Do you expect your black belts to start their own club?

Ryan Rampair
Trinidad & Tobogo

I too have had this problem many years ago and I fixed it.

First, there are 4 groups of students:

• Kids
• Teens
• Adults
• Older Adults

The group you focus on to become instructors are the teens and young adults (if they are not academically inclined).

How it’s done:
From they are green belts they need to help with the white and yellow belt kids classes. As they get to red they help with green and blue belts. By the time they are Black Belt, you will be able to identify who has the proclivity to teach as not everyone does but by then they will have solid teaching skills.

Why teens, because teens are looking for something to identify with. If they start at 13 and get to green at 15, TKD now starts to define their character. Add some sponsored trips to Foreign country and you have them hooked on TKD for life. It now becomes the thing they brag to their friends about. This can be expensive but worth every cent long term. Once they get to 18, 19 OR 20 (and 1st Dan) start a primary school club for them, that they run themselves once a week and they get the income. Coupled with that an inter primary school tournament league and you they will be more hooked.

PS: to find teens, start an ”instructor training program” (yes call it that) in high schools, preferably in the poorer neighborhoods. Don’t charge them but they must do something to “pay” to train. Like clean up, charity work etc. these kids need father figures. Approach the school administration   and make an offer teaching a career building skill and offer that you can get them work when they graduate as an instructor. You want their most difficult 11-14-year-olds.

Personally I don’t know if opening more clubs would increase our numbers over all. I think the best way to increase numbers is purely by spreading the ITFNZ name and growing the clubs we already have in place.

Even though I enjoy teaching my classes, the expected commitment to having my own club was way too high – to a point that despite my extremely tight schedule and other important commitments, I was still forced without a choice to attend to Taekwon-Do related things, meetings or tasks. I usually do so, but I don’t think I was ever given a chance to actually choose what I want to prioritise first. It was always Taekwon-Do, Taekwon-Do, Taekwon-Do. No excuses.

I kinda wished my instructor had told me what I was getting myself into so I could consider it better.

My instructor dedicates their life to Taekwon-Do and considers it their main source of income. And they expect their students to feel the same way and commitment to Taekwon-Do. Which is pretty intense because most of us are just starting out in life, still searching for our purpose in life, career interests and what not.

I think for any instructor considering asking their black belts to start their own club should put all those into consideration and give them a fair, unbiased chance to decide whether they want to open their own clubs or not. Also, it’s important to prioritise their ambitions, interests and dreams above yours. I think mine had their dream of expanding their club at the top of their head when they first asked me to open my own “club”.

And for any black belts considering starting their own clubs, I think you should really think it through in the long run. Is that where you see yourself for years to come? Can you commit to all the classes? Do you have any plans to travel the world or be mobile? What’s your fallback plan in case you decide you can’t go on with it anymore or that your interest all along was to only train and not to instruct? Where would your students go? And more importantly, as these resources are not available where I am: are there any training programmes you can enrol yourself into to make sure you are able to teach effectively?

When I first started, my instructor told me teaching Taekwon-Do was easy. But little did I know, I knew very little about proper training & exercises, especially ones for different age groups. And it clashed badly with my principles.  I wasn’t one to teach for the sake of it or for the money. It felt like I was cheating the parents in a way as I wasn’t effectively shaping into capable martial artists, nor was I giving them the proper medium to reap the benefits of Taekwon-Do/martial arts. Not cool.

This has caused the student to focus on obtaining medals, developing as an athlete and not as a taekwondist, that is, only feeds his ego. Just look at social networks to account for it.

All this has led to divide more than add, create rivalries, drop out of students because they think they are not good, etc. Forgetting the real sense of practicing Taekwon-Do that is the DO and that our mission as students of this beautiful art is to make it known to the world to help people strengthen both physically, psychologically and emotionally.

While all students should form a school, not everyone is capable or ready to do so. I think that one makes that decision when it is the right time for one.

In my case, no matter how much my instructor suggested and told me that I was ready or rather that I formed an academy. I had to go through a great storm in my life and once that happened, I felt the “CALL” and there I made my decision.

The road has not been easy, in fact I left my engineering company to form my academy, sometimes I think I waste time, when I have noticed that my academy does not grow in students and I do not have enough money to buy food, but when I see To my happy students, even if I am one who comes to train, I realize that what I am doing is the right thing to do.

As I do more I do Taekwon-Do more I want to do it and surrender to this path.

I can appreciate where you’re coming from on this but I personally feel too much emphasis on the ‘expected’ requirement could have a detrimental effect on things at this point.

I guess, todays lifestyle is a bit different from that of 15 or even 10 years ago and, whilst I would do everything possible to get them out there opening clubs.

I agree it is in the organisations best interest to put in place whatever incentives we can to make this happen – both financial and support wise, but sometimes just having a black belt doesn’t make you a potential instructor.

Business planning therefore has to be done in stages so there isn’t a huge cliff to jump off. In my own case I built up my business so it was an easy transition from being in full time employment to being a full time instructor.

Here in ITA, black belts are encouraged to open new clubs and are assisted by an Association expansion package:

• ITA Club membership (€300) is waived for the 1st year.
• ITA pay Irish Martial Arts Commission( €100) fee for the 1st year.
• ITA provide 5000 A5 full colour flyers.

The school must be approved  by the ITA board in order to qualify for the package.

Personally, I do not pressure any of my Black Belts to start a club not like many other Instructors for obvious dubious reasons. As you know, not many Black Belts can become a ‘ genuine/good ‘ TKD instructor who can commit their time and effort to promote the Art for the right reasons. I always encourage and train my Black Belts to be an Instructor and one day start their own club if they wish to do so. However, as you know there are many reasons why they are not prepared to start their own club.

We can only encourage and show them by example how we can run a ‘ successful and rewarding ‘ club for all the right reasons in promoting our Art.

Instructing used to be a very prestigious position, to a lot of people you are just another coach. They see a lot of hours and commitment and to most they just want to train and have minimal responsibility. They will fill in classes for you whilst you are sick or on vacation but  thats predominantly the way it is sad to say. We groom and groom but loyalty isn’t as it was.

I even demand that all our color belts should slowly learn how to teach, not only just how to do. This is really a must in some smaller places with long distances to the other people and the clubs. Red belts also have to have some experience about teaching before they can go for the first Dan. Some of the students can be – for a while – spending time as a competitor, but at some point they will have to teach and pass their knowledge and their learnings on to the others.

We have tried to get together new rules and practices that would get us more people and more clubs to the ITF Finland. In addition to the ITF By-laws, and the technical things we have the following extra requirements:

Requirements for I dan

• acting as an assistant supervisor or supervisor weekly (at least one season)
• TOK 1 (national Taekwon-Do coaching course)
• D-judge course (if age allows)
• at least 13 years of age

Requirements for Dan II

• acting as an assistant supervisor or instructor on a weekly basis (full minimum time for preparation)
• TOK 2  (national Taekwon-Do coaching course)
• C-Judge Course (if age allows)
• Playing a role in club activities and / or federation activities

Requirements for Dan III

• acting as a supervisor on a weekly basis (full minimum preparation time)
• VOK 1 (any VOK 1)  (national coaching course)
• Playing a role in club activities and / or federation activities

Requirements for IV Dan

• acting as a supervisor on a weekly basis (throughout the minimum preparation period), experience with different level groups (e.g. beginner courses, lower color belts, upper belts)
• VOK 2 (any VOK 2)  (national coaching course
• B-judge course
• Playing a role in club activities and / or federation activities

Requirements for V dan

• acting as a supervisor on a weekly basis (full minimum preparation time), own club or division / division
• TOK 3  (national Taekwon-Do coaching course)
• Playing a role in club activities and / or federation activities

Requirements for VI Dan

• acting as a supervisor on a weekly basis (full minimum preparation time), own club or division / divisio
• Playing a role in club activities and / or federation activities

Requirements for Danes VII-IX

• Your own club or clubs where you are an active teacher
  A-judge course
  Playing a role in club activities and / or federation / or ITF activities

Each senior, or branch instructor is supplied with a bag of 5 shields, a bag of 10 paddle targets, a flag/banner and a training & grading syllabus. Where possible, we liaise with the school or centre management, to leave these items and if possible mats, on premises all week. Once numbers rise, they will receive another bag of 5 shields.

Every club runs on the same training syllabus and our grading syllabus would be very similar to other ITF clubs. Our training syllabus is based on three levels based on the ideal that the average student will be at each level for 12 months.

All students have access to a table so they are aware what will be taught in any given class.

I have told you all of this this so that you can understand that I have taken out all the worry for new instructors. I recall quite vividly my first class back in 1988 as a young black belt. I was given no plan to work, just the experience of training under different instructors over the previous years. I made out a plan, and when my plans finished after 15 minutes, I grew very nervous and just did anything that came to mind. So I know that by taking out the worry of “What will I do or teach”, people do not find the idea of teaching such a scary thought.

So the answer to your question,
“So how much pressure do you as an instructor, or as an organisation place on your black belts to open a club? Should it be “expected” of them to do so at some stage, and if so, when?”

No pressure, no expectation, but actively train them to be an instructor through our regular classes and the odd workshop. Unlike my club in the 90’s where I couldn’t motivate any of my seniors to teach, I have seniors now asking me if they can teach one day.

Oh, and the last thing, is that if an instructor does take on a branch, I pay all the costs involved and let them know that if they are unable to attend a class, no matter the reason, I will always have someone to cover their class for them.

So my gut feeling is there is more competition these days making it harder for new clubs to embed and be successful.

I am a 3rd dan and parents have asked me if I intend opening a club myself but I am always quick to say no.  For many reasons, but chief among them is the stress of running my own club.  I love being an assistant instructor under an incredible Taekwon-Do Master.  His club is very big and requires a number of black belts to teach at each class, so it is always interesting and engaging, and the students get to experience different types of instruction depending on which black belt takes which group on a given night.

1.    Structure and Locales [1]

The structure of TKD in Western society[2] is Pyramidical[3] and it is the higher ranks who determine the effectiveness and evolution of their feeder clubs.  The locale is generally headed by a cabal of senior Black Belts whose mission is to spread General Choi’s Art for whatever reason[4].  They benefit from turning Novice Black Belts into Instructors so that the Seniors will gain more students and their locale will grow.  This means that the new Instructor has to find an area where there is no brother club and perhaps is trying to break into another Martial Art stronghold.

2.    1st Dan – inexperienced & other commitments

In order to set up their own Dojang, a potential instructor needs to locate a centre where there is a potential demand outside the area that they trained in initially, this usually incurs a longer journey to training venue(s) thus taking more of their spare time.  They need to find suitable accommodation to house the Dojang which is readily available throughout the year at a regular time.  They need to have requisite technical knowledge not just in TKD, but also knowledge of Instructing, First Aid, Book-keeping[5], Child Protection and Safety, Administration, Communication, Advertising and much more.  The newly anointed 1st Dan will not necessarily have that kind of knowledge.  Many 1st Dan practitioners are too young/inexperienced to take on that kind of responsibility.  The more mature 1st Dans may have young family and are unable to commit the time required to run a Dojang.  Many even more mature 1st Dans may have working careers which require them to dedicate more time to their employer.  The net result is that only a few are capable of dedicating their time to the building of a successful Dojang.

3.    Finance

The costs involved in setting up a new Dojang are quite high, hire of venues, travelling to a different area, advertising the Dojang, Insurance and other ancillary costs make this quite a large commitment for the start-up.  Added to that is the costs of equipment for example Kick Pads, Focus mitts, breaking boards ….. all this just after paying a good deal of money for their own Grading, all this without financial help from the Senior Grades.

4.    Promotion & Cover

When a new instructor begins a new Dojang, their own development must take a back seat because the commitment they had previously demonstrated at an established Dojang must be given to their own[6] Dojang.  The question then arises, how will the Instructor advance their knowledge whilst committed to their students.  When will that Instructor compete in tournaments when they often have to look after their charges?  Who will cover the classes if the Instructor cannot, for whatever reason, take the scheduled class?

5.    Pyramids

The instructor is a foundation of the pyramid which forms the locale, the fees for gradings, costs of uniforms and training equipment, seminars and competitions are all sucked into the top of the Pyramid so that the Senior Grades benefit more from the work of the junior grades.  The class fees are retained by the club, but this will usually be little more than cover the Instructors expenses.

6.    Standards

If the new instructor has recently qualified as a Novice Black Belt will they be sufficiently aware of standards[7] and up to date with developments to pass this onto the students.  If they do not then the standards will fall below the desired level.

7.    Club interface

The New Instructor will inevitably face a changing relationship with their own instructor and their former clubmates.  Those with whom they used to train are no longer part of the novice Instructors world, and no matter how hard they try, that camaraderie will be dampened.  The roles will differ.

A good club is like a family and those bonds are forged over many years, through many tears and triumphs, the club becomes strong although it becomes top heavy the good clubs retain people past blue belts – which seems to be the watershed.

New clubs are a boon to the Pyramid people, but they let Taekwon-Do down by not supporting them through their first year.

I would suggest that before encouraging novitiate Black Belts to become instructors perhaps the thinking should go into support,

1. Joint ventures with two or more novice instructors mentored by a senior, this can be expanded to other clubs in the area by the same team of novice Instructors.
2. Advertising and pamphleting supported from inside the Pyramid and paid for by them[8] perhaps penetrating previously researched areas. Thus, creating a better chance of success.  Posters, Demonstration Teams and Banners would also help.
3. Free seminars on running a club and finance to make it viable prospect, seeking those who show an interest in setting up their own club prior to the grading and giving them a specially tailored guidance from experts.
4. Pay commission to the Instructor, they can use this compensation to help to offset the costs of running a new club or buy new equipment or a weekend away to appease the wife!
5. Regular visits during year 1 by a Master or above
6. Many years ago, in Adelaide, I was a green belt when a Korean Gentleman came into the Dojang and joined the ranks.  He was so good that we were all intimidated, however, over the passing years, I realised that C.C. Rhee was just giving help and mentoring our instructor who was then a 2nd Dan.  I think it helped him, it really impressed me.[1] This is my name for a collection of clubs under an association or group (for example PUMA, T-UK, GTUK, RHEE TKD …)[2] I can only speak for clubs in UK, USA and Europe which I have practical experience.[3] Run by a small cabal of senior Black Belts who make the rules.[4] This is usually stated to improve standards, but may be more to do with making money.[5] It is a business venture and will need to be regarded as such.[6] If it is to succeed[7] These are constantly changing as the ITF Technical Committee monitor and seek to improve TKD[8] It will be an investment in the future rather than leaving the novices struggling with all the costs at setup.

It’s actually quite hard to set up a club in Ireland, as most towns have one, or more, already. This approach, therefore, is the most viable here for the student to gain any teaching experience.

I have found though that unless a student is seriously competing, black belts do tend to drop out unless they are involved in instructing or coaching.