Why do you teach?

[Wing Woo Gar]

I looking for honest reasons why people choose to teach MA. More so if you are not a school owner (IE, you teach for someone else), but opinions are welcome from everyone.

What motivates you to teach? How does it support your personal goals? What do you get out of it?

Whether it's altruistic or purely self serving (and anywhere in between), say so - I'm not judging.

My Sifu (Paul Gale) passed away suddenly, myself and my training brothers took over the school. My peers all have kids, I do not. I ended up teaching most of the classes by default. 10 years have passed, I have learned more by teaching than I ever expected. I have learned some things that I may not have ever been exposed to if it weren’t for the students, I am eternally grateful to all of them for giving me the opportunity to learn from them. Something Similar happened when my Sigung (James Wing Woo) passed away in his late 90s, One of his students of 45 years (Mike La Teer) assumed teaching and now our two schools are enjoying teaching each other. In addition, I am extremely lucky to have Dr Yang Jwing Ming as my new teacher due to the fact he lives just up the road from me and teaches me and a couple of my training brothers at his house. Teaching can be a great learning experience. Teaching while still being taught is a wonderful balance that makes MA training feel fresh and inspiring.

 

[HighKick]

Coming from the opposite angle, I avoid teaching for few reasons:

1) It prevents one from practising. I need every opportunity to practise I can get.
2) The frustration of students making the same mistakes, over and over again despite one’s best efforts.
3) The disappointment of investing a lot of time and effort into students who then disappear without a word.
4) The shameful, ego massaging effects of teaching. Holding court. Showing off.

But the opposite to your queries is SO rewarding as a teacher. Be it martial arts or something else.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

3) The disappointment of investing a lot of time and effort into students who then disappear without a word.

You may see a lot of bean sprouts but you do see any tree.

 

[Holmejr]

I wonder if posters would mind indicating what a belt colour stands for with regards in ‘time to achieve’...just approximately, just so the rest of us have some idea of experience. Grey, red, pink are so arbitrary.

In our flavor of FMA, It took me 3 years to achieve Black. That was with approx 4 years of prior FMA experience. I also had years of experience in Muay Thai, JKD and TKD experience. I’ve been at the school for 7 years and supposedly will be testing for my 2nd in spring of 25.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I wonder if posters would mind indicating what a belt colour stands for with regards in ‘time to achieve’...just approximately, just so the rest of us have some idea of experience. Grey, red, pink are so arbitrary.

1st Dan is an average of 6-8 years.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

In my first style, it took 12 years for me to achieve first dan (granted i started at 5 years old). In the next, it took 5 years for me to get the equivalent of 2nd dan (not an art with belts).

 

[Gyakuto]

I don’t and I never will. Honestly couldn’t think of anything worse. I’ve been a school teacher for 15 years I’m not spending my free time doing more teaching. Martial arts is MY time

Exactly my thoughts! Baa humbug!

 

[MuayJitsu]

Exactly my thoughts! Baa humbug!

I am a teacher and spent all my adult life as one. It’s why I hate how martial arts try and force anyone who gets a brown belt to teach to advance….not everyone can teach. Some simply don’t want to and some simply aren’t made to teach there’s nothing wrong with that it’s just not them. But instructors try and force it on people for free labour and try and sell it as something for them. Now yes as you get to the higher Dan black belts that’s where teaching does come into it and so fine if you want to get to 4th or 5th and higher degree black belt then yes I can totally see teaching as needed requirement but for the early black belts in my eyes it should be 100% on your skills. Whenever I’ve started a new club and been there a while I make it very clear I will never teach so don’t ask me. Now yes if I’m partnered with a beginner and they’re struggling obviously I’ll give some pointers to help them but I will not be running classes on my own or teaching large groups basically because I just don’t want to and that is something a lot of traditional martial arts teacher can’t seem to understand

 

[isshinryuronin]

I am a teacher and spent all my adult life as one. It’s why I hate how martial arts try and force anyone who gets a brown belt to teach to advance….not everyone can teach. Some simply don’t want to and some simply aren’t made to teach there’s nothing wrong with that it’s just not them. But instructors try and force it on people for free labour and try and sell it as something for them. Now yes as you get to the higher Dan black belts that’s where teaching does come into it and so fine if you want to get to 4th or 5th and higher degree black belt then yes I can totally see teaching as needed requirement but for the early black belts in my eyes it should be 100% on your skills. Whenever I’ve started a new club and been there a while I make it very clear I will never teach so don’t ask me. Now yes if I’m partnered with a beginner and they’re struggling obviously I’ll give some pointers to help them but I will not be running classes on my own or teaching large groups basically because I just don’t want to and that is something a lot of traditional martial arts teacher can’t seem to understand

All of the points you express are understandable and in general I agree. But as others here have expressed, teaching can be a learning experience for you as well. There are many things you may know on a certain level, but when you try to explain it to someone else you are forced to dissect the concept (sort of like concept bunkai) and often this gives you some revelation, viewpoint or understanding of the thing you thought you knew, but in a way you didn't know you knew it. It challenges you to see things from a certain angle you may not have previously done and thus see things you've taken for granted over the years. Teaching can also keep your techniques finely tuned as you try extra hard to provide the students a good example. I see teaching as 50% for the student's benefit and 50% for my own.

 

[isshinryuronin]

I also despised teaching kids.

I must admit I lack the patience to do well with most kids and end up being too demanding and "hands on," especially with non-dedicated students and current culture. This is clearly a character flaw which I own up to but don't have the ability or inclination to change.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

not everyone can teach. Some simply don’t want to

Sometimes you just don't have choice.

I was a research assistant when I was in the UT Austin computer science graduate school. When my research fund ran out, I had to be a teaching assistant instead. The professor came to me and asked me to teach Kunth's MIX. I told the professor that I had learned the CDC 6600 assemble language, but I have not learned the Knuth's MIX. The professor said, "Knuth's MIX is a new assemble language. Nobody in the graduate school know it. You just have to learn it and teach it at the same time." That semester, I was a teacher and also a student at the same time.

 

[Gyakuto]

All of the points you express are understandable and in general I agree. But as others here have expressed, teaching can be a learning experience for you as well. There are many things you may know on a certain level, but when you try to explain it to someone else you are forced to dissect the concept (sort of like concept bunkai) and often this gives you some revelation,
viewpoint or understanding of the thing you thought you knew, but in a way you didn't know you knew it. It challenges you to see things from a certain angle you may not have previously done and thus see things you've taken for granted over the years. Teaching can also keep your techniques finely tuned as you try extra hard to provide the students a good example. I see teaching as 50% for the student's benefit and 50% for my own.

I’ve heard this idea before but it suggests that a practitioner is a mindless automaton just going through the motions of repetition. That will be the case for some admittedly, but I’d suggest most of us do think deeply as we practise and for the benefit of our own progress. During these sessions we may hardly break into a sweat because we’re thinking, ‘I can’t do this because because my centre of gravity is outside my base ….I need to enlarge my base slightly by perhaps pulling my knee around to this point. But that’s really difficult due to the high coefficient of friction on that knee unless……I engage my core, specifically, hip flexors, and shift my weight more onto the other knee and BANG! I can do it. Oh quick…let me try that again….YES! Let me write it down!!” We’re active learners and although we might not articulate these ideas for the purposes of teaching, we still go through the same process.

In my experience, many teachers are insufficiently verbally articulate to get these subtleties across or unable to arrange their thoughts in a logical progression of ideas to allow the learner to perform a technique. These tend to be the types who advocate endless repetition from their students rather than analysis/repetition. The martial arts are full of such teachers, unfortunately.

 

[Gyakuto]

I must admit I lack the patience to do well with most kids and end up being too demanding and "hands on," especially with non-dedicated students and current culture. This is clearly a character flaw which I own up to but don't have the ability or inclination to change.

It’s not a character flaw at all! It’s perfectly normal and human. It sounds like you are better at teaching advanced students who have dedication, resilience and have moved beyond the very basics.

I admire school teachers for their ability to teach children and I give thanks that I don’t have to. But degree and advanced students…I loved teaching them.

 

[MuayJitsu]

Sometimes you just don't have choice.

I was a research assistant when I was in the UT Austin computer science graduate school. When my research fund ran out, I had to be a teaching assistant instead. The professor came to me and asked me to teach Kunth's MIX. I told the professor that I had learned the CDC 6600 assemble language, but I have not learned the Knuth's MIX. The professor said, "Knuth's MIX is a new assemble language. Nobody in the graduate school know it. You just have to learn it and teach it at the same time." That semester, I was a teacher and also a student at the same time.

Okay cool story but that’s your job. Martial arts is not my job so I absolutely have a choice

 

[MuayJitsu]

All of the points you express are understandable and in general I agree. But as others here have expressed, teaching can be a learning experience for you as well. There are many things you may know on a certain level, but when you try to explain it to someone else you are forced to dissect the concept (sort of like concept bunkai) and often this gives you some revelation, viewpoint or understanding of the thing you thought you knew, but in a way you didn't know you knew it. It challenges you to see things from a certain angle you may not have previously done and thus see things you've taken for granted over the years. Teaching can also keep your techniques finely tuned as you try extra hard to provide the students a good example. I see teaching as 50% for the student's benefit and 50% for my own.

Yeah I’ve heard all that before. But I learn just fine by training. My time is limited I’d rather use that time to be training rather than standing around trying to teach

 

[Gyakuto]

Yeah I’ve heard all that before. But I learn just fine by training. My time is limited I’d rather use that time to be training rather than standing around trying to teach

I do think there’s a certain ‘ego’ angle to holding court during teaching. It’s pleasurable to have others hanging on your every word, looking up to you and dare I say, admiring you as a mysterious ‘expert’. Few would admit to that because we’re meant to be above that type of trivial thing and modesty is seen as a virtue. But, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with feeling useful and and being made to feel good about yourself.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

I’ve heard this idea before but it suggests that a practitioner is a mindless automaton just going through the motions of repetition. That will be the case for some admittedly, but I’d suggest most of us do think deeply as we practise and for the benefit of our own progress. During these sessions we may hardly break into a sweat because we’re thinking, ‘I can’t do this because because my centre of gravity is outside my base ….I need to enlarge my base slightly by perhaps pulling my knee around to this point. But that’s really difficult due to the high coefficient of friction on that knee unless……I engage my core, specifically, hip flexors, and shift my weight more onto the other knee and BANG! I can do it. Oh quick…let me try that again….YES! Let me write it down!!” We’re active learners and although we might not articulate these ideas for the purposes of teaching, we still go through the same process.

In my experience, many teachers are insufficiently verbally articulate to get these subtleties across or unable to arrange their thoughts in a logical progression of ideas to allow the learner to perform a technique. These tend to be the types who advocate endless repetition from their students rather than analysis/repetition. The martial arts are full of such teachers, unfortunately.

Sounds like the cry of lament from one of a dozen fat, lazy, educated, entitled, intellectuals that make excuses for not wanting/needing exercise and repitition as part of the training. Kidding not kidding. The real reason for your generalization that a teacher may not have the verbal skills to efficaciously articulate certain actions to a student is very likely due to language barriers in translation of various cultural concepts during the relatively recent transmission of eastern martial arts to western culture en masse.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Okay cool story but that’s your job. Martial arts is not my job so I absolutely have a choice

I never intended to teach, I never wanted to, I don’t really think I’m skilled enough to be teaching. That said, I made the choice to do it, I’m grateful for it. But I get why you wouldn’t. I also only teach adults and I don’t do it to make money. I would not want to teach peri surgical technique during my off time.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Teaching also give you challenge. If you have a student who can side kick straight up to the moon, it will force you to spend more time to do your stretching.

 

[Gyakuto]

Sounds like the cry of lament from one of a dozen fat, lazy, educated, entitled, intellectuals that make excuses for not wanting/needing exercise and repitition as part of the training. Kidding not kidding.

Exercising is for the gym, the dojo is for learning martial arts!

The real reason for your generalization that a teacher may not have the verbal skills to efficaciously articulate certain actions

Oooo…thesaurus boy! Distressingly, I once lost my beloved leather-bound thesaurus. It was truly awful…I couldn’t find the words to express my upset.

to a student is very likely due to language barriers in translation of various cultural concepts during the relatively recent transmission of eastern martial arts to western culture en masse.

Most teaching is done in English with a few Japanese words thrown in for good measure. But when teacher is unable to use terms such as ‘centre of mass’ or perhaps ‘centre of percussion’ or explain kinetic energy/momentum/inertia/action and reaction, or why muscular relaxation aids contraction etc within the dojo then things become more laborious.