MartialArthur

I disagree with this one. I'd like to think that when I'm old and can't demonstrate all the moves that I could still be a great teacher...perhaps even a better teacher. (you know, with all that wisdom and stuff) ..

Good answers so far... Should also be a great motivator. Students should leave class excited about coming back next time. ..

I had been training for over 15 years and teaching part-time at my instructor's school for the past several years. Teaching was not only rewarding, but improved my own martial arts skills in ways that training alone could not do. A little over a year ago I just decided it was time to "live the dream" and do what I love for a living. What a great choice! Being a MA instructor is the best job you can have. I have a positive impact on so many lives, my skills are better than ever, and my teenage sons come to work with me. Oh, yea, not having a boss is pretty cool too. ..

ovine king, exactly right. You should not expect a child to be able to fight a much larger adult, any more than a petite women should be expected to fight a large man. That doesn't mean that a child (or a women) should not be able to earn a black belt. Individuals should be judged on fighting ability with their peers. Invincibility should not be a requirement. If it were, most of us would never have earned a black belt. ..

As an instructor, the belts (and even the stripes on the belts) are infinitely valuable. I instantly know where each of my students is in their training, what techniques and forms they need to work on, and which ones they need to learn. I can quickly and effectively pair them up for sparring or assign them to drills. This is no small task when trying to keep up with 150 students... ..

Done! My Taekwondo school, and many others I know have already incorporated ground fighting into their training. ..

Done! The TKD org I belong to (along with several others) has no connection to Korea except for some traditions. Wow, that was easy! ..

Traditional techniques are part of training. In sparring or fighting, use what works, which may include some traditional techniques. ..

SigungWhite, please make sure you understand that a waiver does not release you from responsibility. They don't hold up in court. You should check with your insurance company to make sure you are not taking a risk that you didn't intend to. ..

Andrew is right, just do your thing and create a ranking system for the kiddos. Just make sure it's fair, consistant and documented so that you can explain to Johnny's parents why he didn't get promoted and Sally did, even though Johnny is better (in their opinion). Do what you want with adults, but I frequently use upcoming belt tests as motivators for my adult students, and it does work. When they're tired after a tough day at work and have to make the decision whether to hit the couch or come and workout, an impending testing can help them make the right decision. Without some kind of timeframe and deadline, it makes it too easy to say: "I'll start training again next week". My $.02 ..

That website looks like the martial arts equivilent of a "diploma mill" where you can essentially buy your college degree. The problem with it, even if you are legit: any student, parent, or potential student can readily pull up that website and see what's going on. You'd almost have to be careful NOT to display your certificate and patch from "WBBB" because people always like to check thinks out on an org's website. If they see that, it won't reflect well on you. ..

Yes, taekwondo should provide you with what you are looking for. In my school it is optional to do the aerial kicks, but I'm more than happy to teach those who want to try (usually the 13 - 25 year olds). Our workouts are definitely aerobic...we keep the class moving and keep the heart rates up. The over 30's also get an aerobic workout, but they typically don't do the flashy kicks. They just want to learn how to take care of business. ..

powerof0ne is right, it's the kiddos that bring in the $$ to keep the doors open. The kids also have parents, which are a good source of adult students. The kids need to have relatively short term goals (i.e. color belts) and a big thing they are striving for (i.e. black belt) to keep them motivated and coming back. Whether this is good or bad doesn't matter because it's just the way it is. Kids absolutely thrive on tangible rewards that show their accomplishments. Parents are also willing to spend more on their kids than they spend on themselves. ..

Why?? ..

How do you know he does not have trophies? Most of my trophies are in my closet at home, not in my school. Some experts say that it is not good business to display trophies at the school because it would be intimidating or over-emphasize the importance of competiton. He really may not have any trophies, which says nothing about his teaching abilities. They don't award trophies for excellence in teaching. A lobby full of trophies says nothing about the quality of the school. Many great tournament competitors are poor teachers. ..

Sensei Rick, that was a great post. I think some here place TOO MUCH value on a black belt, so when they see someone who they deem unworthy, they think it cheapens their own black belt. It doesn't. Some say a kid cannot understand or have the wisdom to be a black belt. I say that wisdom & understanding are gradually gained throughout a lifetime. There is no one point or magical age when an individual attains "enlightenment" and now is worthy of a black belt. As a parent of 2 teenage boys and a former teenager myself, I know the worst place to draw such a line would be anywhere between 12 and 20. ..

Well, SubGrappler, I'm sure we would agree on one thing: neither one of us would award someone a black belt who did not deserve it. I have just been fortunate to train some truly exceptional kids.

"Insufficient" is relative. Most of my students are not training for a BJJ match, they just want to have sufficient skills to re-gain their feet if some brawler takes them down. I teach them enough to be effective in that situation, but i am not preparing them for BJJ matches. I suspect that if they wanted that they would find a BJJ instructor and take classes.

They were probably WTF or "olympic style" fighters. In my org, Taekwondo America, we emphasize "hands up & elbows in" when fighting. We insist on "guard up" when doing every kicking drill to make sure our students get used to always keeping their hands up.

SubGrappler, I know for a fact that an 11 or 12 year old can have the same or better skill level than an adult. I have seen it with my own eyes several times. They must endure the same rigorous training and pass the same tests. Their power (compared to their size) is impressive by any standard. Why would you keep a kid who earns a black belt from getting it? For an adult's self esteem? If you would require a black belt to have the same power as a grown man, then you are also excluding most adult women. Good luck with that. ..

Like I said several times here, I don't think such a school exists. It's a myth. I'd like to see someone prove me wrong. Give me a name...

The training becomes progressively more difficult and the advancement slows WAY down. Instead of waiting months for a new rank, you start having to wait for years. This can make it hard to stay motivated. Only the truly motivated stick with it after a while.

Texas, but I know some instructors in Florida, Ohio, N.C., LA, and TN. None of them are "pure" taekwondo. Like I said in my post, I have not seen ANY "pure" taekwondo schools. Every school I have seen does incorporate some jointlocks, takedowns, and ground fighting. Of course a groundfighting specialist would not be satisfied with a taekwondo schools ground fighting, any more than I would be satisfied with a grappling school's striking and kicking. Our goal on the ground is to quickly get back to our feet, where we can do some real damage...or get away.

I am a black belt, I like to think that I deserve it, but I don't think I could necessarily defeat someone twice my height and double my weight...Just like a 9 year old would not be able to defeat an adult. That does not make me (or the 9 year old) less deserving of our ranks. Children should be compared to other children, not adults. Being invincible should not be required to be worthy of a black belt. If a child works as hard for as long as an adult, and has the same skill level, why deny him a black belt? So that we can feel better about our own black belt? My 11 year old son earned his black belt at 10 - after 4 years of training and passing the exact same test our teens and adults must pass. He is every bit a black belt, and can handle himself with anyone even close to his size. I can think of no reason to deny him the rank he earned.

jaymac, how do you know this loser's instructor LET him wear his uniform? In my experience, idiots do things that they are not supposed to do. It is still my contention that this guy's instructor did not let him wear his uniform and belt. It was just some idiot who did not do what he was supposed to do or taught to do.