Being a martial art instructor is a great gig. You meet really wonderful, goal-driven people.  You share your wisdom, knowledge, and talents with others in return for all you’ve learned from your own teachers.  You make contributions to your community.  You grow in your own skills and you feel good about yourself.  You meet like-minded people.  The benefits far outweigh the negatives when you are teaching for the right reasons.  In fact, I cannot think of many negatives about teaching at all, except that patience is necessary at all times, and you must be committed to teaching even if, on an off day, you might not feel like doing it for some reason.

Like anything, there is always room for personal improvement when learning or teaching. Besides being a “teacher” or “instructor,”  I must consider who I am as a person.  These two roles intermingle and one is a reflection of the other.  I need to think about the roles and responsibilities that are not written out in some guide or teaching handbook somewhere.  These are the theories, philosophies, and applications that keep me on the right track.  In thinking this through, I thought of 3 things that martial arts instructors should remember.  I’m sure there are more, but these were the ones that came to mind first and that seem to make a big impact on who I am as a teacher. These are not absolutes, but they are worthy of some thought.

And, if you are not a teacher or Sensei, no worries.  This is a still a good insight into the psyche of an instructor.

1. Responsibility.

Being a martial art instructor is an awesome experience and great fun, but it is also a huge responsibility.  Students put their complete trust in you as their leader.  More than that, though, they want to know that you have their best interests at heart, that you care and respect them, and that you will help them find success as long as they put forth the effort and meet the requirements.

That, however, is just the beginning.

The martial art instructor should focus more on his students than himself.  He should be rigorous in his teachings, but compassionate.  He should provide challenge and encouragement, but not overly criticize or demean. There are so many fine lines to consider that the best instructors are surrounded by a web that keep them aware of what to do and not do, say and not say.

I must admit that I’ve been surprised lately to receive messages from a few students, who are not mine, who have indicated that their instructors are pushing them too hard, to the point of injury, all in the vain of “realism” or “true self-defense.” I’ll openly say that I disagree with this tactic, especially if it is a traditional art.  On the other hand, the student has the responsibility to ask what this school offers, what its philosophy is, and how much “contact” is normal in training.

At times, then, responsibility is a two-way street but the instructor should make the training style clear from the very start.

As an instructor, your other responsibility is to realize that every student has a different reason for wanting to learn a martial art.  A middle-aged woman who has always been interested in trying it, a teenage student who is being bullied, or a young man who wants to learn to “fight”  all have varied opinions and expectations.  Finding a pathway of teaching that engages all students and keeps them interested is not easy, but is a responsibility.  You should be in this to help your students, for whatever reasons they step foot in your school, become more proficient in an effective and thorough martial arts practice.

Every teacher should carry responsibility with courage, wisdom, and diligence.  And….have some fun, and enjoy the interaction, relationships, and experiences, too!

2. Understand Your Students.

This falls under responsibility, as mentioned above, too.  Understanding that all students are different is a generalization.  Even more than that, you should learn about each student in order to be the best instructor to them that you can be.

Students have different personalities, motivations, goals, beliefs, and character traits.  After a few classes you can see what “drives” them.  You can distinguish their weaknesses and their mindset or their fears. Over time, these become more apparent.  Your job, as a good instructor, is to help them overcome some of their hesitation and apprehension about certain areas of their practice.  You can clearly see who is afraid to spar, or who feels they are not performing well, or who lacks confidence overall.  Without pointing this out in front of others in class, you should provide the training and encouragement that will make it seem as if they have overcome the obstacle themselves, when in fact, it is your critical handiwork behind-the-scenes in your teaching that actually guided them in the right direction.

Adults and children have completely different perspectives on learning.  Children may be  jumpy, quiet, or talkative. Kids need to learn to tame their excitement and desire to just “act out” what they are feeling.  Standing in line to wait for a turn, one child will always want to jump up and down or turn around and touch another child. Part of your job, then, is to teach them how to behave properly in class, stand in attention, bow, listen, and focus on learning.  Keep in mind their individual behaviors and personal quirks, then show them by example, role play, and interaction how to become a martial art student, and enjoy what they are learning. The whole key to your teaching pattern is structure and discipline.

With adults, the trick is to help remove all of their preconceived notions about themselves, martial arts, and self-defense.  I might as well tell you to move a mountain!

Adults cannot help it that they’ve already lived long enough to be less trusting and open to learning as the children.  Their fears stem all the way from not knowing what to expect in class (fear of the unknown), to feeling they are inadequate, to worrying about their fitness level, to stressing over how well they will perform in a test.  Life is not as carefree for them as for kids.  In the back of their minds they have jobs, bills to pay, families, and so many tasks on their plate that a mindset change is needed, just to learn.  Once you understand this (and you probably recognize it in yourself), you will be better to guide them forward in their martial art journey.   Just by attending class they will eventually learn to leave those things behind for the time that they are training.

It will take them time to overcome their “vision” of what everything should feel and look like in a martial art to what it really is. Movies, media, and other outlets show one version, but there are many sides to a martial art.  As their instructor, even for adult students, you must factor in who they are, get to know them, provide opportunities for them to explore and break the myths they may be holding, and grow in their martial art.

Kids, or adults, or any age in between, all have different approaches to their martial art, so give them the tools that they need for success, and take the time to understand your students.

3.  Be Personable.

I don’t like to burst anyone’s bubble; however, teaching requires some personality.  Dull and monotonous teachers will not retain students for long.  Accept it or not, but along with being an instructor, you are also a friend, a mentor, a member of the family sometimes, a role model…and, even an entertainer.

I can see the hate mail headed my way right now….an entertainer?

Let me rephrase it, to make you more comfortable.  You need to be a motivator.  That requires some “entertaining” actions such as showing great techniques, smiling every now and again, and creating an atmosphere that is worthy of another’s attention.  Be yourself, not some robot.  When you teach a technique, explain why it is effective and how they can use it in class and in real life.  If you have a personal reason for teaching it or you believe it is important, tell them why.  Keep them motivated to learn based on more than just techniques, but how all of this affects them in their lives.  I’m a big proponent of learning to live a martial art life via your practice.

To be personable, motivational, and perhaps even a little entertaining, share something about yourself on occasion and your own martial art journey so they are reminded that you also learned and struggled and overcame and are also a real person. They see the belt you wear and witness your actions, teaching style, and philosophies, but just as you need to get to know them, they should have a chance to see the “real you” and not just the “instructor.”

Martial arts have great positive benefits.  They are one of the few types of training that also develop self-exploration to keep a person centered and balanced. Like anything, your teaching style should not be too strict, and not too flexible, either. Somewhere in between is the teaching style that works for the type of student who is interested in learning the martial art that you teach.

Your natural love and passion for what you do, should be apparent.

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No one can force a motivational outlook, but if you love what you do and truly care, your flair will naturally be apparent and very appealing to your students.  Motivate, share, develop, encourage, and maybe on a rare, but worthwhile occasion, entertain.  As I said earlier, there are many aspects to being a good instructor that I did not cover here, and clearly not every instructor will agree with my philosophies.  I see teaching as an extension of who I already am, and that probably is the biggest lesson of all.

To be a great instructor is to be a great you.  The rest will fall into place.

Andrea