Aboout Instructors

[Jade]

Hi everyone.....

 

I wanna know what do you think about instructors? If you have met great, poor or average ones and what do you think a good teacher should have.

 

I known at least two good instructors that apparently are very different each one. One is an experienced instructor that know almost everything but have the bad side by not having a regular teaching....i mean...they are lessons in which the training is hard and intensive with even 10 different katas in one hour:o... and others(the most) that are soft and too relaxed.

 

The other instructor instead is not experieced(it's obout one year that he started teaching) and he didn't trained in the latest years.....indeed some time he doesn't remember some ot the haghest ranked katas or moves....but....his training is addictive because you have the feeling he's enjoying the lesson with his students making the lesson very confortable and well programmed.

 

And you, what kind of teacher did you know?

[Dijita]

Hi Jade, welcome to the karateforums.

 

This is a great question, though maybe should be in General Discussion?

 

I have two great teachers in my class. One of them just teaches part time and was actually my current teachers instructer when he first started out in Karate.

 

Both of them are excellent. They are easy to approach, and always answer my questions so that I understand. They walk around the class often and help us better our technique. Our main instructor does such an amazing job at creating a family feeling at our dojo and often has us over for things like BBQ's.

 

Their techniques are excellent, and they both have some great accomplishments under their belt. You can tell that they are both willing to guide you. They are very encouraging, yet critical. They push you very hard too.

 

I love my instructors and have the upmost respect for them, as well as the other students in my dojo who help me out each class.

[Jade]

Hi Jade, welcome to the karateforums.

 

This is a great question, though maybe should be in General Discussion?

Thanks for the answer....

 

well...sorry if i posted this here...yes, i figured out now that this could be a general martial arts discussion but since i practice karate i was guided in this section.

[ShotoMan]

Hi Jade and hey, I'd say this is suitable for in here

 

From my experience, a bad instructor is as you say, one who tries to do to much in a given lesson. I see many a sensei clock watching as they decide we will do 10 minutes on this thing, then 15 minutes on the next and so on. Not good.

 

The best sensei is one who has a particular application or method to teach and builds the lesson on this very point. He / she may start with a kata and then select a combination from that kata. Practice this combination in drill form and break it down further within kumite. I have had an instructor who does just this and the lessons are excellent! A lesson can last an hour or two hours; it all depends on whether or not he has gotten the point across.

 

Good stuff.

 

[ramymensa]

Timing is the bigest problem for a teacher, as well for a sensei. We tend to overemphasise something and times flies. So I'd say a little planning could do no wrong (the class would be more structured), but it doesn't have to be obvious. At the beginners it tends to be like that (you see them all the time trying to get in accordance with the watch ). A more experienced sensei does the same, but you can't tell it because now he kinda "feels" it.

 

I'd rather work under a schedule, than waste time with unimportant things and rush through the "vital" ones.

[Jade]

Timing is the bigest problem for a teacher, as well for a sensei. We tend to overemphasise something and times flies. So I'd say a little planning could do no wrong (the class would be more structured), but it doesn't have to be obvious. At the beginners it tends to be like that (you see them all the time trying to get in accordance with the watch ). A more experienced sensei does the same, but you can't tell it because now he kinda "feels" it.

 

I'd rather work under a schedule, than waste time with unimportant things and rush through the "vital" ones.

yes, that's what i experienced as i said in my first post with a 5th dan black belt Sensei. It's very sad because his knownledge was great, one of the best if you asked around, but he didn't plan the lessons.

 

I'm brown belt now and my new istructor indeed has noticed that some of the basic techniques that i perform has been rushed....and i remained surprised when he said "even the easiest moves like age uke or the simplest kata as heian shodan can be the hardest things to know at its fullest".

[aefibird]

My karate instructor is excellent. He really takes time over something and tries to make sure that we understand a technique or whatever before we move onto anything else. He really explains the reasoning behind everything - we don't just do techniques for the sake of it, but try to get to grips with the way the body is positioned for certain techniqes, how it would be used in a practical situation, etc. His 'big thing' is having correct basics, because you can't move onto anything more advanced without having a good solid foundation. He generally has a rough plan for each lesson before it starts, although it can be subject to change depending on the number & ability of people present in each lesson. However, we have set days that we always do certain things on. Mondays is usually basics & kata, Tuesdays is for brown belts & above and is usually kata, Wednesdays are basics and sparring/kumite and Fridays are higher grade sparring/kumite with a few basics thrown in for good measure! Thursdays are my instructors freestyle self defence classes, which is a bit of everything - striking, grappling, weapon defence, fitness, speed work, joint locks, throws etc etc. The assistant instructor at my karate dojo is me, so of course all my lessons are perfect...

 

My Aikido instructor is also excellent and really takes time to make sure that you understand and can grasp what the lesson is about. Hpwever, he's had to stop teaching for the moment, although I hope it's only going to be temporary.

 

I feel very fortunate in having two great instructors. I'm looking round for something to fill in my 'Aikido gap' at the moment, whilst my instructor is having surgery, so I hope that whatever style I choose that my new instructor will be as great as the ones I've already had.

 

I've only ever trained under 1 'bad' instructor. it wasn't particularly that his Martial Arts were bad, because they weren't, it was just that he was a very poor teacher and ineffective at communicating karate. My karate association has regular courses for black & brown belts and this man usually teaches an hour long slot at them. He's 3rd Dan and his karate is very good, but he tends to spend more time waffling about why a particular technique is as it is, rather than giving us a clear explanation and letting the students get on with it.

 

It's a pity that more people don't realise that just because they're good at something (or think they're good at something!) that it automatically means that they can teach that subject. There's a vetting and training system in place for classroom teachers - it's a shame that a similar workable training system couldn't be introduced for wannabe martial arts instructors.

[Monkeymagic]

Our main instructor is very good and who attracted me to stay at the club. He is very relaxed, works us hard, knows his stuff. He is very good for those just learning in the beginners class.

 

In the advanced class he pushes us and those who are new to the advanced class always at different levels. He knows all his students names (well those who have been coming for a while) knows there weaknesses and strengths. He will push you when you are slacking but you know really he just wants youn to do well. He will praise you when you have done something well (usually something he knows you have been working on)

 

I have been going to the club coming up to three years. I am a brown belt now and he has guided me well through each grading. I will be leaving the club this summer as I am leaving the country. I will miss his instruction and the ethos of the club.

 

But this has encouraged me to continue karate when I move abroad. Anyone know of good karate clubs in Beijing (that teach in english).