Focal Point

The importance for a teacher to be consistent has already been mentioned: if you are not able to say what you do and do what you say, you cannot be a good teacher. Coherence is therefore the prerequisite for being fully prepared in any subject. The knowledge of Technique, learning channels, and Maieutics allows one to work precisely on the Focal Point (FP).

At least unconsciously, everyone senses the importance of being able to pinpoint exactly the main element that hinders the success of a movement or, more generally, the cause of any problem. This should first be sought in one of the learning channels and can thus concern, for example, the theoretical sphere or the perception of the body and balance. Other times it concerns the emotional sphere. But before delving into less “tangible” aspects, such as the psychological one, a teacher should be able to effectively address the aspects of movement, which are more concrete and therefore easier to identify. However, even identifying the FP in the field of movement and technique is anything but easy. Generally, one stops at a superficial level and does not reach the goal. When this happens, the correction does not yield good results and does not improve the student’s motor execution. For example, I increasingly hear the advice: “Lower your heels!” but this is not always correct. Lowering the heel in certain cases can mean losing the foothold! In practice, high heels almost always result from the foot not being placed correctly. Consequently, if the instructor does not notice and understand this, their advice is harmful and does not address the core of the problem. The real cause should be sought in the lack of knowledge of the correct way to position the foot, and consequently, in a theoretical and practical gap of the teacher. A second example might further clarify: when a climber cannot overcome a move, they tend to search for the cause in a lack of training, physical strength, etc. Very often, however, the cause lies in the difficulty of finding the best balance: this is therefore a technical gap. But when knowledge is incomplete, it is logical to seek solutions in one’s strengths: those who train a lot in conditional abilities and not in technique will automatically seek the solution in the only field they know, not realizing that the problem arises precisely from the aspect they know least. Involuntary automatisms lead us to this.

To identify the FP, three elements are needed:

• Adequate theoretical/practical knowledge
• Ability to observe the overall movement
• Ability to analyze individual specific details

Once the possible cause is identified, the appropriate technique of the Method is applied in a targeted manner, which specifically “treats” the error, allowing the correct execution to be understood. When the FP is identified, something very beautiful and interesting happens: the problem is immediately solved.