The Journey of a Training Group Leader
How Do We Become An Official Affiliate Training Group?
Its actually pretty easy. You don’t have to have to highest skill level in the world to get endorsed. Its not a rank. You just have to be willing to put the effort in, try hard, and care about the progress of your fellow group members.
STEP #1 – Sign Up On The OLC & Grab Your Training Partner(s):
It all starts with as little as two people, and at least one person has to have a subscription to the Instructor Membership here on our Online Learning Center (OLC). For right now, we’ll call that person the “Unofficial” Training Group Leader. The other group members need to enroll in a Student Membership in order to gain rank as official Affiliate Students.
QUESTION: Can more than one person in your group have an Instructor Membership?
ANSWER: Yes, but one person has to specifically represent as the actual Group Leader.
STEP #2 – Learn The Material, Show It To Your Partner(s) & Practice:
The unofficial leader’s job is the same as if you were already endorsed by KSK. You coordinate a training time and place. The location of your training space could be anywhere such as a garage, basement, living room, park, backyard, conference room, gym, or even a commercial martial arts school. the only real requirement we have is that it is clean and safe for your fellow group members.
You seek out the knowledge through the website, seminars, DVDs, training visits to KSK, private lessons etc… As you learn the material, you introduce it to the members in your training group (students). Those people now become your training partners for you to practice the material with.
Under the Affiliate Instructor Program you have the ability to gain rank as both a Student and an Instructor. It has been designed this way to help you learn how to become both.
STEP #3 – Get Evaluated & Become Endorsed:
In order for your group to be recognized as an official Affiliate Training Group, your Group Leader needs to be endorsed in person by Guro T. Kent Nelson, or personally recommended by Guro Larry Mouton. We like to see the leader’s interaction with their fellow group members if possible. This can be done by hosting Guro Kent for a seminar, attending seminars, attending training camps, or visiting the KSK headquarters in Lansing, MI. and participating in group classes and/or private lessons.
If you receive an endorsement you will be considered an official Affiliate Training Group Leader, and your picture along with your Training Group’s information will be listed on both the KSK main website and the Online Learning Center website. You will now be eligible for all the benefits that a Training Group Leader receives, such as ability to gain Instructor Ranking, access to Instructor Events and all the other benefits listed above on this page.
Although it is not mandatory, it is recommended that you host Guro Kent for a seminar in your area at least once a year. This helps with updating your knowledge and skill set, creates excitement within your group, and helps create more public awareness of your training group which can result in new members. It also allows Guro Kent to see you interact with the members of your group, which helps you advance your Instructor Ranking.
Ok, we get it… people are going to naturally start forming “Unofficial” Training Groups, we know that. And you know what, that’s okay, its human nature. Besides, how else are you going to improve? You have to have training partners, right.
So if that’s the case, what’s the benefit to becoming an officially endorsed Affiliate Training Group?… There are lots of reasons, but here’s a few:
Benefits Of Endorsement
1. Official groups are listed on both the KSK main website and the Online Learning Center website in order to help other people in your area find you and join the group. More members in your training group means more training partners for you. And if you’re a Training Group Leader or an Affiliate Instructor, that means more experience for you to help sharpen your teaching skills, which is needed to gain Instructor Ranking.
2. Official Training groups receive preference over unofficial ones when it comes to scheduling seminars, visits, events and evaluations with Guro T. Kent Nelson personally.
3. Members of official Training Groups receive discounts on selected seminars, training camps, events, private lessons, equipment etc…