Empty pockets

[Ben Martin]

It has been my experience that many students will not accept receiving lessons for free, even in the case of financial hardship. They do not want to be viewed as charity cases. I have offered to let students who had money problems train free of charge, and they refused on the grounds that my expertise was worth paying for. What they will accept is paying what they can afford until they get things straightened out. There is a thing called pride. A lot of students do not want to have to come to class knowing they are not paying the same amount as everybody else. They want to be equal.

So would I? Yes.

Have I offered? Yes.

Have my offers been refused? Yes.

thats exactly whats happening with me at the moment. im broke until the end of the month and im in debt too but my sensei said to me last sunday that if i every have any troubles affording the lessons not to worry about it. but i do not want to come to his lessons knowing that i can't afford to pay for them. i would offer to do some odd jobs but we train in a rented hall and in a rented boxing gym. ive got a few injuries at the moment so i have used them as the excuse not to come to lesson the last few weeks (even thought i could take part but id have to do different drills to everyone else). so im just training at my college gym which is free before 5pm. i can't tell my sensei that i can't afford it because he will tell me im being stupid and the nice guy that he is he will just convice me to come even though i dont want to as id feel like a charity case

[TangSooGuy]

I agreee with a lot of what's been said here. I would never allow a student to train entirely for free. There are people out there that will try to put this past you, too. I has a guy once that told me his son could only train for three classes in a particular month due to other sports, so was it okay if he trained for free that month...the answer was an emphatic no.

Granted, this isn't really the situation that you are talking about, but there are people who wil give you sob stories about how they can't afford it, too. You have to differentiate between those who can't afford it and those who just don't want to pay.

For those who really can't afford it, I will never turn you away, but you have to do something in return, whether it be organizing events, cleaning the studio, helping to teach, etc.

The only thing you do by giving away lessons for free is foster resentment in your paying students (who WILL find out), and devalue what you are giving to the "free" student.

Edited May 17, 2005 by TangSooGuy

[Grenadier]

pay for them. i would offer to do some odd jobs but we train in a rented hall and in a rented boxing gym.

You can offer to help with paperwork. If your dojo has a good number of people in it, and if your instructor is handling all of the contract, renewals, billing, etc., there's a good chance that he will welcome trustworthy help. Furthermore, if you learn how to take care of some of the clerical matters when it comes to running a dojo, it would certainly help you understand how such a place is run, and make you better prepared for the future, should you decide to open up your own.

There are going to be people whose contracts are expiring, and it's time to renew them. There will be new signups that need to have paperwork taken care of, as well as introduction to the classroom basics, etiquette, etc. There will be people who need calling, such as those who have missed a good number of lessons in a row, or those who haven't renewed their contracts after they've expired. Finally, there can also be people that need calling because they haven't paid, and so forth.

[ninjanurse]

I agree. Most people do not appreciate what they get for free. When you invest in something the outcome means more. Even if you have limited funds you can always pay with sweat by teaching, cleaning, etc. All the schools I have trained at have had such arrangements for students with limited financial means.

If your sensei does not want payment for teaching you (my first sensei was this way) "pay" him by being the best student you can be. Take it upon yourself to clean the dojo and keep things in order... and resume monetary payment when you can.

[TangSooGuy]

It also never ceases to amaze me how many people complain about the cost of training, saying they can't be expected to sacrifice everything just so they can train, but then turn around and expect instructors to sacrifice everything for them.

IN the "old days" when people asked "will you train me?" the answer was always no. Only those who would continue to ask in the face of several "nos" were taken as students...

I'm not saying this is a good way of doing things today...but it amazes me at the indignation people get when an instructor tells them "no" these days....

[AngelaG]

It would depend on the student, and the reason for their predicament. If I had a student that had always worked, always gave 100%, and put as much into the club as they took then I think I would try and work a way around a financial problem.

[TangSooGuy]

Oh I'm not saying you shouldn't work with a student. I wholeheartedly agree that as long as they are willing to work some kind of arrangement out, you need to work with them.

It's the ones that can't be bothered to sweep a floor, but expect you to invest yourself into teaching them that get to me....

[AngelaG]

Yeah, but those kind of lazy people probably wouldn't be bothered about dropping out anyway, and you wouldn't feel bad about telling them to take a long walk off a short pier!

[Sam]

I guess when it comes down to it - if they ask to train for free, you say no - andthey say "fine im leaving" - thats not really a student you want.

Id bend over backwards trying to help students who are willing to work hard, but for those slightly less enthused ones, ill only go as far as they listen.

[Mr. Hall]

Yes.