I Can’t Believe I Just Did That

Every so often, a student does something that surprises them.

Usually it is physical.

A kick goes higher than they expected.

A technique lands with more power than they thought they had.

For a second, they just stop.

Then I get the look.

“I can’t believe I just did that.”

Sometimes they say it.

Sometimes they do not have to.

You can see it.

Nothing Went Wrong

Sometimes I think they are almost waiting for something bad to happen.

They tried something harder.

They put more into it.

They went higher.

They went faster.

And then...

Nothing went wrong.

Nothing seemed to hurt.

It did not feel strange.

It did not fall apart.

It just worked.

For a second, they are just trying to figure out what happened.

Then they look at me.

Was that actually good?

Did I see it?

Am I going to say something?

Sometimes I nod.

Sometimes I say something.

Sometimes I really do not need to.

They already know.

Then They Want Another One

Sometimes they laugh.

Not because the technique was bad.

Because what just happened was a little absurd compared with what they expected.

Maybe the kick suddenly went much higher.

Maybe the pad moved farther than they thought it would.

Maybe everything just came together for once.

There is usually a little:

“Did I really just do that?”

Yes.

You did.

And now, of course, they want another one.

Right now.

Success can be addictive.

Especially when you were not expecting it.

A minute ago, they were unsure.

Now they want another turn.

Then another.

Then another.

And this is usually where things get interesting.

They think:

If that worked, I should try harder.

So they do.

Much harder.

Too hard.

And the technique starts getting worse.

More tension.

More effort.

More stuff that does not need to be there.

They are trying to force the result back into existence.

That is usually when I step in.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down.”

More Is Not Always Better

This is one of the funny parts of teaching.

Sometimes the student finally finds something good, and my next job is to stop them from wrecking it.

They got the result.

Now figure out why.

If that first kick worked because they were relaxed, the timing was right, and everything came together, throwing twice as much effort at the next one may not help.

Usually it does the opposite.

But the student does not know that yet.

They just know:

That one was better.

So naturally, they want the next one to be even bigger.

Fair enough.

But there has to be a balance.

Slow Down and Find It Again

Once they settle down, the results usually get better.

Cleaner kick.

Better timing.

Less extra movement.

And most importantly, they start doing it again.

That matters more to me than one spectacular rep.

One great kick is fun.

I enjoy it.

They definitely enjoy it.

But if we cannot reproduce it, then we still have work to do.

So now the conversation changes.

What did you do right?

Find that.

Do it again.

Not harder.

Not bigger.

Just again.

The Second Good One Is Different

The first good one can feel like an accident.

The second one starts changing that.

Now they have something to compare against.

They start recognizing what a good repetition feels like instead of waiting for me to approve every one.

That is where I want them going.

Not constantly looking at me after every kick.

Eventually they should be able to feel:

Yeah. That one was right.

And if it was not?

Fine.

Try another one.

I Like the Surprise

I still enjoy that first reaction though.

The freeze.

The look.

The laugh.

Then:

“Can I do that again?”

There is something fun about watching a student realize:

“Wait. I can actually do that.”

I do not need to give them a speech about confidence.

They already have something real to react to.

They felt it.

They saw what happened.

That is enough for the moment.

My job is usually much simpler.

Let them enjoy it for a second.

Then, when they start trying to launch themselves through the ceiling:

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down.”

Because the goal is not one surprising kick.

The goal is being able to do it again.

And again.

Until one day it is not surprising anymore.

If you're curious what it looks like when a student surprises themselves in class, you're welcome to come by and see for yourself. We'd be happy to have your child try a class with us.