Structure. Emotion. Knowledge. Legacy.

In many martial arts styles, the assumption traditionally has been that once students earn their black belts they are ready to teach other students. But the ATA does not believe that simply being able to do something well qualifies a person to teach it. During the last 40 years, the ATA has developed an intensive instructor training program to insure that all of our instructors are professionally skilled teachers.

The ATA Legacy Program is the pipeline through which future ATA instructors flow and which school owners leave their legacy. There are four steps to becoming a certified instructor, and each step has its requirements and level of abilities. Juniors are essential to the Legacy program, but a student must be at least 18 years old to become a fully-certified instructor.

The ATA Legacy Program is a step above the Leadership Program in that it takes the physical and mental skills a student has learned in the Leadership Program and provides them the training so that they may pass that knowledge on to others to create their own legacy. It is the perfect blend of personal development and physical training specially targeted for the elite student.

Before becoming a certified ATA instructor, black belt students spend 2-3 years as instructor trainees, during which time they are required to log at least 300 teaching hours under the supervision of a senior instructor. They are also required to earn certification in CPR and Youth Protection and to attend instruction camps.

Helena ATA’s ultimate goal is to create the pathway for any ATA student to become successful in life. No matter what the student’s professional or personal aspirations may be, this program plants the seeds of leadership qualities needed to create an impressive legacy.

Benefits of Becoming an ATA Instructor