what should u look for in a martial arts instructor?

Question

id like to know the qualifications and other things a good martial arts instructor should have

Answer 1

One is experience and the ability to impart that along with techniques, and skills to their students. There are some great martial artists out there that are terrible instructors, several of which I know but won't mention. Secondly look at the students themselves. They directly or indirectly represent a school and instructor and his teaching abilities along with the standards that that he imposes and uses in testing and promoting. If the students are all poor in skill for instance but the instructor is very good then you probably want to keep looking.

Also an instructor's availability is important and where things are at in relation to his life and that of his school and students. An example would be an instructor that is very good but has recently opened a second school and so his duties and responsibilities to each place are now literally split and his assistants are poor or mediocre and are having to carry the load half the time at each school now. Situations like that can have an adverse affect on you and your training.

Along with all this you also need to consider his training, scope and depth of experience. This is also an important factor I think but that is sometimes blunted by some of the other things that I mentioned above. Schools and instructors are like cars-it pays to shop and take a little time to find the best one that fits what you are interested in and looking for.

Answer 2

When you go in to talk to the teacher ask him/her some questions…they’ll be glad to answer for the most part.
-Ask about there qualifications: what ranking they have, any tournaments they’ve won, fight record etc…Ask how long they’ve been training in that art, if they still train, and under who. Try to verify this information if you can if they listed a tournament or fights they’ve won google the organization’s information and see whether or not they actually participated. You’ll be surprise how many frauds try to pull a fast one over on qualifications simply because most people just believe what they say. Also be skeptical if you cannot verify their training lineage. For instance if a person got their black belt under some mysterious master in the mountains of Japan, beware!!!
-Also ask if their school goes to tournaments or have any amateur/professional fighters and what kind of records do they hold.

When you actually do your introductory class or just stop by and watch here are some key things to look at in the teacher:
-Does the instructor correct the students?
-Does the instructor use positive, sincere compliments?
-Does the instructor show enthusiasm?
-Does the instructor advocate a lot of sparring(at least for the more senior students)?
-Does the instructor have a personal relationship with the students or is it all business?
-Does the instructor clearly explain the techniques and answer any questions people may have about it?


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Answer 3

Does he spend time with the students on the floor or does he let the senior students run the classes all the time?
Does he have experience that can be verified?
Is he patient?
Is there discipline and respect in the school for the students and the instructors?
Are there classes offered often enough to accommodate at least 3 classes a week?

Is the school sanctioned by some well recognized association or federation?
Avoid schools with long term contract or big fees up front.
Avoid schools with tons of trophies on display: they might be more focused on a hand full of advanced competitors.
Sit in the back and watch a few classes. If they don't allow that I would not even bother going back.
Cnote makes a lot of sense in his response.

Answer 4

1) That they can teach you the skills your wanting to learn, never close a door...just don't enter the wrong one.
2) Fighting is now a well rounded skill that is easy to locate, but the right orginization of people is not so easy to find. Look for how you would fit in with the people, in BJJ etc you will get very close to them in training. As in most styles, so know that you have that feeling of fitting in. A good teacher should be one you are willing to learn from, a well titled well known is not exactly someone you may want to learn from, as a lesser name nobody might be what you need . Be open till you see what is being offered and how you feel it will fit in your life.
3) Look at their student(s), that will tell you everything. See if they show the skills and persona you want , it is a life goal so be willing to accept what the style offers for sometime.
4)Martial Arts are to deverse to ask for awards etc, as the style depends on the awards, and the givers. Ask more for a free workout or 2, and make a personal judgement call.
5) Cost , as a large gouge is a large gouge.

Answer 5

I have met 1st and 2nd degree black belts that were excellent instructors and 5th degree and up who couldn't teach dogs to scratch their own fleas.

The tournament champ is more interested in impressing you with what he did and how he did it back in the day.Big egos are more interested in showing you what they can do rather than teaching you what you can do.

We are not all built the same or have the same physical abilitys or even goals in learning the arts.
The best instructor understands the core fundamentals of why and how something works not "do this block that will block a punch kick whatever"and you realize after doing some sparring he doesn't know what he is talking about he just knows what it "looks like".

Answer 6

There are plenty of "teachers" that can teach you what they know... the movements of their forms, the workout, etc.

Do they really know their art?

What about lineage? Like for instance... does anyone know who taught Tiger Schulman? I'd like to know!

People give their hard earned money to phonies every day.

There are also those who are unknown. People who have nothing to prove to anyone, who have learned something that is not well known. They don't teach anyone. They just live their life as a PERSON, who incidently is a martial artist.

I have seen a man like this. I don't know if he does or does not pratice or know martial arts, but from my experience, he looks like he knows something.

I have been tempted to ask him. Next time I see him, I will. People like this would even teach you without compensation.

So, what was your question?

Answer 7

The one goal and ambition of a martial arts instructor is to make thier students even more skillful than themselves. Look for one who has some experience, but not a stuck-up, "i'm better than you," kind of person. If you have one with more experience than you, but not as much as others, you can learn together and things will bring you that much closer as a team. Look for a sensei with high expectations, but someone you can feel comfortable with. Someone who can teach you, and knows that he wants only the best for his students. Be on the lookout for the many money-hungry scammers who give out belts for a high price without knowing that you deserve it. The ussd, http://ussd.com, which trains in Kenpo Karate, can be found in every state in the us, and many places in canada. Try to find one, because they don't give black belts out to anyone. They make sure that with every rank, you work your hardest oth before and during the test. They take it easy on the lower ranks, but when you start getting more advanced, the start teaching you some awesome stuff, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well(not meaning religeous, but how to controll yourself and stuff.) I reccomend them, because their instructors are very skilled, and just because they are a hard-working chain that doesn't try to scam people.

Answer 8

There are a lot of factors- but I think that the most important one is KNOWLEDGE!

Answer 9

Most important would be experience and knowledge.

Answer 10

CONFIDENCE
PRESENTATION
UNDERSTANDING
KNOWLEDGE
GOOD SOCIAL SKILL
DISCIPLINE
GOOD WITH ALL AGES
ABILITY TO MAKE A LESSON FUN
a black belt i guess. lol