Climber's Characteristics and Climbing Instruction
(1) When teaching climbing, it is first necessary to understand the characteristics of the climber from various aspects.
Skill level
Physical strength
Athletic ability
Readiness in terms of risk management
Personality
Purpose
Degree of interest
2) Instructional goals and tasks need to be established, organized, and sequenced.
3) It is necessary to revise the directions, during instruction.
Form of instruction
Rock climbing workshops (many people)
Daily climbing in a mountaineering club (group instruction)
Climbing in a master-disciple relationship (individual instruction for pairs)
Climbing with a partner (pairs, self-learning)
The
prognosis is better when there is no bias toward a particular type of
instruction. If the climber only knows how to climb within a narrow
social context, such as a seniority system or a mountaineering club, he
or she may have adapted to an extreme organizational cultural scheme.
For example, they may think 5.9 is high standard, which is the thing of
the past in 2023.
It is better to have as many climbing
opportunities as possible, including climbing abroad, and to climb
without bias, so that you can keep a broad perspective and avoid extreme
thinking.
If there are too many people to the instructor, then
the risk is often not managed as well as it could be, and should be
avoided, using the guide ratio, FYI.
In climbing, when receiving
private instruction, it is better to receive instruction in pairs with a
partner, so that the instruction can be shared and reviewed, leading to
early independence. (e.g., once the leader takes the climber to a
multi-pitch, the two climbers then go again to review the route
together).
However, since the leader is basically forced to
adjust to the majority, it may be more fruitful to provide a different
group for children, women, and elderly climbers who are not part of the
mainstream.
The majority of climbers these days are adult males
in their 20s and 30s, and if children, or women or elderly people
training is compromised by them, it would be a complete disaster. The
mastery strategy of the low-strength groups of children, women, and the
elderly is primarily short, frequent climbs.
For
mainstream climber like men, the strategy is high intensity for long
periods of time. This is because they will finally learn the moves when
they are tired, and used up all excessive energy.
Teaching Methods for Individual Differences
(1) Descending... Descending is the most basic climbing technique to learn.
Needless to say, once you climb, you must descend.
This
may seem so obvious that it should not be verbalized, but in reality,
90% of the near-misses that occur at crags are due to the fact that
climbers have not been prepared for the technique of descending down.
(Case in: Hiei)
Therefore, all climbers, regardless of their level, must master the technique of descending after climbing.
The main descent techniques are;
rappelling (rappelling down)
Lowering down (ATC or Grigri)
Jump-off (landing)
Climb down
After mastering these four techniques, it is necessary to consciously learn how to climb.
In particular, rappelling is known as a technique where failure is not an option.
Personally, when teaching children, I have found the following methods to be successful in safely teaching the descent technique
After
learning to lower oneself down with a grigri, one can then lower down
with a belayer. When self-lowering with the grigri, a knot is tied about
2 meters above the ground so that the climber will stop even if fall.
In this case, any bulky knot is acceptable.
(2) Skill level (grade)
In
general, free climbing grades start at 5.9 on the outdoor rock. With
allowance, 5.8 is considered to be the safe entry level grade.
Not many beginner begin climbing in the outdoor crags. Majority starts at indoor gym. 1:9 is probably about right.
In
the case of beginners who started from mountaineering and followed the
growth path from flat terrain, to slopes, and then gradually to walls,
the three-point support of hands and feet is often already acquired by
hiking in the mountains. In such a case, the first task is to have them
climb lightly overhang on artificial walls, learn side body (twist), and
master two-point support.
On the other hand, for beginners in
indoor bouldering gyms, which account for 90% of the beginner climbers
today, the standard climbing ability is 5.9 on the outdoor rock is when
they are able to climb a 5th level in indoor gym grade without falling
down. So 5th or 5.11 is the level they should aim, except for rope work.
3) Learning to belay
It is necessary to learn to belay at early stages.
The standard for learning to belay is six months of climbing twice a week, in artificial walls.
If
the climber is able to recognize the risk of landing on the outdoor
boulders, it is acceptable to start him or her on the outdoor rocks at a
lower grade. It is rather better for risk perception in the outdoors.
Since
the primary risk factor in outside bouldering is landing, it is
important to make them aware of the risk before they are able to climb
up. Many notice they can not climb down after topping out the rock.
Accidents of landing in gaps between mats are very common.
5) Grouping by climbing grade is becoming less meaningful.
Today,
it is no longer meaningful to divide climbers into beginner and
intermediate levels based on their climbing grade (like decimal) or the
length of their experience.
What makes a climber beginner and
what makes a climber intermediate? This is a question that needs to be
examined closely by advanced climbers.
For example, there have
been accidents both in Japan and overseas where climbers who can climb
5.13 have fallen to their deaths on 5.8 wide crack or slabs, etc. The
gap between the grade and the actual skills required at the crag is too
wide, and hard to be recognized.
5-2) Technical Level Classification (Draft)
Introduction level: requires supervision by an advanced climber. rented gear.
Beginner: Can climb in a group without accidents. No lack of gear.
Intermediate: Able to go and come back with climbers of the same level as themselves.
Advanced: A climber who is able to climb difficult climbs and return home in a safe condition.
Experienced: A climber who can make sound decisions and give guidance in a pinch.
Proficient: A person who can give creativity to climbing.
(6) Increase readiness to recognize danger
Climbing
is an extreme sport that involves danger, so it is important to
properly assess the ability to recognize danger as well as the
appropriateness of the exercise itself, and to provide appropriate
guidance.
In particular, if the ideology that celebrates death
wishing behavior is not corrected in the early stages of climbing, it
can lead to loss of life or damage to the climber's life in the
rudimentary stages. Examples include the death of a climber who slipped
and fell on the west ridge of Mt.Karasawadake.
Training for the
instructor's selfish purposes can lead to grade supremacy, which, if not
corrected, can create people who are exclusive, uncooperative,
inconsiderate, aggressive, emotionally unstable, and self-centered.
Especially when teaching junior high and high school students,
instruction that is detrimental to the development of an amicable
personality must be avoided.
Similar problems may occur with
adult climbers, so activities to teach basic risk management in
climbing, both culturally and ethically, will become even more important
as the number of climbers increases.
It a big loss for the
climbing community if young climbers, who have the potential to make
great records, are killed early in their climbing careers because of
minor mistakes.
The discussion in this area has been very slow,
and every year accidents are reported that could have been prevented
without death (e.g., Amida North ridge of Gakushuin University).
Instead
of the idea of taking life in stride, what kind of efforts and what
kind of precise risk calculations led to great adventures and great
records? should be talked about.
As a case study, we can make
better climbing plans by reading past accident cases as a collection of
failures, with examples of failures such as multi-pitching without a
defeat plan (Hakua slabs ).
The legacy left by our predecessors
should be utilized. In other countries, books compiling accident reports
have also been published. (AAC: https://amzn.to/3Ip5TSr)
Learning in the form of discussions with top climbers would be a good way to transmit the ideas of great climbers.
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Draft Table of Contents for an Instructor's Instructional Manual for Climbing
This is a full application from the Tennis Instructor's Instructional Manual. I have stared tennis lately as my rehabilitation of my dislocated knee. I was in Tennis club when I was in Junior high school, and was a captain. To my surprise, in tennis, teaching methoed have improved tremendously... when I was a kid, there were no teaching methoeds. Now, they teach beginner so well.
I felt This is it! I thought. I thought, "This is what we need in climbing community!"
1. Individual characteristics and tennis teaching methods
2. motivation
3. teaching plan and contents according to the object of teaching
(2) Methods and contents of technical instruction
1. Basic concept of technical instruction
2. Targets for each skill level and step-by-step teaching methods
3. Instruction by suggestion
4. Sending technique
5. Points to keep in mind when teaching technique
6. Correction of technique
(3) Game instruction (beginners)
1. Introduction from simple games to games
2. singles
3. doubles
(4) Practical examples of tennis instruction
1. How to teach a lesson
2. Junior
3. Master
4. Senior players
Chapter 6 Training Methods
(1) Warm-up and Cool-down
(2) Physical fitness training methods
(3) Technical training methods
4) Mental training methods
Chapter 7 Health and Safety Measures in Tennis Instruction
(1) Safety measures in tennis instruction
1. Medical check
2. Health management of tennis players
3. Safety measures for injury prevention and instruction
2) First aid on the tennis court
1. First Aid
2. General trauma (RICE)
3. Bleeding wounds
4. Typical injuries and their first aid
3) Common sports injuries of tennis players and their prevention
4) Conditioning necessary for tennis players
5) Taping necessary for tennis players
Chapter 8 Tennis Instruction and Management
1) Knowledge and management of facilities and equipment
2) Planning, operation and management of tennis schools
3) Planning, operation and management of tennis councils
4) Operation and management of tennis clubs
1. Clubs as community sports
2. Clubs as school sports clubs
3. Clubs as commercial sports
Chapter IX Rules of Tennis and Refereeing Methods
(1) Explanation of the Rules
1. What are the rules of tennis?
2. Explanation of the Rules of Tennis
(2) Manners of Tennis
1. Manners as a player
2. Manners as a spectator
(3) Refereeing
1. Basics of Refereeing Techniques
2. Transition of refereeing methods
3. Difference of officiating methods according to the method of game
--------------------------------------
Climbing version
The points in red are the points that I think are missing from the "explicit" language, especially in climbing.
Explicit is important today, and today's young people are ordinary citizens, not the selected elite...usually famous university students... like in the past.
-----------climbing version---------------
Chapter 1: Characteristics and History of Climbing
(1) Characteristics of Climbing
1. characteristics as a competition → sport climbing and free climbing are two different types of climbing.
2. characteristics as a lifelong sport → competition climbing and climbing as a lifelong sport are different types of climbing. There is no need to be aggressive like in competitions or grade supremacy, in public climbing for lifelong sport, which is usually done on the cragging.
3. commercial sport characteristics → Commercial gyms, bouldering gyms and lead gyms generally have a supervisor who controls the grading and safety (mats, bolts, etc.) of the routes. Outside climbing, like cragging, do not have supervisors.
4. characteristics of facilities and equipment
On the artificial walls, the bolt distances are calculated backwards so that the impact force in the event of a fall will be 0.3. Therefore, the risk of crashing is minimized and almost nonexistent. You can not expect the same in outdoor climbing.
At the outdoor rock, the bolts have been in place for more than 40 years without supervision. The distance of the bolts may also not be placed in a way that allows for a fall. (runouts). The strength and quality of the bolts themselves are also very different today than in the past, but this is not reflected in the actual rock climbing community. Usually new people are left ignorant.
This is a worldwide problem and is the reason why old crags are not popular. As a result, it is a major factor in Japan that results in certain people holding a privileged position of exclusive access to crags, a fact that may go unnoticed due to opportunism.
The result is a battle of vested interests between commercially based climbers who want to promote civilian climbing and the old regime.
(2) History and Current Status
Chapter 2 Climbing and Leaders
(1) Current state of instructors → The aging of the population has resulted in a total lack of instructional fitness. There is no official institution in Japan to train climbing instructors, and the content of climbing instructor education is left to the efforts of individuals who are making the effort, and remains primitive, customary, rather than being vetted by a third party and meeting standards.
2) Need for Instruction and Instructional Challenges → Today, climbing has been embraced by the general public and the climbing population is growing fast, but the market needs are not being met due to a lack of instructors.
As a result, people are going to outside rock with the very immature assumption that just because they can climb in an indoor gym 5.11, they can go straight to outside rock and climb 5.11 there, and cause serious accidents (e.g., lumbar spine injury).
(3) Knowledge and abilities required for instructors
1) Knowledge required for instructors → The knowledge required for instructors is the technique of securing safety with ropes and the moves that are meant for climbing itself, but there is no place to convey the former technique, which is required for general climbing (cragging), and what content is not being conveyed is not discussed at all. Also, there is no place to teach the former technique in Japan, which is required for general climbing (cragging), and there are omissions, even if there are well-meaning instructors.
Particular things failed to teach are
Top rope is not always the safest way to climb, connecting two ropes, how to learn cams, passing the knot through the ATC (passing the knot), how to use double and single ropes, how to choose ropes in the multipitch, rope selection based on personal physique, the difference between belaying on artificial walls and belaying on outdoor rock, how to secure a climber by running behind, etc. Running back belay, etc.
2.
2. abilities necessary for a leader → In the past, the abilities necessary for a leader were established by the fact that individuals who were deemed to have leadership potential received leadership training at mountaineering clubs, etc., and were vague, like an oral teaching, while today, climbing gym staff (who are hired at a minimum hourly wage) are expected to play the role. In contrast, today, climbing gym staff (who are hired at a minimum hourly wage) are expected to play the role, and the responsibilities and compensation do not meet well at all.
The assumption that climbing gym owners generally come from a climbing background has became things in the past.
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