The newbe has a question.

[PhDPeddler]

Has anyone been to a school of martial arts at the beginning? What was it like not have many or any students under you? Did you have to convince people of what you where trying to teach? Did you just take anyone under your wing? If anyone on this board does not understand me I will keep going. Thx Peddler.

 

PS. I am not wanting to start a school (lol) just wondering.

[granmasterchen]

sure, if i understand you correctly, i teach martial arts to the military so everytime that i move to a new base i have to start all over...but that's fine with me, i only want to open up peoples minds to the martial arts, after that it is all up to them whether they seek further training or not, and if they seek me out that is a good sign that i am doing something right. In the very least i keep in contact with all my former students via email and help them out with any martial arts questions that they may have at the time being.

[White Warlock]

What was it like not have many or any students under you?

 

Able to provide better quality training. More individualized.

Did you have to convince people of what you where trying to teach?

 

I have a tendency to explain things 'while' i'm teaching, so it doesn't matter the size or longevity of the class.

Did you just take anyone under your wing?

Absolutely not. If i don't personally like them, i don't subject myself to them. If they are disruptive, i dismiss them. If i feel they're going to use this knowledge for ill intent, i boot their * out the friggin' door and cash the check they gave me, before it bounces.

Edited June 18, 2004 by White Warlock

[renketsu]

I "inherited" a dying class when I was a first dan aged 21!!

 

There were 3 other students left:

 

a junior 2nd dan (who left within weeks - hopefully not due to me!)

 

a senior 2nd kyu

 

a junior 1st kyu (who left after attaining shodan)

 

So I effectively started from scratch by recruiting new students (I had a grading for 18 students last night and the club is now doing very well) and have kept the "senior 2nd kyu" as one of my seniors, she is now a 2nd dan and I guess she counts as someone I have taken under my wing

 

Andy.

[Zen_Diva]

My instructor left for Tokyo to train for 10 years when I was brown belt. Another brown belt and i had to take over the dojo, mostly green belts under us. We gave demos everywhere but it was a hard slog. Even our original club had only a few members, only 2 of which made it to Shodan.

 

We had over 25 students at our peak eventually, by working at a college and mostly faculty and students would come. It was free facility and we charged 35 dollars a month. But students come and go as they graduate and faculty made it to blue belt, but not beyond.

 

Then I worked with AIDS, gays, women, people with disabilities. I got a police officer to train me in self defense to add to my karate training. That was good, different, and very rewarding. Anti gay bashing programs got some interested in karate too.

 

Then I taught children, and that is a money maker. But it was awful, I loved them, but too much work for an old man.

 

Then I went back to adults, and couldnt rebuild the dojo. Plus we train traditional, not very sexy, just lots of repetition, no sparring. So not so successful.

 

So most successful for me was going to community center and becoming salaried fitness staff to teach, or health club, or college.

 

My Sensai bought and renovated an Aikido dojo this year, at 42 years old, he practiced since 9 years old consistently, finally he has hombu. Long road, no?