I've been teaching grappling since I was 14, starting out coaching some kids wrestling at my school's wrestling camp. I have had a lot of experience and have learned so much through the art of teaching. There is so much that goes into teaching and being able to convey your knowledge to other people. I'm going to try and break down what works for me.
Knowing Your Technique:
It might sound stupid, but you need to know your technique. Don't teach something you don't fully understand how to do. Before going to class think about what you want to teach and how you want to teach it. Try to break down the technique in your head into at most 3 different movements, anything more and you will start to lose your students' attention, or you might be complicating a technique more than you should. I know there are some techniques that have a dozen micro-movements that can elevate the level of the technique, but I tend to focus on those after the students have gotten the general idea of the technique at hand. Being prepared as an instructor is important for your students. When you are starting out teaching for the first time, remember these suggestions to make your teaching experience better.
Knowing Your Students:
This is for the more seasoned instructors out there. I try to see who is in attendance in class on any given day and cater the technique(s) accordingly. If you know that one student has poor side-control escapes, chances are many of them are struggling with that aspect, it's your job as an instructor to recognize that and teach whatever technique it may be to knowingly help that one student and subsequently help the rest. Additionally, different students learn in different ways. Some require every ounce of detail in order to execute the technique and may require you to give them a little more attention to understand the technique. Some techniques are simply not suited for everybody, so teaching a cartwheel pass to a class where you have some that can't event perform a cartwheel may not be the best idea.
Dialogue:
Having your students ask questions about positions and techniques can be a great way to teach. Being an instructor doesn't always mean you know what your students need, engaging them in some discussions can remind you of certain techniques or details you wish to convey to your students. Too much of this can be a bad thing too. Never rely solely on your students as to decide what to teach. This has happened in a few academies I've been to where students don't really know what they need to know so they ask about how to deal with certain peoples' games and the same dozen techniques keep getting recycled over and over. As an instructor, there needs to be a balance of addressing positions and techniques your students need and what they want to learn.
Techniques and Positions:
It is not always prudent to show technique after technique after technique. I always throw in various positions as the "technique of the day." I like to explain what your goals are in certain positions, how to hold certain positions, how to attack or defend from there, and now just how but why we do certain things. Explaining the "why" of techniques is so important at every level. There is a reason for nearly every movement I make in BJJ and sometimes I spend a whole class on how to hold side control and what to do when my opponent does X and how certain grips will prevent certain escapes. Students can get bogged down by a vast amount of techniques, maybe execute them but there can be a disconnect between the technique executed and the position they end up in and they may not know exactly what to do. It's important to teach these also so your students feel confident in every position and every situation.
Last off, never turn off BJJ in your head. Always be thinking about it, how to improve certain techniques, or even think about your weaknesses. Breaking down techniques in your head not only makes you a better teacher, but it also makes your BJJ better. Teaching can be a huge avenue for people to improve their own games.
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