Calling all Shodans...

2Green · Post by **2Green** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 6:34 am

A simple question:
How many of you aspire or plan to be teachers, in your own Dojo or as a teacher in someone else's?

This question assumes that you will bear the responsibility of taking students, or a student, from white belt to Shodan.
Is this something you would like to do, feel capable of doing, plan to do?

Don't mean to imply that Shodan = Teacher, but I would assume that at about that level, the thought would be crossing the mind.

NM

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:01 am

I do teach , Have taught in others clubs , and have taught informally *meaning I wouldnt go so far as to call my informal gatherings a club * , Ive taught higher ranks than myself , I will no doubt teach more in the future as I mellow

.

Personally I dont think rank should be the criteria for teaching , its another skill set in itself , sure you need to know the material , but learning to teach and learning to do martial arts are two seperate skills in many respects , to many people just mimic what there instructors did and consider themselves teaching .

benzocaine · Post by **benzocaine** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 12:38 pm

Ok... so I am not a shodan yet

But I teach every class I participate in.

For when I do get my shodan.... there's a nice community recreation center up the street from me where I can hopefully proliferate Uechi Ryu... if not there maybee the community college?? With something as fulfilling as this I figure the more people who get exposed to it, the more who will actually stick with it... thus more people I can train with. Uechi pratitioners in this are are few and far apart.

Spike · Post by **Spike** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:06 pm

"How many of you aspire or plan to be teachers, in your own Dojo or as a teacher in someone else's? "
Do plan on teaching my own classes on a regular basis in a few years; I currently teach when assistance is asked.(formally and informally)

"This question assumes that you will bear the responsibility of taking students, or a student, from white belt to Shodan.
Is this something you would like to do, feel capable of doing, plan to do? " Capable; Planned on

"Don't mean to imply that Shodan = Teacher, but I would assume that at about that level, the thought would be crossing the mind. " Only if the teacher you are improvising/student(s) you are teaching think you can and should.

Spike · Post by **Spike** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:08 pm

Also, IMHO I feel that, on average, SANDAN should be the minimum rank that one should have their own dojo (conditions permitting)

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:21 pm

IMO, I think time spent in the art and training in general is more important.

2Green · Post by **2Green** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:00 am

Spike:
"Only if the teacher you are improvising/student(s) you are teaching think you can and should."

Sorry, I don't understand that sentence. (?)

Karateka:
" IMO, I think time spent in the art and training in general is more important."

Do you mean more important than Sandan rank, so a deeper teacher with less that Sandan could teach better?
(I'm not challenging this, just clarifying!)

Thanks for the answers, people!

NM

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:52 am

I believe a person who has a shodan and has committed themselves to learning karate with consistency can be just as good a teacher as a sandan. I believe this because it’s part of my story. I’ve been training for almost 15 years. I’ve crossed trained in boxing, wrestling, jiujitsu/judo and other styles of karate. My focus however has always been shotokan and trying to improve my understanding of shotokan and our kata. I was only recently graded to nidan on a modified shotokan grading syllabus. My brother’s story is similar. He’s been training almost 20 years and only recently graded to shodan in karate. He fights in mma and has lived a life dedicated to karate and full contact fighting. IMO, years of experience makes a world of difference when teaching. It doesn’t matter if you have a sandan or a shodan as long as you have sound technique and real life experience to back it up. Motobu didn't grade up to sandan before he started teaching...or did he???? It was my understanding that you trained to gain experience in the art and then taught rank came much latter.

Traditionally in shotokan 5th degree is the highest you can attain…

RickLiebespach · Post by **RickLiebespach** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 4:30 am

Karateka wrote:Traditionally in shotokan 5th degree is the highest you can attain…

I'm glad you said that... it made other things clearer.

I'd like to teach... I want to teach. I am now working on aquiring the substance and quality to have something woth sharing/teaching when the time comes. For now, the closest I get is refining my fellow students as asked.

I had heard that in Uechi-ryu that you needed to be a Sandan to be eligiable to teach, under a higher rank's supervision. And that you needed to be a Godan to be eligiable to teach in your own dojo... with the appropriate teaching certificates.

Stryke · Post by **Stryke** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 5:36 am

I beleive anyone that wants to should be able to teach , it should be no different to say coaching tennis , your merits should be judged on your ability not rank , The people that judge should be the students , its up tot hem to make an informed decision , about there tennis coach or there MA instructor .

Of course there hopefully are organisations that set standards that can guide the public , but at east this leaves the options open for all

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 2:01 pm

a Sandan to be eligiable to teach, under a higher rank's supervision. And that you needed to be a Godan to be eligiable to teach in your own dojo

Sure good thing those rules were not in effect when a young shodan named Mattson started teaching.

His students seemed to have turned out okay. I've never heard these rules before.

Laird

Karateka · Post by **Karateka** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:00 pm

I had heard that in Uechi-ryu that you needed to be a Sandan to be eligiable to teach, under a higher rank's supervision. And that you needed to be a Godan to be eligiable to teach in your own dojo... with the appropriate teaching certificates.

You made a good point. Supervision of a higher rank is needed and I have that. If I didn't I wouldn't have started my own dojo...