Asking my Church about teaching Karate.

[devil dog]

I think I'm going to be the odd man out but even if you are promoted to Shodan I personally do not feel you are ready to teach on your own.

Our Shodan do not go out and start teaching or open their own Dojo's. In my art you are considered an assistant instructor (JunShidoin) and still need to be supervised by a higher grade instructor perferably a Sandan or above.

I do apologize if I offend you and no disrespect is meant but if you are in reality a higher skill level than you wear and you are holding back your testing because you want to win tournaments then you are not ready to teach others. This is an honesty and ethical issue. If you were to tell me this I would never join your class because you are cheating the system.

If you want to teach others you first have to learn how to overcome obsticals and accept the challenges that each rank holds.

If you are actually rated as a Sankyu or even a Nikyu or Ikkyu and fighting at a Yonkyu level you are being dishonest to your competitors and to yourself. In plain speak you are not as good as you think you are. You are just cheating the system and beating others with less skill which means the trophies mean nothing.

This is not the mark of an instructor.

It sounds to me that you need to take a long look at yourself and ask yourself what the spirit of Karate really means.

IMHO you are not ready to teach and certainly not to open a dojo in a church. What do you think the pastor would say if he knew your were holding yourself back just so you could win. Not a very Christain thing to do and certainly not worthy of an instructor.

If your instructor believes you are at a higher rank level then you should test for it. If you can not compete or do not do as well at the higher ranks then that tells you you need more time at that level. Beating those less proficient is not an accomplishment.

And I am with every one else here on the jump of 4 grades. How is this possible? If you are holding yourself back to be able to win tournaments doesn't that tell your instructor that you are not at the Shodan level? I'm confused.

I'm sure you are a nice guy and did not mean to purposely cheat the system but you need to further analize what you are doing here and if you think this is the actions of a Sensei. I can tell you it's not the actions of any instructor I have had the priviledge to study under.