Teaching BJJ

[snowolf17]

so i was just curious as to what the criteria are to be able to teach BJJ, like do you have to attain a certain belt level, or is there like a certification course you go through? just curious...

 

[Nagster5]

Ive been teaching since I was a white belt. All it takes are mats and people who suck enough that they can learn from you.

 

[Steelviper]

At a minimum, you should have something like this on your shirt...

 

[An end for]

The minimum belt for teaching is usually purple, which is the one most people consider as "graduate".

 

[Amiro]

ive learnt a lot from whites and blue belts. not actual classes, but just tips and help.

 

[Balto]

Ive been teaching since I was a white belt. All it takes are mats and people who suck enough that they can learn from you.

This is actually pretty spot on.

As long as other people are getting something out of your instruction, you can teach. If you live in an area where there are lots of good BJJ options, you probably won't provide much instruction value for the first five years or so. If you live in an area where BJJ doesn't exist at all, you might provide instruction value even as a white belt.

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

This is actually pretty spot on.

As long as other people are getting something out of your instruction, you can teach. If you live in an area where there are lots of good BJJ options, you probably won't provide much instruction value for the first five years or so. If you live in an area where BJJ doesn't exist at all, you might provide instruction value even as a white belt.

This.

I have mats and teach a number of people at my home once a week in a sort of show and tell format. I do so because there is no legit school within 50 miles. I travel up to the main school twice a week and, with their permission, work with the students here at my home on things we covered.

The school just has some reasonable requests that I follow. I don't allow people that attend other schools to come here. There are schools here, just none that are legit and I don't want to send techniques back to them. The school also wants to work with these students, so once a month or so, a purple belt or brown belt comes down to work with them in my house. Finally, they are encouraged to make irregular trips up to the main school whenever they can.

I think the regularity of our meetings helps keep them into it and, ultimately, ends up encouraging them to make it up to the school.

 

[athletic]

I started teaching as a blue belt. It wasn't by design, rather my teacher often asked me to fill in for him when he was away. After about two years into my blue belt I started to train with a couple of whitle belts from my school and naturally they asked me to show them some techniques.

From there it simply grew as other people found out about the sessions through the grapevine. Today we have about 15 guys, taught by a purple (me) and a brown belt.

To be honest even as an experienced blue I was never really comfortable teaching, not because I didn't feel capable but because I didn't feel 'legit', purple gives you certain level of respect. For that reason I never advertised (and still don't today).

In terms of level, you guys are right, a good teacher is a good teacher, a white can teach a noob if there are no other options.

 

[armtriangle]

Our instructor is a 3rd degree Black Belt... but he has an affiliate led by a whitebelt (and a really sucky one at that), in the same town. Kid had a karate school and our instructor went ahead and let him affilate.

Caveats:
-I probably wouldn't be teaching unless you have some actual training.

-If you are planning on teaching bjj, you need a lineage... or at least some formal bjj training, otherwise you are teaching grappling.

-Don't wear anything other than the belt you are, if wearing a gi.

-If you have your won instructor, personally, I would run it by the instructor. He might be sort of pissed or he might not care. Some see this is taking away students without having earned it, others figure guys that would train with a whitebelt were never going to come in anyway.

-Ask yourself why you want to teach.

 

[lechien]

so i was just curious as to what the criteria are to be able to teach BJJ, like do you have to attain a certain belt level, or is there like a certification course you go through? just curious...

You can only award belt and stripes once you are a BB.

You can be an instructor at any level. I doubt a white belt instructor would be such a good idea. But beggards are not choosers.

There are no formal certification course. Once your BB instructor tells you to put a red tab on your belt, you are formally his instructor.

 

[athletic]

so i was just curious as to what the criteria are to be able to teach BJJ, like do you have to attain a certain belt level, or is there like a certification course you go through? just curious...

The majority of bjj teachers I know have not had any formal instructor training, this is something which I think is lacking.

For example, most schools do a warm-up, but how many times have you done a warm down?

Does your school have a syllabus and do you know what you will being taught net week let alone tonights lesson.

Is there a formal lesson plan or do you feel that the class is kind of going with the flow...

Fist aid???

So no, there is not usually a course/certification other than the belt...but perhaps there is a case to say there should be?

 

[KahleyTriangles]

This.

I have mats and teach a number of people at my home once a week in a sort of show and tell format. I do so because there is no legit school within 50 miles. I travel up to the main school twice a week and, with their permission, work with the students here at my home on things we covered.

The school just has some reasonable requests that I follow. I don't allow people that attend other schools to come here. There are schools here, just none that are legit and I don't want to send techniques back to them. The school also wants to work with these students, so once a month or so, a purple belt or brown belt comes down to work with them in my house. Finally, they are encouraged to make irregular trips up to the main school whenever they can.

I think the regularity of our meetings helps keep them into it and, ultimately, ends up encouraging them to make it up to the school.

That's really cool man!! Kudos!

I want to teach one day as well, or at least help teach at a school. Maybe start off doing kids classes at purple.

 

[RemyR]

I think more advanced white belts can do some teaching too but as long as they stay humble. Keep in mind they aren't seasoned vets and if they aren't sure about something then just say they don't know but they will ask their instructor. No matter how good you seem to them, encourage them to go further and seek instruction from more qualified trainers as well.

As a side note I think the most important part of teaching is staying humble. Forgot that you are in the spotlight right now. Too many people get caught up in the aspect of looking cool or feeling like they have a reputation to live up to. Throw all that out the window, you are (hopefully) there because some guy had a genuine interest in the art. Encourage them and talk about what they are doing right and wrong instead of boasting about that sweet arm-bar you caught them in. I think that every instructor should have the mentality of "I am going to make this person seeking my help an even better fighter than I am." If you think like this you really can't go wrong.

 

[lilb223]

iv been teaching bjj sence i started but were i learn from you dont level up in belts so technically iv been a white belt for four years