Sharing The Skills
All the Qualified Instructors make up the third and most influential group of the People.
I use the term Qualified Instructor to describe a student who has completed some (or all) of my Instructor Training Programme. This course imparts the coaching and teaching skills required to deliver the lessons within each grade. It also covers the practical aspects of running classes, and the business requirements for running a successful martial arts club.
There are major differences between doing something yourself, and teaching another person to do it. Although the skill-sets do cross-over to some degree (naturally, you can’t really teach something unless you can do it, or have previously done it yourself first), there are specific skills needed to accurately coach and guide different students through their own learning of the Federation Wing Tsun System. Anybody can show what they were shown, but different students need different things.
Who Can Be An Instructor?
My instructorship course is separate to the main training programme, and is open to any student who has passed beyond Student Grade 9 of the Apprentice Level. If you’re above 9SG now (or getting close to it) and helping others develop is something you enjoy doing, then please get in touch. I always need good instructors, and I love helping good students become great teachers.
There are eight different levels of qualification which can be attained, listed below from the lowest to the highest:
- Instructor Candidate
- Trainee Instructor
- Assistant Instructor
- Primary Instructor
- Secondary Instructor
- Full Instructor
- Senior Instructor
- Head Instructor
Each instructor level has different requirements, and imparts a different level of responsibility, as follows:
1. Instructor Candidate
This rank describes students who have expressed a desire to share the art with others, and who have been accepted onto the instructor training programme. Candidates are not yet qualified to teach the system, or to assess the abilities of others.
Entry requirements:
- Evidence of at least 36 months consecutive training.
- Evidence of ability to at least Student Grade 9.
- Recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
- Informal interview with current Head Instructor.
If successful, candidates will begin a probation period under the guidance of a suitable instructor. During this period the candidate is not expected to teach students or attend instructor training, but merely to be present in classes, follow, observe, and be guided by their instructor.
2. Trainee Instructor
This rank describes students who have successfully completed their probation period, and who have started attending instructor tutorials. Trainees are only qualified to teach and assess Student Grade 1.
Entry requirements:
- Evidence of completed probation period.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Advanced Stage.
- Progress recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
Trainee instructors mainly help beginners grasp the fundamentals of the system, with supervision and guidance from a more senior instructor. In traditional Chinese Kung-Fu terms this is known as the Si-Hing system. Advanced students helping very junior students and at the same time gaining a degree of teaching experience within the most commonly-taught grade.
There are currently no active Trainee Instructors. If you’re interested, please get in touch!
3. Assistant Instructor
This rank describes students who have served their time as a trainee, and who have completed the first set of instructor tutorials. Assistants are qualified to teach Student Grades 1-3 only, the Foundation Stage of the system.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of in-class teaching experience.
- Evidence of completed instructor tutorials.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Advanced Stage.
- Progress recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
Assistant instructors are commonly senior students who are studying the final grade of the apprentice level. They still receive supervision from a more senior instructor, but now have some in-class teaching experience and personal ability. They are also trusted with teaching new students on an individual basis in private lessons, and can charge for their tuition.
Active holders of the Assistant Instructor rank:
- Ryan Green
- Sasha Pats-Nougues
4. Primary Instructor
This rank describes students who have served their time as an assistant, who have completed the second set of instructor tutorials, and who have personally completed the apprentice level of the training programme. Primary instructors are qualified to teach and assess Student Grades 1-6, the Foundation and Basic Stages of the system.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of in-class teaching experience.
- Evidence of individual, one-on-one teaching experience.
- Evidence of completed instructor tutorials.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Water Stage.
- Progress recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
Primary instructors are commonly journeymen who are studying the early technician grades. They receive guidance and input from more senior instructors, but now have a good amount of teaching experience and personal ability. Trusted with the development and testing of students up to grade six, they have the option to open their own club, attract their own student base, and receive an income from their teaching.
Active holders of the Primary Instructor rank:
- Ben Marsh
5. Secondary Instructor
This rank describes students who have served their time as a primary instructor, who have completed the third set of instructor tutorials, and who have been awarded Technician Grade 1 of the training programme. Secondary instructors are qualified to teach and assess Student Grades 1-9, the Foundation, Basic and Intermediate Stages of the system.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of own-club class teaching experience.
- Evidence of individual, one-on-one teaching experience.
- Evidence of completed instructor tutorials.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Earth Stage.
- Progress recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
Secondary instructors are experienced journeymen who are studying the middle technician grades. They receive guidance and input from more senior instructors, but now have plenty of teaching experience and personal ability. Trusted with the development and testing of students up to grade nine, they are usually running an established, successful club and starting to be confident in their own abilities.
Active holders of the Secondary Instructor rank:
- Karl Van Lith
6. Full Instructor
This rank describes students who have served their time as a secondary instructor, who have completed the fourth set of instructor tutorials, and who have been awarded Technician Grade 2 of the training programme. Full instructors are qualified to teach and assess the entire Apprentice Level of the system.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of multi-club class teaching experience.
- Evidence of individual, one-on-one teaching experience.
- Evidence of completed instructor tutorials.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Earth Stage.
- Progress recommendation from a current Full Instructor, or higher.
Full instructors are experienced journeymen who are studying the middle technician grades. They receive guidance and input from more senior instructors, but now have considerable teaching experience and personal ability. Trusted with the development and testing of students up to grade twelve, they may be running several established, successful clubs. They also have the option to run workshops and seminars in the system, and begin developing trainee instructors of their own.
Active holders of the Full Instructor rank:
- Sifu Joe Jackson-Taylor
7. Senior Instructor
The first of the Scholar Instructor ranks, this describes established instructors who have completed the fifth and sixth sets of instructor tutorials, and who have been awarded Technician Grade 3 of the training programme. Senior instructors are qualified to teach and assess the entire Apprentice Level, and to mentor Journeymen passed to them by the Head Instructor.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of multi-club class teaching experience.
- Evidence of seminar and workshop teaching experience.
- Evidence of completed instructor tutorials.
- Evidence of continuing development within at least the Metal Stage.
- Approval from the current Head Instructor.
Senior instructors are late-stage journeymen who are approaching the master grades. They have many years of teaching experience in multiple environments, and lots of personal ability. Their understanding of the system is such that they are entitled to research, develop and refine new areas of the training programme, for the benefit of future generations of students.
There are currently no active holders of the Senior Instructor rank.
7. Head Instructor
The second of the Scholar Instructor ranks, this describes the most experienced instructor currently within the system. Someone who has completed both the Apprentice Level and the Journeyman Level, plus all eight sets of instructor tutorials, and who has been teaching professionally across multiple time-zones for more than a decade. Head instructors are responsible for teaching, testing and refining all content within the system, developing new areas of learning, and developing the next generation of instructors.
Requirements for rank award:
- Evidence of experience and ability.
- Approval from the current Head Instructor.
- Majority vote of all current Instructors.
There can only be one head instructor of the system at any time, and currently it’s me – Sifu Lee Paul Heron. Future succession is via the old system of dead man’s shoes – the position will be vacated by my retirement or death, and only then can a new head instructor take over. As you might expect, i’m very curious as to who this might turn out to be. 🙂
Special Rank – Consultant
The last of the Scholar Instructor ranks, this describes people outside my system who I can call on for help and advice with specialist things. Over my decades of training i’ve been very fortunate to meet and learn from a great many superb martial artists and professionals, in many different disciplines, and i’m still in contact with them today. I often need to bounce ideas off other experienced people, ask for advice, or get a different perspective. You know who you are, and I thank you all.
Where Next?
| Level | Contents | ||
| 2 | The People | ||
| 3 | Apprentices & Journeymen End Of Branch |
Masters End Of Branch |
Instructors (you are here) End Of Branch |