Comments on: How to Tell if a Martial Arts Instructor Is Qualified

on 9/14/2008 TKDLarry From my personal point of view as an instructor in the Arts. I find many instructor teaching what they can not do them self. Also I find there are many ways to motivate a person who is slow but is willing to learn. A good instructor first leads by example in class and outside the school.

on 9/12/2008 From my experience, instructors who regularly meet together and with the head instructor or school owner can ensure they are all on the same page and teaching consistently.

Also, there are specific ways of managing a classroom environment that lend themselves to a better learning environment. I personally don't like down time for any student. Keep them active, keep them busy.

There are different ways of motivating students, and distinct differences between the way kids and adults learn. Everyone likes personal attention.

A qualified instructor should know how do perform the techniques they are teaching, and be able to explain this in terms all can understand. It would be nice if the instructor can actually perform the technique, but I don't necessarily think this is a requirement - especially for more advanced techniques (know, understand, relay the mechanics then be able to a

on 8/1/2008 sorry... not enough room.

Best advice is to ask the instructor directly what his training has been in how to teach.

Some instructors have had no training in how to teach (as opposed to how to do) the style. Others have gone through an intensive, internal course of instruction.

Another thing to watch for is -- is the instructor in shape and does he or she still train? Does the instructor practice what he or she preaches?

As far as being able to turn off a light switch with your feet, I am not sure that qualifies a person to be a good instructor. It's a great thing to be able to do, but even students can do it.

on 8/1/2008 Another thing to watch for is whether or not instructors explain why a technique works.

On discipline, sometimes it is hard to gauge how you will react to the discipline in a style. I tried out a class once where I wasn't sure if I liked the strict discipline. As it turned out, I thrived in a well-disciplined class, and I trained there for 15 years.

Share with students examples of good and bad instruction? I am not sure that students have enough knowledge about instruction to critique their instructors -- but... students do know how they feel about the instructors. Be careful this doesn't turn into an instructor-bashing session. Not cool.

As far as teacher accreditation goes, few styles have a supervising organization like taekwondo does. Even so, you do not know what kind of training the instructor has been through. Best advice is to ask the instructor directly what his

on 5/27/2007 i was in a tae kwon do class, but i went out, because it was stupid. if you look up tae kwon do on the internet you'll see people standing stright. but if you look up wushu, you see everyone walking around, jumping, and free, i rather have learn wushu.

on 1/15/2007 Yes, it's all about choosing a good instructor. And I have a weird answer--I'm a good instructor, and people constantly tease me for reflexively using my feet as hands. Watch for that. When I look around at good instructors, a lot of them, "like monkeys", pick up things, turn on and off lights, etc. with their feet--not for practice, but accidentally because they have become so coordinated with their feet.

on 9/11/2006 Go to more than one class. Plus, if the pace is nice and comfortable all the time, leave. It's martial arts, not cross-stitch classes.

on 7/22/2006 Make sure the instructor is someone who develops the human spirit as well as the art. Mostly because this will help you to enjoy the wonderful training you will receive!

on 11/22/2005 Remember that no one is perfect and no one knows everything. There will be many instructors that are still learning, and although they may not be supervised all the time, you need to give them a chance.

on 11/22/2005 Although these are all great tips, I honestly have to say that they leave a lot of room for biased based opinions. When choosing a school, you are choosing an instructor. The instructor must lead by example and live what they are teaching. If the instructor is a true Sensei, he will still train, be of great emotional and stress control, and truly care about his students and his programs. Never train with anyone not certified as an instructor, which includes CPR (child and adult) and a basic EMT class. Safety is priority # 1 with any good Martial Arts trainer. Also, never trust your child (or your own) Martial Arts training to an instructor ranked below 3rd degree black belt. That is unless their Sensei is present and watching them teach to ensure that proper guidelines are adhered to. A true Sensei school owner should have a minimum of 10 years teaching before they even open a school.

on 11/22/2005 The true test of a teacher of any kind is the product of their labors, their own students.

Off the top of my head I can think of 2 things to look out for.

First is the general skill level of the students. This is what you will look like after training, so if you don't see what you like, don't stay. When doing this, avoid looking at the top students alone (or the worst ones they have). The reason for this is that some students will be great/terrible regardless of what kind of teacher they have leading them.

The second thing I'd look at is the general mannerisms of the class. Look for overaggressiveness, timidity, or anything else that disturbs you. If the general group that is taking martial arts has those traits, they might stem from the training, though you need to be aware that certain styles draw certain people. Some examples are Muay Tai or Tai Chi. Muay Tai tends to draw a more aggressive base while Tai Chi tents to draw a more subdued base.

on 11/22/2005 There are three types of martial arts: soft, medium-soft and hard. Hard is better for men, the rest for women. Small men - medium-soft. Find the best one for you by taking the various types for a while. I am a small man and fit well in Aikido and Kenpo.

on 11/22/2005 Legitimate instructors will not object to requests from prospective students, or their parents, to observe the classes as well as the rank tests. It is important to see how each of these activities is conducted when considering an instructor.

on 11/22/2005 Ask your potential instructor how long it takes to attain black belt status (or similar rank). The only correct answer should be "It depends on how dedicated the student is."

on 11/22/2005 Talk with the instructor and see if they talk only of themselves and their accomplishments. Try to avoid Instructors who wear "Instructor" or "Sensei" patches on their uniforms. Good instructors know who they are and so do their students.