The Transition from Instructor to Student

Posted by: BulldogTKD

The Transition from Instructor to Student - 08/28/06 10:06 AM

I have been in MA for a longtime, with formal training and informal training. Now I am going from teaching to learning.
The style is TKD but is WTF. My old style is not. I have done WTF before and am excited to be back! However I am wondering how to handle the transition. Should I be more reserved in class and be the white belt or should I be more of a leader in class. The class is small with only a handfull of students and the instructor is a 5th Dan. and as far as I know the highest rank in class is a green belt. He has once said I will be helping but that is all he said. I realy don't want to ask how much he wants me to help since I just started up again and I realy want to keep a low profile.

Any advice is welcome, and thanks for your response.
Posted by: Zombie Zero

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 08/28/06 10:42 AM

I think you should take a few classes, say for a month, as though you were a white belt. You need time to get used to how the new class works, and your new instructor needs time to get used to how you train.

Later, I'm sure you and your instructor will discuss your role in the class.
Posted by: ITFunity

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 08/28/06 11:47 AM

Good advice.

I would echo, goes as a white belt. You are a student, go in as a student. The founder of Taekwon-Do wrote that the color of white belt, signifies no pevious knowledge of Taekwon-Do. In your case, you have knowledge, it may even be a great amount. But you now want to be a student, I presume.
Purge yourself as much as you can, for learning purposes only. Be a beginner. see how it goes & then evaluate.
Posted by: BulldogTKD

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 08/28/06 02:18 PM

Thanks for the responses and I will follow your advice as best I can. One thing that is very difficult for me to do
is to be idle if I can be helpfull, but I do understand the need to be a student soaking up all the knowledge that I can. Thanks again for the advice.
Posted by: KarateGuy408

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 09/13/06 12:35 PM

if you do the white belt thing, you'll probably be bored a lot.
If i was the teacher, I'd use you to help teach some.
Posted by: Dobbersky

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 11/03/06 08:48 AM

May I point out we are always students and that we follow a journey, from whitebelt to white belt (the colour(uk spelling) a Blackbelt goes after many many years of training) even the Aikido founder O sensei said before he died, he'd only just began to learn the art he formed. My friend, be humble as I know as a good Martial Artist can be, and you will find your direction. I wish you peace in you new journey.

Osu

Posted by: BulldogTKD

Re: The Transition from Instructor to Student - 11/03/06 03:14 PM

Thank you for your kind words. As it turns out, my journey has become even more arduous. After about 2 mo. into my training I found out that my new instructor has a dubious past and does not live the Martial Way, or follow the tenents that he teaches. Needless to say, I am no longer training with him and I have just become an orphaned Black belt with out a place to train. However, I am trying to work with a 6th Dan old friend of mine to advance in rank while I teach classes. I don’t know how this will work but I will give it a go!