Opening School

[benkendrick]

Okay I'm going to jump in on the discussion. I believe all of this talk about what dan rank one should have before being allowed to open a school shows that many martial arts are simply putting the cart before the horse. When I step into a dojo I only ask two question regarding the experience of the instructor. Neither of these has anything to do with formal rank. The first is how long they have been training in the style the are teaching and the second is how long they have been teaching. Experience is far more important to me than how many pieces of paper they have hanging on the wall.

 

I am only a shodan, yet have trained for twelve years consistantly. And due to some unusual circumstances, I ran my own dojo for three years during which time I did not have dan rank. Did my students perform poorly on their exams because of my low "ranking". In fact, they all performed quite well, being of a similar skill in almost every category as the students who trained in the school where they were tested. Teaching is not about the belt certificate you hold, it's about the experience with both the curriculum and the ability to express it to other students who want to learn from you.

 

To say a nidan or sandan shouldn't run their own dojo would strike me as saying that the organization may need some quality control. Because if some one with that much "rank" cannot be trusted to impart the basics to a new student or even a mid level student, then I doubt that I would want to join an organization that trains their teachers so poorly.

 

Mind you that's just my two yen.

 

Excellent post, that was the point I thought I was trying to make - before I got sidetracked.

 

BTW - you wouldn't be associated with the Yoseikan Aiki club in Huntsville, AL would you?

[yoriki816]

ben~

 

As a matter of fact I am associated with the Yoseikan club in Huntsville. I've been training there for almost 12 years now. Are you local to the area?

[kenpo4life]

Folks are WAY to concerned with rank. I have 26 years in the biz and I am second dan. Dont care about rank. Care about skills.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Folks are WAY to concerned with rank. I have 26 years in the biz and I am second dan. Dont care about rank. Care about skills.

 

Agreed! I've found talking to long time martial artists in general, that the longer they are involved in the art, the less concerned they are with attaining higher rank.

[xtremartialarts1]

There is really no set "law" of what rank you have to be in order to be an instructor. In my opinion a brown belt can begin the process of learning to be an instructor and whenever there master feels that it is time, that person may become an instructor. In my experience I have seen great brown belts teach, first dan black belts who were teens that could teach pretty awsome classes, as well as 4th and 5th dan black belts who were terrible instructors. To me, rank does not make an instructor- the person makes the instructor.

[bullydog]

OK, I'm new here and I hope I don't insult anyone with one of my first posts. I understand that there is a feeling of loyalty to your style, and that's great. I stayed with my first style for 11 years. (Washin-ryu) And during that time, I really enjoyed the course. When I went to my next school, which was Tae Kwon Do, I was amazed at their style of self defense. That's when it hit me. I don't care that I will never have ten stripes on my black belt. I spent the next many years traveling to schools and seminars, learning everything I could in the way of self-defense, close combat, grappling... My point is, it really depends on what you are looking for and what you want to get out of it. My school currently teaches Washin-Ryu kata, which are the same as Shotokan kata, but the majority of our time is spent in combat styles from all over the world. It's a mixed Martial Art, but a combo from all of my EXPERIENCE!

[aefibird]

Well, I started teaching beginners classes in my Shotokan club when I was a 2nd kyu brown belt. My beginner students didn't suddenly become 10 times better the minute I achieved Shodan. Similarly, if I ever own my own club and one day make it to 4th dan, my teaching ability isn't going to dramatically improve the second that I'm awarded that 4th dan.

 

The skill of an instructor is far more important than what number they hold, even if Joe Bloggs on the street who has never done any martial arts thinks opposite.