2025-09-22

Teaching my regular classes at the Ross Farnsworth - East Valley YMCA.

I teach at a YMCA and, as you may know from reading these updates, I teach in two different rooms.

• On Wednesday nights, I teach in the group exercise studio. It has a floating wood floor, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, a set of barres on the wall, and ceiling fans. (It’s awesome.)
• But on Monday nights, a private tap dance instructor rents that room and I teach next door in the childcare room. It has a cement floor, no mirrors, and is frequently carpeted with broken crayons and smashed raisins. (I sweep and mop before every class, of course).

To be clear, the childcare room is clean, safe, and adequately lit. It’s only a “downgrade” when compared to the other room. Last night, one of the adult students said to me, “I really prefer the other room”, which I took as a good opportunity for a mini lecture.

Of course I’d rather train in a nice, shiny room with mirrors. However … Funakoshi didn’t have that, and neither did his instructors, or theirs. Sure, those things are all nice to have, but all you really need is an open space and a teacher. Furthermore, training in different rooms prevents students from becoming “anchored” to landmarks in the room. (i.e. They can’t remember to “turn towards the door” in kata if the door isn’t there anymore.)