[Aesopian]

That's a good observation. I have seen SBG's teaching methods -- Aliveness, the I-method, how they coach, "Drill the fundamentals endlessly" and Inquiry Method -- produce some amazingly skilled fighters at gyms run by blue/purple belts. It builds a system that isn't dependant on how experienced or knowledgeable the instructor is (though that clearly helps), but how well he can create an Alive environment where people can learn the basics and develop skill through DOING.

I think where a lot of inexperienced coaches fail is when they don't put enough thought into their teaching methods. They neglect the fundamentals and spar too much without first developing their students' technical ability. I've heard way too many stories about purple belts starting gyms/clubs and showing white belts every new and amazing move they got their hands on, probably in an effort to impress them or "keep them interested", but ultimately just failing to give the students a real foundation. Then they move into sparring too soon, which turns into attribute-based training (relying on strength, cardio, speed, flexibility, etc.) when they should still be working on developing technical skills (but not just doing static reps).

"Drills the fundamentals endlessly" removes these problems, especially when the Isolation stage and progressive resistance is used extensively. The Inquiry Method can then be used to solve problems that come up, even if the instructor doesn't really know the solution. Everything is kept functional and realistic because Aliveness (timing, energy and motion) is stressed at every stage, so people are building real skills and know it works, not because "sensei said so" but because they really got it to work on someone who was fighting back.

I've got some more information on SBG coaching that I'll post, since I think everyone could benefit from it, especially the guys who are running their own clubs.