Musings on Coach Development in Martial Arts
It has long been a peculiarity of the martial arts world that a black belt is considered to be a qualification to teach. Yet how many black belt candidates are tested on their ability to teach others as part of gaining their rank? It is perhaps fair to say that in most cases a black belt is a measure of ability to perform a martial art, not to teach it.
Of course, it is not possible to teach what you cannot do, so the ability to perform is definitely a prerequisite for coaching. Systems that do not use a belt rank system will have their own means to judge when a student is ready to become an instructor. This may mean meeting formal requirements, or could be based on the judgement of a senior instructor. There is no single, ideal way to do this; if the system works then it is a good one.
At present, there is no legal requirement to have qualifications other than a black belt or its equivalent. Insurance companies seem willing to recognise and insure instructors based on rank alone. However, rules inevitably get tighter and it seems likely that, at some point, insurers are going to want martial arts coaches to be qualified as such, rather than simply as performers of the martial arts.
Instructor qualifications are available in various forms, and it is of course entirely possible for the head of a martial arts organisation to issue coaching certificates to anyone within the organisation who seems suitable. At present, such a certificate would probably be taken at face value, but at some point insurers may begin to require details of coach training and instructor selection policy before issuing coaching insurance.
It would seem useful to pre-empt such a requirement by having a policy in place, and there are other benefits too. A clear coaching policy can be useful in the event of a disputed insurance claim. For example, if a student is injured in connection with a technique that the class instructor did not teach, perhaps one that was shown by a classmate, then the insurance situation is a little vague. On the other hand if the technique was taught by a recognised assistant instructor, with the permission and knowledge of a coach who can attest to the assistant’s competence, things are clearer.
A clear and robust coaching policy is useful for other reasons too. It is well worth having a rule that nobody teaches anything unless they are designated as an assistant or full instructor, and to have a clear path to becoming one for those who want to. The starting point on that path must be possession of suitable technical ability. However, there is much more to becoming an instructor than having some skills to pass on.
Coaching is an art form, and in the end there is no substitute for experience. Some martial arts organisations expect their new instructors to gain that experience by being put in front of a class to teach soon after gaining an appropriate grade, but there are serious flaws with this deep-end approach.
The prospect of facing a class is daunting to most people, and a nervous instructor will inevitably make mistakes. This leads to embarrassment and the likelihood that the next instruction session will be even more unpleasant for the new coach due to the expectation of failure. The requirement to teach once black belt level is reached can contribute to a heavy dropout rate just before or just after this grade is attained.
Additionally, it is not really fair to students to put an instructor who is not properly competent in front of them. Apart from risks of accident or poorly-taught techniques that can lead to bad habits later on, students have given up time (and usually money) to be taught a martial art or fighting system. This creates an obligation to teach them properly and even with the best of intentions, a new coach with no training is unlikely to be able to do so.
It makes sense, then, to prepare prospective coaches and to allow them to gain experience gradually. Many martial arts organisations do this already, often without realising it. Involving advanced students in teaching, in a small way at first, can develop their confidence and skills until they are ready to face a class solo. It will still be a difficult moment but building up gradually can make those first solo sessions a little less traumatic.
The usual approach is to give the student-instructor a small but necessary and clearly-defined task to carry out, with the class instructor nearby to deal with any problems that may arise. Perhaps the student-instructor might be assigned to teach a couple of new students their first techniques while the senior coach is working with the main class. Any problems can be referred to the senior coach, who is also well positioned to correct any errors before they become serious.
The student-instructor might run a warm-up or a session practicing breakfalls or positioning skills. In this case the student-instructor will not be teaching anything new; students will be carrying out familiar activities with the student-instructor overseeing the class. This allows experience of running a group activity to be gained in an environment where serious problems are unlikely.
Alternatively, the student-instructor might be given a single technique to teach to a small group or the whole class. It is important to note that insurance is an issue here. If the class is taught a technique by someone who is not a qualified instructor and is not insured as one, there are grey areas. However, if the class instructor is present to ensure that everything is done properly, and takes overall responsibility for the training, then there is no real problem. The senior instructor does not have to stand and watch; he or she might be nearby working with another group.
It is well worth running instructor-training sessions before students are allowed to coach, even under close supervision. This allows the senior coach to assess the prospective instructor’s suitability and to certify that the student is competent. Instructor-training sessions should focus on conveying information in general and the key points of the techniques in particular. It is easy for an experienced instructor to forget how difficult teaching can be to a beginner.
It is a very good idea to go over the key ‘teaching points’ of a technique well before the student tries to teach it. A senior coach may well be able to spot instantly when a student makes a mistake, and know how to fix it, but someone with less experience might not have any idea what is going wrong. Thus it is worthwhile to cover the key points to be conveyed as well as common mistakes that tend to occur. Safety points should be emphasised, however obvious they may seem. It is amazing what a stressed, nervous beginner coach can forget about.
Key points are often rather obvious, but they are no less important for that.
· “It’s important to emphasise lifting the foot from the toes, and chambering it in front of you, rather than swinging the leg back as if you’re kicking a ball.”
· “The usual reason this fails is that the student is out of position. That also opens you up to an easy reversal. Make sure they establish the position before trying to apply the lock.”
· “This one comes on much faster than you’d expect if you get it right, so make sure they walk through it a few times and find out where it comes on. Otherwise, somebody will really crank it on without meaning to.”
Covering the specifics of techniques to be taught can also be useful to the student-instructor’s development as a martial artist or fighter, as it leads to a deeper understanding of the art or system.
Thus although coach development is as yet not necessary for legal purposes, it offers many benefits as well as clearing up a number of insurance-related grey areas. A pool of competent assistant-instructors in a class is always a good thing, and when the time comes for one of them to teach the class, the experience will be better for the students and the new coach. Good preparation to teach will also help reduce post-black belt dropout rates.
Of course, it is not possible to teach what you cannot do, so the ability to perform is definitely a prerequisite for coaching. Systems that do not use a belt rank system will have their own means to judge when a student is ready to become an instructor. This may mean meeting formal requirements, or could be based on the judgement of a senior instructor. There is no single, ideal way to do this; if the system works then it is a good one.
At present, there is no legal requirement to have qualifications other than a black belt or its equivalent. Insurance companies seem willing to recognise and insure instructors based on rank alone. However, rules inevitably get tighter and it seems likely that, at some point, insurers are going to want martial arts coaches to be qualified as such, rather than simply as performers of the martial arts.
Instructor qualifications are available in various forms, and it is of course entirely possible for the head of a martial arts organisation to issue coaching certificates to anyone within the organisation who seems suitable. At present, such a certificate would probably be taken at face value, but at some point insurers may begin to require details of coach training and instructor selection policy before issuing coaching insurance.
It would seem useful to pre-empt such a requirement by having a policy in place, and there are other benefits too. A clear coaching policy can be useful in the event of a disputed insurance claim. For example, if a student is injured in connection with a technique that the class instructor did not teach, perhaps one that was shown by a classmate, then the insurance situation is a little vague. On the other hand if the technique was taught by a recognised assistant instructor, with the permission and knowledge of a coach who can attest to the assistant’s competence, things are clearer.
A clear and robust coaching policy is useful for other reasons too. It is well worth having a rule that nobody teaches anything unless they are designated as an assistant or full instructor, and to have a clear path to becoming one for those who want to. The starting point on that path must be possession of suitable technical ability. However, there is much more to becoming an instructor than having some skills to pass on.
Coaching is an art form, and in the end there is no substitute for experience. Some martial arts organisations expect their new instructors to gain that experience by being put in front of a class to teach soon after gaining an appropriate grade, but there are serious flaws with this deep-end approach.
The prospect of facing a class is daunting to most people, and a nervous instructor will inevitably make mistakes. This leads to embarrassment and the likelihood that the next instruction session will be even more unpleasant for the new coach due to the expectation of failure. The requirement to teach once black belt level is reached can contribute to a heavy dropout rate just before or just after this grade is attained.
Additionally, it is not really fair to students to put an instructor who is not properly competent in front of them. Apart from risks of accident or poorly-taught techniques that can lead to bad habits later on, students have given up time (and usually money) to be taught a martial art or fighting system. This creates an obligation to teach them properly and even with the best of intentions, a new coach with no training is unlikely to be able to do so.
It makes sense, then, to prepare prospective coaches and to allow them to gain experience gradually. Many martial arts organisations do this already, often without realising it. Involving advanced students in teaching, in a small way at first, can develop their confidence and skills until they are ready to face a class solo. It will still be a difficult moment but building up gradually can make those first solo sessions a little less traumatic.
The usual approach is to give the student-instructor a small but necessary and clearly-defined task to carry out, with the class instructor nearby to deal with any problems that may arise. Perhaps the student-instructor might be assigned to teach a couple of new students their first techniques while the senior coach is working with the main class. Any problems can be referred to the senior coach, who is also well positioned to correct any errors before they become serious.
The student-instructor might run a warm-up or a session practicing breakfalls or positioning skills. In this case the student-instructor will not be teaching anything new; students will be carrying out familiar activities with the student-instructor overseeing the class. This allows experience of running a group activity to be gained in an environment where serious problems are unlikely.
Alternatively, the student-instructor might be given a single technique to teach to a small group or the whole class. It is important to note that insurance is an issue here. If the class is taught a technique by someone who is not a qualified instructor and is not insured as one, there are grey areas. However, if the class instructor is present to ensure that everything is done properly, and takes overall responsibility for the training, then there is no real problem. The senior instructor does not have to stand and watch; he or she might be nearby working with another group.
It is well worth running instructor-training sessions before students are allowed to coach, even under close supervision. This allows the senior coach to assess the prospective instructor’s suitability and to certify that the student is competent. Instructor-training sessions should focus on conveying information in general and the key points of the techniques in particular. It is easy for an experienced instructor to forget how difficult teaching can be to a beginner.
It is a very good idea to go over the key ‘teaching points’ of a technique well before the student tries to teach it. A senior coach may well be able to spot instantly when a student makes a mistake, and know how to fix it, but someone with less experience might not have any idea what is going wrong. Thus it is worthwhile to cover the key points to be conveyed as well as common mistakes that tend to occur. Safety points should be emphasised, however obvious they may seem. It is amazing what a stressed, nervous beginner coach can forget about.
Key points are often rather obvious, but they are no less important for that.
· “It’s important to emphasise lifting the foot from the toes, and chambering it in front of you, rather than swinging the leg back as if you’re kicking a ball.”
· “The usual reason this fails is that the student is out of position. That also opens you up to an easy reversal. Make sure they establish the position before trying to apply the lock.”
· “This one comes on much faster than you’d expect if you get it right, so make sure they walk through it a few times and find out where it comes on. Otherwise, somebody will really crank it on without meaning to.”
Covering the specifics of techniques to be taught can also be useful to the student-instructor’s development as a martial artist or fighter, as it leads to a deeper understanding of the art or system.
Thus although coach development is as yet not necessary for legal purposes, it offers many benefits as well as clearing up a number of insurance-related grey areas. A pool of competent assistant-instructors in a class is always a good thing, and when the time comes for one of them to teach the class, the experience will be better for the students and the new coach. Good preparation to teach will also help reduce post-black belt dropout rates.
