Why do you require your Black Belts to teach?

[Tames D]

I'm always curious about this. And although I know the reasons for some who require their BB's to teach as a stipulation for their certificate, I always come back to the same question, and that is, WTF? And to take it a step further, some require their students to teach for free. Again, WTF?

Upon earning our high school diploma and our college degree, we're not required to teach. Those that become teachers, are usually studying for that profession. Why is Martial Arts different?

Maybe I'm missing something. That's why I would like to throw the question out, and see what comes back. I'm hoping someone could give me a reason to change my opinion of this practice.

This is not meant to offend anyone who doe's require their students to teach, but for me to have a better understanding.

 

[Twin Fist]

yes, you are missing something. Generally, in the schools that require teaching, the Black doesnt just mean "such and such level of skill"


it means "can do and can TEACH the next guy to do it too"

knowledge that doesnt get passed on is wasted.

it COULD be said that the difference between a FIGHTER and a MARTIAL ARTIST is that the fighter can do, the martial artist can do AND teach someone else to do

plus there is the whole humility thing.

thats where the teaching for free comes in.

 

[Milt G.]

I'm always curious about this. And although I know the reasons for some who require their BB's to teach as a stipulation for their certificate, I always come back to the same question, and that is, WTF? And to take it a step further, some require their students to teach for free. Again, WTF?

Upon earning our high school diploma and our college degree, we're not required to teach. Those that become teachers, are usually studying for that profession. Why is Martial Arts different?

Maybe I'm missing something. That's why I would like to throw the question out, and see what comes back. I'm hoping someone could give me a reason to change my opinion of this practice.

This is not meant to offend anyone who doe's require their students to teach, but for me to have a better understanding.

Hello,

Why do I require my black belts to teach???
Simple...

It is required because when you teach, your level of understanding becomes deeper. You become a better student AND practitioner when you teach. Especially when you teach regularly.

To be a good teacher, you have to be a good student. To be a good student you have to become a good teacher. A Zen thing, I think?

Thank you,
Milt G.

 

[Tames D]

I'm curious as to why these principles don't apply in other aspects of life? Or do they?

Should I be working in my profession without pay to show I have humility. Should the college student be teaching classes at the University to have a deeper understanding? Again, just trying to understand

.

 

[Big Don]

I'm curious as to why these principles don't apply in other aspects of life? Or do they?
.

Poverty isn't a virtue.
If you can't teach someone every aspect of your job, you don't know it well enough.

 

[Tames D]

Poverty isn't a virtue.
If you can't teach someone every aspect of your job, you don't know it well enough.

I do know every aspect of my job. And I could pass along that information. But why should I be expected to teach someone in order to keep my job. Isn't excellent job performance enough?

 

[Big Don]

I do know every aspect of my job. And I could pass along that information. But why should I be expected to teach someone in order to keep my job. Isn't excellent job performance enough?

No, it is not.

 

[K-man]

Hello,

Why do I require my black belts to teach???
Simple...

It is required because when you teach, your level of understanding becomes deeper. You become a better student AND practitioner when you teach. Especially when you teach regularly.

To be a good teacher, you have to be a good student. To be a good student you have to become a good teacher. A Zen thing, I think?

Thank you,
Milt G.

It wasn't until I started teaching that I had to acquire a deeper knowledge. Therefore I think it is very important to get that teaching experience. However, in a commercial operation I believe BBs teaching should be compensated for their time whether by cash, fee relief or free attendance at seminars. Anybody making money for someone else should be rewarded. :asian:

 

[ACJ]

In quite a few systems and clubs, you are qualified by becoming a certain rank to be able to teach. So like getting qualification as a primary school teacher or whatever, you need to do some placements. Getting experience in teaching. Generally student teachers are not paid. In fact they are still paying for their tuition in becoming a teacher. Why should martial arts be any different?

Well for a couple of reasons, firstly people who are aiming to get teaching qualifications, WANT to teach, whereas people aiming for a rank in a martial art aren't necessarily looking to teach. Additionally not all people looking to grade are suited to teaching.

So I admit it is not perfect, but I hope you can see the necessity of needing it as a requirement to grade, because you are effectively making them qualified to teach. As well it is a strong training tool for the teacher to learn more in depth into their art.

 

[Allen a.k.a. Destroyer]

Hello,

Why do I require my black belts to teach???
Simple...

It is required because when you teach, your level of understanding becomes deeper. You become a better student AND practitioner when you teach. Especially when you teach regularly.

To be a good teacher, you have to be a good student. To be a good student you have to become a good teacher. A Zen thing, I think?

Thank you,
Milt G.

Yes. You hit the nail on the head.

Allow me to try and explain further...

Teaching something forces you to break it down and build it up all over again. Like tearing down a car engine and rebuilding it. You learn EVERY single aspect of that engine as you go. Or... you don't... and someone else has to come and put your car back together for you. :lol:

As your blackbelts teach they themselves are also learning. It may not seem like it, but nor does it seem like there's any improvement during 10,000 round kicks when you're still in the two to three hundred range of that practice. (figuratively... over time I mean. Don't start any kids on ten thousand kick drills, please... lol)

I believe a certain Mr. Lee put it thusly:
"Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick..."

The understanding comes from teaching. Granted some people are naturally better teachers than others... I also agree that an instructor's black belts should be allowed (and more than just able) to teach class now and then. I'm one of them. My master encouraged me to teach from nearly the beginning. I was always helping lower belts learn their forms, work on their basics, and especially weapons. It definitely reinforced my technique. Now that I've got a bb, I'm teaching his class fairly often. I wouldn't be doing it so often if I didn't get some kind of perk though, lol.

Teaching for free with no tuition relief or seminar relief??? I would probably find another school if that's an option... lol.
Freely give and freely receive, right? At least that should be the rule.

Getting a blackbelt in something is just scratching the surface. It means one has a good understanding of the basics. (and should be able to kick much ### beyond a shadow of a doubt =) Being able to teach is VERY important.

I hope you get the gist of what I was trying to say. If not, I hope someone else can word it better.

 

[stickarts]

I don't require my black belts to teach, however, students are required to spend some time teaching to reach black belt level for the reasons listed in the previous posts. By Black Belt level our students enjoy it so much they want to teach. I don't need to push them to do it.

 

[Sukerkin]

I have ever maintained, as has been pointed out by several posters above, that I never learned so much about my art until I started to teach and pass on what I knew to my fellows.

My sensei didnt require it of me, it was just a role that developed as I went. Discussing what we were doing in class and helping others refine their technique and understanding was natural to me - I know that we shouldn't assume but I would have thought that this was the same for everybody?

Of course, stepping out to the front of the class actually 'taking' or 'leading' it is a bit of a bigger step but again it helped me develop.

 

[xJOHNx]

Martial arts are not a job. Sure you can have a succesfull dojo and ask for fee's. But as far as I'm concerned martial arts shouldn't be about the money.

If I could teach, I don't think I would even expect money for it. As long as the rent for the dojo is paid. Fine.

 

[Tames D]

It wasn't until I started teaching that I had to acquire a deeper knowledge. Therefore I think it is very important to get that teaching experience.:asian:

I understand this. I've been doing this MA stuff for over 30 years and I totally "get" the value of teaching. That's not my issue. I've had great benefits from it. What I don't "get" is the mandatory requirement in some schools to teach as a condition to train at the facility. And to teach for free? Helluva benefit for the school owner

.

If you have a gifted student, and he is not interested in teachng, would you throw him to the curb for that reason? I wouldn't, and never have.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Learning the Martial art way? ....one can learn as a student...and one also learn as a Teacher! (Yin/Yang)

Each School will have there own requirements...some will give there Black belts a lower payment rate for teaching, others pay outright a fee and some expect you to do it free..

For many of us... a chance to learn from Teaching and a chance to give back...and share our knowledge to the students and hope one day they will achieve the same acomplishments...!

If one feel uncomfortable for teaching? ....best to talk to your Teacher?

Teaching can be very "rewarding to the heart".....and the returns from teaching can be double in rewards to gaining a better understanding of the martial arts..

Aloha, ....10 dollars please .....just kidding!

 

[jks9199]

I'm always curious about this. And although I know the reasons for some who require their BB's to teach as a stipulation for their certificate, I always come back to the same question, and that is, WTF? And to take it a step further, some require their students to teach for free. Again, WTF?

Upon earning our high school diploma and our college degree, we're not required to teach. Those that become teachers, are usually studying for that profession. Why is Martial Arts different?

Maybe I'm missing something. That's why I would like to throw the question out, and see what comes back. I'm hoping someone could give me a reason to change my opinion of this practice.

This is not meant to offend anyone who doe's require their students to teach, but for me to have a better understanding.

In our system, every black belt should be able to teach -- but that doesn't mean every black belt SHOULD teach. Some simply lack the talent or interest to teach. Others have addressed the reasons why teaching -- even if it's limited to helping out another student occasionally.

As to requiring students to teach... Unfortunately, in some of the commercial schools it's really a scam to provide more classes without actually having to hire more staff or to give the owner a break. In all honesty -- it's probably illegal if you really look at the labor laws.

 

[Milt G.]

I do know every aspect of my job. And I could pass along that information. But why should I be expected to teach someone in order to keep my job. Isn't excellent job performance enough?

Hello,

I think that you would become better at your job, over time, if you "taught" it regularly. The ability to teach enhances the ability to do and to learn.

Would you lose your job if you refused to teach? Perhaps. Depends on the job, and the expectations of your "employer".

Thank you,
Milt G.

 

[Milt G.]

It wasn't until I started teaching that I had to acquire a deeper knowledge. Therefore I think it is very important to get that teaching experience. However, in a commercial operation I believe BBs teaching should be compensated for their time whether by cash, fee relief or free attendance at seminars. Anybody making money for someone else should be rewarded. :asian:

Hello,

I fully agree. I allow those actively teaching free tuition. For black belts I will, usually, waive the monthly fees if they teach a minimum of one class weekly. Of course, some wish to teach more then that. If it is possible, it will usually be allowed. As the chief instructor of a school, I feel that you should not allow a large majority of the teaching to be done by others. You should continue to be VERY involved in all aspects of teaching to enhance your own learning and understanding.

I have found that the more one of teaching rank teaches, the better they become at the art and discipline. I emphasize "of teaching rank", because I believe that only those at a certain level should be teaching. I do not think a beginning student will benefit much, if any, from teaching others. I think all has to be kept in perspective.

Good point, thanks!
Milt G.

 

[suicide]

something about teaching makes you better is what ive noticed in my own personal exp. :yoda:

 

[shihansmurf]

I understand this. I've been doing this MA stuff for over 30 years and I totally "get" the value of teaching. That's not my issue. I've had great benefits from it. What I don't "get" is the mandatory requirement in some schools to teach as a condition to train at the facility. And to teach for free? Helluva benefit for the school owner

.

If you have a gifted student, and he is not interested in teachng, would you throw him to the curb for that reason? I wouldn't, and never have.

Bingo!

Great way to get an employee that you don't have to pay. More to the point, I'm really impressed with the places that can convince the student to keep paying to come to classes and teach as a part of the deal. They are paying for the honor of being exploited. Its a good scam and speaks volumes about the character of any teacher that engages in such behavior.

While we're on the subject. What makes a black belt holder automatically qualified to teach? Have they gone through classes on teaching methodology, exercise theory, or do they have professional teaching certification from the state that their school is in? Hell, do they have any actual training in how to actually instruct? Not just "Sensei does it this way", but actual training in teaching methodology?

I grow more and more amazed every day at all of the things that small strip of fabric is supposed to represent.
Mark