Friday, November 18, 2011

What does it take to be a Karate instructor ?

What is the requirement and expectation to be a Karate Instructor ? What are some issues may come up?|||This varies. Most require you belong to some association, usually an association founded by a bunch of guys who were undertrained in an eastern martial art. Associations create an illusion of quality.


What is a good karate instructor? Someone who lives their martial art, the forms and practices contained therein. Someone who communicates honestly to the students, even if that means the student will search elsewhere for a style more suited to their needs. (No karate style fits all people, if an instructor tells you that, he%26#039;s just trying to get more students and make more money)


I tend to think the best karate sensei take the least money for their services. I know many who teach for free, or for 15$-25$ a month that are the best karateka, and sensei available. I know many who charge 75$ and up who are scam artists.





You don%26#039;t want a.....


1 sensei who runs around the dojo screaming and berating the students....


2 sensei who doesn%26#039;t practice kicks and punches (etc) along side the students...


3 sensei who is over egotistical....


4 sensei who disrespects all other styles.... This isn%26#039;t to say he/she may not dislike one or another style, but he%26#039;d (She%26#039;d) better be able to name quite a few styles, have an understanding of their positive aspects, and explain what they do well. This shows a knowledge of martial arts in general, maybe even relating it to the specifics of his style. Something like... %26quot;Man, Those Shaolin Long Fist guys sure have a ton of reach,%26quot; or %26quot;Aikido practitioners can put themselves in the most optimal position to not get hit.%26quot;|||Hi there,





It may sound like a very broad answer but it depends on your style and your association. Some groups will allow shodans (1st degree) to teach whereas others require a 3rd dgree and a license. It might also depend on your area.





I always tell people that a teacher should have some kind of first aid certification as well as a fair amount of leadership experience (as a volunteer, etc) before they ever start up or run a class. This is above and beyond a good grasp of their art.





There is a lot of bad stuff out there. I hope you take teaching seriously and really consider the responsibility involved and not just whether or not you can %26quot;kick a guy in the head%26quot;..haha





Ask your sensei, check with your organization, and take some courses on teaching, NCCP, or something to build up your skill sets. Good luck!|||You would need to check with your karate dojo%26#039;s association to see what the requirements are to become an instructor. Each karate style and karate association has different requirements, including:





* the rank at which you may become an instructor (for some, it%26#039;s Shodan; for others, Nidan or Sandan)





鈥?whether you need to take an instructor certification course (and these vary from one hour of listening to several weeks of seminars and hands-on training)





鈥?whether you need CPR and First Aid certification (always a good idea)





鈥?whether you have a school ready to accept you as an instructor (some associations won%26#039;t spend a minute of their time training you if you have nowhere to go)





Once you are trained and certified and have a place to teach, you should bear in mind the following:





鈥?you will need patience, patience, patience when teaching as your students will have a wide array of talents... mostly in the low range of talent despite high levels of enthusiasm





鈥?you will need patience, patience, patience while dealing with your students%26#039; parents, as their goals for their child training in karate will not necessarily mesh with your goals of sharing karate with them





鈥?you will need patience, patience, patience as you realize you have to adapt your curriculum and goals to satisfy students who are not progressing, landlords who want their rent on time, parents who demand their child test, and an association that expects a certain number of promotions per quarter





The role of instructor involves a lot of customer service and, while you do not want a parent or adult student telling you how to run your dojo, you also don%26#039;t need to have them spread negative word of mouth about you and ruin your business. Caution, patience, and enthusiasm are your most important tools as a karate instructor.|||First and foremost, and instructor must be human. Meaning, they need basic people skills and a heap of compassion. Be aware that each student may take 30, 40, 100 attempts to get a punch in the proper place and the instructor needs to be there to coach and improve the student without belittling or browbeating the student and get flustered doing it.





Other than that, they need to have instructing experience under another qualified instructor, with whom they have a prior training relationship (i.e. you should be teaching with and for your instructor before branching out). After you branch out on your own, you%26#039;ll still need their support.





From personal experience, the higher Dan grading you have, the more credible you look to others (that%26#039;s not to say 1st or 2nd Dans can%26#039;t be good instructors and school owners). However, you belt had better be backed by some authority (like the Kukkiwon in TKD) with strong ties to the orient.





Without proper credentials and training, you are only going to open a McDojo.|||i believe you have to be a second degree black belt to teach|||Takes money and that all important belt. (atleast 4or 5th degree)

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