Would you join a school run by a 1st dan, 2nd dan, 3rd dan?

[3rdanblack]

When my school was taken over by another instructor he was 3rd dan and took the school from having about 30 students to about 200. If you refuse to join a school because the instructor is 1st 2nd or 3rd dan than you are either really conceided or just have no idea about what makes up a good instructor. I guess my answer to your question is YES

 

 

[mastertae]

well I dont judge them because they are high ranking since both are very kind individuals and have at some point in their lives used it on the streets when having to defend them-selves I have a deep respect for them. They both ar in their early sixties to mid-sixties so it is not like they are young

[mastertae]

both also were in the korean military and one of them actually trained the soldiers. I think it is best to look up people credentials before choosing a school not because some one says so

[three60roundhouse]

My tae kwon do instructor had just tested for his fourth dan when I joined the school...he is a very good teacher, and that matters a lot more, ro mw, then how many little stripes are on his belt! In the other art I study, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MOST instructors aren't black belts! I am taught by a couple of guys and NONE of them are black belts....so it all depends on who you think will be the best teachrer FOR YOU!

[Bon]

Of course I'd train under a 1st/2nd dan black belt.

 

My last instructor was a black belt, but he probably could have been a first or second dan if he tested. Besides, x dan doesn't necessarily make a good teacher, and people new to martial arts won't understand dan rankings yet.

 

 

[tsdstud]

When my brothers joined my school, my instructor was a 2nd dan. I joined right after he got his 3rd dan. We have the largest school in Michigan and the most succesful when it comes to national and international tournaments. Now, he does have nearly 25years of experience but he is "only" a 3rd dan. Our school is so large that many classes are run by 1st or 2nd dans with assistance from me and a few other red belts. Like they have said, it all depends on the type of person the instructor is. In the ITF (Tang Soo Do style) it is impossible to be a licensed instructor until they receive their 2nd dan anyway.

 

 

[tessone]

I think the really crucial thing is how long the instructor has been teaching, personally. A friend of mine is 2nd dahn in Kuk Sool (soon to take his first test for 3rd dahn), and the kinds of mistakes he makes in teaching aren't because he doesn't know the material well enough, but because he doesn't have as much experience in pedagogy. It's the same in most any discipline.

 

The chief instructor is a 5th dahn, and the reason he's an amazing teacher is because he's been doing this so long, and he's watched hundreds of students make the same mistakes I do. When he sees me do something wrong, he has a whole arsenal of ways to correct it, and if I don't respond to one way, he can try it a different way.

 

First post, by the way. Hi everybody.

[KickChick]

tessone Welcome to KarateForums and please introduce yourself in our Introductions Forum .

 

 

 

Whether the instructor is 1st, 2nd or 3rd dan, a good martial arts teacher needs to learn about anatomy and kinesiology, history and philosophy of the martial art, and the methodology of teaching. Instructors need to work at designing a good program and lesson planning. Some schools and associations have their own certification program for instructors.

 

FYI: A sensei is someone who has practiced for a long time, studied martial art seriously, and decided to carry on the tradition by teaching new students. In the Korean language sensei is called sahbumnihm, and in Chinese, a teacher is called sifu.

 

Teachers have different names depending on their experience and the school that they teach in.

 

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[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-04-24 10:28 ]

[karatekid1975]

Two of my instructors are 1st dans. And they are great teachers and good friends. I'm learning a lot from them. My master instructor is 7th dan, and he is awsome also. The senior instructor (under the master) is only 3rd dan. They are hard on us about proper technique, ect. They are a very good group of instructors.

 

But then again, we have "helpers" in class (people who help teach, but don't get paid for it). One is really bad at teaching. She's way too pushy (red belt). There's a blue belt who is excellent at teaching, and she is no where near 1st dan. She's a natural, I think.

 

So, I don't think rank as anything to do with it (well, it does in someways). I think it has to do mostly with personality. If you are patient, willing to work with people, and don't get frustrated, then that's the first sign of a good teacher. A good teacher also learns (and willingly) from his/her students.

 

 

[striking_cobra]

i agree with the fact that rank isn't everything...a beginner could learn alot from a blue belt even. (and i'm talking bjj, blue belt being the second belt.)