"The true value of the martial arts is not in one hundred victories
but in the perfection of the character of the students."
-- Gichin Funakoshi
What is it that makes an instructor great? Martial Arts instruction is not as simple as it looks. It is not teaching how to fight, disable, and conquer. That would be too easy. Instead, martial arts instruction is the teaching of discipline, perseverance, and honor. Whether you are a prospective martial arts student or if you are training to be an instructor, this article should be of value to you. There are millions of characteristics that successful instructors encompass. This compilation illustrates a few of them.
I dedicate this composition to my instructors, Master Dan King and Dr. Ying King. I hope that I will one day be as good of an instructor as you are. Thank you for your guidance.
Attributes of an Excellent Instructor
Take the responsibility seriously. The English language simply does not carry a word that is worthy enough to describe the awesome privilege of being a martial arts instructor. The discipline, integrity, and excellence of the martial arts have endured for thousands of years, thanks only to the many generations of diligent instructors who carried them on before us. The blood, sweat, and tears from these thousands of legendary people rest on our shoulders, collect on our thoughts, and live again through us. Just as the martial arts were passed on to us, it is now our turn to ensure the passing of the martial arts into the next generation. This requires seriousness, passion, and maturity on part of the instructor.
Be committed to the excellence and quality of the students. Many instructors are so wrapped-up in creating a large number of black belts that they forget about the quality of those black belts. Instructors need to be willing to critique their students and tell them about how they can improve, instead of just showing them a technique and then letting them go. Students are not baby birds to be pushed out of a nest. The quality of these students today will be the quality of the martial arts tomorrow. As instructors, it is our responsibility to leave the martial arts in a better condition than when we first joined them, and this is done through instruction that operates in endless pursuit of perfection.
Have patience. Every student is unique, and every student has different learning speeds. Some students need to only be shown a technique once, while others need several classes just to be able to perform and understand the action. Regardless, the job of an instructor is to take students from their own individual starting points, and then gently guide them upward. Progress is generally slow, and it is not necessarily visible. Nevertheless, instructors should keep in mind that anything they say and do can echo through their students' minds for the rest of their lives. In this case, patience is beyond virtuous -- it is now essential.
Be a good role model. Sports figures, movie stars, and musical artists are among the top role models for children today. Unfortunately, some of these people are among the most morally corrupt people on the planet. In addition, children crave for role models that they can see and talk to in person -- real life, everyday people. As martial arts instructors, we are role models to these kids whether we want to be or not. Children look up to us in martial arts class, and they should also be able to look up to us in our lives as well.
Have confidence in one's self and teachings. In order for students to respect and have confidence in an instructor, the instructor must first have confidence in him or her self and in what is taught. It's a combination of personal and professional confidence that creates respect for an instructor among students. This respect is vital to the teacher-student relationship.
Be a good motivator. Instructors love to have motivated and energized students who are ready to learn. Some students, however, need some motivation and incentive. The best way to motivate students is for the instructor to be motivated first. Motivation is sparked by interest, directed through a myriad of goals, and fueled with the achievement of these goals. Only when instructors are motivated can they add fuel to the sparks of interest within their students, and from that interest, to generate motivational goals and purpose.
Be enthusiastic and energetic. There are few things in the world of instruction that are worse than watching a frigid, depressing instructor work with students. This gives students a feeling of insignificance and inconvenience. This also tells the student that if the instructor is not exited about what he or she is teaching, maybe the instruction is not worth being exited about. In other words, an instructor's dull personality cheapens the instruction that he or she gives. But when a student sees an upbeat, lively instructor who is exited about what he or she is teaching, this gives the training a higher value to the student, and this also makes the student feel more important.
Possess extensive knowledge. The most pathetic site in the martial arts world is watching an instructor try to teach a student something, and either do it incorrectly or forget it all together. Of course, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. An instructor who is good at teaching one thing my not be good at teaching something else. The best piece of advice here is this: if an instructor doesn't feel comfortable teaching something in particular, then he or she should work on perfecting that skill before teaching it to students.
Demonstrate great skill. Let's face it: if the instructor cannot perform well, how will the students learn the correct technique from such a bad example? At bare minimum the basic techniques should be mastered, the intermediate nearly mastered, and the advanced techniques should be done with correct form and with finesse.
Be good at challenging students and also guiding them to their goals. Students need to be constantly challenged. Without challenge there is no improvement, and without improvement there is no success. Challenge is what prevents the world from becoming static and dormant, and this is not where an instructor should allow his or her students to become trapped. On the other hand, an instructor must be careful not to over-challenge a student to the point that the student loses all hope of accomplishment. Every student is unique and requires a different amount and kind of challenge.
Be a good communicator. Communication is key! Whether describing the details of a technique or correcting a student's mistake, good communication skills are vital to achieving a mutual understanding. Students cannot read instructors' minds. Remember that it is not what the instructor says, but what the student understands, that is ever actually learned and absorbed.
Possess a certain kind of humility -- the teacher should respect students also. It goes without saying that without students, an instructor is out of a job. More importantly, however, without students, the martial arts will breathe its last. An instructor should always treat his or her students with the utmost respect -- to never demean or take advantage of them. Each student in each class has the potential to make a unique and substantial contribution to the future of the martial arts. The scary thing about being an instructor is that it could be your influence that either ruins a student's contribution or makes it all possible.
Have the ability to adapt teaching style to accommodate individual student needs. Not all students learn the same way. Some students learn quickly, others slowly. Some learn better by watching, others by doing. Some by hearing, and some by seeing. The list is endless. As instructors, we should be able to assess each student's learning strengths and weaknesses, and then work around them to help the student learn.
An instructor's interest in his or her students should be authentic and show no favoritism. Phoniness can be sensed in an instant, and it tarnishes the students' views of the instructor. There is nothing like feeling that someone is only "pretending" to care about you. And when an instructor favors one student over another, this will put conflict into the school, placing barriers between students and the instructor.
Be a good counselor and guide. The job of a martial arts instructor goes beyond teaching how to kick and punch. Very often students need extra help in the form of advice or encouragement, especially teen-agers and children. Because instructors are role models, these students will feel the need to confide in them. Instructors need to be willing to listen and mentally prepared to hear anything that students have to say. Although a single person cannot change the world, a single person can make a world of difference in the life of another.
Be fair and just in discipline and punishment. Disciplinary actions are sometimes necessary, especially when teaching children and teens. When disciplining a student for wrongdoing, the instructor should be careful not to under-punish or over-punish. Under-punishing a student will not correct his or her bad behavior, and may cause the instructor to lose control of the student. Over-punishing will overwhelm the student to the point that he or she becomes indifferent to both the discipline and the bad behavior. Of course, the amount of discipline required to stop unacceptable behavior is different for each student. In addition to these differences in punishment, it is important to remember that affirmation also plays an important role in disciplinary tactics. Instead of telling students what they cannot do, tell them what they can do. And instead of only punishing them for doing wrong, remember to reward them for doing right. Both of these extremes, punishment and affirmation, create a well-balanced disciplinary system.
Be good at organizing and planning. A well-structured class reflects much better on an instructor than a class in which he or she "flew by the seat of their pants". It is important to sit down and make plans and goals for each class before it begins. In addition to classes, instructors must also organize promotion exams, in house tournaments, and other school-wide events. Well structured, laid out events are essential to maintaining a professional image.
To go back to Taekwondo.Junkie's main page, simply click
the "Back" button on your browser's toolbar, or click here.
