How to Get Certified as a Martial Arts Instructor
Nearly 50 years since he passed away, Bruce Lee is a legend even to people who were born decades after his death. While many consider Lee to be one of the greatest martial artists to walk God’s green earth, the funny thing is that he never really competed professionally.
However, he was a student of the game and an exceptional master. What’s more, he loved to teach! Bruce loved to teach people so much that he developed a fighting style that was tailored for street altercations, Jeet Kune Do.
Being a martial arts teacher can be incredibly gratifying as you get to transform defenseless people into confident individuals that can take care of themselves. As you can imagine, that is not an easy task.
While you do not have to be the next Bruce Lee, you need to be a master of a particular martial art to become an instructor. In addition to skill, you will also need martial arts certificates from an accredited body to prove your legitimacy.
This article will let you in on everything you need to know about what it takes to become a certified martial arts instructor.
Why Do You Need a Martial Arts Certificate?
Unfortunately, the government does not control the quality of martial arts training. As such, anyone can start their own dojo. But few people can start an instructor without certification.
To obtain a martial arts certificate, you will have to prove that you have the necessary skills and the ability to pass them on to others. The certificate, therefore, will be your mark of legitimacy. This will allow you to land a martial arts instructor job quickly, or attract pupils in case you decide to open your own school.
What Kind of Training and Certification do You Need to Become a Martial Art Instructor?
Typically, you need to have at least a first-degree black belt in your style to be considered proficient at it. In fact, for a long time, most martial arts schools used their black-belts as assistant trainers.
Nonetheless, with martial arts schools popping up everywhere, the quality of training has tremendously reduced. As such, simply being a black belt is no longer a sign of proficiency, but it’s a good start if you obtained your black belt from an authentic school.
To become a legitimate martial arts trainer, therefore, you will need to complete a martial art teacher training course. The objective of this course is to help you learn how to be a teacher. As you may be well aware, being a master of something does not always translate to being a good teacher.
The benefit of this training program is that it imparts you with the skills you require to connect with your students, as well as managing the facility.
What Licenses do You Need to Teach Martial Arts?
This depends on your host country. In the U.S, you do not need any special license to operate a martial arts facility. However, you do need sport’s liability insurance to protect the facility and its students. Combat training and injuries are almost synonymous.
As such, ensure to check what your country’s law say about martial arts training licensing. The best way to go about it is to contact any martial arts association in your country so they can provide you with guidance. Alternatively, you can reach out to the department of sport in your country.
Do You Need to be Affiliated with a Martial Arts Association?
If you already have a belt of a certain rank, chances are you are already affiliated to a martial arts association.
You will, of course, need to follow their rules when looking to rank your students. This means that you will have to communicate with the association in your region about your desire to become an instructor.
Now that you have an idea of what you need to become a martial art teacher, the next section will cover the steps you need to take to become one.
- Gain the Necessary Experience
This step involves acquiring the actual skills you need to be a master of your preferred martial art. Consider doing the following:
Choosing a style
This involves checking out various martial arts to find one that interests you the most. To make your work simpler, narrow down your options to styles that are likely being taught in martial arts training schools near you.
Since different martial arts have different philosophies, tactics, and training methods, it is crucial that you choose one that resonates with your core beliefs and principals. It is also important to consider how well your physical attributes match up with a particular style.
For example, if you are not an explosive athlete, avoid going for a dynamic martial art such as Muay Thai that calls for extreme athleticism. Instead, you may consider an art such as Jiu-Jitsu.
Karate is unique in that it suits all kinds of people. Therefore, if you prefer striking to grappling, karate is a great style to kick start your martial arts journey. Karate is the third most popular martial art in the world, after Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. Therefore, being a karate instructor means that your services will be highly sought after.
You can also work on other styles while being a karate instructor.
Dedicating yourself to learning that art
Once you have established which martial art suits you best, compare the various schools offering it to find one with the best track record for quality. Next, enroll for classes and start learning.
Since your goal is to become a master and teacher of the art, you must dedicate yourself to learning all there is to know about the subject. This means not just learning the techniques, but also understanding their pros and cons.
As such, you must put emphasis on understanding the fundamentals, as they are the foundation upon which everything else is built upon. In fact, you will notice that the best martial arts competitors rarely stray from the basics when competing. It is something that you would also want your students to have.
New students typically have at least 3 – 5 hours of practice every week. In your case, it would be better if you added more practice hours.
Attain a basic level of mastery
Put teaching thoughts aside until you earn your first black belt or its equivalent in your respective art. Your focus, therefore, should be to sharpen the skills that you have been learning. Displaying high levels of skill is what will attract students to your school, or make you marketable to schools when looking for a martial arts instructor job.
Nonetheless, attaining even the most basic level of mastery, takes time. Most martial arts require you to hone your skills religiously for between 4 and 6 years to attain a first-degree black belt.
However, some styles promote you based on your ability to execute key techniques. An example of such a martial art is Kukkiwon Taekwondo, where you can get your first-degree black belt in as little three years. However, this is largely dependent on your dedication and work ethic. Conversely, disciplines such as Jiu-Jitsu are notorious for slow progress, with students taking up to 10 years to attain a basic level of mastery.
Learn its history
In addition to the technical aspects of the martial art that you will be teaching, you also need to educate your pupils about its philosophy and history. Teaching someone how to fight without making them disciplined individuals is akin to raising a pitbull without giving it proper training and then letting it walk without a leash.
As you can imagine, the consequences can be disastrous. This is why, as a martial arts instructor, your biggest role is arguably to transform a regular person into a strong and confident individual and then to inspire this person to be a protector of others.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Bruce Lee is regarded asmore of a philosopher than a martial artist, yet he is arguably the greatest martial artist to have ever lived.
Moreover, learning the history and philosophies of your art allows you to cement your legitimacy as a teacher further. As such, ensure that you look for resources containing information about your preferred martial art and learn everything there is to know about it.
- Become a Certified Martial Art Instructor
In this step, we shall discuss how to get certification as a martial art instructor. Consider doing the following:
Becoming a member of your martial art’s national association
As mentioned earlier, most martial arts have a governing body that sets the standards regarding how the art is supposed to be conducted. As such, it ensures that schools adhere to universal regulations, in addition to ensuring that they are following proper business practices.
Therefore, if you are looking to open your own school, you will need to become a member of that association. To join, contact local or regional associations to learn about the membership requirements.
Applying for an Instructor’s Certificate
Once you become a member of your style’s association, the next step is to submit a request asking for an official instructor qualification. This usually involves undertaking a couple of training courses that test your physical prowess in the art and your knowledge about the art’s history and philosophy.
Some associations might require you to serve as an assistant instructor for a few months before they award you with an instructor’s certificate.
Adhering to the Requisite Training Hours
Skills tend to fade if they are not practiced often. As such, becoming a certified martial art instructor does not mean that you no longer have to train. In fact, most national governing bodies require their instructors to show proof of training hours every year. While different associations have different expectations, most of them expect you to do at least 60 hours of training per year.
In addition to training at your school, make sure that you attend instructor programs, such as seminars or competitive events. Doing that will ensure that you stay on top of your game.
Applying for a Martial arts Instructor Job
When starting out, consider starting your journey as a martial arts trainer at a school that is already established. Doing that not only allows you to find people that you can harness your skills on, it also gives you time to pull together the resources that you require to open your own school.
As such, visit all the dojos in your area and advertise your services. The position that you should be looking for is that of a junior instructor. There, you will get all the experience and practical knowledge that you will need to operate your own school.
- Open Your Own School
When you feel like you have what it takes to run your own setup, you should start considering opening your own school. The following tips should help you in that process:
Find Suitable Space
This will involve looking for a building with sufficient space and leasing it. Sufficient space means that the building should be large enough to accommodate a class of about 50 pupils while still leaving enough space for spectators. Additionally, it should also allow you to make partitions for your private office, locker, and restrooms, as well as a storage area.
Consider the location, as you want it to be easy to find and access.
Apply for Licenses and Insurance
You are running a business, after all. Therefore, ensure that you get a business license for your school. You will also need liability insurance to protect the business and its clientele, as injuries are common in martial arts schools.
Consider enlisting the services of a lawyer to ensure that you have done everything correctly.
Invest in Physical and Human Resources
This means getting all the equipment and gear that you need for your school. As time goes by and your school starts flourishing, consider hiring employees such as other trainers, a secretary, and a cleaner to help you run the gym. This will ensure that your only focus is to improve the lives of your students.
Conclusion
If you have a passion for martial arts, you might want to make a career out of it. Even if you have no interest in competitive fighting, you could earn from doing what you love by being a martial arts teacher.
However, to be recognized as an instructor, you will need to get the relevant martial arts certificates. Being certified means that you have displayed exemplary skill and knowledge in your martial art of choice, and this will be evident in the quality of students that you produce.
Hopefully, this article has helped you learn how to get certification as a martial art instructor.
