What do you want most from your Martial Arts instructor?

I think most important from both of mine is friendship.

you are a bunch of people working together towards a common goal that tends to work best if you see eye to eye well.

further I think that respect for your students and their visions is a must. not every one sees things the same way it's the art of the instructor to respect and incorporate every ones vision but still get his general Ideas across

the quality of a teacher is usually defined more by his ability to teach class more than by what he knows.

we have 2 people at black belt level in our class and both are very skilled at aikido.

one of them is technically very gifted but just does not know how to get his message across

the other one may be a little less skilled but he is much better at teaching class

ergo we've learned more from the less skilled one than the other.

if there's one more thing I expect from my teacher that's humor in what he does. you're still doing a hobby so that works best if you don't get overly serious in what you do...

Quality of instructions, patients, and humbleness.

Qualified- of course first and foremost I want an instructor who is an instructor who can teach me properly how to do stuff and can teach it clearly.

Patients- I need an instructor who's not going to give up on me when I'm doing something wrong.

Attitude-

I just started BJJ two weeks ago. I was looking around all over my city doing free trials looking for a good place to go. I went by one place that teaches Muay Thai(which is what I originally wanted to continue in anyways) BJJ/Judo, and MMA and I found a place that just taught BJJ(which I didn't mind taking just wasn't my 1st choice).

Anyways the 1st one with mauy thai etc...I went there and I noticed the instructor cussed a lot, he wasn't directly mean to anyone but you can tell he has a "im tough" attitude, and just a real cocky attitude. I even mentioned his name to someone at the rec center at school and he said I know him my friend went there a month and left because the instructor wasn't teaching really for your benefit but to just show off what he knows.

The following week I went to a BJJ place to which the instructor is very nice and humble and doesn't act like hes the toughest person on the planet, yet researching him he and his students have won legit grappling tournaments. He was very patient my first time practicing said what i was doing right said everything was great and corrected the little flaws I might have had, instead of yelling and telling me I'm doing so and so wrong. Even though BJJ wasn't my first pick and this place cost about $40-50 more a month. I chose this place cause that's how important an instructors attitude and patients is to me.

What traits are important?

qualifications and experience

good communication and teaching skills

a professional yet caring attitude

consistency

able to "walk the walk" as well as "talk the talk"

What level of support do you expect?

Class tuition

to be available to discuss any difficulties re technique (within reason)

What do you look for in a school?

Soul

Respect all round

Cohesion

Qualified and personable instructors

High skill level

Established curriculum / programs

Control over dojo behaviour and overly aggressive students

Recognised rankings

A realistic grading program

An outlook that is based more on the art than the drive for financial profit.

Traits -

knowledge - an ability to communicate that knowledge clearly through demonstration and verbal communication.

organization - even a good instructor who can't control a class is difficult to learn from.

personality - this one is kind of subjective, but I like a coach / trainer I can relate to personally.

Level of Support -

I expect to do a lot on my own as far as study, practice, and out-of-class learning. I DO expect a clear outline of what I am expected to do, and what I can expect from a school / instructor. Holding each other accountable for progress is good for both sides. I think for younger students a report card of some sort would be appropriate - measuring a student's attendance, focus and participation, respect, etc. gives a student clear goals to strive for and lets them know whether, when, and why they are (or are not) ready for testing. For adult students I think a 5 minute meeting every few months would be nice - I've only been to 1 school that did this, but I really enjoyed the feedback.

What I look for in a school - student and instructor interaction above all else. I don't like a "military" style school with the lines and simultaneous "kiai" stuff. But if the class looks organized and the students are focused that says a lot to me. Un-focused students = bored students. Martial Arts should never ever be boring. I tend toward more sport-oriented schools myself, but that's personal. And as far as facilities, I just want someplace that looks well-managed, neat and clean so I don't feel like I'll get staph or some foot disease. I don't need a super-gym with weights and bags and cardio machines - like stslav I've worked out in garages and back yards - I am not in it for the facilities as much as the instruction.

It is important to me that my martial arts instructor be consistent and a good leader. They should be someone that I want to be like. I expect to be pushed to be the best that I can be. I expect to be supported, but made to be able to be independent as well. I wanted a school were I was an individual and not one face out of many.

This has changed since I started at the school I'm currently at. When I started, all I wanted was an instructor that was competent, knowledgeable, and and an overall good teacher in terms of being able to translate the material to me successfully.

Now that the school has changed dramatically in the 6+ years I have been there, I want something different. I want time from the head instructor so he is reminded that adults still train there, and have higher training standards than kids. I want the dignity of when he is unable to train me, that he does not leave me in the care of a black belt that had not yet completed middle school. I want a teacher that understands why I think having a 13 year old karate black belt review me the aiki joint locks he needed for his test for mine (and guess who taught him?) is humiliating. Most of all, I want the feeling that my teacher is not simply taking my money.

I would give my black belt back to have that old teacher again.

Lesson to instructors: don't cave in to your art's "change" when you know it is outright wrong.

These are initial impressions. Over time, I tend to move away if I find that I'm outgrowing a particular group.

What I want most: Quality.

Most important traits: Confidence, Playfulness, Skill, Easy-Going attitude, Love for the art.

Level of support: I'm a bit strange here, and I'm only referring to my Bujinkan instructor, but if he'd shown an ounce of interest in me early on, I probably wouldn't have trained so hard. I had to earn any support I got by coming back, proving that I was trying, and demonstrating my willingness to learn. It was only then that I really was able to learn.

School: The instructor. I don't care about the facilities: I've trained in parks, garages, parking lots, basements, concrete patios. But if the instructor can demonstrate that he knows what he's talking about and that I can see some sense of assuredness in his movements, there's hope. The rest comes with time.

I personaly go for older styel traits and all but realy it depends on what kind of class u have i suppose.

The level of support i expect. Is that the sensei would be there all the time. Give the class encourage ment and make them work for what they are wanting. Be strict but let the people know that there is an understanding and nice side of u too but when its time to concentrait u want them to only do there best. U can even resite the code of conduct before class starts with the students. U say it and they repeat after. It helps the students know where there place is in class and helps them know what there working for. To seek to obtain perfection of charicter, To live with politeness and disiplinTo strive for exelance through efforts, To honor a code of ethical behavior and To refraim from empetuous conduct. Thats what we do and it helps me and my train of thought all the time.

When i looked for a school. I looked to see how well the teacher was paying attention to the students and helping them. Also to see if they gave the students encouragement every now and then. To keep the students confidence up. I do not lyk what my teacher has turned into. I think he is spreading himself to thin. Never do that. Keep ur foucouse on what u love and try to see if some students are a littel more interested in learning it and the history. Tell storys of your styel where it originated and etc. Here and there. Not long cause people cant always pay attention to that but enough to spark some peoples intrest and then go on in class. Make it relate to what u are going to say or class some how. That helps tremedously. I hope this helps u in what u are looking for.

Someone who treats his students like family, is kind, respectful, and can teach well. He must also know what he's talking about. I expect a good amount of support, not too much not too little. As for what I look for in a school, I don't look for expensive equipment or a fancy location. I want a school that will teach the art I want to learn truly and purely (no McDojos).

- No ego. If he did something wrong, he should admit to it and apologize. If I am paying you for instruction, all I owe you is my fee, and nothing else. If I attend every class, that benefits me, not you. I automatically respect the Sensei as a person, and I expect the same level of respect.

A teacher should not be abusive. There are some teachers out there, not many, but some, who put you in a lock just to hear you screaming. I will never put my students through that kind of abuse.

They will punch you, kick you, strike dangerous areas - all to show how well they can do it.

When you wind up with internal damage, they don't take responsibility.

Be responsible. Stop trying to overly inflict pain. We know you can do it.

It is humiliating for students to be treated like that.

A close friend of mine broke off his friendship with someone like that. Every time, in his presence, it was being put in locks, being punched and kicked - as if it was a joke.

You lose students that way... people that would otherwise give their life for you... now don't want to have anything to do with you - no matter how good you are.

- I am my own support. I don't require much of that. Only respect.

- As for the Dojo - machiwara of all kinds - Hojo Undo equipment - and a great wood floor.

No AC, No Heat - my dojo never had any.