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Old 06-15-2012, 09:37 AM   #15
Nicholas Eschenbruch
Dojo: TV Denzlingen
Location: Freiburg
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 323
Germany
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Re: Teaching .... I have a question.

Chuck,
I am currently sort of familiar with two systems: in one you are actively encouraged to teach, or even start a small group, at shodan - however, the general assumption is that, within a regional network of such groups, you regularly attend both special weekly training sessions for higher grades and lots of seminars with higher ranking instructors, local and visiting. So would your students, the more advanced ones at least. Almost nobody teaches professionally in this system, and groups typically use local public gyms to train. Hierarchy, rights and duties (like who may examine, which teachers get invited for seminars...) are very structured and quite explicit. The basic operating unit is the region. Yudansha are promoted exam style when their teachers feel they are ready, regardless of time spent in the art.

The other is based on dojos run by professional instructors, typically sandan and above, who teach as a personal calling and try to make a living doing so. Dojos have their own rented space and tend to offer complementary activities such as Yoga, kids classes, body work or the like. They also have uchideshi and it seems sort of customary for the professional instructors to have been uchideshi with their teacher for some time. Hierarchy is mostly implicit, along several dimensions (mostly rank and time spent with higher-ranking teachers), but it is quite clear. Dojos are quite independent and dojo-chos have a lot of leeway how they organise teaching in their place. The basic operating unit is the dojo. Not quite sure about Yudansha promotions here, but the aikikai hour requirements seem to play a role amongst other things.

Now of course in both systems there are probably lots of exceptions to this, I just sketch ideal types.

Last edited by Nicholas Eschenbruch : 06-15-2012 at 09:41 AM.
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