How to Teach Taekwondo

If you have moved up the ranks of taekwondo, you'll likely be called upon by your own school or others to do some teaching yourself. Teaching taekwondo is a fun way to get more involved, but can be almost as big a challenge as earning your own taekwondo black belt. Some helpful tips for teaching taekwondo will get you through your beginning phase of teaching kids or adults.

Instructions

    • 1

      Clearly explain the ground rules to your group of students on the first day of class, and repeat the rules regularly as they begin to learn taekwondo. Students of martial arts may feel timid or cautious because they are afraid of overstepping their boundaries, so help them understand what behaviors are appropriate.

    • 2

      Be approachable about any questions your students may have. As you move through the class, give criticism privately at first and rephrase personal criticisms as helpful tips for the entire group as you see fit. Encourage students when they fix problems in their technique.

    • 3

      Teach the basics first and drill them in creative ways. Teaching beginners how to stand in a punching stance, for instance, may seem boring since it requires a lot of standing around, but make it into a creative exercise with funny conversation topics or trivia questions.

    • 4

      Practice taekwondo alongside your students, and create a structure where you have to do extra exercises or techniques to encourage them. For instance, if they are able to do 20 kicks without setting their foot down, you have to do 20 push ups. These exercises will keep you in shape, prove that you follow your own work out tips and provide some fun for kids.

    • 5

      Take breaks to talk about meaningful aspects of taekwondo or teach techniques your students really want to learn. Teach your students elements of self defense, for example, early on and when they get tired of working on the basics, you can take a break to work on some more exciting elements of taekwondo.