How do i teach teens martial arts?

Question

Im 16 years old and i am a very experienced muay thai boxer. i am going to be the head instructor of the mixed martial arts club at my high school. however i am nervous cause im a bit afraid im going to be teaching them wrong or that im teaching them incorrectly and that they may be confused. i want to be able to teach but im afraid that i might teach them the wrong way its supposed to be tought. i know everything that im going to teach them but how do i start? and also what should i do if they starts laughing at me cause there about my age or one year less. what i fear is that they wont pay attention, give me respect cause im about their age, and im gonna teach them incorrectly. i really want this oppurtunity and i dont want it to slip away so can anyone help?

Answer 1

Well I don't personally know much about martial arts except that it's for self-defense only and can help instill self-confidence and raise self-esteem along with physical agility.  Having the knowledge that one is about to teach is crucial which you sound as though you do.  The want to motivate and inspire are also a critical aspects of teaching.  There is also a saying that can be applied to may aspects in our lives including teaching -- "Fail to plan, plan to fail." :)  

Perhaps starting out introducing yourself and how many years you've been practicing marial arts to be somewhat more relateable to the crowd can help.  Perhaps going around the room and asking each one how long they've been involved with martial arts can break the ice as opposed to immediately going into the actual mechanics of the sport.  It's paramount to give positive reinforcement such as 'good job!', 'wonderful!', 'terrific!' for example.  If needing to point out a need for improvement, it's best to start out with a positive and then mention how to do that move another way or such.  Always ending with a positive note can only raise morale of the group.