Is teaching essential for higher ranks?

mattys · Yellow Belt

Teaching is a great way to learn your own technique more in depth. I've found that when I'm teaching young children, I have to tear apart every aspect of what I'm trying to teach, so as to find a better way to convey it to my students. When you have to show someone a technique, it demands that you know the technique wholly yourself.

pineapple · Black Belt

In my school, it is a requirement to teach if you wish to advance to the upper dans. Teaching helps to see your own shortcomings especially when a student asks a question that you are unsure of the answer. You will then find the answer and that information will forever be engraved into your memory making you better.
I think that it is a beautiful thing to teach people and watch their progress.
I especially love teaching the younger generation as I see them as taking over when I am no longer around.
Aren't you grateful for your teacher sharing his knowledge with you? Well, others will be grateful to you when you share your knowledge.

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What works works

cartoon22 · White Belt

We have just taken over the running of the local club and and we are looking at including teaching as part of the 1st Dan requirement. This would only be for one full lesson in order to assess the students ability to teach.

Good idea or not.

Reading some of the replies I would lean towards including the teaching in the grading.

Grenadier · Orange Belt

Should teaching be required for all advanced ranks? No. There are simply people who are not meant to be teachers, even though they demonstrate excellent skills. Some people have problems communicating with others in this way, while others might not have that certain kind of patience to succeed as a teacher.

It's similar to a concert pianist who can play the most difficult of songs, and do so with magnificient levels of performance, but if he is asked to teach children how to play piano, might not have a clue as to what to do, or simply may not want to teach kids. This doesn't take away from the fact that he is a magnificient pianist, though.

Should it be encouraged for all advanced ranks? Yes. There's really no harm in at least letting them try as long as they remember a few things about courtesy, and if they can't teach effectively, at least that's one less unanswered question. There will be some advanced students who have knacks for teaching that they never knew existed, and it's always a good thing to have more teachers that exhibit proficiency at teaching. There will also be others who will need some work in learning how to be a good teacher, and will develop along the way. Even if it turns out that someone's not good at teaching, at least he can serve as an example for the less advanced students, when it comes to demonstrating proper technique, etc.

Generally, teaching is a good thing for both the students and teacher. The teacher can get a much better understanding of the basics that he is teaching, and will also be able to know what to look for. Furthermore, such teaching can keep the teacher sharp when it comes to the basics. Remember, there are going to be some advanced students who have neglected the basics over the course of time, and this may very well be a great way to keep 'em sharp.

SloMo · Orange Belt

Another reason teaching should be required ( in my opinion ) is that it makes you a better MA.

When you teach something, you are forced to look at things in detail. Which makes you look at yourself. It also makes the advanced students review basics that they haven't looked at critically in a while in some cases.

We have teaching requirements to get your 1st Dan. After that you can go the Instructor route to your 2nd dan or not.
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"A Black Belt Is A White Belt That Never Quit"

delli04 · Yellow Belt

Yeah ever since I started teaching 5 years ago it has very much helped my progress. Alot of people tend to do things without out fully understanding what is happening when they do it. When you teach you really need to look at whats happening and why its happening. The better understanding you have of what your doing the better you can be at doing it. Just be careful all to many people get lazy when the become teachers.

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