By Master Milad
The short answer
Less than you think. Skip the review and ask one good question: “What was the best part?” Then listen. They talk when they don’t feel graded. New to Endurance? Your first class is free. Book it
The car ride home is one of the most important parts of class, and it isn’t even on the mat. What you say in those ten minutes decides whether they walk in excited next time.
Ask, don’t review
“Why was your kick so low?” turns the ride into a report card. “What was the best part?” gets you the story. Some other good ones:
- What did you learn today that you didn’t know last week?
- Who did you partner with?
- Teach me one thing.
That last one is gold. Kids who can teach a move to a parent really know it, and they love being the expert.
Praise the work, not the talent
“You’re a natural” sounds nice. But a kid who thinks it’s talent quits the first time something gets hard. “You kept going on that last drill” teaches them effort is the thing that counts. That’s the kid who’s still training three years later.
If it was a hard class
Some days they come out quiet, or in tears. Don’t fix it in the parking lot. Say “Tough one today?” and let them have the silence. Once they’ve had a meal and some space, ask what happened. Most of the time it’s one moment, not the whole class.
Leave the coaching to us
You don’t have to be the instructor too. If you see something you’re worried about, tell us, not your kid. That’s our job, and we’re good at it.
One more thing
Tell them you liked watching them. That’s it. No “but.” Kids remember that line long after they forget the drill.
About the author. Master Milad Bahrami opened Endurance in Port Moody in 2014, and today it’s three schools: Port Moody, Burnaby and Port Coquitlam. Read his story
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