What Makes A Great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor?
By https://www.bjjee.com/author/bjjee1-admin/
This is a great article from our friends at BJJEE on what is truly takes day in and day out to be a great Instructor. Everyday at AON Jiu Jitsu we strive to be and do all these things to refine are craft of teaching, guiding and growing our students.
A GOOD INSTRUCTOR EXPLAINS TECHNIQUES WELL
Quality knowledge of the details to the technique, paired with the ability to communicate and demonstrate its execution well… Is perhaps the most important characteristic of a great Jiu-Jitsu instructor.
You’ll need to work on it constantly, as there’ll always be room for improvement!
EXPLAINS CONCEPTS WELL
As a BJJ instructor, you’ll also need to be able to understand and explain concepts well, not just techniques.
The concepts of Jiu-Jitsu will make it easier for your students to understand what’s being shown, why it’s being shown, what the underlying „logic“ behind it is, and where to apply it – across different techniques and setups!
EXPLAINS OTHER THINGS, TOO
But not everything is about techniques and concepts, either. A great instructor is also aware of the importance of things such as diet, competition strategy, dealing with nerves, motivation, and similar.
He’ll need to be able to provide actionable tips for all of these and many other relevant areas that comprise a successful BJJ student.
WILLING TO SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE
Some Jiujiteiros cling tightly to their knowledge, not wanting anyone to „steal“ it from them. A fantastic Jiu-Jitsu instructor thinks and acts differently, however; he wants to share his knowledge and enrich his students with it.
He wishes everyone to learn as much from him as possible, and that motivates him in return.
IMPROVES HIS CRAFT
A quality BJJ instructor is always on the lookout for ways to improve his craft. Both in regards to his own Jiu-Jitsu, but also in regards to the ways he presents ideas and knowledge to his students.
He’s a disciple of the never-ending journey of knowledge.
KEEPS HIS PRIVATE LIFE OFF THE MATS
Everyone is human, and everyone has their own problems. However, a great instructor will be able to keep his at-home or at-work problems away from the mats.
He doesn’t do it because he wants to. But he does it because he wants to provide the best for his students.
IS PROFESSIONAL
The best of instructors are the ones that are the most professional. No, this doesn’t mean that they can’t joke around with their students, go grab a drink with them after class, or anything similar. Rather, it means that they treat everyone with respect, that they show up on time, and that they treat their students’ time with utmost consideration possible.
IS WELL-PREPARED
The high-quality instructor is always prepared before class. He knows what will be done, for how long, and with which aim.
Moreover, he has a system – techniques aren’t scattered randomly, without any sense, every training. Instead, the techniques taught have a structure; dedicated to build the best skill possible.
CARES ABOUT HIS STUDENTS
And, of course, a fantastic BJJ instructor cares deeply about his students. He wants them to succeed, and is fully invested into everything that he can do to make their success a reality.
He pays attention to them in each training, corrects their mistakes, and gives advice on how to further improve the technique. Also, he’s able to adapt to almost any student – explaining things to them in such a way that makes the most sense to them.
Basically, a great instructor understands that his students are looking for both improvement, guidance, and encouragement alike. He gives his best to provide for everything.