Instructors Wanted

[Silverback]

I am interested to hear other's thoughts on this.

I was chatting one of my students who runs a recruitment agency, and he told me there are a lot of martial arts gyms looking for instructors. I believe most are what people would refer to as traditional martial arts – Karate, Taekwondo, various forms of CMA. He went on to explain that these ads were not style specific, but just needed someone with experience in striking.

I don’t know if this is widespread but there a couple of things that I find odd. Firstly, where are the students who have spent time in the gym and reached the level of instructor. Maybe most of the students are children and/or are not interested in teaching.



Also, what does this do for the art or the school. Instead of people who have dedicated themselves and trying to truly understand an art, you have people who have some punching and kicking experience will maybe be taught the kata/forms of the school and then be allowed to teach. I can see how having a different influence may introduce new concepts, but it may also detract from the technical aspects of the art.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I am interested to hear other's thoughts on this.

I was chatting one of my students who runs a recruitment agency, and he told me there are a lot of martial arts gyms looking for instructors. I believe most are what people would refer to as traditional martial arts – Karate, Taekwondo, various forms of CMA. He went on to explain that these ads were not style specific, but just needed someone with experience in striking.

I don’t know if this is widespread but there a couple of things that I find odd. Firstly, where are the students who have spent time in the gym and reached the level of instructor. Maybe most of the students are children and/or are not interested in teaching.



Also, what does this do for the art or the school. Instead of people who have dedicated themselves and trying to truly understand an art, you have people who have some punching and kicking experience will maybe be taught the kata/forms of the school and then be allowed to teach. I can see how having a different influence may introduce new concepts, but it may also detract from the technical aspects of the art.

There are people who only want to learn to fight. They are not interested in tradition, styles, or kata. They don't want to bow or learn foreign words or whatever. I get it. If people want to teach that, let them. If people want to learn that, fair enough.

That's not my path. But I don't have heartburn over what others want to teach or learn.

 

[hoshin1600]

Sounds like a sham to me.

 

[Flying Crane]

I have seen job adds for martial arts instructors. Often, the requirements are little more than two years experience (in martial arts, not as a teacher). I cannot imagine what kind of school that would be.

 

[skribs]

As someone who has done Taekwondo with people who came from a Karate and Tang Soo Do background, and then who has dabbled in Muay Thai, I can say with 100% certainty that striking is striking.

As someone who has seen a BJJ gym grow from the ground up, having other instructors come into the gym with different experience has been a godsend. Those instructors all have different lineages, different styles of fighting BJJ, different methods of teaching BJJ. It's been a richer experience the more diversity we have.

As someone who would like to start his own Taekwondo school, it would be very difficult for me to have home-grown instructors right off the bat. I'd gladly take someone with experience in Karate, Tang Soo Do, Kung Fu, etc. If my choice were a good Karetaka or a bad Taekwondoist, I'll take the good Karetaka in a heartbeat. My school and my students will be better for it.

This post seems like it was written by someone who romanticizes martial arts based on movies and TV, and doesn't have much experience in martial arts.

 

[Silverback]

If feel the personal attack here was a little unwarranted. You don't know me or my background at all.

I merely asked a question about something I have seen. I was brought up through the traditional martial arts and enjoyed a good deal of cross training with styles. However, I still find it odd that these schools don't have instructors they have brought on themselves. If they are looking to include different styles and aspects that is a good thing as I mentioned in the original post.

 

[HighKick]

I am interested to hear other's thoughts on this.

I was chatting one of my students who runs a recruitment agency, and he told me there are a lot of martial arts gyms looking for instructors. I believe most are what people would refer to as traditional martial arts – Karate, Taekwondo, various forms of CMA. He went on to explain that these ads were not style specific, but just needed someone with experience in striking.

I don’t know if this is widespread but there a couple of things that I find odd. Firstly, where are the students who have spent time in the gym and reached the level of instructor. Maybe most of the students are children and/or are not interested in teaching.



Also, what does this do for the art or the school. Instead of people who have dedicated themselves and trying to truly understand an art, you have people who have some punching and kicking experience will maybe be taught the kata/forms of the school and then be allowed to teach. I can see how having a different influence may introduce new concepts, but it may also detract from the technical aspects of the art.

I agree with you post. However, a school/instructor who doesn't have an open mind to other ways and techniques will be left in the dust in today's martial arts environment.

Think of it this way, there is a Big difference in 'tradition' and 'traditional'.
For example, Moo Duk Kwan is a traditional style of TKD. Since it was created via multiple influences, it is not steeped in tradition and has changed over the years. Kukkiwon on the other hand is a newish style of TKD but has Always tried to create a narrative of steep tradition and extremely unchanging.

 

[Buka]

There are people who only want to learn to fight. They are not interested in tradition, styles, or kata. They don't want to bow or learn foreign words or whatever. I get it. If people want to teach that, let them. If people want to learn that, fair enough.

That's not my path. But I don't have heartburn over what others want to teach or learn.

I hear ya, Bill.

We used to draw a lot of students who only wanted to learn how to fight. They were as welcome as anyone else.

And although Kata was not part of our style - tradition, a Martial Vocabulary, etiquette, proper dojo protocol, respect
and learning the etiquettes of other styles and dojos were not electives, they were requirements.

If they didn’t like it they could leave.

Or they could be used as heavy bags, it was their call.