Sensei Daniel Brenner has trained for 19 years and holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt. Six of those years have been with Action Karate, and he now teaches at our Blackwood school. Somebody once took the time to teach him properly. Passing that on is his way of saying thank you. And he still lives for the moment a student’s technique finally clicks. Outside the dojo, Daniel plays a lot of chess and rarely turns down a good escape room.
Daniel’s favourite classes are with adults. But his structured, patient way of teaching helps any student who needs a skill broken down a little further.
Breaks each new technique into two or three moves at a time
Runs the same warm-up and commands every class for routine
Praises the exact thing a student got right so they know what to repeat
Pairs newer students with a calm senior student without anyone being singled out
Teaching philosophy
Daniel’s approach comes down to one idea. Every student is held to the same standard, and he changes the route they take to reach it. He never guesses at what a student needs. He asks them or their parent what helps and follows their lead. And when someone needs time to think, he waits rather than rushing them.
He loves teaching adults, because nobody drops them off at the door and their commitment shows on the mat. But one of his proudest moments came with a young girl too shy to make eye contact. After weeks on the same basics she began to hold her head up, and six months on she led the student creed in front of the whole class. Daniel puts it down to steady practice. One class can feel like the last, but a year of them changes a person.
