Me? Teach karate?

[Spartacus Maximus]

For anyone teaching, a couple questions: was the teaching role your own choice or initiative or were you asked or encouraged by your own sensei to teach? Was there a time when you doubted whether you were able, qualified or good enough to be teaching others? How did you deal with it and what dan or level were you at the time?

[JR 137]

I was an assistant instructor my first time around. I started by assisting my sensei while he taught, then he "assisted" me while I taught, then I taught my own classes. I started around the end of green belt (we went white - blue - yellow - green - brown - black). I taught alone at brown belt.

He encouraged me and one other student to teach. He had more confidence in us than we did when we started teaching without him being present.

I felt ready, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't, and on and on. Just when I thought I was getting good at it, something I'd try wouldn't work out anything like I thought it would/should, and I'd put myself under a microscope all over again.

The most nerve wracking day in the dojo was the first time my sensei took my class. Being a shodan for all of two months, and my sensei lines up as the senior student. I went to take my place in line and defer to him (it was his dojo after all), and he says "how are you going to teach from over there?"

I currently teach middle school science. I've also taught physical education. I constantly question if I'm good enough. It's been a few years now, and I don't see myself not asking this question.

I guess if you get too comfortable, you stop improving. If you don't take any risks, you can't reap any rewards. Some people are perfectly fine with the status quo. Sometimes I wish I was too. Nervousness and self doubt (within reason) are healthy and keep you on your toes.

If you're going to teach, do it for the right reasons. Don't do it to appease anyone. Don't do it out of guilt or some perceived obligation. Read the poem "The Guy in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow. Puts everything I do and why I do it into perspective.

[sensei8]

Thank you, Spartacus Maximus, for staring this thread!!

For anyone teaching, a couple questions: was the teaching role your own choice or initiative or were you asked or encouraged by your own sensei to teach?

All of the above. Yes, teaching was my choice, but only once the teaching bug bit me. And that took about 3-4 classes of assisting our Dai-Soke on the floor.

My initiative that I was helping someone, no matter how small or large. I quickly realized that I was making a positive impact on someone's life; that was magic!!

Yes, I was asked to teach, but it was under the very watchful eye of Dai-Soke. Under his watchful eye, he taught us how to teach, and then he'd allow us to discover our own teaching style. HE HATED COPYCATS..."Be your own teacher!!"

Dai-Soke encouraged his Sankyu's to assist him on the floor. And as we gain confidence and all of that, he'd let us run classes for those ranks below us, but always under his watchful eye. At Rokukyu, he'd get us to assist the beginners that were brand new, to help them get acquainted to dojo life, and that included to help them with whatever they needed. HELP...BUT NEVER TEACH...that was his job if you're below a Sankyu.

Was there a time when you doubted whether you were able, qualified or good enough to be teaching others? How did you deal with it and what dan or level were you at the time?

Of course there was; many times and quite often. I felt that I was all thumbs and carried around a dozen left feet, but no right feet; an awkward klutz. I doubted myself, and I had no business to teach anyone anything of value.

Dai-Soke...that's how I dealt with it. He was very much a compassionate and nurturing Sensei. Never yelled, that's not his style; his glare was enough to make me pee myself. I learnt how to teach from the best in the business, imho, of course!! He'd counsel and always ask this..."What would you do?", and that gave us ownership...accountability...it was more valuable than all of the money could buy.

I suppose the first time was when I was Rokukyu, and I was asked to help the brand new students dojo decorum and all, but when it came to show them the basics of the most basics...I was "DUH!!...which way did they go, George....which way did they go?!??". But with love and so much patience, Dai-Soke would GUIDE to loose the self-conviction, to loose the stiffness, to loose the blinders, and in that, confidence slowly floated to the top.

I wanted to teach and own my own dojo at Sandan, but both Soke and Dai-Soke said that I wasn't ready, and that they'd not approve that until I had reached Godan. It was their way...and it was their rules...and it was there way or the high way. However, they softened when they came to my dojo...yes I opened it without their blessing because I'm not their property and I'm a grown man...but when they saw me on the floor in my own dojo, and with my own students, and they saw the glimmering in the eyes of my students under my watchful eye...they amended the By-Laws to Sandan, and that's because they had a soft heart inside that grizzled hard as rock exterior!!

I can remember that I too said, "Me? Teach Shindokan? You've lost your minds" But I'm thankful to them both, especially Dai-Soke, for loving us enough to let us find ourselves, and our own teaching style. If not for them, I'd be just a student, and that would've been perfectly fine with me. But when I look in the eye of each and everyone of my students over these 35+ years that I've been teaching in my own dojo, then I'm so grateful that I stuck it out to learn how to teach. Nothing's more rewarding than seeing the AHA moment in a students eye...that look..."I got it!!", and they truly did get it!!

[sensei8]

I was an assistant instructor my first time around. I started by assisting my sensei while he taught, then he "assisted" me while I taught, then I taught my own classes. I started around the end of green belt (we went white - blue - yellow - green - brown - black). I taught alone at brown belt.

He encouraged me and one other student to teach. He had more confidence in us than we did when we started teaching without him being present.

I felt ready, then I didn't, then I did, then I didn't, and on and on. Just when I thought I was getting good at it, something I'd try wouldn't work out anything like I thought it would/should, and I'd put myself under a microscope all over again.

The most nerve wracking day in the dojo was the first time my sensei took my class. Being a shodan for all of two months, and my sensei lines up as the senior student. I went to take my place in line and defer to him (it was his dojo after all), and he says "how are you going to teach from over there?"

I currently teach middle school science. I've also taught physical education. I constantly question if I'm good enough. It's been a few years now, and I don't see myself not asking this question.

I guess if you get too comfortable, you stop improving. If you don't take any risks, you can't reap any rewards. Some people are perfectly fine with the status quo. Sometimes I wish I was too. Nervousness and self doubt (within reason) are healthy and keep you on your toes.

If you're going to teach, do it for the right reasons. Don't do it to appease anyone. Don't do it out of guilt or some perceived obligation. Read the poem "The Guy in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow. Puts everything I do and why I do it into perspective.

Solid post!! Moved me, and gave me some goose-pimples because I, too, have been there, more than once, that's for sure!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

I started teaching by my own choice and wasn't asked by my sensei.

I have been teaching regularly since 2006 and have started teaching classes on my own at the start of the year. But it is more of a replacement role when my sensei is away.

[Lupin1]

I started teaching the beginners when I was a green belt (4th kyu). Our head instructor experienced some complications from chemotherapy a few years back and because of that his balance is very poor, he has very little stamina, and it's very hard to understand his speech. One of our other instructors took over the kids' program, but it's very hard for him to teach the brand new beginners while at the same time working with the more advanced kids, so I was asked to step up.

Now I'm a 1st kyu preparing to test for my Shodan this Fall, but for going on three years now, the newest beginners have been my responsibility-- usually with our head instructor sitting by in a chair watching and giving direction and advice-- although I've been doing more and more on my own. I've also started working with groups of more advanced kids when we don't have any beginners or when one of the black belts takes the beginners to switch things up.

I was very nervous at first, but I've got a Bachelor's Degree in teaching and I was a 2nd grade teacher for several years (now I'm a school librarian, which is a little less applicable) so, even though I'm not the most experienced martial artist, I am an experienced teacher and feel like I'm able to teach the very basics just as well, if not better, than most of our black belts.

And with every group of beginners that comes through, I get better and better.

[Wastelander]

My first Sensei asked me to help a white belt kid on their first day, when I was a yellow belt. At the time, I was still very self conscious about teaching and nervous about public speaking, so it was very tough. Over time, he asked me to help more white belts, and as I went up in rank, I started helping higher ranks. Eventually, it just sort of evolved into teaching entire sections of classes, and then entire classes.

[IcemanSK]

At different times, it's been for different reasons that I've taught. My first master expected new 1st Dans to help out. After awhile, it became just part of the routine. In college, my 2nd master gave me the opportunity to teach classes of my own off campus for city programs. I jumped at the chance to make an extra buck. I had no intention of teaching TKD again, and a friend who ran a Karate program at the community center where I worked asked me to "teach his students how to kick," because, he said, "I'm too old to kick, anymore." When my boss found out I was a TKD 2nd Dan, she asked me to run a program. When I moved on from the community center, I enjoyed teaching & my students so much that I found another spot to hold class & continued after that.

[sensei8]

Sounds to me that we all here have shown that we have something in common...we love to teach!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

Assisting and helping during practise was always a part of the dojo training. In Okinawan style dojos it is expected that each karateka help those at a lower skill level whenever asked by the instructor. However this is entirely different than the responsibility of teaching.

To teach a system, one must have a solid understanding and grasp of all the fundamental principles and techniques as well as being able to demonstrate these.

Self doubt about these skills tell me that I have not yet begun to really get it. At 1 kyu and nearing shodan there is no way I am qualified to teach anybody anything about karate. Maybe 5 Dan is good enough but will I "get it" at that level? How does one know when one is "doing it right?". Difficult to ponder indeed.