I posted this in kempo too to reach many of you. what is proper to give your instructor as a xmas gift? my daughter takes kempo too. Just a gift from her or from both of us? any ideas or suggestions? thanks.
I don't know what is normale pratice were you live, but here in Scandinavia we don't give gifts to our teacher unless there is a really special reason. And if there is a special reason then a gift from both of you is appropiate. Or just name the gift in your daughters name.
The etiquette for Martial Arts instructors is no different than for anyone else. If you feel that someone has extended him/herself beyond what is expected - a holiday thank you is appropriate. The choice is up to you and depends on many factors. For whatever its worth, I had a black wool scarf embroidered with my Kumdo instructor's initials and had crossed swords put on the other end. The idea for me is just to express that I appreciate the effort and the patience it takes to teach an unworthy student like me.