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Martial Arts Grading and Nine Popping Speeches

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Martial arts grading speech

What you say at the martial arts grading speech should be remembered by your students

I have been to many a martial arts grading over the years. I wince when I hear the same speeches over and over again. “The grading was good”. “I am pleased with your performance”. BORING…I look around and people are on their mobiles or snoozing. The instructor was at a loss for words, so just put out the usual stuff. Don’t let this happen at your grading.

How To Make Your Martial Arts Grading Speeches Pop

Let’s look at how we can be creative and make the speeches at your martial arts grading really pop. Let’s take this opportunity to inspire our students and help them improve for the next one. Here are some good themes to make your martial arts gradings the ones your students remember. This post was written with the martial arts instructor in mind. For students please see Kids Karate Grading: How to Pass. For another take on the subject of inspiration, have a look at How to Never Lose Motivation for Training Karate from Karate by Jesse. It’s a good read.

One: The grading was good. Maybe it was, maybe not. But there must have been at least one or two things good about it. Find them. Say “the punches were lightning fast”, the “kicks were super explosive”, “the kata were extremely crisp”, “the stances were rock-solid”. Tell them exactly why the grading was good in your speeches.

Two: Martial arts is an individual, not a team sport. So don’t compare yourself to your classmates. Some will learn fast, and some will learn slow. Fact of life. I am a slow learner, for example. It takes me many hours of practice to get something down, while others may pick it up in a matter of minutes. But once I learn something I learn it well. Others will be more athletic than us. Fact of life. There will be some who are more explosive, others more flexible, others that have better timing, usually through experience. Compare yourself not to others, but to who you were yesterday.

Three: Martial arts are a journey, not a destination. It can be a wonderful, life-long quest that will challenge you, but at the same time drive you to strengthen and harden your body, build immense willpower, eat clean, and live the healthy “martial arts” lifestyle. Don’t burn yourself out trying to rush through the belts to be the first in your class to reach black. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon, so take time to enjoy the journey. Relish knowing what your body can do and the fact that you now walk with confidence.

Four: There will be setbacks, but never give up on your dreams. Injuries, job demands, family, school, they all get in the way from time to time. They are important, and demand your attention. But stay the course, and train when you can. During busy, stressful times, the martial arts will always be there to help you release your tension. Again, it is a marathon, not a sprint.

Five: Embrace and enjoy the friendships. Life-long friendships will form out of the martial arts. Trust me on this. These people you meet will most likely be refreshingly different from your other friends. Be open to forming new friendships and go out of your way to be kind to everyone in the dojo. Reach out.

Six: Be proud, but be humble. No one likes a braggart. Be very proud of your achievements, but keep it inside. The people who matter most will already know of your martial arts prowess.

Seven: Make the new students feel welcome. We were all once shy, scared, un-coordinated white belts when we walked through the door. Maybe someone laughed at us when we fell or made the wrong moves in the kata. We were so humiliated we felt like quitting. Help build the beginners up, not tear them down. Have a kind word for them and let them know we all went through the same thing. Tell them after the martial arts grading that they did a good job. Respect all who have the courage to walk through the door to make that first step on their journey.

Eight: Work on your strengths, but be aware of your weaknesses. For years my weakness was grappling. I took traditional Japanese Jujutsu classes years ago. I could hold my own in the stand-up sparring, but smaller, weaker guys could take me down and dominate me on the ground. I learned very quickly it was not about strength, but technique that mattered. I am currently studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the ground is now my friend. Discover your weaknesses and shore them up.

Nine: Last but not least, thank your students and the parents for supporting your program, for without them, you would not be living this marvellous, healthy lifestyle. Let your heartfelt appreciation come out in your speeches.

Instructors, what are some of the speeches you use to make your martial arts grading more interesting and inspiring? Students, what did your instructor say to you at the martial arts grading that inspired you the most?

Should Parents Be Allowed to Observe Kids Martial Arts Classes?

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Parents watching a kids martial arts class

A child performs karate moves under the watchful eye of his parents.

In the “old school” it was considered poor practise to allow parents to observe their children doing their martial arts classes. Were they hiding something, or was there a reason for this policy? A lot has changed, with parents now encouraged to watch and sometimes take part in the running of classes. What are the pros and cons of parents being allowed to watch the classes?

Arguments in Favour of Allowing Parents to watch Kids Martial Arts Classes

First, let’s explore the arguments in favour of allowing parents to watch the classes. There are many.

Right to Know What Goes On

It is the parent’s right to see what goes on in the classes. The parents are paying for them, and they need to see if they are getting value for money. They need to see if their child is getting anything out of the classes. There is a lot of competition for their dollar in the current martial arts world, and there is a good chance another school will be a better choice if they have enrolled their child in a poor school.

Better for the Kids

It is better for the kids if they are watching. Parents will remember important announcements or pick up newsletters. Kids will forget them.

Parents can give the kids feedback if the child does not seem to be getting something, as they can often see things the child may not see themselves. In addition, parents can give the instructor feedback if the child is having trouble doing something.

Encourages the Children to Do Better

They will do their best to impress you. They’ll take a greater interest in class if mom and dad is watching, and especially if they are encouraging the child. They will take more pride in their achievements, and will be more likely to practise outside of class. Parents might even be called upon to help with a class by holding kick bags or focus mitts, or managing a game. Kids love it when their parents get involved. It shows support for the school and the child.

It Protects the Child

There have been numerous cases of child abuse over the years involving karate instructors. Would this have happened if the parents had been more involved in the classes and was allowed to observe them at all times? I suspect the answer would be “no”.

There may be other reasons, of which I am not aware. This is your chance to chime in reader, hint, hint…

Arguments Against Allowing Parents to watch Kids Martial Arts Classes

Now, the arguments in favour of not allowing the parent to watch their children in martial arts classes. There are also many here.

Child Feels Self-conscious

I’ve had many parents remove themselves from the classes, complaining the children become too self-conscious if they are watching them in the classes. I suspect this arises as the child tries too hard to meet their parent’s approval.

Child Is Distracted

In some cases the child constantly checks to see if mom or dad is watching. This may also stem from trying to meet the parent’s approval.

Loud Parents Distract Class

Parents create a disturbance by loud chatting or phone conversations. This happens a lot, and is one reason many are asked to leave the hall. In other cases, siblings are not managed properly and create a disturbance, interrupting the class. Please see another post about this subject.

Parents loudly giving instruction to their children. In extreme cases I have seen parents, usually fathers, loudly correcting their children, sometimes in a foreign language. Not only is this disruptive to the class (in any language), it makes the child feel self-conscious and singled out.

Parents Comparing their Kids to Others

If a parent with a big ego sees other children progressing faster than their own they will have the tendency to accuse the sensei of favoritism, poor teaching, or other forms of incompetence. At that point, they feel they can withdraw their child from the program without any sense of guilt. In less extreme cases, the child will be made to feel they can never measure up, but will feel like quitting themselves.

There are many pros and cons on this issue. Perhaps the solution is to allow the parents to watch from an enclosed area with windows so they can see the classes, but not be a distraction. This would not always be practical, however. In any case, it is important for parents to support their children in their martial arts journey. I have written a separate blog post about this, which you might find interesting.

What are YOUR thoughts on this issue?

Six Ways to Gain and Keep Attention with Children in Martial Arts Classes

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Keeping childrens' attention in martial arts classes

Even repetitive activities can be fun for children if you make a game out of it. They will be motivated to learn and will stay interested.

Having difficulty keeping childrens’ attention in your martial arts classes? Do they seem unmotivated and disinterested? Are the parents frustrated because they have a big fight to get the kids there every time? Well, here’s how to lift your game and keep them coming back for more.

Make it Fun

Overly repetitive activities are boring for kids, but if you make a game out of it, they will love it. Instead of having them stand there throwing their blocks into the air, make them avoid the attacks using the appropriate blocks against the padded blockers as you walk by. Even better, have them sit down if they get hit. Last one (or last few better still) wins.

Keep it Simple

Use simple instruction, both in visual and audio demonstration, and break it down into steps. Breaking things into small chunks helps kids understand each step before they move to the next.

Use Kid-friendly Language

You will lose them the second you start trying to explain something in “adult speak”. Do not say “Bring your knee up at a 45 degree angle, and then extend it directly toward your target”. Instead say “Bring your knee up as high as you can and snap it out at the target”.

Keep Talking to a Minimum

Just show them how to do it and move on. Kids don’t like to listen, they like to do. Fact of life.

Praise Outstanding Efforts

Say “Look how hard Jasmine is snapping out those punches”, and then watch as the rest of the class will try to match her efforts. Effort is more important than skill, as not everyone is naturally gifted in martial arts classes. But they can all try harder.

Recognise Under-achievers

Everyone does at least one thing well. Your job is to catch them doing it, then publicly recognise them. This will do wonders to help the kids with less skill or ability to stay engaged, and will also improve their self-esteem.

Here is more information on How to Motivate Children in Martial Arts

What strategies to you use to gain and keep attention with children in your martial arts classes?

How Teaching Children Martial Arts is Like Cooking

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Simmering the sauce patiently

Patience is needed to bring out the flavours. Same with teaching children martial arts.

Put some love into it

Just like kids, food can somehow tell when you are agro. If a person does not enjoy cooking, they will rush everything just to get through it, which brings us to……

Be patient

You can’t rush frying the onions and garlic, or fail to let the dish simmer properly on the stove. Just like children, the more you try to push them the more they will resist. You need to coax out their “flavours” and bring out their best.

Be in the moment

You have to enjoy the process and not be anywhere else. Engage fully and with all senses. I cook on weekends as it is fun and relaxing and yes, very Zen. A bonus: plenty of delicious, healthy, and cheap leftovers for the week.

Focus on strong basics

Like how to chop onions properly, make a sauce, or boil rice without it getting gluggy. The basics are doubly important for kids since they are generally unable to grasp very complex moves. Stances and footwork are key. Besides, the basics work best in a self defence situation. The complex moves, just like advanced cooking techniques, will be easier to grasp once the basics are mastered.

Constantly re-invent and refine your teaching or children will get bored

In cooking, this experimentation and going outside your comfort zone is how you get better and expand your repertoire of dishes. Be bold!

Learn to cook with your heart and teach martial arts the same way and the children will be drawn to you like a bear to honey.

How Not to Run Martial Arts Classes for Children

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structured martial arts class for children

Children want and need structure. They must not be allowed to come and go as they please in a martial arts class.

I was thinking the other day about some of the “disasters” that have occurred during our kids martial arts classes over the last eighteen years. Luckily I learned from these experiences, but would like to share them with you so you do not make the same mistakes. I asked my friend Didi Goodman, a very knowledgeable instructor, who also specialises in childrens martial arts classes, for some of her ideas as well. Didi and I don’t always agree on some issues so I thought it would be interesting to get her take on the subject. Here are my ideas on how not to run a martial arts class for children.

Kids running around doing what they want

The instructor needs to take control of the class. There have been a few times over the years when I was either very tired or distracted and gave the kids free rein. I realized very quickly that kids want and need structure. A few comments from the parents about the chaos that day were all I needed to get it sorted out.

Kids walking in and out of classes when they want

You cannot let kids come and go as they like. If everyone did it you would have no class! I let the kids join in without penalty if they are late, because it is rarely their fault as they do not drive. However, if they want to leave the class for any reason, they must ask permission. I never refuse to request to go to the toilet. However, if a particular child is constantly asking for a drink break or something, I will often say “No, you must wait until the next class break”.

Parents blabbing away on mobiles during the class

I do not permit this. It is extremely rude, and I will walk up to them while they are talking and stare at them until they get up and take their conversation outside. For the very stupid or careless ones, I will interrupt their conversation with “Can you take your mobile outside?” in a loud voice.

Kids sitting in horse stances throwing straight punches the whole class

Kids need to have a bit of fun. Our classes have been very popular over the years for two reasons: they are fun and affordable. Well, three reasons actually–they learn excellent martial arts skills! We play games, but all the games are designed to build skills like coordination, teamwork, footwork, and especially, concentration. Boring classes are empty classes.

Instructor is late

The first time an instructor is late people start to wonder if they really care about their students. The second time it happens their students start to quit. The third time….well, the instructor needs to find another job, they do not care enough about their career or their students to be a martial arts teacher.

Didi Goodman, who also wrote the book entitled The Kids’ Karate Workbook, made the following additions to this post.

Instructor is late

I do push-ups if I’m late! LOL I know how you feel about push-ups. I think I’ve been late 3 or 4 times in twenty years. Once it was because my neighborhood was on fire. I missed the whole first class and was late to the second.

Instructor sounds like a loud, angry drill sergeant

Nothing wrong with being firm, clear, and demanding. Be as serious as you like. But you don’t need to be frightening. And if the kids think you’re angry with them whenever they make a mistake, your classes aren’t going to thrive. Be ready to laugh; let the kids know you enjoy martial arts, enjoy them and enjoy their efforts. Then they’ll enjoy trying their best for you. Lay that foundation and you can set the bar as high as you like.

Expecting perfection from the children

“We’re not moving on until you all get this exactly right.” The best teachers on earth can’t make their students get everything right at once. Remember, you’re working with beginners and young children. Students need to practice; they must put in their repetitions; they have age-based limitations on how they’ll do. Like you, they’re imperfect! So keep going. The worst mistake I see from new instructors is bringing all the action to a halt while they try to correct one student’s every last flaw. The other kids are dying of boredom and itching to move! Then, when the next count finally comes, the instructor notices Student B needs an overhaul, too… Give a clear correction and move on. Repeat as needed; help and urge as you go; but keep the action going, and move to the next activity on schedule. (See also: “Kids sitting in horse stances throwing straight punches the whole class” – sometimes this is how it came about!)

Parents coaching from the sidelines

In a well-functioning class, the instructor is in charge, and the kids need to focus. “Stage parents” are a damaging distraction – not just for their own kids, but for everyone. Make sure parents in the viewing area understand proper etiquette. If there’s an issue with their child’s behavior or performance in class, help them understand how you are handling it. If necessary, work out ways they can help and support your efforts without being disruptive (i.e., things they can do outside the dojo to support good behavior during class). Worst case: Suggest they take advantage of class time to run errands…

Younger siblings running wild on the sidelines, or running across the class

While we’re on the subject of etiquette for parents, sometimes they need encouragement to stay in charge of the siblings and toddlers who may accompany them to your school. Their noise and actions can be yet another distraction for your class, and when toddlers run onto the floor, it’s a safety hazard as well.

Kids wanting nothing but games

A game now & then, even a warm-up game every class – no problem. Making a game of hard work, or disguising repetition – those are perfectly good teaching techniques. But the highest goal of an instructor is to get the kids to love working out, to love striving for improvement, – to love learning! Classes based solely on games too often breed students who feel entitled to play – and who resist good old-fashioned discipline and work. Everything doesn’t have to be a game. Help the kids discover that martial arts training is fun in and of itself.

Thank you so much Didi for your ideas about How Not to Run a Martial Arts Class for Children. Your experiences parallel mine closely and it is interesting to see your take on it. Instructors, what ideas do you have on this subject?

Martial Arts Instructors | Are You Ready to Go Pro?

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A martial arts instructor in action

An instructor must be passionate about martial arts and love working with their students

I have been asked many times in my career, how did you build a successful business as a martial arts instructor? They see the results, our many kids martial arts locations in Sydney, but they do not see all the years of work and sacrifice that went into it. Many have asked me how to get into the martial arts business full-time. The person who is considering going professional and doing martial arts as a full-time career should ask themselves some important questions.

Passion for the Martial Arts

Are you truly passionate about the martial arts? In your spare time do you spend hours looking at martial arts videos on YouTube trying to better your game? Do you spend a good percentage of your budget on martial arts DVD’s and gear? Do you absolutely love coaching martial arts and passing on your knowledge to the next generation? Passion will carry you through the inevitable tough times, and will attract people to your club.

Organizational Skills and Work Ethic

Are you organized? Running a martial arts club takes superb organizational skills, as there is an incredible amount of preparation involved in running the classes. Are you able to schedule your day and prioritize your tasks? If you are not organized, you will make mistakes, lose credibility, and finally, lose students.

Are you willing to work harder than your competitors to make your business a success? I wore out a lot of shoe leather to build our organization in Sydney, particularly in the areas of marketing, student retention, and instructor development. There are times when I wake up and face a difficult day of something I’m not particularly fond of doing, while my friends are at the beach. But I relish hard work because I know my competitors are not going to keep up the pace.

Are you motivated to stay healthy and fit? Will you continue to train hard in order to inspire your students? Will you eat right and get plenty of rest, so you can give your students your best?

Martial Arts are About Relationships

Are you able to build relationships and sell yourself? You will need to get out there and hustle, particularly when building your name in the community. You will need to attract people who will be keen to help you.

Are you willing to admit that you do not have the skills in every area, and get the appropriate help? You will have strengths and weaknesses, and must know yourself well enough to find help in areas in which you are lacking.

Drive to Be the Best Instructor Around

Most important, are you willing to put in the time to ensure your service is the best out there? Are you enough of a perfectionist to challenge the status quo and keep pushing it, but not so much of one that nothing gets done? Are you always in pursuit of knowledge about the martial arts? Are you continually trying to improve as an instructor? Do you have an open mind when it comes to new ways of doing things?

If you answered yes to these questions, perhaps you should think about going pro in the martial arts business. For me, it has been the most rewarding of all careers. Martial arts instructors out there, do you have anything to add?

Left-handers in Martial Arts | Advantage or Disadvantage?

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Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

Mothers and fathers often complain to me about their son’s/daughter’s lack of coordination and difficulty being a left-hander or “southpaw” in our classes. I always comfort them by explaining that it is not a disadvantage, and maybe even an advantage. I tell them I am a left-hander as well, which is true. For me, it has been an advantage for the whole of my martial arts career. Is it an
advantage or disadvantage? Let’s explore it from both sides.

Advantages

Right-handers will have a hard time fighting you. Plain and simple, most fighters lack experience against lefties, since they are such a small percentage of the population. You will be coming at them from unusual angles, which they are not used to seeing. You, on the other hand, will be used to fighting right-handers as you spar against them all the time.

You will become ambidextrous fast because you are usually doing the moves right-handed. Left handed people learn to do things with their right hand due to them being in a right handed world so they have almost equal strength in both hands. In most martial arts classes the whole group practices in the right-handed stance. There will be instances when they switch it over to the other side.

Disadvantages

It will take you longer to learn things since in many cases the movements are not as natural. You will develop power and speed in your weak hand though, with repetition.

People often don’t know how to hold pads during training for lefties, and in some gyms they will force you to be a right-hander. I would switch gyms if that is the case.

A suggestion

Train on both sides. This will develop speed, power and coordination in your weak side. But against other fighters favour your left-handed stance as it will give right-handers fits.

Keep in mind, if he is a left-hander fighting in an orthodox stance, his jab and his front leg kicks will usually be better than the right-handers in the class. In fact, Bruce Lee, a natural right-hander, fought in a southpaw stance so he could have his power hand and foot closer to his opponent. This is especially true in point sparring, as your front hand and foot will score the vast majority of your points.

Some great left-handed martial artists

Lastly, the following great boxers/martial artists were left-handed, so that should tell you something:

Marvin Hagler (boxing)
Oscar de la Hoya (boxing)
Manny Pacquiao (boxing)
Chael Sonnen (MMA)
Rich Franklin (MMA)
Nick Diaz (MMA)
Lyoto Machida (MMA)
Vitor Belfort (MMA)
Anderson Silva (MMA)
Yushin Okami (MMA)
Takanori Gomi (MMA)
Mirko Cro Cop (MMA and K1 Kickboxing)

Note, some of these guys were born lefties and some are “deliberate southpaws.” They taught themselves to fight as southpaws because they found it to be an advantage to their fighting careers. Others may fight in a southpaw stance to have better jabs and hooks, which are thrown off the front hand.

Any other lefties out there in the martial arts? What is your experience?

Injured Martial Arts Instructor | Looking at the Bright Side

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How can being injured as a martial arts instructor be a positive thing? I found out recently when I broke my arm in three places in a karate tournament, requiring surgery and a plate in my arm to hold the bones together. Sometimes when life throws you a curve ball (or in this case a kick), you just need to go with the flow.

Using Your Mind More

I watched a lot of DVD’s, mostly about MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and bodyweight exercises, three of my current passions. Even though I was not able to do the vast majority of the moves, I visually went through them many times. In fact, when I was finally able to get back on the mat to roll, some of the techniques came back to me well enough to actually use. The energy that I would normally have put into training went into study.

Cross-training Your Brain and Body

Being a left-hander, I believe it’s actually an advantage to break your right hand. Why? You learn how to use the other hand better, and more importantly, it uses the other side of the brain, effectively cross-training it. I am still practising writing with my right hand months later. I studied Chinese Calligraphy a few years back and found writing with the left hand difficult because of the “smudging effect” as you move your fingers across the page left to right. When my writing is good enough with the right hand, I am going to go back and give it a crack as a right-hander.

Writing with the other hand

I had to teach myself how to write with my right hand, cross-training my brain.


Needless to say, writing, shaving, and other activities with the right hand has resulted in better coordination on that side. As a martial artist for over half of my life, I was already somewhat ambidextrous, but this certainly helped build strength and coordination on what used to be my weak side.

Your Injuries Get a Chance to Heal

The body has a wisdom of its own. Did it want to get hurt seriously? Probably not, but since the break, and the resulting enforced rest, something mysterious happened. My sore shoulders, cracked rib, sore knee and every other ailment I had completely disappeared. The relative inactivity gave my whole body a long enough rest to recover, which would have been unlikely if I kept training at the same intensity as before the injury.

You Find New Ways to Stay Fit

I had to find some way to stay fit as I had already booked a trip to Rio to train with Royler Gracie, one of the best in the world in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The doc said it would probably be ok to go if my arm healed well enough in the ten or so weeks I had left before the camp was to start. As I did my rehab exercises, I developed a program to practise Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with one arm to get myself fit for the mat.

Finding new and interesting ways to keep fit as an injured martial arts instructor

As an injured martial arts instructor, you find new and interesting ways to keep fit.


Other activities I tried were kettlebells, bodyweight exercises, and walking/running up and down stairs. Luckily the apartment in which I live has three floors of stairs. I worked my way up to twenty trips up and down, and towards the end I was running. This was a great exercise to discover as I now use it when I don’t have the time to get to the gym and need a quick workout.

Although I would not choose to go through this whole experience again, I found that by looking at the bright side of things, it was easier to stay motivated and keep on track in my training. What experiences can you share as an injured martial arts instructor or student?

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Learning About Teaching from the Best in the World

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Abmar Barbosa has won his share of titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Abmar Barbosa is one of the world's best at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is also a fine teacher.

Abmar Barbosa is one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors in the world. He is known for being a bit out there on the edge with his technique. I would say that is putting it lightly. His DVD is known as Jiu-Jitsu Outlaw, because he likes to shake it up and do things differently.  His seminar this Monday at Gracie Sydney started with one hell of a warm-up.

Upside down, between our standing opponents legs, literally doing the plow pose from yoga while rolling around and through the legs. I struggled big time, and it didn’t help that the other white belt I was partnered with (though with three blue stripes) seemed to know what he was doing. Not only did I struggle with the technical details of the move, but also the flexibility required seemed to be out of my range of motion. I thought to myself at the start of the seminar, “I am in for one long night, this is way too hard”. I underestimated Abmar’s teaching ability.

Breaking moves into the smallest details.

Abmar worked his way around the room, and although the techniques were now part of his instinct, took the time to break them down for us in the smallest possible detail until we were able to understand and perform them. On one particular technique he had me copy the motions in parallel with him without an opponent until I was able to master it. Then I tried the move against my partner. It worked like a charm. Brilliant!

Being aware when the students are struggling.

The mark of a good instructor is he or she is sensitive enough to know when students need more assistance. He had us re-group many times to go over a technique with which we were having difficulty. He then broke it down into even smaller detail until we could grasp it.

Knowing when to offer praise and encouragement.

I perservered with the moves. After what seemed like eternity, I nailed one of the sweeps, just as Abmar walked by. He smiled and said, “You got it, no problem”, and put out his hand to give me the low five, as I was in a prone position. My heart rose up, and I was immediately filled with confidence. The rest of the seminar was challenging to say the least, but with my new sense of purpose, I pushed on and learned a great deal of material. Sensing I was having great difficulty with the movements, he waited until I did one right to offer his encouragement. It would not have meant anything if he had praised me for doing a move half-heartedly.

Making the class challenging yet also drilling important skills without being boring.

Each move, although complex, was built on the one before it. In this case, we worked the moves from the same spider guard over and over again. Although I had very little experience with the spider guard before the seminar, the constant drilling of it gave me a great start on this very important part of BJJ.

Being passionate about the subject.

Abmar was so wrapped up in the class, he went well past the time slated for the seminar. You could tell Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is his life. As I performed each new technique the body somehow started to limber up and the movements started to become easier and more natural. I gained a new respect for the spider guard. As an instructor I came away with a great perspective on how to teach, from a great competitor, but also a fine teacher. Did I forget to mention, Abmar is only 27 years old?

Teaching Martial Arts with Injuries

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Teaching martial arts injured

An experienced martial arts instructor can still teach, despite being injured.

As a white belt in BJJ, I am dominated on the mat, plain and simple. Although I am learning to use technique more and strength less, I lack the experience of the higher-ranked students. As a beginner, I am much more susceptible to injury. The body is having a hard time adapting, at 52 years of age. Since I started training in BJJ in June, I have had two very sore rotator cuffs, a dislocated little toe, a stiff neck, and severely bruised ribs. This has not kept me from training consistently, but has slowed me down.

Injuries Can Be a Blessing in Disguise

I have used the downtime to look at my BJJ books, play BJJ DVD’s and create lesson plans for our MMA classes. I have been able to workshop many BJJ and MMA techniques with our senior students, despite being injured. When I get back on the mat to roll, I will have a better understanding of the intricacies of the moves.

I have been able to continue my yoga classes and conditioning with our MMA students, so my mat fitness should remain okay, even without rolling. Every martial artist should have a backup plan for exercising in the event of injury. There is always something you can do to stay fit. Many athletes cross-train during the time it takes to recover from an injury. It is actually better for your body than doing the same exercises every day.

Injuries Do Not Stop You From Teaching

Injuries have not prevented me from teaching. You can be bruised and battered, and yes, even old, but your knowledge and the ability to impart it to your students can never be taken from you. I taught classes for a year and a half as I recovered from a knee reconstruction, with the help of my able-bodied assistants. This gave them much-needed experience running the classes, while I was able to give them a critique on their teaching method.

As a martial arts teacher, you are only expected to be able to teach your students the movements and help them to understand. You are not expected to be a physical specimen or jump over tall buildings in a single bound.