Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Choosing a martial arts instructor
Teacher to avoid:
School owners: They teach for a living.. They teach for money. Say it again, it is about money to pay the bills. Some may do it for other reasons, but after several years some of their decision making is compromised since it isn't easy to pay the bills by teaching martial arts. At a certain point they teach what brings in the money. This sometimes leads to people teaching stuff they are not good at.. They know that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hot so they take some classes and add it to the course of study as soon as possible. Sometimes the hourly rate for an art that is hot can be double or triple what other arts charge. Or they know that if they teach Karate they can get 5 students, but if they also teach Thai kickboxing they get get 5 more students... Adding in a Filipino Martial arts class will bring in another 5 students.. Hey now you have 3 times the number of students. See how it works? Rent is high.
Some schools find more students by winning tournaments, so here comes the gaming aspect.
What you want to find is the guy who doesn't teach many students and will teach you one on one. You should have a level of trust with that person that is very high on both sides. Absolute loyalty means everything. Remember Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid?
The other guy who is good may be the guy who teaches some just so he can have people to work out with, practice the techniques, etc.
Some say at some point it is not so much the art as the teacher that is more important. I would mostly agree. The worst art with the best teacher who you trust and trusts you might be the better choice between a famous art at a commercial school with someone who just looks at you as another business transaction of $100/month.
At a high level, most arts know the same things. Sometimes they accomplish things a different way, but they know how to accomplish the mission.
I keep saying this though.. try and also figure out what the martial art you are learning or are going to learn was created for and for what problem it is trying to solve as it is being taught by the instructor. Then try and see if that matches up with what you are wanting to learn a martial art for.
School owners: They teach for a living.. They teach for money. Say it again, it is about money to pay the bills. Some may do it for other reasons, but after several years some of their decision making is compromised since it isn't easy to pay the bills by teaching martial arts. At a certain point they teach what brings in the money. This sometimes leads to people teaching stuff they are not good at.. They know that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hot so they take some classes and add it to the course of study as soon as possible. Sometimes the hourly rate for an art that is hot can be double or triple what other arts charge. Or they know that if they teach Karate they can get 5 students, but if they also teach Thai kickboxing they get get 5 more students... Adding in a Filipino Martial arts class will bring in another 5 students.. Hey now you have 3 times the number of students. See how it works? Rent is high.
Some schools find more students by winning tournaments, so here comes the gaming aspect.
What you want to find is the guy who doesn't teach many students and will teach you one on one. You should have a level of trust with that person that is very high on both sides. Absolute loyalty means everything. Remember Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid?
The other guy who is good may be the guy who teaches some just so he can have people to work out with, practice the techniques, etc.
Some say at some point it is not so much the art as the teacher that is more important. I would mostly agree. The worst art with the best teacher who you trust and trusts you might be the better choice between a famous art at a commercial school with someone who just looks at you as another business transaction of $100/month.
At a high level, most arts know the same things. Sometimes they accomplish things a different way, but they know how to accomplish the mission.
I keep saying this though.. try and also figure out what the martial art you are learning or are going to learn was created for and for what problem it is trying to solve as it is being taught by the instructor. Then try and see if that matches up with what you are wanting to learn a martial art for.
Comments:
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i agree. very well put. i hope more read this and take it to heart. i have always felt this myself. when i used to teach i never asked or took any money for it. just as they learn from me... i learn from them. even trade.
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