¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

Tok's lesson policy

¡¡

  
          ******************************          

Tok's lesson policy
 

 
I have worked for 40 years as a ski instructor in Japan. As a result, I have developed my own lesson style.
¡¡I would like to explain the substance of the lesson. 
  I am very happy when my lessons go well, when it resulting satisfaction for the students, and when it makes profit for NZski.


1.
¡¡Turning of ¡ÈOrange image¡É ¡Ä¡Ä¡¡Why I use an orange ?

¡¡The order of the lesson is as follows.
1-1. First, I ask the student to imagine an orange under the arch of their foot.
1-2. Next, I ask them to feel the softness of orange during the turn.
1-3. I ask the students just follow gravity and slide on the slope. Just like water flowing down the slope. At this time, the song of ¢ö¢ö¢öFeel...Right Orange...Feel...Left Orange...¢ö¢ö¢ö is sung. 

¡¡As a result, following effects appear. 
a. The place of the orange under the arch of the foot becomes the center of the torque, and the turn starts.
b. Body relaxes comes out by feeling the orange. 
¡ÈPush¡É or ¡ÈTwist¡É motion however causes tension in the body, and makes the students tired. That action of ¡ÈPush¡É or ¡ÈTwist¡É therefore raises a problem. Those movements should come out as the 'result'. I believe that teaching that kind of movements is not good for the students.
c. Singing the song will make the best use of methods of breathing, and will relax their body. 
d. Singing the song encourages the rhythm, and leads to more fluid movements of body. 


¡¡Above are the reasons why I ask the students ¡Èimagine an orange¡É and ¡Èsing a song¡É.
¡¡I have a lot of images such as ¡ÈThe Sound of Music Turn¡É and ¡ÈDriving Turn¡É other than ¡ÈOrange Turn¡É.¡¡They all aim at the same effect. ¡ÉOrange Turn¡É leads skidding turn, ¡ÈThe Sound of Music Turn¡É leads carving turn, and ¡ÈDriving Turn¡É leads drifting turn.


 

2. Ski is a sport that uses ¡ÈGravity¡É. 
¡¡There are two features in skiing. One is the ¡ÈTip length¡É is longer than ¡ÈTail length¡É. The other is ¡ÈSide Cut¡É. 
¡¡It is very important to follow gravity and to use the different ski length of tip and tail.¡¡It is not good to swing around. Ski receives the snow resistance by a sliding on the slope. When the tip and tail of skis works effectively, skidding turn begin. This is important. 
  It is possible to turn by moving the skis directly by the body action. But it is a secondary.

  It is also necessary to teach skills that are effective to seniors and females (With less physical strength), if we have the purpose to give many people to feeling of ¡ÈHappiness of skiing¡É and the ¡ÈWonder of the nature of the snow¡É. 
  So, they need to get skills that harness the gravity, mainly. For that purpose, the ¡ÈOrange image¡É is the best way. 



3
¡¥¡ÉCause and Result¡É 
  There is the case in everything, there is a result because there is a cause. Then, what is the cause and what is the result in the ski lesson? Let's think about it. 

  It is usual for many ski instructors to teach students the form, and the body movement. However, the form and the body movements should be the ¡Èfinal result¡É that comes from the ¡Ècause¡É. It may be easily understood that ¡ÈThe form and the body movement¡É is a ¡Èresult¡É, if you think carefully. That means, firstly a lot of ski instructors are teaching ¡Èresult¡É, not the ¡Ècause¡É. The order is reverse. 

  In addition, we need to think of the fact that the characteristics of the student¡Çs body are not always the same. This is very important. Our ¡ÈDNA¡É and ¡ÈSports history¡É are different. So, it is not good ignore them. We are individual persons basically. We should make up the teaching curriculum, after well thinking of the fact that there is difference between students. If you don't think of that, you shall make up the copied skier. It is not our job to make a copied skier. We should let them know that "you are an individual skier". 

  So, what is a method that brings about the ¡Ècause¡É? It is the ¡Èimagine lesson¡É, as I call it. 
  For instance, the ¡ÈOrange image¡É will draw the following concrete images when you try to feel the softness of the orange. ¡ÈThe orange has been squashed by the snow pressure, and I can feel the response through the shape of orange¡É. And, they are able to feel the ¡Èsquashing condition¡É through the foot. At this time, they have the body in the condition of not tension but of relaxation. 
  The best movement and the form comes out as the ¡ÈResult¡É, which is suitable for an each situation. At this time, only ¡ÈWhat should appear¡É(The best form and body movement) comes from the following situation ...¡ÈFeature of the body¡É, ¡ÈCharacteristic of the ski gear¡É, and ¡ÈSnow and Slope condition¡É. That means the most rational action comes out naturally from the ¡ÈCause¡É.
 
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

 

4. ¡ÈReally necessary thing¡É for student

 ¡¡
I understand that my lesson style is a method not asking neither ¡ÈForm¡É nor ¡ÈBody Movement¡É. I agree that my method is a little different from ¡ÈNZSIA¡É methods.¡¡I also understand there was a complaint about my lesson. However, I believe that 95% of the students who experienced Tok's lesson were satisfied. 

  It is really necessary for the students to discover ¡ÈHow to enjoy and taste nature?¡É. Though the technical improvement is also important. The ¡ÈMovement of the body¡É and ¡ÈForm¡É are also come out differently, depending on snow conditions, slope situation, characteristic of gear, feature of body, and physical condition. It is natural. So, students cannot match to those changes in the situation even if they were taught the ¡ÈForm¡É and ¡ÈBody movement¡É. 
  The only method of solving is to teach ¡ÈImage¡É and ¡Èfeeling¡É. In a word, it is important to teach them the ¡Èfeeling ski¡É, not the ¡Èthinking ski¡É. This is a conclusion derived from the teaching experience of ¡ÈTOK¡É for 40 years. 

  ¡ÈRich natural situation¡É overflows fortunately in Coronet Peak. So, one or two of the ski instructor may be allowed to give the students ¡ÈThe Feeling Ski¡É.
If many ski instructors have an individual and rational teaching method, and if students can select a favorite instructor, and are satisfied, what a more splendid ski resort Coronet Peak would be!!! 


          ******************************          



  Ski Top ¤Ø¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Ú£Ô£Ï£Ë¡Û¤Ø¤Î¡¡Mail¡Ä

¤³¤Î¥Ú¡¼¥¸¤Î¥È¥Ã¥×¤Ø

 To OLSS Top¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡To jpSKI.com ²ñ°÷¥Ú¡¼¥¸ Top