Right now, there’s a current blowing through the training community where we are hearing that students need to “learn under stress” in order to be able to protect themselves during a stressful event. There are a few instructors who think they need to yell or even scream at their students while the student is trying to learn something new. I don’t think that’s an effective teaching technique. There’s a place for that type of pressure, but I think that pressure should be applied after the student has already learned the techique and become reasonably proficient in it.

For most adult students, learning something new provides its own kind of stress, and that type of stress is enough during the learning process. Once the skillset is learned, and with the student’s permission, you can apply more stress so they know well they can perform under pressure. But you have to give them time to learn the skill first—otherwise, you produce dangerous, fumbly behavior with very little retention in learning.

Teach first, give them time to learn and practice the skillset, then get permission and pressure test.