Friend is thinking about martial arts.

[Gerry Seymour]

I am happy to know I am not alone alone. I needed to have a school before black belt graduation. Teaching is not bad, just it was too early to be the principal at the cost of my (training) time. I was rather interested in learning and 'afraid' of managing a school, while still at university...

I still believe that school could have much more high rank people (even if not black belts) if they did not put too much pressure on the advanced ones. Some people just want some training within a limited time. As for combat sports, some guys are not there for the competition. No point in forcing it. No one wins.

@Ironbear24 if you want to teach martial arts and having plenty of students be ready to please all these kinds: the not serious, the moderately serious and the obsessed.

Since most people prize a black belt (the physical object, and the rank it represents - not the person), and some significant development tends to happen (in my primary art) after reaching that point, I thought it best to have a path to it that doesn't require everyone think like me. I wanted to teach from the point I developed any competency in the art. To require someone actually have their own school to get that rank seems unnecessarily onerous. Even people with a lot of passion for the art - and a desire to teach it to others - may not have the inclination (or financial position) to take the risk required to run a commercial school.

 

[Ironbear24]

if you want to teach martial arts and having plenty of students be ready to please all these kinds: the not serious, the moderately serious and the obsessed.

Thanks. Will do.

 

[KangTsai]

At least a little positivity would be enough to keep things fun. It's not like you would bash the beginners' asses to hell from day two. Your friend seems like he has a bit of prejudice and is kind of unreasonable about how training takes place. Any half decent teacher would demand effort from a student over anything else.

 

[Instructor]

First thing you will want to accept about being a martial arts instructor is that you can't be all things to all people. Teach your art, and you will find some gravitate towards your way of teaching and some don't. Make it about the art and don't worry so much about what other people think.

 

[Buka]

People won't come by if they consider me a kill joy and not fun. What sort of personality should a teacher/instructor/coach have for martial arts. Thinking back on mine they have all been very funny and comical people, a bit on the crazy side but definitely often smiling and laughing.

I just am not that sort of person though, I never smile, I smirk at best. Generally people take me for a very serious person, so would I be good instructor material with this personality?

I've been blessed with training under a lot of folks. I've never had two instructors who were alike, not even close.

I think with everyone, it depends on how well you teach. And maybe who you're teaching.
As an aside - you're honest and your personality seems fine to me.

 

[Ironbear24]

I've been blessed with training under a lot of folks. I've never had two instructors who were alike, not even close.

I think with everyone, it depends on how well you teach. And maybe who you're teaching.
As an aside - you're honest and your personality seems fine to me.

Thank you. That is an honor to hear from you.

 

[Ironbear24]

At least a little positivity would be enough to keep things fun. It's not like you would bash the beginners' asses to hell from day two. Your friend seems like he has a bit of prejudice and is kind of unreasonable about how training takes place. Any half decent teacher would demand effort from a student over anything else.

The bias comes from him knowing me. I'm a guy that has weight lifted and martial arts trained three-four days a week and loved it. He knows how intense I train by how heavy I lift and how frequently I practice.

But what he doesn't understand is he doesn't have to be like me. All he has to do is challenge his own limitations so he can pass then and therefore grow. It is hard because it is supposed to be hard, if we only did easy things that never challenged us we would never improve.

He is a guy who never does any physical activity and is very fat, so he will hit many walls and have a difficult time, but oh well, it is difficult for everybody. He can adapt but it will take perseverance.