# goal to become a sifu



## ali55 (May 22, 2015)

I am currently a 23 year old Wing Chun Instructor and fitness trainer. 
One day my goal would be to become a Sifu ( Master) and own my own school. 
Right now I guess I am kind of young, although I believe that I work well with students.  Here are a couple of clips of me teaching. Feedback welcomed and encouraged, do I look like I am on the right path? 
Also from anyone who is a Sifu/ Sensei/ Master and owns a school. Any advice on the path would be awesome!

thanks and looking forward to any feedback!





( training team for fight tourament)


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## Dirty Dog (May 22, 2015)

What does your sifu have to say about your plan and path?


Sent from an old fashioned 300 baud acoustic modem by whistling into the handset. Really.


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## Drose427 (May 22, 2015)

ali55 said:


> I am currently a 23 year old Wing Chun Instructor and fitness trainer.
> One day my goal would be to become a Sifu ( Master) and own my own school.
> Right now I guess I am kind of young, although I believe that I work well with students.  Here are a couple of clips of me teaching. Feedback welcomed and encouraged, do I look like I am on the right path?
> Also from anyone who is a Sifu/ Sensei/ Master and owns a school. Any advice on the path would be awesome!
> ...




Always nice to see someone around my age with the same goals! 

Although my background is pretty different (TSD, Submission wrestling, and Boxing)

ALthough, DD brings up a good point.

Your sifu will know more about your ability as a teacher than we could tell you from videos.

Overall from what a saw, youre doing fine. Youre explaining, encouraging, and helping students enough that they understand what they need to be doing in the top video. Which is one of the jobs of being an assistant instructor

Some Advice,

If you can work with kids.

ESPECIALLY, younger kids (3-9 give or take)

We started a kids class for 3-5 year olds and 6+ are a part of our normal class (my branch school isnt a big club)

As someone whose worked with young kids since I was around green belt, very few students will ever test your patience, or be so frustrating and heartwarming as young kids. It really shows you how well you can deal with students who dont really care, cant focus, or just plain dont wanna be there. Plus, if youre also working with adults, you're really begin to see how many different ways we as instructors will have to the same thing because everyone's different.


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## ali55 (May 23, 2015)

My Sifu fully supports me and looks forward to the day I do become a sifu of my own right. Its good to keep an open mind and hear feedback from others though! thanks for the help!


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## chan jackson (Jun 10, 2015)

Looks awesome bro! Keep up the good work!


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## donald1 (Jun 10, 2015)

I too plan on teaching martial arts one day 

Good luck with your training, im sure in years to come you will look back and remember the day you been promoted to sifu and all the hard work to get you there


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## marques (Jun 10, 2015)

I started at your age. So you're not so young. (And if you are looking for a business... the sooner, the better, I guess.)
Anyway, I think it will be hard to teach older people, specially when they don't trust a "kid" without life and fight experience (stereotype).


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## EddieCyrax (Jun 10, 2015)

marques said:


> I started at your age. So you're not so young. (And if you are looking for a business... the sooner, the better, I guess.)
> Anyway, I think it will be hard to teach older people, specially when they don't trust a "kid" without life and fight experience (stereotype).


 

I don't think you will have issues with older people just so long as you realize a older human body does not work the same as a young one.

My instructor is in his late 20's....I am in my mid-40's.....

He is very good in work through physical limitations that he can only empathize with now.


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## marques (Jun 11, 2015)

@EddieCyrax,
Well, older human body was not a problem within this discipline. I mean, almost none physical demand (no time for fitness during classes). More, force was The problem in training. It is a discipline for mature people.
I said that because I only got 1 student clearly older than me (during my short experience). And he was also training in another academy within the same organization. And he knew me. Maybe there are other reasons,  but I had this feeling...


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## Tony Dismukes (Jun 11, 2015)

The clip was obviously focused on your students, not you, so I can't judge your teaching skills without seeing more details of your instruction.* That said, I didn't see any immediate red flags. You seemed engaged with your students and they seemed to be having a good time.

One question - you say you are a Wing Chun instructor, but what I'm seeing on that clip looks much more like  generic kickboxing than WC. I've never seen a WC instructor teaching bobbing and weaving or a Thai style round kick. Is this a separate class from your regular WC curriculum?

*(I could nitpick some details I see in your execution, but I don't know what is considered good technique in your system.)


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## chan jackson (Jun 11, 2015)

Tony Dismukes said:


> The clip was obviously focused on your students, not you, so I can't judge your teaching skills without seeing more details of your instruction.* That said, I didn't see any immediate red flags. You seemed engaged with your students and they seemed to be having a good time.
> 
> One question - you say you are a Wing Chun instructor, but what I'm seeing on that clip looks much more like  generic kickboxing than WC. I've never seen a WC instructor teaching bobbing and weaving or a Thai style round kick. Is this a separate class from your regular WC curriculum?
> 
> *(I could nitpick some details I see in your execution, but I don't know what is considered good technique in your system.)


He is a mixed martial artist, so not limiting himself and his students to wing chun. His style is actually really blended


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## ali55 (Jun 11, 2015)

marques said:


> @EddieCyrax,
> Well, older human body was not a problem within this discipline. I mean, almost none physical demand (no time for fitness during classes). More, force was The problem in training. It is a discipline for mature people.
> I said that because I only got 1 student clearly older than me (during my short experience). And he was also training in another academy within the same organization. And he knew me. Maybe there are other reasons,  but I had this feeling...


Yeah good point, most of my students are young, my age or other young adults. havent really taught people 40+ . Do need some experience there too!


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## ali55 (Jun 11, 2015)

donald1 said:


> I too plan on teaching martial arts one day
> 
> Good luck with your training, im sure in years to come you will look back and remember the day you been promoted to sifu and all the hard work to get you there


thanks!  hope we both reach our goals


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## Andrew Green (Jun 11, 2015)

Good Luck!  My only advice is that if you want to own a school you have to remember it is taking on a whole bunch of other job titles.  You'd no longer just be an instructor, you'd be the owner & manager as well which is a different skill set entirely.


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## ali55 (Jun 12, 2015)

Andrew Green said:


> Good Luck!  My only advice is that if you want to own a school you have to remember it is taking on a whole bunch of other job titles.  You'd no longer just be an instructor, you'd be the owner & manager as well which is a different skill set entirely.


thanks! Yeah hopefully I will be getting a job at a legit school soon where I will be learning the business of running own martial arts school. Just wanted to ask about ability opinion first haha


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## EddieCyrax (Jun 12, 2015)

EddieCyrax said:


> He is very good in work through physical limitations that he can only empathize with now.


 
ie....I can not rely on speed to be effective.   Younger individuals can cheat technique because they are fast..... Can you teach the techniques to anyone and still make them effective no matter their age?

I do not think you will have to worry about commitment or maturity issue from an older practicioner....I train harder/longer than most of the younger members of my school.....


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## kohamy32 (Jun 15, 2015)

Your students look like they like and trust you alot! Keep up the awesome work!!!


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## ali55 (Jun 17, 2015)

kohamy32 said:


> Your students look like they like and trust you alot! Keep up the awesome work!!!


I think having a good bond with students always helps them learn and work harder!


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