Tutoring help wanted

Do you enjoy sharing what you know, or do you prefer being the one who learns?
Would you ever consider opening your own club?

When I find myself working with someone who puts in significantly less effort than I do, I can't help but start explaining things or demonstrating techniques. It gets a bit awkward when you try that at a new gym where you're the newcomer; you risk coming off as arrogant... 😬
Basically... if anyone—say, a friend—shows even a hint of interest, I immediately feel the urge to start teaching and showing them the ropes.

How do you all handle it?
(I have a feeling that Robin Palmer3 would probably try to teach people even in his sleep. But perhaps that is just my impression. 👍 )

Teaching combat sports is a thankless grind. Most people aren't going to just hand over their life's work to you, even if what they've built actually matters. You have to prove yourself first. Beyond that, you need actual talent to grasp the nuances of what’s really happening at a high level. I'm certainly not just handing out my core philosophy to every random person who walks through the door.

Look, I’m all for lending a hand to anyone struggling—honestly, I love helping people get back on track when things go sideways for them. But let’s be real for a second: I also expect that same level of support in return. Why? Because if I’m constantly playing teacher without getting any help myself, I’m going to run into some serious roadblocks. It’s a two-way street, isn't it?

Jeremy Evans80 said:(I have a feeling that if you asked Robin Palmer3 to teach someone, he'd probably try to do it even in his sleep—but hey, maybe that's just my take. 👍 )

You aren't wrong about that assessment... so, when are you starting your apprenticeship?😁

Jeremy Evans80 said:Do you prefer sharing what you know, or just being the one receiving it?

Of course. A true expert is often more willing to mentor a complete novice.

Those who focus solely on hoarding techniques and skills—refusing to show anything to someone less experienced out of pure ego—aren't masters. They're just arrogant pretenders.

Jeremy Evans80 said:Would you ever open your own club?

Certainly. It's something I've considered, provided the circumstances align—specifically regarding expertise, experience, and finding the right facility. 😁

Peter Myers29 said:A true master proves their worth by choosing to mentor a novice rather than just hoarding knowledge for themselves.

I find myself in complete agreement with that sentiment.
When you take on the burden of instruction, you aren't merely imparting wisdom; you are subjecting your own understanding to a rigorous, unforgiving test of clarity and depth.
As the old adage goes, even the most brilliant mind can glean something unexpected from a fool if they are paying attention. 😬

Peter Myers29 said:Those individuals whose sole ambition is to accumulate techniques and skills—yet who consider it beneath them to demonstrate those abilities to someone lacking experience—are not masters at all, but merely arrogant, self-important fools.

However, I must respectfully dissent.
There is a vast, yawning chasm between casually showing someone a trick and actually establishing an institution—say, opening a specialized training academy in Chicago—to educate fifty students at once. To do the latter requires an immense reservoir of time, an infinite supply of patience, and a genuine will to serve. Dealing with people is, quite frankly, psychologically exhausting work.

Personally, I intend to push my own capabilities much further before I would even entertain the thought of teaching anyone else; to attempt it sooner would feel profoundly irresponsible, almost a breach of ethics.
In my view, one either performs a task with absolute integrity or does not bother at all.
History shows us that many great American craftsmen didn't even begin to instruct others until they were well into their fifties, having spent thirty years grinding away, refining their craft, and perfecting their discipline.

👍

Justin Watson58 said:...teaching martial arts is a thankless gig. It's rare for someone to hand over their life's work, assuming it actually holds value. You generally have to prove yourself first, and you probably need some level of talent just to grasp the nuances of what's happening... I don't see myself handing over the core principles to just anyone...

It’s because of people who don't teach "completely" that we have so many self-proclaimed "masters" today, along with students who don't know any better and waste their time training under them.
Bad practice.
Very bad.
👎

Robin Palmer3 said:Your assessment isn't wrong... so, when are you coming by for training?😁

Heh...
I would love to come.
I really would.
And I will.
Someday.
Right now, I'm stuck without a car, and I don't have one.
The alternative is 31 miles biking (it's a 25-mile ride to the gym and 25 miles back), and I'm likely not in enough shape to survive the workout, let alone 16 miles the ride home.
😢

Anyway... does the club stay open during the summer?

Zachary Brooks3 said:I suppose I agree.
When you teach someone, you are also teaching yourself. I suppose you end up testing your own knowledge as much as theirs. Maybe that's just how it works.
As the old saying goes: even a smart man can learn something from a fool. 😬

It is interesting how some things just come naturally to certain people—like not shrugging their shoulders during specific movements, for instance—so they don't even think to correct them while training. Meanwhile, others might struggle with things that most people do instinctively. I suppose that’s why I find working with a wide variety of clients so engaging; you start noticing those tiny, subtle details that might otherwise be overlooked.

I am not entirely sure; I don't think teaching would be my path. It is not a matter of refusal, but rather an admission that I lack the temperament for pedagogy. My issue is that I tend to lose my patience quite quickly when demonstrating something, and if someone fails to grasp a concept, I find myself becoming visibly agitated that such a simple technique remains elusive. There is a vast difference between showing a trick to a buddy or a cousin and taking on the heavy responsibility of instructing others and transferring knowledge. Personally, I prefer to simply focus on my own training.🙂

Peter Myers29 said:A real master doesn't just hang out with the pros. You know you've actually made it when you start teaching someone who hasn't even figured out the basics yet.

...Pfft, hahaha. This is easily the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. Look, it’s simple: idiot parents produce idiot kids. Then, our healthcare system steps in and spends massive amounts of taxpayer money constantly fixing genetic mistakes. All that effort just results in a bunch of garbage cluttering up "civilized" society—the very same society these people end up running. If nature were actually in charge, she would have cleaned this mess up a long time ago.

Do you honestly think top-tier mechanics or high-level managers actually want to get screwed over by someone they didn't personally hand-pick? I don't think so. Not a chance.

Peter Myers29 said:People who only care about stacking up techniques and skills just to feel superior? Those guys aren't masters. They’re just arrogant idiots who think they're too good to show what they know to someone actually trying to learn.

There’s a massive difference between showing someone respect and actually wanting to waste my damn time on them. Since those two things aren't the same, I don't see any point in dragging this out further. Done.

Jeremy Evans80 said:Because people don't teach things "all the way," we're stuck with a bunch of "experts" today and apprentices who have no idea what better looks like, so they waste their lives training under someone like that.
Bad practice.
Really bad.
👎

...hm, there's nothing I can do about it. It is what it is...👍...if you're stubborn enough, you'll eventually make it to the top...

Jeremy Evans80 said:but... does the club even stay open during the summer?

It’ll be open all summer—just show up.👍

I’m still relatively new to this, and whenever I try to demonstrate something to someone else, it rarely ends well—mostly because I simply don't have the knack for it. It happens quite frequently where I can execute a technique perfectly, yet when the moment comes to explain the mechanics to a less experienced trainee, everything just falls apart. Of course, as I put in more hours on the mat, these hiccups become less frequent, which is only to be expected...
As far as the actual ability to teach goes, perhaps one of my biggest hurdles is that I tend to explain things through my own subjective lens rather than translating them into terms that everyone can actually grasp. Besides, K. Tohei once remarked: "There are few who can teach, and even fewer who can teach how to teach..."

Justin Watson58 said:...give me a break. This is hands down the most absurd thing I’ve ever read. It isn't about some grand strategy; it's just a matter of incompetent parents producing incompetent children, while our healthcare system spends a fortune trying to patch up genetic errors. We end up cluttering what we call a "civilized" society with people who essentially run it—people nature would have swept aside long ago if it followed its own rules...

...do you honestly believe top-tier mechanics or high-level executives actually want to deal with someone they didn't hand-pick themselves? I highly doubt it...

..."honor" and "having zero interest in wasting my time on them" are two very different concepts, so I don't see much point in dragging this out further...

There was really no need to engage with comments like that in the first place. 🙄

I don't mind showing people how things are done, but I’ve always got this nagging fear that I might actually be doing it wrong, so I usually make sure to mention that you should probably check in with someone more experienced first just to be safe.

I don't see this coaching thing as some lecture or an attempt to act smarter than everyone else. To me, it’s just essential communication between two adults trying to level up their game... without it, things are way harder. I’m totally open to suggestions, too... they can only help. But since I view it this way, I’ll tell someone exactly what I think if I see them doing something less efficiently than they actually could.

Edward Sanchez72 said:I don't view this kind of coaching as just lecturing or showing off. I see it more as necessary communication between two people from different eras trying to bridge their knowledge gaps... without it, things are much harder. I suppose I'm quite open to suggestions; they might actually be useful. Since I view it this way, I tend to speak up if I notice someone is doing something less efficiently than they probably could.

Eric Jackson43 said:I enjoy demonstrating things, but I always worry about being incorrect. Personally, I usually mention that one should probably check with someone more experienced first.

I appreciate your line of reasoning. 👍
That is somewhat how I approach it as well...

Edward Sanchez72 said:I don't view these training sessions as just lectures or people showing off. To me, it’s essential communication between two different generations looking to level up their expertise. Without that exchange, progress is much harder to achieve. I’m always open to suggestions because they help me improve. Since I see things this way, I’ll jump in and speak up if I notice someone is doing something less efficiently than they could be.

Analyzing the training 🙂

Of course you should ask someone with more experience...
Basically, when I'm drilling, I can usually feel exactly what my buddy is messing up... especially if the instructor demonstrated the technique on me first.
But if I have no clue what’s going on and the move just isn't working, then yeah, I’ll go ask the sensei.

Yesterday, for example, we were working on some leg strikes. The technique was supposed to end with a strike right against his extended leg, just above the Achilles tendon...
And here’s the thing... if you're striking that spot while standing too far away from his extended leg, it's a totally different story than if my planted foot is right next to his. If I'm close, I can hit way harder and actually knock him off balance...
It took me a few tries to wrap my head around it myself, and once I finally figured out where the catch was, I mentioned it to my friend. Naturally, he just swept me right off my feet after that...

Since I spend my days working with kids, it’s just second nature to me to step into teaching mode—honestly, I genuinely love doing it. But, much like what ljiga mentioned, I always make it a point to remind everyone that I learned everything I know from people who were far smarter and more capable than I am, so there's absolutely no reason to feel awkward about asking them to clarify things if a concept isn't clicking right away. 🙂