What A Martial Arts Instructor is NOT

* A Spiritual Master
Thanks to pop culture and old kung fu movies alike, the popular opinion is that an instructor is, for the sake of shortening this, is like a cross between Yoda, Mr. Miyagi, and a wise old chess player. Granted any instructor should probably know as much material as his students, to expect him/her to be otherworldly is just asking too much. If it’s spiritual guidance you are looking for, a pastor/priest/rabbi is your best bet.

* A Babysitter
It still amazes me how many parents use martial arts classes as a mere “drop your kids off” service. One school of thought says that parents should stay and observe their kids in class, mainly for safety reasons. The flip side to this is that parents should not stay because they can, unknowingly or purposely, distract their kids during class. While I have no problem with either decision, my point is the parents that are merely getting the kids off their hands for a couple of hours. As a parent myself, I can understand the urge to do so, but realize that there are other places to do so.

* The “Maury Povich-Boot Camp Style” Drill Instructor
Many parents enroll their kids to martial arts for discipline, and usually the kid is an “out of control” (or close to it) kid. While the martial arts in my opinion do more for self-discipline and self-control than controlling an out-of-control kid, I have also observed that kids tend to act the same no matter what environment their in. For example, kids that talk back to their schoolteachers tend to talk back to their parents or any other adult as well. I’m not saying that the arts can’t help these kids, but enrolling kids simply for that reason (especially when discipline should start at home) is just asking for it.

Insurance Policy

Every once in a while, I see people putting down the martial arts, especially when taught to children. Along those lines, the biggest argument I've encountered against the arts is teaching violence to kids. It doesn't seem to matter about all of the other things taught, like self-discipline, goal setting, and so forth; they still harp on the violence aspect. True enough, kicking and punching are violent activities, but allow me to explain it this way:

From a student's first day (especially when that student is a child) any instructor worth anything will tell that student the most important lesson of fighting is to not fight; that one should avoid fighting if at all possible, and that one shouldn't use any fighting techniques learned unless it's the very last resort. To quote everyone's favorite karate instructor, Mr. Miyagi from "The Karate Kid" movies, "Rule #1: Karate is for self-defense only. Rule # 2: Always remember Rule # 1."

Here's an analogy I often use to put this into perspective: we pay all kinds of money for insurance (health, auto, life, homeowners', etc.), but deep down, we all pray to God that we never have to use that insurance policy--but if the need arises, we're prepared (anyone ever had a wreck while they didn't have insurance?). The same applies to martial arts; no one in their right mind wants to be in a predicament in which they have to defend their lives and/or that of their loved ones, but it helps to be ready if it happens, right?