Coach Instructor and Solo Training

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Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby dansan » Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:56 am

Hello all. I have two main questions I hope someone can help me with.

1) What, exactly, is a Coach Instructor? I see that they are practitioners who have not yet achieved Assistant Instructor rank in their respective discipline, but what does it mean? Can they run a class/club/school as official YMAA (provisional or otherwise)? Can they award ranks? And, if so, up to what rank (up to their own, one less than their own, etc)?

2) What is the best way to train on my own and become a Coach Instructor? I trained at YMAA Boston back in 1999 and really miss the excellent quality and flow of the training. Never got a rank, but I still practice the first 3 tan tui and occasionally Lian Bu Quan (I have decades of regular training in karate and systems, so that helps with remembering and applying the Shaolin I remember). I have Master Yang's Shaolin Kung Fu book as well as Comprehensive Apps of Shaolin Chin Na. However, looking at the rank requirements (still have my curriculum book), there are items I don't recall and don't know how to relearn on my own (the White Crane partner form, the partner sparring exercises, for instance).

So, what would the best path be to studying on my own (I'm in Northern Virginia) so that I can make trips to seminars/training (likely in Boston) once or twice a year in order to clean up my techniques/form and test for rank? And, along with that, work on being a Coach Instructor so that I can create my own training partners down here. :)

Thanks in advance,
Dan Santillo
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby dansan » Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:31 pm

Well, I've been able to answer part of my own question. Found that the White Crane partner form (Shang Xia Zhi (Up-Down Limbs)) is listed on the second White Crane DVD set (courses 3 & 4). Guessing that the partner sparring exercises are listed in the Long Fist Fundamentals DVD.

Still curious about what exactly a Coach Instructor is (per questions in my original coach) and a good way to train and test to become ranked and become a Coach Instructor.

Anyone?

Dan Santillo
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby John the Monkey mind » Tue Sep 10, 2013 2:57 am

I believe you can work towards being an instructor through training and then going to seminars and camps and doing gradings. You will need a training partner though as YMAA exams have a lot of partner exercises in them and you can't train them adequately on your own. Its hard work but you can make progress.

If you look at the history of YMAA in Europe you will see that in Poland the instructors started by only seeing Dr Yang when he visited and then training from books and DVD's and going over what he showed them at the last seminar. They are now very, very good. I visited the director of YMAA Gdansk and he told me a lot about their early training and showed me his collection of books he used originally.
I think it was a bit of a motivational talk as he kindly agreed to show us Shaolin when we (me and a few others) see him at seminars once a month (he comes to Warsaw where I am to give seminars in other subjects) or visit him in Gdansk or at his camps.
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby dansan » Thu Sep 12, 2013 10:39 am

John the Monkey mind, thanks for the response. I know that the training is hard work (trained at YMAA Boston years ago) and that for real progress, a partner is essential (especially for things like 2-person sets). That's why I was asking about the specifics of what a Coach Instructor is and how to become one.

For some background, I've been training in martial arts for ~28 years, mostly karate, but some at different schools as well (kung fu, aikido, judo, etc) and nearly 20 years of teaching experience (karate and self defense). My local friends who are martial artists are content to stick to what they are currently doing (mainly judo, jujutsu, karate, and MMA). So, I'm thinking of starting a study group, but it would be more of a class since the likely members would probably not having any training in the YMAA curriculum other than myself. If I can become a Coach Instructor, I could set up a proper class and basically train up my own training partners who would be very close in level to me.

So, my questions on what a Coach Instructor is still stand, as well as how I can become one. As for training, I'll have to pick up some of the DVDs, put in a lot of work, and then contact an Instructor in order to go up for a grading.

Actually, let me add another question: For gradings, is it more appropriate to contact an Instructor and go up there specifically for that or is there a point at seminars/camps where folks who want to grade get their chance?

Thanks in advance,
Dan Santillo
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby John the Monkey mind » Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:01 pm

I think it is better to do it through an instructor. As for the group you probably will have to start as a study leader. Thats what we do in our Shaolin study group. If you get a group you may also be able to talk an instructor into visiting you for a seminar.
I don't think you could be a coach instructor before gradings but after a few gradings I think you group can become recognised and then you are appointed but really I could be wrong and that is just my impression based on what people have told me in Poland so I may have misunderstood.
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby dansan » Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:32 am

John, thanks for the response. Think I have a plan for my own training now. And since my wife's family is in the Boston area, I'll (at some point) contact YMAA Boston to hash out the details for going up to grading. Also, will be starting a different thread on starting a study group to get ideas. :)

Still looking for answers on the Coach Instructor, though. I'll break them down below:
What, exactly, is a Coach Instructor?
Can they run a class/club/school as official YMAA (provisional or otherwise)?
Can they award ranks?
If so, up to what rank (up to their own, one less than their own, etc)?

Thanks again and hoping someone will chime in on the Coach Instructor questions.

Thanks in advance,
Dan Santillo
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby kenadra » Thu Oct 30, 2014 8:16 am

Hi,
As far as i know, a coach instructor is someone, who hasn't reached an as. instructor level yet, but is officially allowed to run a YMAA school. They are definitely not allowed to give ranks. If you'd like to get a rank, you need to take a test in front of more instructors and/or assistant instructors, from different YMAA schools (don't know exactly how many has to be present).
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Re: Coach Instructor and Solo Training

Postby nyang » Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:54 pm

kenadra wrote:Hi,
As far as i know, a coach instructor is someone, who hasn't reached an as. instructor level yet, but is officially allowed to run a YMAA school. They are definitely not allowed to give ranks. If you'd like to get a rank, you need to take a test in front of more instructors and/or assistant instructors, from different YMAA schools (don't know exactly how many has to be present).


Yes, this is correct. Coach Instructor status is granted, only with permission, to those who want to run a YMAA school. They should already have 2-3 stripes in Shaolin, 1-2 stripes in Taijiquan, before they are considered.

Tests up to and including Assistant Instructor rank are given by: 3 Assistant Instructors OR 1 Assistant Instructor + 1 Instructor OR 1 Master. Ranks beyond that up to Instructor are given by: 2 Instructors OR 1 Master. Master rank is granted only with permission only after a thorough review.

dansan wrote:Well, I've been able to answer part of my own question. Found that the White Crane partner form (Shang Xia Zhi (Up-Down Limbs)) is listed on the second White Crane DVD set (courses 3 & 4). Guessing that the partner sparring exercises are listed in the Long Fist Fundamentals DVD.


Pan Shou (Bridge Hands) is also in the White Crane DVD 1&2. The Chin Na techniques were arbitrarily selected from the full list, so unfortunately those are scattered across the Chin Na In-Depth DVDs. Actually, the only Long Fist in the first stripe is Lian Bu Quan.

dansan wrote:So, I'm thinking of starting a study group, but it would be more of a class since the likely members would probably not having any training in the YMAA curriculum other than myself. If I can become a Coach Instructor, I could set up a proper class and basically train up my own training partners who would be very close in level to me.


There's no need for Coach Instructor status unless you want to teach in an official YMAA context (i.e. running a YMAA school). Some people test just to ensure they have the correct level of quality in the training, which is fine also. But it's fine to train and teach without that status in casual study groups. Just be clear with your students that you are not an officially-endorsed YMAA teacher.

dansan wrote:Actually, let me add another question: For gradings, is it more appropriate to contact an Instructor and go up there specifically for that or is there a point at seminars/camps where folks who want to grade get their chance?


Schools usually set their own dates for testing, so it's best to contact the school director and see. Camps just about always have 1 day for testing as well. If you can't make a testing date, then contact the school director to see what alternative dates can be setup. A typical setup for a school is to have a slightly higher fee for nonstandard testing dates due to the inconvenience.

Let me know if that answers your questions.

Best Regards,
Nicholas C. Yang
President, YMAA International
Assistant Director, YMAA Retreat Center
http://ymaa-retreatcenter.org
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