Friend is thinking about martial arts.

[Phobius]

You're not nearly as funny as I think I am. But then I think assigning burpees is funny.

I do this as well. Even laughed when people asked if we could reduce the amount since it was new semester and some new people joined.

I of course reduced the amount by a few. Then saying that it is OK since we will double the amount soon anyway.

They laughed to. Must have been funny.

 

[Ironbear24]

You're not nearly as funny as I think I am. But then I think assigning burpees is funny.

The united nations would like to have a word with you for violating human rights.

 

[CB Jones]

Its a balancing act of when to lighten the mood and when to be serious. Too serious and you loose a large % of your audience, not serious enough and a large portion want absorb what you are teaching.

The best way to learn this balancing act is experience observing and actually doing it.

 

[JR 137]

Its a balancing act of when to lighten the mood and when to be serious. Too serious and you loose a large % of your audience, not serious enough and a large portion want absorb what you are teaching.

The best way to learn this balancing act is experience observing and actually doing it.

Reminds me of a Tommy Lasorda quote...

Managing a ball club is like holding a dove in your hands. If you hold on too tightly, you'll suffocate it. Too loosely, and it'll fly away.

Running anything is the same IMO.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Aaaaand they said they don't to train with me, because my personality wouldn't let them learn. I am hurt by this but also very confused, I don't know exactly what they meant so I asked them if they could elaborate.

He said I basically am too serious about it and would suck any fun out of the experience. This does concern me because I do eventually want to become a martial arts instructor when I have enough experience. So if I have a personality that "sucks the fun" out of the experience then that would really hurt me as a business owner and in general as an instructor.

People won't come by if they consider me a kill joy and not fun. What sort of personality should a teacher/instructor/coach have for martial arts. Thinking back on mine they have all been very funny and comical people, a bit on the crazy side but definitely often smiling and laughing.

I just am not that sort of person though, I never smile, I smirk at best. Generally people take me for a very serious person, so would I be good instructor material with this personality?

Tell your so-called friend that martial arts isn't meant to be fun. Then falcon punch them and walk away, with explosions behind you.

 

[JMulford]

I wouldn't take it too personally. He could be using your attitude as a cop-out to the fact that he simply might not be comfortable learning from a friend.

I have a friend who is actually a pretty good Muay Thai instructor(training a current champion - lower level I believe) but I never even considered learning from him, probably due to my own insecurities but also because I prefer learning from someone that doesn't know me and I don't know them.

 

[marques]

I have learned to - to some extent - let the student's interests drive what I teach. If a student is really interested in striking, I teach them more striking. If they aren't committed to hard training, they get a softer version of the training (and will probably take longer to meet standards for rank).

I would rather prefer do not graduate than being 'forced' to put huge amounts of time and money on training, open a school, accepting any weird request from superiors...

 

[JR 137]

Tell your so-called friend that martial arts isn't meant to be fun. Then falcon punch them and walk away, with explosions behind you.

What is a falcon punch? I know, google could work.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

What is a falcon punch? I know, google could work.

Just thought it sounded cool. Turns out was some kind of video game thing.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Just thought it sounded cool. Turns out was some kind of video game thing.

It does sound cool and that makes you cool.

 

[Ironbear24]

What is a falcon punch? I know, google could work.

Just thought it sounded cool. Turns out was some kind of video game thing.

Falcon punch or Fowl cone paawwwnch!!! Is a term that comes from the 1998 or so Nintendo 64 game super smash brothers. The game at the time was very unique and iconic featuring 12 popular Nintendo characters and pitted them against eachother.

Arenas that the characters fought in were areas taken right out of each respected characters world. For example Mario's stage is peach's castle while Donkey Kongs stage is Jungle Japes ( the first level from his own stand alone game on the previous console the super Nintendo.)

The game also included characters that until now we're never seen outside of their ships. I.E captain falcon who is taken from the racing game F-Zero and Fox Mcloud from starfox. The developers at Halken and Nintendo pretty much had to design everything about these characters from stratch since the game was about fighting face to face, therefore they couldn't use their respected vehicles such as Captain Falcons race car and Fox's space ship the arwing. (Inspired by star wars X-Wing.)

They made Fox Mcloud and Captain Falcon glorified and heavily exaggerated kick boxers giving them many flexible kicks to their move list. One of which for Captain Falcon is the famous Falcon punch, for this technique Captain Falcon draws his fist very far back as he shakes and trembles from flexing all of his muscles while he bends his knees in what seems to be a sideways stance.

He then throws his weight forward with the punch creating a fiery explosion. The voice actor for the game delivered the line in a very weird manner and is often made fun of to this day. The sound clip and the attack falcon punch became so popular it was even featured in a Japanese Anime based on the video game F-Zero.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Falcon punch or Fowl cone paawwwnch!!! Is a term that comes from the 1998 or so Nintendo 64 game super smash brothers. The game at the time was very unique and iconic featuring 12 popular Nintendo characters and pitted them against eachother.

Arenas that the characters fought in were areas taken right out of each respected characters world. For example Mario's stage is peach's castle while Donkey Kongs stage is Jungle Japes ( the first level from his own stand alone game on the previous console the super Nintendo.)

The game also included characters that until now we're never seen outside of their ships. I.E captain falcon who is taken from the racing game F-Zero and Fox Mcloud from starfox. The developers at Halken and Nintendo pretty much had to design everything about these characters from stratch since the game was about fighting face to face, therefore they couldn't use their respected vehicles such as Captain Falcons race car and Fox's space ship the arwing. (Inspired by star wars X-Wing.)

They made Fox Mcloud and Captain Falcon glorified and heavily exaggerated kick boxers giving them many flexible kicks to their move list. One of which for Captain Falcon is the famous Falcon punch, for this technique Captain Falcon draws his fist very far back as he shakes and trembles from flexing all of his muscles while he bends his knees in what seems to be a sideways stance.

He then throws his weight forward with the punch creating a fiery explosion. The voice actor for the game delivered the line in a very weird manner and is often made fun of to this day. The sound clip and the attack falcon punch became so popular it was even featured in a Japanese Anime based on the video game F-Zero.

Now Bill is Super Cool

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I would rather prefer do not graduate than being 'forced' to put huge amounts of time and money on training, open a school, accepting any weird request from superiors...

I noticed some folks getting caught in a web of expectation back when I was training at my primary instructor's school. The association we were in linked shodan (first degree black belt) to instructor certification. I knew some very good technicians who could never get their black belts because they weren't interested in teaching. That's the primary reason I separated shodan from instructor certification.

 

[drop bear]

Just thought it sounded cool. Turns out was some kind of video game thing.

 

[Paul_D]

Training is fun, wouldn't; keep doing ti if it wasn't enjoyable. Doesn't mean it's not taken seriously but at the same time no reason you can't have a few laughs along the way.

 

[thanson02]

Aaaaand they said they don't to train with me, because my personality wouldn't let them learn. I am hurt by this but also very confused, I don't know exactly what they meant so I asked them if they could elaborate.

He said I basically am too serious about it and would suck any fun out of the experience. This does concern me because I do eventually want to become a martial arts instructor when I have enough experience. So if I have a personality that "sucks the fun" out of the experience then that would really hurt me as a business owner and in general as an instructor.

People won't come by if they consider me a kill joy and not fun. What sort of personality should a teacher/instructor/coach have for martial arts. Thinking back on mine they have all been very funny and comical people, a bit on the crazy side but definitely often smiling and laughing.

I just am not that sort of person though, I never smile, I smirk at best. Generally people take me for a very serious person, so would I be good instructor material with this personality?

Just my 2 cents....

Everyone has people that click with them when it comes to personality types and those who don't . He might click with you as a friend, but not in a student/instructor relationship. There is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of folks out there who will click with your personality in the area of the student/instructor. Just be out there and let people see you for who you are. The last thing you want to do try to be someone you are not, people will see through that right away.

As for your friend, be supportive. If he finds something that clicks with him, he might catch the fire too and then realize that your "seriousness" is just passion in action.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Just my 2 cents....

Everyone has people that click with them when it comes to personality types and those who don't . He might click with you as a friend, but not in a student/instructor relationship. There is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of folks out there who will click with your personality in the area of the student/instructor. Just be out there and let people see you for who you are. The last thing you want to do try to be someone you are not, people will see through that right away.

As for your friend, be supportive. If he finds something that clicks with him, he might catch the fire too and then realize that your "seriousness" is just passion in action.

This is true, and as someone mentioned earlier, it can seem awkward for some folks to start training under a friend (many of us end up training under a friend, after enough time passes). I've had friends ask for advice on finding a school, and I just give them the advice. If they're in the area, I usually let them know they're more than welcome to train with me, but that it's not a big deal if they choose to train elsewhere.

 

[thanson02]

This is true, and as someone mentioned earlier, it can seem awkward for some folks to start training under a friend (many of us end up training under a friend, after enough time passes). I've had friends ask for advice on finding a school, and I just give them the advice. If they're in the area, I usually let them know they're more than welcome to train with me, but that it's not a big deal if they choose to train elsewhere.

Yea, same here. I have found that it is easier to have people you train eventually evolve into friends. For whatever reason, friends who become students think that you should still be "chummy" with them in class and sometimes that is not possible, especially if you are trying to get them to move to the next level.

The other side of it too is that you have friends who are really good at separating training time and hang out time. Some people are good at keeping them separate and others are not.

 

[Ironbear24]

Now Bill is Super Cool

He already was.

 

[marques]

I knew some very good technicians who could never get their black belts because they weren't interested in teaching.

I am happy to know I am not alone alone. I needed to have a school before black belt graduation. Teaching is not bad, just it was too early to be the principal at the cost of my (training) time. I was rather interested in learning and 'afraid' of managing a school, while still at university...

I still believe that school could have much more high rank people (even if not black belts) if they did not put too much pressure on the advanced ones. Some people just want some training within a limited time. As for combat sports, some guys are not there for the competition. No point in forcing it. No one wins.

@Ironbear24 if you want to teach martial arts and having plenty of students be ready to please all these kinds: the not serious, the moderately serious and the obsessed.