What Dan Level is appropriate for instructing?

[bushido_man96]

Yes, actually being responsible for the structure of the class, and presenting the material to the students, and taking and answering questions.

[Inya shaolin]

In my dojo, only red belts and black belts could instruct. My sensei is a fifth dan, and the other instructor is a first-dan. None of the students lead, except for during warm-ups.

[jaddensinn]

I began instructing at brown belt and that was usually under the supervision of a second degree or our school's master, but now that I'm a black belt and have been instructing for a year I'm expected to be able to teach just about any class from start to finish if need be.

[Scott_LIFE180]

I found that I learn a lot when I teach something to someone else. I have my way of understanding things, if I have to reword or demonstrate differently (without changing the technique or kata) then I have to adapt my line of thought and thus learn/relearn the technique or kata.

To paraphrase something from Star Wars, 'A Jedi Knight learns more from their Padawan then their Padawan learns from them.'

[Grego]

My sensei was a 1st Kyu (Snr Brown belt) when he started instructing. He was a shodan when he started instructing me the first time. Before Chito-ryu, he was also a shodan in TKD and Shotokan, so that probably attributed Hanshi Dometrich allowing him to run a dojo as a brown belt.

Anyways, he's a Sandan now. Our style doesn't really promote fast, our Soke is only a 9th dan (we reserve 10th dan out of respect for our Osensei, and don't grant it).

My point is that your dan rank isn't necessarily indicitive of your teaching ability.

[sensei8]

My point is that your dan rank isn't necessarily indicitive of your teaching ability.

Yes and no!

Yes, because I'd want to learn from a black belt AND from a black belt with many, many years of knowledge/experience.

No, because rank means nothing! Either one can teach or one can't; not every black belt can teach!

[Grego]

When I first started Karate, my sensei was a shodan. We had a yondan Kyoshi, but he didn't teach much. On the occasions that he did teach, the students were confused, and we had to wait until the sensei took the class over again for us to really grasp the concepts of what the Yondan was trying to teach.

Experience is a factor in teaching, but the truth is that not everybody has the skills to teach effectively. It doesn't matter if you're the best martial artist 10th dan...if you can't relate your skills, you shouldn't be teaching.

[kerekemartialarts]

We used to have a teachers rank class in our school. Once you reached black belt level you had the option of taking a teachers training class. This meant an evening a week was devoted to the higher ranks learning how to be better teachers. I miss having that class.

Rank or not you should always keep in mind that there are good and bad teachers even at the lower ranks. People with good teaching skills should be recognized and encouraged not only to develop their karate skills but also their ability to share those skills with students.

I am not a good teacher. I have been training for 20+ years and though I can run kids classes just fine. I tend to not be at all patient with adults who seem to have different levels of commitment. I am still working on these skills so as not to drive my sensei's newer students away. Still trying to learn the lesson hard on self soft on others. My own kids however, will be learning old school no matter how I teach it.

Shorin Ryu Student > Chosin Chibana >

Shuguro Nakazato > Ernest Estrada > Bob Giles > Me