CallMeLuke

I admire your enthusiasm but you need to think carefully about how and in what order you're going to introduce all the stuff that you've mentioned. Don't overwhelm your new students with too many techniques or techniques that are too difficult. As far as conditioning goes, if I attended one of your classes, I'd want to spend the majority of my time learning martial arts - not doing conditioning exercises that I can easily do outside of the dojo. This is just my opinion, of course. It seems to me that you need to sit down and work on a structured curriculum. It's fine for very experienced teachers to wing it sometimes, but a new teacher shouldn't really be doing it. Again, this is just my opinion. In short, if you overwhelm or confuse prospective students, they're not going to return for a second lesson. Lessons should be fun, informative, and pitched correctly to the level of the students (assume them to be unfit absolute beginners until you know otherwise.) Again: good luck!

Good luck with the class. I'm sure that it will go well. Don't be too put off if things don't at first go as smoothly as you'd like; remember that both you and your new students will need to progress along a learning curve. Your lessons will improve as you get into the teaching groove and as your students learn what to expect and how to behave. I hope you'll let us know how you're getting along!

Many thanks to each and every one of you who has contributed to this thread. Regardless of whether you're fore or against my potential plan, you've given me much to think about. I've got plenty of time to think through the many issues that have been raised, and in the meantime I'll continue to train and develop myself. Great forum, great contributors!

Thanks for the reply, Daisho. As always I welcome any and all opinions. A few comments based on a few of your points and the points of others: I would never fleece anyone out of money. No dodgy contracts, no money making scams. Just me sharing what I do with anyone who might be interested. I've never seen a "McDojo" (as they're commonly defined online) in the UK. Maybe they're more prevalent elsewhere? The whole idea of a full-time school with its own premises, with full-time instructors, run as a money-making business, doesn't fit with any karate school I've ever visited or seen in England. It certainly doesn't fit in with what I want to do - which is teach what I do as a hobby. I understand that you place much personal value in rank. From what you've written, it seems that you and your fellow club members should be rightly proud of your achievements. The thing about rank is, there is no set criteria that can be applied evenly across clubs/schools or MA styles. What is a black belt? Is a black belt in BJJ the same as one in Taekwondo? Does it represent the same proficiencies, knowledge, or practical abilities? How about, looking at a single MA, across different clubs that perhaps have different training methods and place emphasis on different areas of their art? Is a black belt in a style that focus more on the "way of life" aspect of traditional martial arts equivalent to a black belt in a style that focusses more on "artistic expression"? Or to a black belt in a style that focusses on practical self-defence? Or to a black belt in a style focussed on competitive sports combat? And you can replace the term "black belt" with any definition of rank and ask the same questions. No, a rank only has currency in the club that awarded it, or in any organisations to which the club might belong. Outside of these groups, the rank is meaningless to others. But please read carefully what I write: the personal value of rank can be important, because, for some, it represents a degree of personal development. I agree with you that a teacher should have an in-depth knowledge of what is being taught, and for this reason I would never dream of trying to teach Shotokan. I have more than a brown belt level knowledge of Shotokan but I only graded up to brown belt. Anyone interested in traditional Shotokan should look for a teacher who has achieved a senior dan ranking in the art. What I do have an in-depth knowledge of is what I do, which no longer resembles Shotokan very much at all, but which would clearly be seen to be heavily influenced by Karate by anyone who observed it. What I do places a lot of emphasis on practical self-defence and personal and artistic self-development. It includes punches, kicks, blocks, parries, throws, and locks, and enough basic grappling defence work to defend against amateur takedown attempts and to enable a person to protect himself long enough to regain his feet in the case of being taken to the ground. It also includes unique kata that record practical self-defence techniques in an unambiguous way whilst retaining the artistry of traditional Shotokan kata. It would be far from the best choice for competitive sports fighting or MMA competition, and the same goes for most traditional styles of MA and or styles based on traditional MAs, and I would honestly suggest to a potential student who is interested in training for MMA to cross train in a focussed competitive grappling art and a focussed competitive striking art rather than to join my classes. It seems to me that personal dishonesty and false claims about the effectiveness of the taught style are two core features of "McDojo" schools, and I hope that I have managed to convey my desire to avoid both these things. Regarding your point about clubs forming their own structures and traditions once they are established - thats a very good point. It gives me something to think about. I don't mind ranking systems as long as a student can opt out of them and still progress in his or her training without punishment or pressure of any kind, but that's probably easier said than done. Hmm.

I started off in Shotokan Karate, where I gained a brown belt rank. I now study an unnamed personal style of Karate which has its roots in Shotokan but no longer resembles it.

You're a pretty angry, it seems, and determined to get a rise out of me. I'm sorry that you feel this way. Please allow me to address a few of the issues that you raise: 1) Belt rankings: I stepped off the whole "race-to-black" conveyor belt all those years ago because I believed that the practice of Karate was better and more fulfilling without rankings. When you remove artificial ranks, and assessment criteria, the results can be quite rewarding. Does this mean that belts and ranks are useless or that a black belt is worthless? Not at all. Ranks and belts have personal value to many people, and who am I to say that those people are wrong. 2) My "style" of Karate: I never claimed to have invented a new, improved martial art. Over the course of my studies, freed from rigid tradition-bound rules that needed to be followed in order to advance in rank, my "style" evolved to suit my body-type, preferences, and philosophy. This was a natural thing. It occurred slowly. I don't claim that my "style" is better or worse than Shotokan or any other style of Karate. It is merely different, it suits me, and might be of interest to others. 3) My motivation: I don't want to make money off people. I am a teacher by vocation. I think that, as a hobby, it might be personally fulfilling to teach my sort of Karate. If I can make enough money to cover my costs (ie. renting a hall a few times a week) then I'll be happy. If people want grades, I'll grade them for free - but I'll make it clear to them that I don't think that grades are as important as personal fulfilment and a real sense of personal development. 4) My ability: I think that I know enough and have practiced long enough to have gained a fair level of ability. I consider my ability to be equal to many new 1st dan black belts, but really, others should judge this. I don't claim to possess any special skills, abilities or secret knowledge. 5) My integrity: I'm a teacher by vocation. I work in a montessori kindergarden teaching children. I will still work as a teacher once I return to the UK. Do you really think that I would jeopardise my career or good reputation by engaging in shady practices with the intention of fleecing people of their money? Look, as I've already written, I live in China. I could return to the UK, make all sorts of claims about having studies ancient, secret Chinese martial arts, and try to charge a fortune to gullible people to learn my "secrets", but I won't. Think about it, would I even have posted my original question if I was up to no good? Look, if what I have written enrages you or makes me seem to be a shady scam artist, then perhaps I have failed to express myself clearly and I apologise. Anyway, thanks for the feedback.

Hm. I'm not sure if you've just given me some friendly advice or accused me of being a scam artist with a wall full of fake certificates who is out to milk innocent people of their hard earned money. If it's the former then thanks, I'll be sure not to replicate the dodgy practices of your first teacher. If it's the latter then I'll overlook the insult because you obviously had a horrible experience and, quite naturally, want to protect others from falling for the same scam.

Thanks so much for your opinions, people. I'll way up my options carefully before I make a decision on how to proceed. Fortunately, I'll remain here in China for a year or so, so I have plenty of time to think things through before I act. In the meantime, I'll continue to train and develop my knowledge and ability, which is the true pleasure of Karate.

Hi guys, I'm thinking about offering Karate instruction in a year or so, but I'm not sure whether or not I should. I'd really welcome some advice. I'm a thirty four year old brown belt in Shotokan Karate and I've held this rank for more than fifteen years. Since gaining my last formal rank, I've spent most of my training time training privately outside of a formal club setting. During this time my "style" has changed into something that, whilst clearly and unmistakably karate, can no longer be called shotokan Karate (I'm happy to elaborate on this if anyone wants). My family and I live in China at the moment (where I'm an English teacher) but we plan to return to the UK in a year or two. I'm thinking about sharing what I know, teaching my form of karate, but I don't know if I'd be criticised or dismissed for not being an official black belt. I have no intention or desire to misrepresent myself by claiming official ranks that I don't have. Nor do I wish to proclaim myself a "grandmaster" of my personal style - because that seems rather egotistical, pretentious, and, well, rather silly. I just think that since I know a thing or two, have quite a bit of experience, and since I'm passionate about both Karate and teaching, I would like to share what I know with others. So, to cut an already long-winded post somewhat short. What do people think about me teaching my personal karate style to others? Is it a good idea or a bad one?