I’ve been coaching parkour for over 5 years now, here’s how I teach.

When I first began teaching, I thought the job was to pass on information to those who didn’t have it. That’s the reason people read books not why they hire coaches. Especially with the internet there is all the information you need to learn a backflip and with open gyms you can access the equipment for a lower cost.

Once I realized this I began to think to myself… ‘if the information is out there for free, why do people continue to hire me?’ Then I found the answer, and then another.

Everyone has their own reasons for hiring a coach and everyone who hires a coach probably needs one. However, the one most common answer that I always find is that people require accountability, because they are not capable of holding themselves accountable.

A small part of my job is transferring information to my students. The biggest thing I try to do is inspire them. It is very hard to teach someone who does not care for the thing they are doing. I learned that trying to teach someone who has a deep burning passion for their training is an easy job.

I teach my students not simply by transferring information, but by sharing my passion for their success directly with them. As their coach it is just as much my journey as it is theirs to achieve their goals.

I remember that I am a human being and trying to compete with the internet for information sharing is an impossible feat. I don’t always have the answers. But I make it my job to find those answers. And when my student is having a bad day it’s my job to pick them up and keep the fight going. The way to teach is not with drills, curriculums, and yelling. The way to teach is with humanity, adaptability, and most importantly… heart. If you want to teach well you need to be more than just an information processor. You need to be caring, but strict. You must be honest to a fault, even if it means you could lose the client.

The way I teach may look time wasting to the parents as I have long discussions with my students on philosophy, taking action, overcoming fear, analyzing technique, the importance of consistency, and how their brain is constantly battling against them. All of these things must be understood in order to build a great athlete.

The summary to all of this is that you just teaching the craft to the student will only bring them so far. In order to get them farther faster, you must also teach them how to learn the craft for themselves. That’s how I teach.