Water Breaks in Class

[Tainan Mantis]

Do you get (or give, if you are a teacher) water breaks during class time?
When I studied in Taiwan the class was very long 2-3 hours and we would usually break for some tea.

Here in the states classes usually don't pass one and a half hours and I have seen some classes here that are only 45 minutes long, even half an hour for kids class.

So I wonder what is your experience with the water break.

THE DRINKS
I usually brew some type of tea for the students to drink during our class. Such as green tea, herb tea or yerba mate.

AFTER CLASS
Most people like to drink some corn based sweet drink like Gatorade after workout, but I always recommend coconut water (not coconut milk) after class.

And then there is always water.

[SimonM]

I had cocoanut water once (I was expecting cocoanut milk and was sorely surprised). It was salty and gross.

[Oso]

a lot depends on how hydrated the people stay on a regular basis.

dehydration and physical training don't mix so it's probably a good idea to not guess if a student has consumed enough water during the day.

I wouldn't give a kid's 30 minute class a break i don't think...possibly one right after the warmup but that's it...

in an hour long class (kids or adults) I usually give 2 water breaks...but just long enough for them to get 4-6 ounces of water at each break...that's usually enough for a moderately strenuous class. During our 2 hour san shou class I let them drink as they wish between rounds or sets of exercises.

and all the above instances I advocate water only...but, anyone over 18 is an adult and can make their own choices.

Gatorade is drank incorrectly and at inappropriate times by most people. Most people aren't training hard enough or long enough to warrant it. And, even then, watering it down 50% is a good idea.

[golgo]

Do you get (or give, if you are a teacher) water breaks during class time?
When I studied in Taiwan the class was very long 2-3 hours and we would usually break for some tea.

Here in the states classes usually don't pass one and a half hours and I have seen some classes here that are only 45 minutes long, even half an hour for kids class.

So I wonder what is your experience with the water break.

THE DRINKS
I usually brew some type of tea for the students to drink during our class. Such as green tea, herb tea or yerba mate.

AFTER CLASS
Most people like to drink some corn based sweet drink like Gatorade after workout, but I always recommend coconut water (not coconut milk) after class.

And then there is always water.

Let me caveat this by saying that I have only been training for a few months.

In general, our Saturday classes are more rigorous than our weeknight classes and normally go beyond 2 hours. We have fairly frequent water breaks on those days. During the week, I rarely need a water break during the class(these are shorter classes and usually more focused on learning new techniques). I highly doubt Sifu would have a problem with us getting water if we needed it though.

[MasterKiller]

I train adults. They can drink whenever they want.

How many potty breaks do you allow?

[Drake]

Water is very very important. You don't want to be that guy with a heat casualty because you wanted to "tough it out". Dehydration is often poorly understood, and even in cold climates, dehydration poses a risk.

[Exadon]

My classes are an hour long . We have a 5 min water break 30 mins into the class. I am not a big tea fan but due to all the health benefits of tea, I may start to bring in green tea to drink instead of water.

[taai gihk yahn]

I thought this was a thread about a pregnant female student at term...

[Pork Chop]

I thought this was a thread about a pregnant female student at term...

beat me to it.
i thought the exact same thing.
but then, it might be because i'm gonna be a daddy soon.

[TenTigers]

Typical scenerio in my school:

"Sifu, can I get some water?"

"Good fighters don't need water,
Bad fighters don't deserve water.
Which one are you?!"

"I'm like, a mediocre fighter. Can I have a litlle water?"

"Yeah, g'head.":D

[Oso]

there's a difference between unhealthy training and 'eating bitter'

[Ray Pina]

30-40 minute strength/conditioning/agility ... water/**** break

60 minute drills, usually a series of techniques that relate ... 2 water/**** breaks

40 minute Free play starting from various positions ... water/**** go home.

[Drake]

Tea doesn't hydrate you.

[Lucas]

the water in tea doesnt hydrate you?

[BoulderDawg]

Yeah, I don't know what the big deal is.

I usually bring a water bottle to class and whenever I need it I just go grab a quick drink.

In winter workouts there are many times I don't drink more than once in a two hour workout. In the summer that's a little different.

[GeneChing]

...made me totally misread your initial question on water breaks. :o

Right now, I'm training under Yan Fei at O-Mei Kung Fu (http://www.usaomei.com/). We get a water break after our warm ups and jibengong. We often get another to break up form recital and lessons.

My old fencing coach, the late great Maestro Michael D'Saro, used to ban water breaks during training. He could be a real hard ass sometimes.

[Lucas]

check this out, about tea. (http://www.teasetc.com/tea/article.asp?ID=52&Name=Tea%2Band%2BHydration)

i remember reading that back in the railroad construction days, many of the americans were getting sick because of foul drinking water. many of the chinese working on the rails were not suffering the same outbreaks, because they tended to drink only tea, boiling their water before hand and cleansing it of bacteria.

[BoulderDawg]

Tea? Many in our school drink tea of all kinds but not during a workout.

In times past there was a worry about polluted water, in fact that how beer came about, but these days, unless you're in a undeveloped country there is no need to worry.

I don't know, a beer might be nice in the middle of a workout.:p

[Reverend Tap]

My school has 1 1/2-2 hour classes (at least, for the adult classes), no water breaks. Not for purposes of eating bitter or anything, but just basically because my sifu wants to use that time as efficiently as possible.

I thought that was rather cruel at first, especially because I tend toward dehydration, but after I finally got into the habit of drinking as much water as I need to the day before and day of class, it's not a problem. We will, on a rare occasion, have someone get lightheaded in class, and if it doesn't immediately go away Sifu will, of course, let the student in question get a drink while they're sitting out.

I usually slug some Powerade right after class, then tea when I get home. I was in the habit of drinking coconut juice after every workout and loved it, but have since been told by a few people that it's actually not good for you to drink that right after a strenuous workout.

[David Jamieson]

water and tea.

sips throughout the workout.

try to keep hydrated always. It's good for your kidneys and keeps the stones away. :)

(no mick jagger jokes please)

[Shaolinlueb]

if its a really warm day. since we work hard. i try to keep them hydrated every 15-20 minute for water. give them 30 seconds for a quick mouthful and thats it. class isn't sweating too bad, then none.