Akward position, need advice

[Garland]

Somebody at my parent's restraunt told a security guard up at the mall it's in that I am an avid and exceptional martial artist. (this is sheer flattery, and gives me wayyyyyy more credit than I deserve)

So...somehow this security guard...a "former bounty hunter", got it into his head that I was a good person to learn some self defense skills from. He's a big guy, 6'3'' and about...maybe 240lbs. I'm 19 years old, 5'8'' and somewhere in the vicinity of 150lbs tops.

This guy really wants to learn, bad.

I haven't gotten permission from anyone to teach this guy anything...and I told him I'd give him a list of good instructors, some good places to check stuff out....but he has his HEART set on my instruction for some odd reason...so, against my better judgement I caved and told him I'd show him some basic stuff (essentially, what little I know I can teach with some confidence I'm showing it the right way)...free of charge.

My primary goal is to help this guy out, and to try and get him into my instructors' gyms, but I feel like I may have messed up by not getting permission, and knowing my own shortcommings...I just hope that I'm doing the right thing.

I respect my Khru more than anybody...I don't want to do ANYTHING that would cause conflict or make him think less of me. The martial arts and his instruction has saved my life, and not the fighting part. I feel uncomfortable telling him this, however. If it weren't for the martial arts, I WOULD be a drug addict, a criminal, or dead.

Am I doing the right thing? I already told this guy in very explicit terms that I am not certified, not an instructor, and nowhere near the caliber of many of my peers, much less my instructors...I am a kid. I know some stuff that could help conceivably save his life, though...so...what do I do??? Shouldn't I help this guy out as much as I can?

I don't know...I have issues about asking my instructor...because with me already wanting to start a martial arts club, he may think that I'm looking to go around him and start teaching...which is NOT what I intend to do. In fact, I'm hoping that the kids in the college club will go out to his gym to train, too.

This ties in to that "Real Martial Art" thread.

[deltron3030]

There is nothing wrong with spreading knowledge. I don't think your khru would have any problem if you talked about Martial arts with the security guard... or if you showed him a couple things, like take downs from the clinch... proper punching form, etc etc...

But if that really bothers you, I think you need to simply ask your teacher for permission to show him a couple things.

[seppuku]

your teacher isnt going to be unreasonable. he really wont be. talk to the man, ideally introduce your teacher to the security guard

id suggest you get the guard to come along when you go training. then youve got the equipment, a better atmosphere, and a better place to learn. if he wants it bad he'll succeed. just keep hikm away from the idea that he can learn solely from DVDs and itll go ok

[Garland]

thank you guys. Sometimes I just need a nudge in the right direction.