Teaching pole

When I did my first pole session I knew it was something I wanted to learn and was immediately passionate about it. 2 months later I had my own pole at home and was learning whenever I could. 3 months after this I did a qualification in it which helped me understand the pitfalls and made sure that I taught everything with safety foremost.

I still didn't feel confident enough to teach until over a year after I first began, and then only very basic moves.

I had already taught fitness classes, trained people at gyms, done personal training and had all the necessary First Aid certificates, music licenses and Insurances yet still felt I had so much to learn to be the best Pole Instructor I could. In fact, I still feel that way!

That is why it is so worrying when someone has a few pole lessons, thinks 'Easy money!', and then sets up their own classes.

It is fantastic that someone should inspire somebody else to become an Instructor in anything, and want to share their joy in that subject, but nothing is ever that easy.

It is not just a simple issue of buying a pole, finding a room and setting up to teach. There are legal and moral complications in any taught subject.

Also, being able to pole dance does not automatically mean you are able to teach it well. There is a knack to breaking down moves and making them accessible. It is a skill.

Teaching pole is very hard work! If your teacher makes it look easy then it just means they're damn good at what they do!

Pain Thresholds

I've noticed a curious thing with pole. People seem to have lower pain tolerance in certain parts of their body, and everyone is different.

My low tolerance area is my calf and the back of my knee. I can't even stand to stretch my calf muscles out without feeling a bit queasy and hate the sensation, while I will happily sit in box split stretches for hours.

I find the Scorpio and Gemini moves really nasty yet when learning Elbow Grip moves wouldn't notice the pain at all and would be very surprised later on to find myself black and blue from it.

Some ladies find inner thigh moves are their bugbear and others armpit holds. Yet both might be happy to kneehold without a care.

No matter where your low pain threshold area is, gritted teeth and dogged determination is the only way forward!