Finding a good teacher and school

In 2009 I found myself living abroad and a long way from home. To help keep me motivated and maintain a regular training programme, I accepted a few students and taught them basics. At the end of that year I returned home, however not before helping one of my students find another teacher in which to continue his kung fu training; he was quite a committed student, and so it was the least I could do to help him out.

A few months prior to my departure, I encouraged my student to visit local kung fu schools and instructors, reporting back to me his findings and experiences. I would research whatever information I could find (normally online) and together we would put the pieces of the puzzle together for each option. Through this process, we stumbled across some questionable instructors and engaged with some very good teachers as well. In the end, we found a reputable school and teacher who came across as open and sincere. Sensing that this particular Sifu would be wondering why my student had suddenly 'walked through his door', I contacted him explaining my students predicament, endorsing his sincerity and keen interest in Chinese martial arts. Soon after, I met (and briefly trained with) one of this Sifu’s intermediate level students who impressed as an honest and decent person with a sound grounding in the fundamentals of his style. I returned home content that my student had found a decent school in which to continue his training.

This short article offers some thoughts on how to find a good kung fu teacher and school.

The Internet Age has revolutionised the way the martial arts community connect. As with most things in life, there are benefits and drawbacks, and while the internet has certainly helped to connect martial artists from the four corners of the globe, it has also given birth to a whole new breed of “Online Kung Fu Grandmaster Professors”. Finding a teacher has indeed become easier thanks to the internet, however finding a good teacher has become equally more difficult.

Here are some pointers to help students identify a good martial arts teacher and school:

• Research the teacher, the teachers teacher and their style. Good sources of information include the internet, books, the friends (word of mouth).

• Politely ask if you can attend one of their classes. Participation is important because it gives you insight into the class structure from a students perspective.

• Pay attention to the way students interact with one another. Is it a polite, friendly and supportive environment or are new students left wondering around looking lost. Do the senior students look after the beginners or do they intimidate? In a good school, there should be cohesiveness that binds students and teacher together like a 'family of friends'.

• A good school that has been operating for five or more years should be starting to produce some good quality students. If not, beware. It could mean high student turnover which is a red flag for something not quite right in the school. If students with 2 years experience are teaching beginners, again, beware. It takes several years to acquire the basics and then even more to perfect them to a level worthy of teaching others.

• As you observe the class in session, are the senior students ‘heads and shoulders’ above the beginners? Can you see a definite progression between senior, intermediate and junior level students? This clear progression of level should be easily observable in any good school.

• Is the school a commercial operation or is it not for profit? There are good schools in both camps however it pay's to find this out early, particularly if you are on a limited budget. Even the most traditional of Commercial schools need to make a living and there is generally only one way to do this - by selling. I have also known not for profit schools that teach rubbish. A commercial school does not necessarily infer lesser quality instruction, only that there is an additional motif for the schools existence to consider.

• A big part of martial arts is learning how to fight, and the closest and most safest way schools can simulate this is by contact sparring. Sparring is a training tool to stress test skills learnt, it is not fighting. Fighting is what you might see on the street or in a bar between two people who want to 'knock each others head off'. Sparring should be controlled, respectful but challenging enough for both combatants to gain valuable personal insights from. If the school does not participate in sparring then ask why. If the reason sounds 'flowery' (e.g. our techniques are too dangerous) then perhaps find another school or ask if they intend to bring sparring in and when. Otherwise, you may need to find a school that does encourage sparring.