This 5-Second Instructor Hack Makes Students Actually Listen

Let’s talk about PCP... 

No, not the drug that was popular in the 80’s. 

I’m talking about the Praise–Correct–Praise method.

It’s one of the simplest, most effective communication strategies you can teach your instructors, whether they’re working with white belts or black belts… or just struggling not to sound like a drill sergeant with a caffeine addiction.

Here’s the deal:

Correcting students is a big part of our job.

But constantly pointing out what they’re doing wrong, without acknowledging what they’re doing right, doesn’t build better martial artists.

 It builds discouraged ones.

As Melody Johnson says, you need to have brain bank deposits (positive inputs) to help people achieve their potential. 

So instead of barking:
“Keep your hands up!!”
for the 17th time this week (to no effect)...

Try this:

“Hey, I really like how you’re keeping your knees bent in your fighting stance (✅ Praise)...
This time, keep your hands up to protect yourself (⚠️ Correct)...
That’s going to make you look super sharp in sparring (✅ Praise).”

It takes 5 seconds.
It builds confidence.
It opens the student up to actually receive the correction.

Now, I get it, some of you are old-school hard asses. 

You came up in a school where praise was reserved for paying your tuition on time or getting beat downs at belt testing. 

But we’re not training Navy SEALs here.

We’re building confident kids (and adults) who want to keep coming back. And many of them, especially beginners, just need to feel like they’re not totally screwing it all up.

You don’t have to lay it on thick.
You don’t have to lie.
Just find something real to compliment:

“You’ve been working hard tonight.”
“You’re staying focused.”
“That effort was awesome.”

Then drop the correction, then finish with one last lift.

It’s clean. It’s human. And it makes you sound like you actually care.
(Because you do, right? …right?)

Here’s your homework:

Run a short 5-minute drill with your team this week.

Have instructors partner up and practice PCP-style corrections.

Give a correction the old way... then deliver it again, PCP-style.

They’ll feel the difference.

And if they can master this, your school won’t just have better technique on the mats…

You’ll have instructors who actually connect with students, getting them one step closer to black belt every class.