Certified ATA instructor

**A.D.D** · Posted On: 7/28/2005 12:42pm

Originally Posted by Aodhan

This is why I don't like the way this only quotes one post, rather than all the quoted posts.

Here is the post I was referring to:

My response was that reach is an advantage, but not the biggest one. The biggest one is speed (IMO, regarding point sparring). Nowhere did I say anything about not gaining muscle. Lopez, the example I referenced, may be faster if he gained more muscle, he may not be, but I didn't use him as an example of why not to gain muscle.

Aodhan

By THIS GUY I didn't mean you :) I meant the ATA instructor that I heard telling a 13 year old BB that it was not advantageous in order to do so and I was wondering why HE thought that. I really have no idea why he thought that I was just trying to think of some reasons HE would have for that.

**Aodhan** · Posted On: 7/28/2005 2:45pm

Originally Posted by A.D.D

By THIS GUY I didn't mean you :) I meant the ATA instructor that I heard telling a 13 year old BB that it was not advantageous in order to do so and I was wondering why HE thought that. I really have no idea why he thought that I was just trying to think of some reasons HE would have for that.

AHA! Gotcha. :D I was confused. Probably explains a lot of things, hehe.

Aodhan

**Shu2jack** · Posted On: 7/28/2005 4:23pm

By THIS GUY I didn't mean you :) I meant the ATA instructor that I heard telling a 13 year old BB that it was not advantageous in order to do so and I was wondering why HE thought that. I really have no idea why he thought that I was just trying to think of some reasons HE would have for that.

Maybe because the bigger you are, the more target area an opponent has to hit in point sparring. Your arms can cover only so much space. It doesn't matter if the hit will faze the person, all that matters is that you hit legal target area before the person can react to block it.

Personally, I think the tall, muscular person has the advantage in point sparring as long as he is not slow. I have competed in point sparring since I was 11 (I am now going on 23) and have went from 5'2" (up until my Jr. year of high school) to 6' 0" (since my Sr. year of high school) Right now I am 180 lbs and I find that my weight (and the muscle I have) is an advantage in point sparring. I prefer to use an inside game and my size allows me to have a "presense" when I get in close.

Now if I wanted to keep it to just kicking, then I would probably want to be skinner and a bit faster.

**gonchez** · Posted On: 8/01/2005 12:13pm

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but where on earth is the article that DIRTY HIPPIE said he posted? I am still waiting to hear what he has to say.

Although I am a bit new, I think the moderators would welcome an article about the ATA from the viewpoint of a certified instructor. ANd if the article wasn't approved, could someone tell me why?

**Swede** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 2:05pm

I just read the article in the articles section.

Swede

**weechey** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 3:26pm

Originally Posted by gonchez

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but where on earth is the article that DIRTY HIPPIE said he posted? I am still waiting to hear what he has to say.

Although I am a bit new, I think the moderators would welcome an article about the ATA from the viewpoint of a certified instructor. ANd if the article wasn't approved, could someone tell me why?

The article is posted in the Articles/Review section. Very nice read, and kind of sad/tragic, albeit with a happy ending.

**gonchez** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 4:39pm

Thanks for the update. Sounds like more of a problem with the Instructor's business practices though. I am not sure where DIRTY HIPPIE did his certification course but I can assure you it is not that way everywhere.

Speaking as someone who is a RCC (Regional Camp Coordinator) for the ATA, I have failed at least one person at every camp I attend. However, I cannot speak for DIRTY HIPPIE'S area or experience.

**Aodhan** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 5:09pm

I'll post a review when I have some time to consider the full article, but I can offer a couple of observations:

1) I paid no money for my first instructor certification testing (Red to red/black), and out of the 6 that took the test, 2 failed. You needed 100 hours instruction time to be eligible for this testing. Testing consisted of all forms and one steps up to current rank, and testing on color belt life skills and various basic instructional methods.

2) If dirtyhippy was allowed to test after 2 weeks for the next collar, his instructor was doing something shady, as you are supposed to have another 100 hours before being eligible. I just recently took the black/red/black test, which was again free. Random selection of 4 forms and one steps, more testing on instructional methods, and teach a 10 minute mini class. Of the 3 that took this test, 1 failed.

3) After another 100 hours, I will be eligible for a certification camp. At this point I don't know what it will entail, but we bow in on Friday, and have 3 days of testing and workouts. Cost for the camp including lodging, food and suit (Not sure if that is the actual suit that is worn at more formal events, or a new dobok), is a little over $400.

I"ll leave it to gonchez and a few of the older members to detail the old 9 camp system that was scrapped about 2001/2002 if they wish.

Aodhan

**CanucKyokushin** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 5:23pm

Then I guess it's only fair that everyone waits before posting a serious critique.So I'll wait.

**Shu2jack** · Posted On: 8/02/2005 6:27pm

While my experiences while becoming an certified instructor greatly differ than those experienced by dirty hippy, I think his article is fine because I believe that is what happens in many ATA schools.

I don't see how failing people is a positive sign. It is negitive. Our instructors are failing to properly prepare some students.

This is just my take on the instructor certification system, but the first two camps SHOULD'NT be pass/fail. Someone wearing the red collar should already be teaching before they even think about becoming a certified instructor. If they are teaching, then they better sure as hell be able to pass the certified instructor test because they are training people. If you are an assistant only, that is one thing. If you are going to be a school owner, that is another. I believe the purpose of the of the camps is to help make you a better instructor, not to see if your qualified. That is your instructor's job. For me;

I was running classes before the red collar. When I became a red collar and started taking the camps I learned thing to help improve my teaching and learned how the ATA wants things done as an organization.

My first camp involved life skills. The ATA focuses on life skills as part of the training. We reviewed things like integrity, honor, self-discipline, etc. Then we went through how to teach these things to children, teens, adults. Then we went through how to incoperate this into our teaching seemlessly. Stuff like that. We went through the forms and nit-picked on little things so we as a region were on the same page.

My second camp focused on the teaching quadrents. The goal is to give ways to help you more effectively teach and run classes.

My third camp focused on how to more efficently teach classes and was a final test of my physical skills. There should be no problem passing the test because I am a black belt. I had to know all that stuff and be able to perform it just to earn my rank. There should be no failure of the tests, or you should lose your rank.

Thats just me though. Sorry, I turned it into kind of a mini-rant. Non-ATA people are not the only ones frusterated at the ATA.