Should young black belts instruct the adult class

[granitemiller]

My question is should a young black belt (under 13 years old) be given the authority to teach the adult class (20 years old and up) on a consistent basis?

My opinion is no. The young person, regardless of rank, does not have the emotional maturity to instruct adults. I believe that any adult with an open mind will be able to receive partial instruction from an under 13 year old (provided the young person is serious and trying), but I don't think that an adult can give the same level of respect for a u-13 year old BB as they would for an adult BB. I believe that the u-13 year old would always be considered a "child" in the mind of the adult, and while the adult might "humor" the child, if the child steps over the line (pushing their authority), then problems and bad feelings occur.

In addition, an adult is paying to be taught by another adult, not a child.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

A similar question has been posted in General Martial Arts about receiving instruction as a shodan (mid-30 years old) from a younger black belt (nidan - 13 years old) if you are interested.

[Wa-No-Michi]

My question is should a young black belt (under 13 years old) be given the authority to teach the adult class (20 years old and up) on a consistent basis?

My opinion is no. The young person, regardless of rank, does not have the emotional maturity to instruct adults. I believe that any adult with an open mind will be able to receive partial instruction from an under 13 year old (provided the young person is serious and trying), but I don't think that an adult can give the same level of respect for a u-13 year old BB as they would for an adult BB. I believe that the u-13 year old would always be considered a "child" in the mind of the adult, and while the adult might "humor" the child, if the child steps over the line (pushing their authority), then problems and bad feelings occur.

In addition, an adult is paying to be taught by another adult, not a child.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

A similar question has been posted in General Martial Arts about receiving instruction as a shodan (mid-30 years old) from a younger black belt (nidan - 13 years old) if you are interested.

Have you had to experience this yourself granitemiller?

[granitemiller]

Yes I have actually. My old Sensei (who is now retired) would consistently have one young black belt instruct the adult class. This young person did not have the maturity, and after a short period of time, the adults stopped coming and many left the school altogether. We were down to two adults at one point, her father and myself. Finally my Sensei realized this was not a good idea, and it took nearly two months to get the adult class back to where it was. Then he started the same thing again! Luckily, her father had grown tired of training and stopped coming on a regular basis.

[tallgeese]

No, they shouldn't.

I spoke out pretty hard against it in the other thread. I don't feel they have the capacity to fathom situatinos that an adult would be in when they would have need to employ ma's. At least they shouln't.

They are also physically incapable of standing up with adults and throwing with them. Sparring, simulation training, all would be compromised by this factor.

If you've got a kid that you're working with on instructional skills or such, then have him run warm ups or some such thing and get him off the mat. It's going to be a lose-lose situation for both sides in the long run.

[bushido_man96]

I'd say no as well. I just don't think it would work.

[Rateh]

My answer is no. I think that students should be at least 16 before they can teach a class, and even then under direct supervision. I think for legal reasons no one under 18 should teach classes by themselves. As I said in the other thread, I think that young students can teach older ones. Running an adult class though is not the same thing at all. I don't know why, but the way I figure is that if the student is not old enough that you could legally pay them to instruct classes, they are not old enough to be instructing classes.

As far as size, I will always and forever disagree. All the arguements that people throw out about the size of the younger student being a mitigating factor throw me out as well. I may be 24 years old, but I am smaller than most 13 year olds. If a 13 year old is not able to instruct because of their size, or some people say not able to test for black belt because of size.....then I shouldn't be instrucing either.

[granitemiller]

We just had a discussion about this last night at our school after practice.

It is my thought that a young BB can be used in an adult class to demonstrate techniques, and even help assist the newer students who are just starting out during drills.

The topic that we were talking most about was the requirements for young BB are different than adult BB, so a youth BB (which we call "Children's Black Belt") has a limited number of kata, self defense, weapons, sparring and terminology that they need to know as compared to an adult that is working towards their BB.

So therefore a Children's Black Belt does not hold the same rank and privileges as the adult, so even a nidan children's black belt does not outrank a shodan in our school.

When we have combination classes (with the children and adult classes - for testing for example), we always have the adults line up in order first, and then the children start at the end of the adult line (so the children's black belt lines up behind the adult white belt).

In addition, we have a policy that when a child enters the adult class (usually age 14/15 but depends on level of maturity and physical size), they will be re-tested according to the adult requirements, and be awarded the belt that they test at. Usually for us this means that a children's black belt will test out as an adult green.

Does any one else have a similar arrangement?

[Dobbersky]

Ditto

I agree, I could not have a child teaching adults at a class at my dojo on a regular basis, although as a treat I would allow it under supervision, I would allow them to teach the othe kids or the Mon grade class but adults are different.

I do allow my students to take the warm up now and again to break the consistancy of 1 person always doing the warm up.

Also in the UK to be legally considered as an Instructor (assistant instructor) the person MUST be 18 years old.

[granitemiller]

Also in the UK to be legally considered as an Instructor (assistant instructor) the person MUST be 18 years old.

There are legal reasons as well if the youth is being paid, which I did not bring up, thank you Dobbersky (go ManU! ).

[tallgeese]

As to junior ranks coming into adult ranks I'd agree, they have to competency in at the least.

We let them continue to wear their rank rahther than reassign them a colored belt. Then they work thru the adult ranks. We use a -do suffex for juniors and a -jutsu suffex for the adult side of things. Makes it easier to keep it straight.