ANN/THE STAR – Long ago, I found myself enrolled in a karate class, where my youthful enthusiasm for combat was overshadowed by the profound life lessons imparted by our instructor.
Upon our initial encounter, I mistakenly perceived him as part of the maintenance crew at the training centre. Jim, a robust Irishman with hands reminiscent of shovels, defied the conventional image of a karate sensei.
This initial misjudgement served as a valuable lesson. Jim, revered worldwide for his expertise in martial arts, showcased unparalleled speed, power, and agility, leaving an indelible impression. It was a stark reminder not to judge a book by its cover.
But the memory that remains fresh in my mind more than 20 years on is of a kicking drill we were all practising one day. It was a routine exercise that progressed as usual until one person swung his leg too high, lost his balance, and fell on his back. Most of the class laughed out loud. The scene unfolded like a slapstick comedy sketch, and we lost our composure for a second. Jim made sure his student was okay before turning to the rest of the class.
“Why did you all laugh?” he asked. “Here’s someone who put in so much effort while you’re all going through the motions. Do you think if someone tries their best it’s okay to laugh at them? Maybe you should think about how much effort you’re putting in.”
Of course, we all immediately expressed our remorse and apologised to the student who fell before getting back to the exercises. Never laugh at someone, especially when they’re putting in more effort and aren’t afraid of making mistakes.
Jim was – and still is – a teacher who transformed many of his students. While he always showed his pride for those who won their medals at tournaments, he was most proud of the effort people put in – and not just in class.
He would encourage his students to get involved in the community, to give back to others, and to pay forward whatever we received in turn. Jim taught us to never take for granted what we receive in life, and to help people who might not have the same privileges or advantages we enjoyed.
And he always praised effort more than achievement. You could be the most intelligent or the most talented student in class, but if you didn’t show up on time or failed to dress properly, or you treated people with disrespect, it didn’t matter how many medals you won.
Jim’s intuitive teaching of his students reflect what’s shown in psychological research.
Dr Carol Dweck is a professor of psychology at Stanford University in the United States and one of the world’s foremost researchers in motivation. In one of her studies, 400 students were given a puzzle to solve.
Following the puzzle completion, each student received a few words of praise individually.
Half of them were praised for their intelligence with statements like, “Wow, you must be really smart!” while the other half were praised for their effort with statements like “Wow, you must be hardworking!”
The study revealed significant differences in outcomes between the two groups based on the type of praise they received. After the initial test, there was another one and the students were given the option to choose between a challenging or an easy test. Among the group praised for their “smartness”, about two-thirds chose the easier test, presumably to avoid the risk of losing the label of being smart.
On the other hand, 90 per cent of the group praised for their effort opted for the more difficult test, aiming to uphold their image of being hardworking.
Interestingly, the “smart” praised group showed a 20 per cent decline in performance compared with their initial test, even though the test complexity remained the same.
Conversely, the “effort” praised group saw a 30 per cent increase in their scores, indicating that the experience of failure had motivated them to perform better.
According to Dweck, praising intelligence alone actually harms motivation and performance. On the other hand, when the effort is praised (regardless of the outcome), people become more motivated to try their best and tend to perform better as a result.
When I think back to the lessons I learned from Jim, I can see what he did with his students was help build their character. He could be tough at times, but we all knew his reasoning behind whatever he did.
And because he placed such an emphasis on character and effort, we all wanted to improve ourselves. Jim didn’t care so much whether you had a medal around your neck; he wanted to see his students trying their best for themselves.
These are qualities that Jim embodies himself, which is why he is greatly respected by anyone who knows him. Outside martial arts, I’m not sure if he has any teaching qualifications, but he was one of the best teachers I ever had, and his lessons will always stick with me. – Sandy Clarke
