laws of Physics. No one can stop a bullet with his or her Qi. No one can float in the air during meditation. Even if you're inclined to believe these kinds of things, keep in mind that at the very least they are either extremely rare or horrendously difficult to achieve. The Laws of Physics are always there, good or bad. It's not just the far-fetched stuff a student needs to worry about. The human body is a large, heavy object. Without the proper technique, it is entirely possible to cause considerable damage to it or with it. (As an aside, there is a small subset of martial artists who appear to defy the laws of physics. They appear to resist gravity with relative ease and perform spinning jumps and summersaults that are stunning to watch. Actually, they obey the same laws as everyone else. They are simply good at it from years and years of practice. It is like any skill. If you don't practice it, you won't be able to do it. Starting a class with the goal of doing a 540° spin kick before the end of the evening when the last jump you did was ten years ago in high school is not a smart thing to do.)
3. The class should be disciplined. Not everyone agrees with this, but I think it's essential. An ordered class is a safe class. If everyone is just partially paying attention to the instructor, or focused elsewhere, they could end up with a roundhouse kick to the nose out of nowhere. If I give an instruction, I want to know that the students heard it, and so they must respond. If not, then we all go down for pushups. This is simple cause and effect, and no matter how annoying the discipline stuff is, everyone must abide by the rule that for every action there is a consequence. Most of the time it's nothing, or even positive, but some actions have bad consequences. If you don't study and practice, you won't pass your next promotion test. If you don't listen to your instructors, you will use the incorrect technique and hurt yourself performing a board break. If you talk when you're not supposed to, you will do pushups. If you don't pay attention while driving, you could end up killing someone. People are so eager to bend a little when it comes to the rules (just this one time...). Problem with this thinking is that rules can bend, but they will always have a breaking point. If you're late all the time to work, you will probably get fired. If you're always distracted while driving, then you will probably get into an accident. Discipline should be a major focus for any martial arts class. It is the foundation on which everything else builds.
4. The class should be respectful. I have heard of some classes where the instructors won't even talk to a white belt student. Respect is strongest when it flows both ways. How can a student trust an instructor who won't even show them the time of day? While it is true that respect is earned, you can't just assume the opposite when someone walks into the door. Elitism is unfortunately somewhat common in the martial arts. My opinion is that it shouldn't be, because even the most advanced instructors were once beginners. Everyone had a beginning, and those that get discouraged will never continue their study if they aren't shown the minimum amount of respect modern society demands.
5. Exercise should be heavy. I don't really have a good reason to tie this into critical thinking. I just like heavy exercise.

Respect between teacher and student