When do your students start instructing?

[amylong]

At what belt level do you have students start instructing?

By that, I generally mean assisting.

I think I started doing assisting around blue belt.

And I got my own class to teach when I hit black. (We don't have a lot of black belts at our school.)

I teach the white and yellow belts and I have them help each other. I think it's important to teach early to learn how.

Frank Trejo said that he used to learn a technique, then go teach it, starting when he was a yellow belt.

What do y'all think about that? (Nod to Crippler for the y'all)

--Amy

[dcastiglione]

I am but a lowly orange, and my instructor has us teaching the Juniors classes at times, his goal is for us to have at least 200 hours of teaching before becoming a bb. I also have 2 kids that are green and brown in the juniors class, I try to teach them at home but they usually wear their "Dad Block" so its in 1 ear and out the other.

[amylong]

I am but a lowly orange, and my instructor has us teaching the Juniors classes at times, his goal is for us to have at least 200 hours of teaching before becoming a bb. I also have 2 kids that are green and brown in the juniors class, I try to teach them at home but they usually wear their "Dad Block" so its in 1 ear and out the other.

Orange is not lowly. Orange means you know at least 34 moves and lots of basics, so you probably have some good stuff to share.

That's great that you're teaching already. I'm personally amazed at how much I've learned from teaching. Things I see that I didn't when I was just doing it myself.

I tried to teach staff set recently and I was not very smooth in my teaching because I'd never taught it before, so I had to really examine each part before I could begin to teach it.

As you teach, so shall you learn.

--Amy

[mrthunder29]

I started helping out as a Orange betl being the "dummy for showing techniques" and my instructor would have demo short form1 and long one to new students so that they would know what they would eventually learn. I got my first class when i made Brown...I miss it, i need to find a Kenpo school here in the Seattle area

[amylong]

I started helping out as a Orange betl being the "dummy for showing techniques" and my instructor would have demo short form1 and long one to new students so that they would know what they would eventually learn. I got my first class when i made Brown...I miss it, i need to find a Kenpo school here in the Seattle area

Have you check the map? There's a kenpo map that shows where everyone's school is. Maybe yours is there too.

If we don't already, we should have a resource section where everyone can list their schools. That way people who are looking for schools in a certain area can scan it and see. Maybe there's one nearby that you don't know about.

--Amy

[gakusei]

One on one, we encourage students to help lower ranks. As for assisting the whole class, it is usually the higher kyu ranks. Sankyu and above.

[jfarnsworth]

I started at orange belt. I was helping teach kid's classes at that point then around blue started the adults classes. However the average student should start slowly at around green. Then at brown be able to teach yellow/orange stuff pretty descently. By second brown should be able to handle to blue/green. At first then up to 3rd brown. At least that's my opinion.

[amylong]

One on one, we encourage students to help lower ranks. As for assisting the whole class, it is usually the higher kyu ranks. Sankyu and above.

Pretend I don't know what Sankyu and above is. Pretend that I know those words more as colors and less as foreign language words.

If you were to pretend this, what colors would those be?

I started at orange belt. I was helping teach kid's classes at that point then around blue started the adults classes. However the average student should start slowly at around green. Then at brown be able to teach yellow/orange stuff pretty descently. By second brown should be able to handle to blue/green. At first then up to 3rd brown. At least that's my opinion.

The students in our school seem to start around green, but that's because I need help in my class and have recruited them. There doesn't seem to be any set time to do it. I think earlier is good. As long as they are teaching the stuff correctly.


--Amy

[Badboyzz36]

I personnally think that every student has something to teach and should be given the opportunity to interpid what he/she has learned. Then and only then does his/her instructor know if the students are actually grasping the concepts and principles that make up our art. Just be proud of what you have learned and give the lower belts the same consideration that your instructor gave you when you were learning what you are now trying to pass on. BAM! BAM!

[gakusei]

Pretend I don't know what Sankyu and above is. Pretend that I know those words more as colors and less as foreign language words.

If you were to pretend this, what colors would those be?


--Amy

[pretend]
We don't follow AK belt colors; but that would be brown and up. Our last 3 belts are brown, brown stripe, red, black.

sankyu is third kyu (3 from black). Count down to black then count up.
[/pretend]

[Ray]

I've been encouraging a blue belt student to begin teaching in his small community.

I do ask my students at times, to explain technques to the class as if they were teaching it. It is interesting.

[Celtic_Crippler]

Officially....brown. Unofficially, we all help each other out during class.

[EndlessRising]

My instructor always had me helping out lower ranks (I'm a fast learner ). But I didn't officially start teaching until I hit brown belt.

[thesensei]

My instructor was grooming me to teach from the beginning. He actually had me start teaching at about purple belt. At brown belt, he encouraged me to teach on my own. But, I'm a teacher by nature...it's just in me!

[amylong]

I think it's good to encourage everybody to help teach.

That's how we and they know they know it.

And it helps everybody to keep up. I especially appreciate it because right now it's just me and a class of about 12, when everyone shows. Tara (Shodan) is going to come to my school to assist soon, but until then, I have to have them break into groups and help each other because I can't be everywhere at once.

Although at time, I just walk around talking loudly. It's kind of like being everywhere at once.

--Amy

[Rob Broad]

I have a program in my school I call L.I.T.'s (Leaders In Training). Teen/Adult students at Orrange Belt can be asked to join it. They then get to come in and assist with the childrens class and wear a red belt while working in that class only. As the L.I.T. becomes more proficient as an instructor they take 5 written tests, each new level gets them discounts on equipment, testing, tuition, etc...

Once a person reaches Brown Belt the no longer wear the speacial L.I.T. Belt.

[Dr. Kenpo]

I started at orange belt. I was helping teach kid's classes at that point then around blue started the adults classes. However the average student should start slowly at around green. Then at brown be able to teach yellow/orange stuff pretty descently. By second brown should be able to handle to blue/green. At first then up to 3rd brown. At least that's my opinion.

I can go with that! (geeze, I agree with JFarnsworth?) what's happening to me?

[Ceicei]

I started assisting at purple. I really enjoyed doing that, and found I learned more when I taught. It also helps when I see how other students learn--their way of understanding. Teaching has taught me to try different ways because each student I work with learns differently. I love learning; I found when I pair my training with teaching as well, I become a better student.

- Ceicei

[Celtic_Crippler]

I have a program in my school I call L.I.T.'s (Leaders In Training). Teen/Adult students at Orrange Belt can be asked to join it. They then get to come in and assist with the childrens class and wear a red belt while working in that class only. As the L.I.T. becomes more proficient as an instructor they take 5 written tests, each new level gets them discounts on equipment, testing, tuition, etc...

Once a person reaches Brown Belt the no longer wear the speacial L.I.T. Belt.

That's an excellent program for larger schools.

[jfarnsworth]

I can go with that! (geeze, I agree with JFarnsworth?) what's happening to me?

Let's not get too carried away. From my calculations that about 7 now in the last 4.5yrs.