When I started teaching professionally as a 16-year-old blue belt in 1976, I never imagined the path my career would take. By 1978, as a new black belt, I was hired by Walt Bone to be a staff instructor, earning $5 per class. It was a dream job for me, and for the next four years, I became a “mini-me” to Mr. Bone.
I learned to teach by watching him, which meant I inherited both the best and the worst of his methods.
My primary teaching gig was at St. Petersburg Junior College, where I taught students my own age. I had dropped out of high school to pursue martial arts full-time.
For me, it seemed like the right move—after all, why stay in school when I knew what I wanted to do? Ironically, I found myself teaching college classes without ever finishing high school.
But as I look back, three key issues stand out:
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Learning by Imitation:
My teaching style was built on imitation. Walt Bone learned from Allen Steen and Mike Anderson, who learned from Jhoon Rhee. None of these men had formal teaching education. Martial arts teaching, like many others, is part imitation, part personality, and part ego. -
Teaching Peers:
Being the same age as my students, especially when half the class was female, fed my ego. I was the “big man on campus,” without proper guidance or structure. -
Lack of Formal Education:
My lack of formal education didn’t hinder my ability to teach professionally. Dropping out of school had no effect on my employment. In fact, it freed me up to teach more classes.
By 1982, when Walt Bone tragically passed away, I found myself teaching college students without a structured educational program.
Contrast this with public school teachers, who need years of education and certification to qualify for their jobs. They study education, develop curricula, and must meet rigorous standards—something we as martial artists often lack.
The Case for Universal Education
In the martial arts world, there’s no prerequisite to open a school or become an instructor. You could have an MBA or a criminal record and still open a dojo. Internally, we agree that at least a black belt is necessary, but even the criteria for earning a black belt varies greatly, meaning there’s no universal standard for education or performance.
While I am strongly anti-regulation, I am pro-education. This is why I created the ACMA (American Council on Martial Arts) in the 1990s, which has now evolved into the MATA Instructor Certification Program.
What sets this program apart is that it’s available at no cost, thanks to support from Sports Fitness Insurance Corp (SFIC), who believe in supporting martial arts instructors. You can check them out at MATAInsurance.com.
The MATA Certification Program is designed to bring professionalism into martial arts instruction. It’s based on widely recognized methods of influence, safety, teaching, and leadership, crafted by veteran martial artists and experts in fields like child psychology, sports medicine, and motivation.
Why Universal Education Matters
We need a standard language and approach to teaching in martial arts to replace the outdated “blind leading the blind” model.
Our certification program offers a structured, professional curriculum that equips instructors with the skills they need to excel, not just as martial artists, but as educators.
To be clear, this is not a power grab. I’m not looking to be the “Grand Poohbah” of the martial arts world.
My goal has always been to leave the martial arts in a better place than when I started. At my core, I’m a teacher, not a Poohbah.