Remember playing “telephone”? As kids you’d sit in a circle and whisper something in someone’s ear. The humor was what the last person in the circle would report hearing, after all the interpretations. I was recently teaching a red belt adult student and corrected her form. It was a basic thing, something we work with everyone on starting the first time they do a front kick. And yet I heard from the student … “no, everyone is telling me to shape my foot this way.” I was confused, as pretty much everyone in any school I’ve ever taught at uses the phrase “PULL YOUR TOES BACK.” She simply was pulling them back towards her calf rather than her shin. We were happy to catch this before she broke her toes when it was time to kick boards!

As a sixth degree black belt instructor I have attended classes under the direction of 20-30 different instructors over the years. Seminars, camps, and fortunately at Mr. Strickland’s – over the years a variety of instructors from within the school itself taught classes. When I first came to Mr. Strickland’s school in 2004, one of the first things he told me was “don’t teach like me, Mr. Vickroy– be yourself.” I’ve learned as much or more from Mr. Strickland as I have from anyone in my martial arts career, but I have learned a little bit from every instructor who has ever taught.

Different styles and personalities will connect with different people. Instructors have their own unique style, and usually teach something we are unfamiliar with at times – but they make it comfortable to learn. Some of my least favorite instructors in terms of style are amongst the best technicians. I would love to have those guys be the ones who would teach me to do a perfect form. There are other instructors that just make it so darned fun to be in class that you don’t really care what you take away from the class.

Every once in a while, I like to go to a real “old school” class, where your ability to do pushups is tested along with your ability to answer up quickly! Mr. Strickland invited his Taekwondo instructor, Mr. Hoadley, out for a for testing awhile back. Black belts and instructors were able to take away the good that his 50 years of martial arts experience have provided him. Mr. Hoadley was Mr. Strickland’s original instructor, and without him, this school would not have existed. While Mr. Hoadley’s style might not be exactly what everyone is looking for in 2020, we can certainly LEARN from him.

When people ask me why Mr. Strickland’s instructors are so good, I tell them that it is because Mr. Strickland encourages them to teach in a style that works for them, and to learn from others he brings in. When people ask Mr. Strickland how his students get so good, he tells them that it is because of his instructors. So let’s get to class and take the GOOD with us! The techniques and message may be the same, but we have to work to find who it will be that makes it easiest for us to understand.

Mr. Vickroy