focus102 Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Hi, What qualities should I look for in a MA instructor? People say I should make sure my instructor is "good". What does this mean? Also, is it OK if the head instructor does not teach the class but has some of his students (first dan) do so? "Nothing is impossible to the willing mind."
G95champ Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 1. Good Person - He don't have to be a saint but he should be well respected by people in the community. You don't want to train under a thug. LOL. Friendly, Honest, Well Mannered, etc... 2. Knowledge - IMO this is more important than skill. You see a lot of great athletes who can't coach. You also see a lot of great coaches who were bench warmers. A good teacher don't mean he can kick the rim of a basketball goal or break 20 boards. They need to know what they are teaching and have to be able to get it across to you and others. People learn at differant speeds and paces and a good teacher should be able to work with each kind of studnet. 3. Ability - This IMO is the last thing you should look at. However its not unimportant. If your teacher can show you how to do certin techinques, kata, SD moves, etc then you are probably getting taken. But knowledge IMO superseeds this. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
CheekyMusician Posted April 22, 2003 Posted April 22, 2003 Well, personally I think that the person who runs the school should take classes regularly and not just leave it to their students. A good instructor is certainly important. 1. Check that his teaching style is right for you. Make sure you understand his explanations of things and make sure you'd feel comfortable getting taught by him. 2. Ensure that he is giving everyone in the class some helpful hints and explanations. Make sure he is patient with everyone, even those that are having difficulty. 3. Make sure that there is not too many accidents. Frequent accidents tend to be the sign of a bad school and teacher. 4. Make sure he is polite to everyone and doesn't act like an egotistical maniac. You can expect a certain level of discipline in a martial arts class, but a line has to be drawn somewhere too. I'd recommend watching a few classes before you make a decision and ask lots of questions. I'd recommend watching maybe 2 or 3 classes, and participating in at least one (but preferably 2 or 3) before making a decision about whether you want to learn there. Good luck! Smile. It makes people wonder what you've been up to.
karatekid1975 Posted April 23, 2003 Posted April 23, 2003 Watch out for contracts also. Short contracts (3 months to a year) is ok. But if they "want" you to sign a three year contract, he/she is more then likely in it for the buck. I should know. It happened to me. I left and found an instructor who cares about the arts, not the buck. My new school doesn't even have contracts and I'm learning so much more Laurie F
Withers M.A.A. Posted April 23, 2003 Posted April 23, 2003 The best way to judge an instructor is to watch his or her students. How they act and respond to him or her and how knowledgeable they are. Ask them questions if at all possible. Then see if he or she is a good modivator and a positive role model. If they meet these standards then you should be all set. Pete 2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!
paolung Posted April 23, 2003 Posted April 23, 2003 i agree with withers. a teacher can be judged by their student(s). "a fierce tiger does not give birth to weak cubs" "It is not how much you know but how well you have mastered what you've learnt. When making an assessment of one's martial arts training one should measure the depth rather than the length". - MASTER "General" D. Lacey
Kung Fu Hamster Posted April 24, 2003 Posted April 24, 2003 I don't. My instructors great but some of the kids he has to teach... God... They can't get anything right. It's not just the teacher who has to put effort in, the students have to too else it's a waste of time... Everybodies Going Kung Fu Fighting! Yah Hoocha! LMAO
karate_woman Posted April 25, 2003 Posted April 25, 2003 I don't. My instructors great but some of the kids he has to teach... God... They can't get anything right. It's not just the teacher who has to put effort in, the students have to too else it's a waste of time... I agree that the students should be putting in an effort, BUT, the teacher should be demanding it of them. In my opinion, if the student isn't there to train, fine, don't, but don't waste my time, or the time of the other students - smarten up or go and change. Unfortunately, a lot of club owners feel they can't afford to make that sort of stand. My view is the opposite - if you don't make that stand then you've got mediocre students going around representing your club, and what kind of student are you going to attract? The kind that doesn't stick around for more than a few months, when they realize they might actually have to put an effort in to make progress . The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. -Lao-Tse
G95champ Posted April 25, 2003 Posted April 25, 2003 I agree KarateWoman 100% I have asked more than a few students not to come back for those reasons. Luckly I teach at a local YMCA and the profit is split 50/50 with the Y. Unlike a lot of teachers I teach for fun and not as a source of income so I can make such a stand. However when you need 30 kids to make enough money to keep the club open there are certin things you have to put up with like it or not. Thank God I have never had to face that problem. (General George S. Patton Jr.) "It's the unconquerable soul of man, and not the nature of the weapon he uses, that ensures victory."
martialartist1 Posted May 2, 2003 Posted May 2, 2003 the instructors you would like to teach you should be friendly, and get straight to the point and should be respectful. when you look at them you've gota like them cos if you dont then you will feel unwilling to train with them. its like, whats the point of training with an instructor you dont like or disagree with, thats is why you've gota like them as soon you realise it, and you personally think yeh he the ones to train me and i know he is.
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