How to Teach Hapkido

In order to teach Hapkido you must first learn Hapkido. Once you have mastered the Hapkido techniques--wrist locks, takedowns, throws and a few basic strikes--you're ready to start learning again--learning how to teach, that is.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Have confidence in yourself. If you have reached the rank of teacher it is because your instructor tested you--even if you weren't aware of it at the time--and decided you were worthy of the honor.

2. Pay close attention to how your students learn. This will clue you in to the best way of teaching each one of them. You may find yourself teaching Hapkido techniques in several different ways to several different people at the same time.

3. Practice what you preach. Continue training so that your Hapkido techniques remain as precisely correct as you can get them. Teach by example.

4. Be patient with your students and yourself. You never stop learning, so you will learn along with them. If they struggle with particular concepts or techniques you should examine your teaching style to see if there is some way you could be helping them overcome the problem, but don't blame yourself. Even the best of teachers may not be able to teach certain techniques if the student isn't ready or if student and teacher simply don't mesh.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't take yourself too seriously. If you make a mistake, set an example for your students by being honest and open about it. They won't expect you to be perfect unless you pretend to be.
• When trying to figure out how a particular student learns, it may be helpful to listen to how she talks. People who say "I hear you" often learn best through listening. Those who say "I see what you mean" might learn better by seeing Hapkido techniques demonstrated, and those who say "I feel you" or "this feels..." might learn Hapkido best through the physical experience of practicing it.

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