Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Ryan Hall recently shared his perspective on a fundamental distinction that many martial arts students struggle to understand: the difference between a coach and an instructor. His insights reveal why this misunderstanding can significantly impact a student’s development and success in their martial arts journey.
“I think the difference between a coach and an instructor, and a lot of times people think they want a coach, but they really want an instructor,”
Hall explained during a recent discussion. The confusion often stems from students’ expectations and their understanding of what they’re actually seeking from their training experience.
Hall illustrates this confusion with a simple example:
“I’m like, hey Lex, tell me what to do, not how to do it. And then other times people think they want, you know, an instructor and they really want a coach. I’m like, man, this guy’s just giving me information.”
According to Hall, the distinction goes far beyond the technical aspects of teaching martial arts techniques.
“A coach is so much more than an instructor, and that’s a huge leap,”
he emphasized. This leap represents not just a difference in service, but an entirely different relationship dynamic between teacher and student.
The veteran MMA star grappler acknowledges that students entering martial arts often don’t understand this distinction, and he empathizes with their position.
“And that’s something that I think that people need to understand when they’re going into martial arts. And I understand, and I can totally grasp why they don’t, because how would they know?”
Hall breaks down the practical implications of this difference in stark terms.
“But there’s a lot, like me giving you $150 for a month, which is not nothing, that’s for sure. That does not, that pays for instructor.”
The monthly fee structure typical of martial arts schools, he suggests, compensates for instruction but doesn’t automatically include the deeper investment that defines true coaching.
True coaching, according to Hall, requires a significant emotional and time investment that extends well beyond scheduled class hours.
“Coach is a relationship that gets developed, because can you imagine, like just the amount of emotional investment and time thinking away from like, oh, Lex isn’t here anymore, what can I do to help him? What does he need? Like that’s serious.”
This deeper level of engagement, Hall argues, often makes the crucial difference in a student’s development.
“And that’s oftentimes the difference that getting over the hump in various situations.”
The “hump” he refers to represents those challenging plateaus and obstacles that every martial artist encounters during their journey.
The foundation of this coaching relationship, Hall explains, rests on something that cannot be purchased or immediately established.
“There’s that mutual understanding and mutual belief of goodwill, which again, doesn’t just magic up out of nowhere, I understand. I think that that’s when great things can happen.”
Hall’s observations are backed by his experience watching successful athletes develop over the years.
“And I look at all the athletes that I know. You know, the guys in. The girls that I’ve watched become fantastic in various places. Almost invariably, it never happened to one.”
