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IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT WING TSUN (WING CHUN, VING TSUN, ETC.)

IS GROWING IN POPULARITY. THIS POPULARITY HAS LED TO THE

EMERGENCE OF MANY NEW WING TSUN INSTRUCTORS. IT IS JUST

SIMPLE SUPPLY AND DEMAND AFTER ALL.

I am sure many of these instructors have the techniques and theories behind them to qualify them as an instructor. But how many of them can properly “instruct”? Do they have the ability to convey the techniques and theories in a class environment?

The first thing you need to have as an instructor is, of course, sound techniques obtained through years of training. That’s a given. But it’s the not-so-obvious skills and qualities that turn a merely satisfactory instructor into a good one. Some of these, I will try to list here.

Quick EyesInstructing does not only mean teaching movements to your students. You must also correct their mistakes. In Wing Tsun many movements can happen in a very short time frame, especially if the students are doing Chi Sau sparring. This is a good test for the instructor to see whether he/she has the quick eyes needed to provide positive feedback to the students.

IFU” OR SIFU?BASICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

“BY CARSON LAUPHOTOS SIDNEY YIK

You are a role model to your students. Whether you are in a class environment or beyond, your image is very important.

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Sometimes it helps to step back to see their movements from head to toe. Many inexperienced instructors only focus on the upper part of the body and overlook their stance. Hip, waist and footwork are also very important.

Detailed Explanation Twenty years ago, students did not dare ask their Sifu any questions because this would be considered disrespectful. It was as if you did not trust your Sifu. As a result, the Sifu did not need to explain much. Times have changed! We are in the information age and people’s thirst for knowledge is endless. Instructors today should not shy away from questions and certainly should not provide those standard vapid answers, such as: “Because it was the way that was taught to me”. Students will lose confidence in your abilities to teach. They may even doubt your knowledge of Wing Tsun! You have to provide reasoning behind every movement or posture.

It is also important to be able to answer questions quickly and with clarity. Avoid using words like “maybe”, “perhaps”, “could be”, etc. Over time, students will make assessments on how qualified you really are. I once saw an instructor giving a class and one student asked him a very typical question to which he answered: “Yes, this is a good question, hmm...” After a few minutes, he just drifted off and continued his “lesson” without answering the question. Don’t let that be you!

Clearly, no one has all the answers. In which case, be honest and say you don’t know and will find out. Just make sure this does not happen too often. Confidence is the key here. You need to instil it into yourself and your students.

Demonstration“Do as I say and as I do.” Being an instructor means that you need to be able to show the movements you teach, and not just talk about them. Otherwise, it is hard to convince students of the effectiveness of your techniques.

How many videos on the Internet have you seen where people demonstrate the “One-Inch Punch”? Many of them go through an explanation while their hand is still very close to the intended target, but when it is time to execute the punch the demonstrator pulls their fist back almost a foot before punching the target. Perhaps beginners, who lack the experience, will not catch this and

therefore will be impressed. As an instructor you need to work hard to be familiar with all the techniques and movements of Wing Tsun. Make sure you can do them well to ensure your students are learning techniques the correct way.

Examples and AnalogiesWing Tsun involves geometry and physics. One tool that I find to be very effective is the use of examples and analogies from everyday life. This makes concepts easier for students to relate to and to absorb.

For example, when beginners learn the Chain Punch or Siu Nim Tau, some of them do not necessarily hold their fist properly. They position their fist too far, too close, too high, or too low. So I tell the students to hold their fist like they are holding a microphone at karaoke. All of a sudden they put their fists in front of their chest at the centreline.

A good instructor should be able to explain the same concept in many different ways. You should

No one can be the best forever—eventually some of your students will surpass you if you have encouraged and taught them properly.

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“sifu” or sifu?

have a repertoire of examples to use depending on your students’ ages and backgrounds. Move with the times. Don’t use the same example for 30 years until students can no longer relate. How do you achieve this? By exploring the world outside of Wing Tsun and exploring it often. You are not limited to what you should be learning as long as you are learning something. The greater the variety of knowledge you have, the easier it is to relate to your students.

ImageYou are a role model to your students. Whether you are in a class environment or beyond, your image is very important. The first thing is your physical condition. You need to be on top of your health, physically and spiritually. Would you learn from someone who always looks tired or sickly? Having said that, if you do get sick or get too tired (we are all humans after all), just find someone to teach your class temporarily.

Next, never drink and drive—and never drink and teach. It is quite dangerous because alcohol will affect your decisions, reactions and control. I once heard a story of an experienced instructor

whose skills were very good but he always drank before teaching. He would hit students without controlling his power and ended up injuring many of them. Needless to say, most of his students left.

Information is always at the tip of the fingers—so don’t exaggerate your history saying you trained for 30 years if you have only trained for 10 years. And do not say you trained Wing Tsun extensively with some grandmaster after taking a two-day seminar.

Avoid confrontations—you never know whose looking. With technology being so prevalent, one wrong move and you will be all over the Internet for everyone to see and judge whether they know the full story or not.

Put Aside Your PrideNo one can be the best forever—eventually some of your students will surpass you if you have encouraged and taught them properly. You should be more than happy when that happens because it proves that you are doing your job well as an instructor. Being able to put aside your pride plays a big role in the growth of your students.

For example, many students want to do Chi Sau sparring (sticky hand sparring) and it may be their main reason for learning Wing Tsun. When teaching Chi Sau sparring, you should let students take on a more offensive role and encourage them to be more aggressive. Some instructors have too much pride in being an instructor and they would never let the students touch them. If the instructor is always on the offensive, then the students always end up on the defensive. In this situation, how can the students improve when Wing Tsun places so much emphasis on offensive techniques?

Wing Tsun is no longer a secret martial art passed down to a selected few for the purpose of survival. Today’s students come from all walks of life. Many of them do not learn Wing Tsun to fight; they learn it for health, for hobby, or maybe they just want to find out what Wing Tsun is because of a movie they watched.

Everyone has different needs and ways of learning. Being technically sound and superior is simply not enough as an instructor. I always say, “Being a good fighter is easy but being a good instructor is where the challenge is!”

A good instructor should be able to explain the same concept in many different ways. You should have a repertoire of examples to use depending on your students’ ages and backgrounds.

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