How do I find a karate instructor for a new dojo?

[jaedeshi]

Did the father "test" Alan to evaluate his MA abilities? NO! How does someone who's not ever been in the MA "test/evaluate" someone like Alan? How would a 2nd Dan evaluate an 8th Dan? THEY DON'T!! It would've been a very limited evaluation, imho, or it would be quite one sided, with Alan dominating the process. What the father knew about Alan's MA abilities would fit into a thimble, but those many long interviews were invaluable. The father spoke with many MAists throughout Bakersfield, and everyone spoke highly about Alan's, both about his character as well as MA abilities.

I don't envy the search before you, but good luck anyhow.

You ask the wrong question. If your hiring an instructor then you evaluate their teaching ability and not their ma ability. Their ma ability will be an issue but not as much as that person's ability to impart knowledge, inspire a student to excel, adapt style for special populations and get new prospects to join.

As a business you have to be assured that instructors fill your students' needs if they don't then they won't stay in the school. That doesn't always mean the instructor needs a vast amount of ma knowledge or that owner needs to have a lot of ma knowledge to evaluate an instructor.

[sensei8]

jaedeshi,

Your post is solid and I thank you for pointing out my mistake.

You're dead right on. I worded my question incorrectly, thus I asked the wrong question(s), please forgive me for that. One DOES evaluate the teaching abilities of ANY prospective instructor no matter the rank. Why? Not all black belts, no matter the rank, can teach!!

One must know that the prospective black belt can teach the student body and that the prospective black belt is a good fit for the student body and the school.

WOW...I am an idiot for making that type of a mistake!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Contact various schools to ask for help, or ask some senior students from your old school.

At my school my sensei asked a shodan-ho to assist teaching (now a nidan) and is now a full time instructor. And that was when the school opened in late 2008.

And on occassion when sensei and senpai are unavailable, us adult black belts take over the reigns for the classes. Or sensei will call collegues to fill in from other schools (4 instructors are on call if necessary from other schools)