Instructor appreciation day?

[DMcKayBJJ]

This might sound kind of gay, but have you guys ever stopped for a second and taken the time to appreciate your instructor(s)? I just finished training and realized how freaking lucky I am.

I've been doing BJJ for a while now and have trained with different instructors (some good, some not so good, some more into themselves than their students). I'm not looking to be a world champ, and am just having fun learning the sport, the self-defense aspects, how to fight, get a good workout, etc.

My instructor has numerous national and international titles, and is a sparring partner for a well-known MMA fighter. He's old school Brazilian-trained. And yet, when we train, you can tell he teaches just because he loves the sport so friggin much. I'm not the most athletic guy in the world, and still he takes the time to walk me through things thoroughly. And when we're done training, he's the coolest guy you could ever meet on the street...

If it were golf, it would be like playing 18 holes with a PGA pro 1-2x a week...
Skiing...hitting the slopes with an olympic medalist every weekend...
Baseball...having fun at the batting cages every few days with a Major Leaguer...

I just think it's so freaking cool how BJJ is so laid back, unlike TMA or even other traditional sports. But it's the instructor that really makes all the difference...

 

[bigmoz21]

Ya....and I can say its so much better when ur instructor is ur friend....like u can hang out outside of bjj...not ur friend, like pay me every month, im your friend.

 

[scorcho]

I stop and think about it all the time. Like you, I have been really fortunate.

 

[EPT]

This might sound kind of gay, but have you guys ever stopped for a second and taken the time to appreciate your instructor(s)?

There's a lot of dodgy instructors out there, when you find a good instructor you should appreciate them.

I've been lucky to find a place where both the head instructors have competed in world class events, not only that they are excellent instructors, the other instructors are excellent at instructing as well, so to answer your question, yes.

 

[Hamit Aktas]

I appreciate my instructor at every class.

 

[Commissar]

I agree. I've been lucky with my Jiu-Jitsu and my Taekwondo training. The instructors were/are amazing. Judo, not so much.

 

[stephensharp]

Good thread.

 

[guardpasser]

i always try to contribute to the instructors that i train with as much as possible.
i buy patches and shirts every where i go to help them out, i am lucky to get to train at so many different places.
its good to pay for thier dinner sometimes when you go eat in small groups, its not ass-kissing, its appreciation.

 

[LCDforMe]

Just the other day after class, I stopped my instructor on his way out and said thanks a ton for everything you have done and told him how he'd been such a great instructor so far.

I really appreciate what he does becuase he takes a special interest in me. He and a few of the other instructors feel that I have "potential" (to be good I assume) and have taken a special liking to me. I think jits is awesome.

 

[mogway]

I have mad respect for my instructor and I really love the sport (bjj) so much. I'm always bombarding him with technical questions and he appreciates that.