Relationship Between Rank and Instructor Teaching Technique in an Adult Martial Arts Setting

Abstract

There is a dearth of centralized organizations that focus on systematic methods of training, evaluating, and certifying martial arts instructors. Presently, martial arts instructors often learn to teach through the apprenticeship of observation. Learning through the apprenticeship of observation is known to facilitate poor pedagogical techniques by the instructor and propagates bad pedagogical techniques through ‘generations’ of instructor-to-student transmission. Since rank is correlated with duration of practice as a martial artist, it is often assumed that those of higher rank are more competent in both martial arts and teaching ability than those of lower rank. The purpose of this study was to relate martial arts instructors’ behavior with their rank. Instructors who differ in black belt rank (1st to 5th degree) were video recorded teaching a martial arts class. Videos were analyzed using the Academic Learning Time–Physical Education (ALT-PE) system and Cheffers’ [1990] Adaptation to Flanders’ [1970] Interaction Analysis System. As predicted, there was a positive relation between rank and instructor behaviors expected to result in better student performance. Comparing formal and informal training methods for instructors would be valuable in the future.