Recently, my sifu has asked me to help out with the kung fu school just to have an extra body. Partly the reason why I chose my current apartment location was to be closer to the school (and work) and avoid driving lots of extra miles each day. Since I am so close anyway, there isn’t any reason for me to not help out (barring availability) so I have been showing up on Saturday mornings to help throughout the day.
The one bit that has been feeling very awkward is the pee-wee class which ranges in ages from 3 to 6 years old. The reason why it feels so awkward teaching them is that I have no idea how to deal with them. I’m not even really teaching them per se as I am refining little things and generally helping the kids get the idea of what they’re supposed to do. Eventually, I learned that sometimes you just need to physically pick the kids up and move them. Some of their vocabulary isn’t fully fleshed and without any guidance, they will just end up staring at the ceiling or lying down on the floor. I don’t want to yell at them (not that there is any reason to), but I don’t understand to what degree I can “scold” them. Having some of the parents there makes it even more awkward, but it wouldn’t be that much different if they weren’t there either. Teaching some of the older youths is not so awkward and much easier. They have the capacity to do various things on their own and comprehend what you’re doing. Communicating with them is also easier.
Still, there is somewhat of a disconnect between my new role (even as limited as it is) and how I feel right now. I’m still a student of the school, but taking on this new leadership role is forcing me to become more proactive too. Beforehand, I had always just let other “staff” or “senior” students handle things. It really hasn’t felt like much time has passed since I started doing kung fu even though it’s been a little over a year, and I’m somewhat a “senior” student. It’s a number of things that contribute to that — being an adult over 18 years, the level and progression of material I know, and the time I’ve spent there.
When I was growing up, I always thought that I would try to stay a kid. I still need to mature a whole lot mentally (I’m just starting to shed my “college kid” mentality), but this new role is also starting to make act more “adult” so I can be a role model for the younger kids. For the ones in high school, the difference is a little more blurred between me and them. They’re still kids, but they’re also in high school (and most of them are beyond my current level anyway). Sometimes I feel old, but it almost isn’t an issue since we bond over so many other things. Age only really comes into play because of we adults have more experience and wisdome (hopefully) to impart on the younger ones when the need arises.
