Why are you teaching?

[brothershaw]

Based on a few different threads

At instructor grade is where most people should have some proficiency in the art they practice, I think that also correlates into people brains that they should be teaching.

Why are you teaching - because you think you have something to offer, your teacher told you to teach, or you just want to teach/ have your own school?

 

[terryl965]

I teach for the fulfillment I personally get out of it, also I wanted more control over my wife and three son's training. So many instructor feel that you must only train there way and do what they say and there hand pick tourneys. I believe in old school training hard fast and real hard no soft for me or mine. Thanks for the question Brother John I hope you get what you are looking for. :asian:

 

[TigerWoman]

When I joined there were very few women. One woman quit the first month I was there. One mom and daughter went until the mom got pregnant. One husband and wife black belt team quit teaching that year also. My daughter was the only higher rank female after the first two years of my training.

I want to show Taekwondo to women. I want to teach them so that they learn about their inner selves, their power, and their potential. I want to help them through from what I have learned. Besides TKD has been the most fun way to exercise that I have come across. And with the exception of my knees, I am probably the healthiest, fittest I have been in my whole life and I was always into something athletic. But I still don't have my women's class. I have a "family" class. Hope springs eternal. sigh! TW

 

[Ceicei]

I'm a brown belt and starting to assist-teach. There are several reasons why.

1) Teaching helps me to understand Kenpo better,
2) By breaking motion down in the process of teaching, my basics become stronger, and
3) as far as I know, there is no deaf instructor teaching any type of martial arts in my state; I want to be able to bring Kenpo to the deaf community when I finally become qualified to teach as a black belt. This goal is still several years away.

There may be other reasons that I have yet to discover along the way for teaching.

- Ceicei

 

[dubljay]

Like Ceicei I am a brown belt and really just beginning to assist in teaching, and I have taught a few kids classes. I enjoy martial arts, every aspect of it, but the part I enjoy the most is sharing it with other people. I have a friend who is a brown belt in a hybrid style and every time we work out together we discover something new. We have plans to open a school of our own when the time comes. I know how much martial arts has shaped my life, it has made me strive to perfect everything I do, and most importantly martial arts forces me to seek perfection of my character. I hope to influence the lives of others in such a positive and powerful way.


-Josh-

 

[Colin_Linz]

I teach Shorinji Kempo because I think it has something unique to offer and see it being of value to my community. The fact that I enjoy it very much helps too. We are not allowed to make money from doing this so there aren’t a whole lot of other reasons to do it.

 

[dubljay]

I teach Shorinji Kempo because I think it has something unique to offer and see it being of value to my community. The fact that I enjoy it very much helps too. We are not allowed to make money from doing this so there aren’t a whole lot of other reasons to do it.

Not allowed to make money from teaching? Wow that’s something you don't see every day. Just out of curiosity does that help preserve the art from turning into something akin to a McDojo?

 

[Colin_Linz]

There are probably a number of things that keep it true to its original goals. McDojo’s are all about making money, to do this you need something with a high profile. Shorinji Kempo is relatively unknown in the west so this is a limiting factor. You can’t just open up a branch either. Before opening a branch you will be required to be 3rd dan or above, although sometimes a special consideration is given to a lower rank that has the support and mentorship of an existing Branch Master. You then will need to do the Branch Masters course. You are then interviewed by a senior WSKO official; my interview was with Fujimoto sensei an 8th dan, and Board Director of WSKO. After all this has happened and you have permission to apply to start a branch, you make your application. If approved you are then given permission to form a probationary branch, if after 12 months and all goes well, you become an official branch. So as you can see, they are pretty careful about these things. I couldn’t see anyone that would desire to start a McDojo type martial arts school putting the years of study needed to get to San dan, then going through all the admin and interviews to start a branch, and then not make money from it. Of course all these things I have mentioned are probably behind its lack of growth in the west. Of the 1.5 million people that practice it, most are from Asia.

 

[Dr. Kenpo]

Keeps me in shape
Keeps my mind active
Gets me out of the house
Keep passing on the art of Kenpo

 

[TigerWoman]

Not allowed to make money from teaching? Wow that’s something you don't see every day. Just out of curiosity does that help preserve the art from turning into something akin to a McDojo?

In four years of teaching, I have not wanted to make money. While I do provide a service to help the school, I am doing it really to help others and give back to the art. TW