College student w/ a question for instructors...

[monkeygirl]

Rather than making the instructor come to you, you may want to organize a bunch of students, get transportation, and go to the dojo yourselves. Some instructors can be lazy and unwilling to travel.

 

IF you have a lot of people interested in the BJJ training:

 

You might be able to work out some kind of flat rate with the dojo. For example, you can offer $100 per lesson, no matter how many people from your college come. That way, if you bring 20 people, it's only $5 a pop. I just used those numbers as an example, but I think you get the idea...the more students you bring, the less it costs each of you. It's also a benefit to the instructor, because if any of the people in your group are local, they have a cheap way to try the school, and may eventually decide to stick with it long-term. Explain to the owner/instructor/whoever that you'll be guaranteeing him a certain amount of business every time. That will look pretty attractive to a school owner, especially if he has a smaller school.

 

This really won't work with a small group of college students, however. You probably won't be able to offer enough money to the instructor to make it worth his time.

 

My other suggestion:

 

Have you searched the resources at your college? You never know, you just might have a BJJ blackbelt or two on campus.

[kempocos]

KARATEKID wrote "I teach at a YMCA (besides helping at my dojang). They pay $45 for 8 weeks (8 lessons a session .... once a week). As an instructor, I try to give them their "money's worth" so to speak. Try to find a good YMCA program"

 

Are you still a blue belt, if so you should not be running any program you are a student who has not mastered the basics yet. In most styles the BLACK BELT simply means you have completed the basics now it is time to learn the meat of the style. This is a pet peve of mine and it is what starts comments like MCDOJO. Would you pay for a class taught by someone who has not even reached brown no less black. and this is why I would suggest staying away from YMCA programs.

 

If you you have reached 2nd degree (in adult classes) this is when the title SENSEI is given then I apologize.

[TangSooGuy]

and this is why I would suggest staying away from YMCA programs.

 

I'm not going to touch some of your post, but I kind of take offense to that. there are plenty of superb YMCA programs out there (plenty of bad ones, too, but plenty of really good ones).

 

I started through what became a YMCA program. My instructor is now moving towards 6th Dan and has a commercial location, but he never would have been able to do that without starting at a Y first.

 

I run a YMCA program, and was just recently promoted to 4th Dan.

 

You can't judge any program based solely on where it is.

 

That said, you have some valid points about color belt teaching classes, at least unsupervised, but I think that in some cases there may also be other extenuating circumstances, so I wouldn't say it is automatically a bad thing in every case.

 

Example:

 

I have known color belt adults that were extraordinary students and grasped meaning and application more quicly than some black belts I know. One of these in particular was a teacher as her occupation, so grasped some of the teaching fundamentals that other people don't understand until they've done it. i would have trusted her to teach things she knew to beginners.I think making broad generalizations can only get you into trouble, although I do understand where you are coming from.

[kempocos]

TANG SOO - I ment no offense and only spoke from my experiences, in my area there are three Y's and they offer poor training. I think that I generalized too much.

 

I agree colored belts teaching when a higher rank is overseeing the class is fine and offers great things for the person teaching , My post was directed to the running of a program at that rank. I have seen it happen far too often.

 

If I was unclear it was due to rushing the post, so the boss does not see that I like karate forums over work

[TangSooGuy]

If I was unclear it was due to rushing the post, so the boss does not see that I like karate forums over work

 

 

Fair enough- I seem to have the same issue myself ....I hope I didn't come off as being too harsh.

 

And I agree that color belts shouldn't be running independent programs on their own.

[stl_karateka]

KARATEKID wrote "I teach at a YMCA (besides helping at my dojang). They pay $45 for 8 weeks (8 lessons a session .... once a week). As an instructor, I try to give them their "money's worth" so to speak. Try to find a good YMCA program"

 

Are you still a blue belt, if so you should not be running any program you are a student who has not mastered the basics yet. In most styles the BLACK BELT simply means you have completed the basics now it is time to learn the meat of the style. This is a pet peve of mine and it is what starts comments like MCDOJO. Would you pay for a class taught by someone who has not even reached brown no less black. and this is why I would suggest staying away from YMCA programs.

 

If you you have reached 2nd degree (in adult classes) this is when the title SENSEI is given then I apologize.

 

 

Harsh and inaccurate.

 

A competent blue belt can certainly teach beginners!

 

Doesn't sensei mean teacher? At my old school I was 'sensei' since yellow belt. Some schools prefer to use the term Sempai --- whatever its just a title, but to discredit someone cause of what they were around their waist is silly.

 

That's right, I was being groomed to teach since yellow belt --- as an adult I started working mostly with the kids....making sure they were in a straight line, proper stances...ya know...the easy stuff.....as my rank progressed, so did my responsibility. By the time I reached brown belt I was trusted to open / close the school and run the school when the head instructors were out of town - this included not only teaching, but scheduling and dealing with parents. Now that I am a black belt, I am a step above those who waited to start teaching. Those that teach will probably agree that teaching is different from being on the recieving end...you can be a sharp student, but it doesn't mean you will be a good teacher

 

Also, most underbelts that teach go above and beyond in their training. I know I trained 20 hrs a week....that is 17hrs above the norm!!! Some of that included private lessons as the head instructor wanted the staff to be the sharpest ones out there.

 

Sure there are a lot of McDojos out there --- but get the facts straight first. Now all Y's are bad, not all underbelts are bad teachers.

 

Now that I've sucessfully driven this post off topic, lemme try to bring it back.....college, judo ---- good luck!

[kempocos]

stl_karateka - I must respectfully disagree. To run a program with out a DAN ranked person involed is doing a dis service to those you teach. You may be a great student , however the the title SENSEI is something earned from many hours of training and in the styles I have studied of these three I obtained BLACK BELTS no one under 2nd degree was ever called SENSEI, SEMPAI yes SENSEI no. I agree that teaching is a great teaching tool if there is a QUALIFIED DAN ranked instructor overseeing.

[tommarker]

I'm at a University affiliated club myself. Like most clubs, our club started because a student with the skills to teach decided to share their knowledge with others. Most of the clubs at Ohio State started in the same way. Only 2-3 of them have teachers who also teach in a commercial setting.

 

I can't imagine how hard it would be to try and start a club and then have to search for someone to teach!

 

You probably won't ever get enough money together to attract someone. You're going to have to find someone crazy enough to do it almost purely for the love of teaching.

 

Teaching at the college level is very rewarding, because the kids are smart, understand what you're teaching, and are often very driven.

 

I would keep networking on campus. Is there a judo club? Maybe even intramural wrestling? Wrestling team? All of these might end up with some sort of lead. Talk to the wrestling coach, find out who is in the community.. that sort of thing. Of course, with your luck, you might put all the work into getting a strong club together and graduate!

[stl_karateka]

stl_karateka - I must respectfully disagree. To run a program with out a DAN ranked person involed is doing a dis service to those you teach. You may be a great student , however the the title SENSEI is something earned from many hours of training and in the styles I have studied of these three I obtained BLACK BELTS no one under 2nd degree was ever called SENSEI, SEMPAI yes SENSEI no. I agree that teaching is a great teaching tool if there is a QUALIFIED DAN ranked instructor overseeing.

 

This is a topic in itself! We'll let this so we don't hijack the thread. Thanks for replying though --- I hear what your saying, I just don't see it the same. Agree to disagree I guess

[kempocos]

STL - I see yours as well. I am sure it will come up again, it always does.