hey kickbox instructors
- Thread starter boxer
- Start date
pink_fortitude
Banned
The thing that was the hardest part for me was teaching form, especially to those who don't have a knack for kickboxing. At the begining of classes I would use the warm up doing exercises specifically to promote muscle memory that encourages good form. I will have to get my old notes out, it has been almost two years since I have done a class! But I taught for over a year and ABSOLUTELY loved it! Just make it fun, use fun music and everyone will have a blast! Are you using equipment or is it cardio kickboxing?
I am sure that you will be great! You can email me at any time at [email protected] if you have any specific questions, and I will try to help you out the best I can.
Missy
I am sure that you will be great! You can email me at any time at [email protected] if you have any specific questions, and I will try to help you out the best I can.
Missy
lisaannjam
Cathlete
Well...first congratulations on your new venture!! I would also say get some great music that you can really get into. Believe me, you better like it because you will have heard it a thousand times before you ever teach the class (with all the practicing). Trust me on that..haha.
If you currently take a KB class, notice the music and how the people in class are responding to it. Next, I would say keep your routine and your combinations simple at first and really perfect them. Make sure you incorporate all of the moves that you are gonig to to do later into your warmup (just less intense versions of them).
And, have fun and let your personality shine through. Don't be too hard on yourself or expect perfection. Believe me, the class doesn't know if you do something out of order or forget something (it's our routine, right? haha)
I think Cathe's KPC is an excellent workout to do & watch and will help you learn how to teach. But, for a beginner instructor I wouldn't suggest something as intense as KPC. As instructors, we have to be able to breath and speak, sometimes shout, so keep that in mind when you are creating your routine. An hour can seem like forever if you start out too intense.
Have a blast and please let us know how you're doing!!!
If you currently take a KB class, notice the music and how the people in class are responding to it. Next, I would say keep your routine and your combinations simple at first and really perfect them. Make sure you incorporate all of the moves that you are gonig to to do later into your warmup (just less intense versions of them).
And, have fun and let your personality shine through. Don't be too hard on yourself or expect perfection. Believe me, the class doesn't know if you do something out of order or forget something (it's our routine, right? haha)
I think Cathe's KPC is an excellent workout to do & watch and will help you learn how to teach. But, for a beginner instructor I wouldn't suggest something as intense as KPC. As instructors, we have to be able to breath and speak, sometimes shout, so keep that in mind when you are creating your routine. An hour can seem like forever if you start out too intense.
Have a blast and please let us know how you're doing!!!
lisaannjam
Cathlete
Hi Boxer!
I kept thinking about you last night and I just wanted to add to my previous post to you, since I believe you are new instructor in general. Cueing properly is the HARDEST thing to learn. It really takes a lot of practice to learn to cue in time BEFORE you do the move. I find that this is the biggest complaint people in my classes have noted about other instructors at my gym.
You will get it...it just takes a lot of practice. So, again, keep the combinations simple and practice, practice, practice.
And again, Cathe is excellent with this so the more you watch and do her workouts the more you will see how it is properly done. Keep in mind it takes time to learn this but one day it just comes to you.
Good luck!!
I kept thinking about you last night and I just wanted to add to my previous post to you, since I believe you are new instructor in general. Cueing properly is the HARDEST thing to learn. It really takes a lot of practice to learn to cue in time BEFORE you do the move. I find that this is the biggest complaint people in my classes have noted about other instructors at my gym.
You will get it...it just takes a lot of practice. So, again, keep the combinations simple and practice, practice, practice.
And again, Cathe is excellent with this so the more you watch and do her workouts the more you will see how it is properly done. Keep in mind it takes time to learn this but one day it just comes to you.
Good luck!!
Timber99
Cathlete
Cueing properly is the HARDEST thing
>to learn. It really takes a lot of practice to learn to cue
>in time BEFORE you do the move. I find that this is the
>biggest complaint people in my classes have noted about other
>instructors at my gym.
>
I am working on being a step instructor and this is the toughest part!
>to learn. It really takes a lot of practice to learn to cue
>in time BEFORE you do the move. I find that this is the
>biggest complaint people in my classes have noted about other
>instructors at my gym.
>
I am working on being a step instructor and this is the toughest part!
lisaannjam
Cathlete
Hi Christine!
It's hard for everyone at first...truly. But, I promise one day it really just clicks with you and then you can never go back to thinking or doing it any other way.
A little trick that helped when was learning was when I was in someone else's class, I would cue to myself during there routine to see if I was on or off with the timing. Now, I did know the class well and the instructor was good at cueing. That helped..haha.
Have fun and good luck with your teaching.
It's hard for everyone at first...truly. But, I promise one day it really just clicks with you and then you can never go back to thinking or doing it any other way.
A little trick that helped when was learning was when I was in someone else's class, I would cue to myself during there routine to see if I was on or off with the timing. Now, I did know the class well and the instructor was good at cueing. That helped..haha.
Have fun and good luck with your teaching.
Lisaannjam,
That was great advice that you gave.
In addition to cueing to myself in other people's classes, I also would cue while driving in the car. People must have thought I was crazy in the cars next to me, but who cares?
Christine.... there are great videos that you can get to help you start teaching step and will help with building routines. Check out the following link http://scwfitness.com/indexStore.php to Saracity workout. They have a lot of videos that you can buy that will help immensely.
The one thing that drove me insane a few years ago when I started teaching was that there seemed to be little resources to show you how to actually teach a good class. With a little research, you can find a few.
Lisaannjam's advice to watch Cathe and really look for how she cues is great advice.
Also- watch how Cathe uses a lot of the same moves in every video, but varies them slightly to create a new move altogether.... for example, when she does insoles around the world, she does a little hesitation move on the third one to make it fun - same count, just a little variation.
I have gone to turnstep.com to look for ideas for routines, but I never end up using any of them in whole. I usually just take some of the moves and make them my own. Also- there is Jumpybumpy.com, but I never really found it very helpful.
Music is very important, as others here have mentioned. I would check out Dynamix- I find that they have the best music. Start out at a slow beat (125-128 BPM) to start with. If you start working at a facility that has a pitch level, you can begin to buy music at a higher BPM and adjust accordingly.
A word of advice - ALWAYS MAKE BACKUPS of your music CDs if you can. These discs will get a lot of wear and tear, and you don't want to be stuck with a scratched CD that you can't play during your class.
You are entering a very exciting time in your life I know I sound like a dork, but the best thing I ever did was become a step and spinning instructor. You will have a great time.... just remember that things are not always easy in the beginning. They may just talk about you behind your back in the locker room... but take heart because the ones who were there in my very first classes where I made a million and one mistakes are now my regulars who never miss my classes....
Have fun, good luck, and any time you guys need advice, or need support, please don't hesitate to PM me.
Stephanie
That was great advice that you gave.
In addition to cueing to myself in other people's classes, I also would cue while driving in the car. People must have thought I was crazy in the cars next to me, but who cares?
Christine.... there are great videos that you can get to help you start teaching step and will help with building routines. Check out the following link http://scwfitness.com/indexStore.php to Saracity workout. They have a lot of videos that you can buy that will help immensely.
The one thing that drove me insane a few years ago when I started teaching was that there seemed to be little resources to show you how to actually teach a good class. With a little research, you can find a few.
Lisaannjam's advice to watch Cathe and really look for how she cues is great advice.
Also- watch how Cathe uses a lot of the same moves in every video, but varies them slightly to create a new move altogether.... for example, when she does insoles around the world, she does a little hesitation move on the third one to make it fun - same count, just a little variation.
I have gone to turnstep.com to look for ideas for routines, but I never end up using any of them in whole. I usually just take some of the moves and make them my own. Also- there is Jumpybumpy.com, but I never really found it very helpful.
Music is very important, as others here have mentioned. I would check out Dynamix- I find that they have the best music. Start out at a slow beat (125-128 BPM) to start with. If you start working at a facility that has a pitch level, you can begin to buy music at a higher BPM and adjust accordingly.
A word of advice - ALWAYS MAKE BACKUPS of your music CDs if you can. These discs will get a lot of wear and tear, and you don't want to be stuck with a scratched CD that you can't play during your class.
You are entering a very exciting time in your life
I know I sound like a dork, but the best thing I ever did was become a step and spinning instructor. You will have a great time.... just remember that things are not always easy in the beginning. They may just talk about you behind your back in the locker room... but take heart because the ones who were there in my very first classes where I made a million and one mistakes are now my regulars who never miss my classes.... Have fun, good luck, and any time you guys need advice, or need support, please don't hesitate to PM me.
Stephanie
lisaannjam
Cathlete
Stephanie...excellent advice!! I too cue my new routine out loud to the music I picked while driving in my car...haha. It worked!!
I'm so glad you also mentioned not to get discouraged if you hear people talking about you (in a negative way) when you first begin. This will happen. It happened to all of us!! People have NO idea of all of the hard work and effort that goes into creating a routine that flows and is fun, picking the "right" music, breaking down the moves to teach them, learning to cue and so forth.
So, do not be discouraged by it!!! You WILL find people who love YOU and the way that you teach. You kind of have to develop a tough skin, I think anyway. And protect yourself from any negativity and surround yourself with the positive people that will support you. Believe us, you'll have them.
I use Dynamix quite a bit for my music. Just keep in mind, not everyone will always be happy. Do your best and have fun!!!
I'm so glad you also mentioned not to get discouraged if you hear people talking about you (in a negative way) when you first begin. This will happen. It happened to all of us!! People have NO idea of all of the hard work and effort that goes into creating a routine that flows and is fun, picking the "right" music, breaking down the moves to teach them, learning to cue and so forth.
So, do not be discouraged by it!!! You WILL find people who love YOU and the way that you teach. You kind of have to develop a tough skin, I think anyway. And protect yourself from any negativity and surround yourself with the positive people that will support you. Believe us, you'll have them.
I use Dynamix quite a bit for my music. Just keep in mind, not everyone will always be happy. Do your best and have fun!!!
Lisannjam,
Thanks. I think that was what I struggled with the most when I first started instructing. I wanted so badly to hand over the microphone to the loudmouth in the front row who never shut up about how much I sucked. After the first few classes I left feeling defeated, but I thought to myself..... you get more bees with honey than with vinegar and finally pulled this woman aside and said, hey, you look like you are a real veteran in fitness, and I just wanted to ask you if you have any suggestions for me. She didn't!!!! She just looked at me dumbfounded and said, no, I think you are doing fine....
And she never complained about me again! AMAZING.
I came to find out that she just likes to complain - she even complained about the woman who was my mentor who is the best instructor (besides Cathe of course) I have ever seen, who was the motivator behind me becoming an instructor.
You will always have this.
Thanks for confirming this. We should start our own business teaching women how to be instructors. There are so little resources out there- lots of resources to become certified but little to actually teach the day in day out stuff that you have to do!!!!
Thanks. I think that was what I struggled with the most when I first started instructing. I wanted so badly to hand over the microphone to the loudmouth in the front row who never shut up about how much I sucked. After the first few classes I left feeling defeated, but I thought to myself..... you get more bees with honey than with vinegar and finally pulled this woman aside and said, hey, you look like you are a real veteran in fitness, and I just wanted to ask you if you have any suggestions for me. She didn't!!!! She just looked at me dumbfounded and said, no, I think you are doing fine....
And she never complained about me again! AMAZING.
I came to find out that she just likes to complain - she even complained about the woman who was my mentor who is the best instructor (besides Cathe of course) I have ever seen, who was the motivator behind me becoming an instructor.
You will always have this.
Thanks for confirming this. We should start our own business teaching women how to be instructors. There are so little resources out there- lots of resources to become certified but little to actually teach the day in day out stuff that you have to do!!!!
lisaannjam
Cathlete
Good Morning to you, Stephanie and Fellow Instructors!!
You are so right...we should start our own business on how to instuct/teach. You can study and pass your certifications with flying colors, but that does not teach you HOW to teach!! And I have found anyway that even with some mentoring, I was truly on my own with figuring things out (trial by fire). But, after you teach a few classes, you do learn the HARD way of what works and what doesn't.
Good for YOU for pulling the "loud mouth" aside. That's exactly what you have to do. I'm amazed that people will complain, yet keep coming..haha. I guess they do it just to complain. But, you know when you are starting out, it's hard enough, and you just don't need that negativity. I totally hear you when you say you wanted to hand the microphone over to her. I've felt that way on quite a few occasions myself. They have NO IDEA!!
In the meantime, I'd be only too happy to help anyone here. You can PM or e-mail me.
Happy teaching!!
You are so right...we should start our own business on how to instuct/teach. You can study and pass your certifications with flying colors, but that does not teach you HOW to teach!! And I have found anyway that even with some mentoring, I was truly on my own with figuring things out (trial by fire). But, after you teach a few classes, you do learn the HARD way of what works and what doesn't.
Good for YOU for pulling the "loud mouth" aside. That's exactly what you have to do. I'm amazed that people will complain, yet keep coming..haha. I guess they do it just to complain. But, you know when you are starting out, it's hard enough, and you just don't need that negativity. I totally hear you when you say you wanted to hand the microphone over to her. I've felt that way on quite a few occasions myself. They have NO IDEA!!
In the meantime, I'd be only too happy to help anyone here. You can PM or e-mail me.
Happy teaching!!