Outside seminars.

[Martial_Artist]

This question is directed towards owners/instructors of schools.

If you received a sales package(literature, DVD, photos) in the mail selling an 8 week seminar to your students on a topic not usually covered in your school's curriculum, would you be interested in purchasing such a program and then offering it to your students as an add-on to their training?

For example, an 8 week Advanced Close Quarters Combat seminar taught saturday mornings by another instructor in your dojo covering advanced knife-fighting, stick-fighting, first-aid, and other topics pertinent to CQC. The guest-instructor would provide all materials, you are simply providing space and the opportunity to your students. The program charges you, the school, a program fee. You, then, determine how to disseminate that cost to your students. All students who successfully complete the 8 week seminar get a certificate, but all allegience remains with your school. The guest instructor is not looking to change the martial art of your students, but offer you a chance to offer your students some value-added training within your school.

What do you think? Why would you say 'yes'? Why would you say 'no'?

I see the advantage being to more traditional schools. This would give them the chance to offer something with a more modern feel to their students without the risk of losing their students to another school. They get to keep their students but give them something that feels different and something they can add into their arsenal.

Th disadvantage I see in this would be the pride of the owner/instructor not wanting to admit that there is something their students can learn from someone else. Or perhaps a cost of around $2,000, but the cost would be recovered by selling the seminar to students as a program outside normal curriculum.

As an owner/instructor I get to keep my students, but offer them some outside-the-box training that I get to turn around and use to motivate my students and keep their interest level-high in the school.

What do you think? Any input would be appreciated.

[jaymac]

That is a tough question, but for me I probably would not participate in the seminar. I think it all depends on what kind of school you have. Ours is Traditional and meant to stay traditional. Not saying that I wouldn't want others to know about other types of martial arts because i have nothing against other Martial Arts or Martial Artist, but I take great pride in being a Traditional Martial Artist. In fact I would not stop someone from going and attending a seminar elsewhere if they wished. I just wouldn't want someone coming in to our dojo and talking down the teachings of the traditional way, and believe me it happens and I have personally seen it a couple of times at other seminars similar to the one you are talking of. I wouldn't want to confuse the students (especially kyu level students) taking the seminar into thinking "maybe I am in the wrong style." I do know that if I allowed the seminar in my school, our students in attendance would only be adults of higher level ranks. The ranks and ages of students coming in from elsewhere would be up to the person heading the seminar.

[angus88]

If you received a sales package(literature, DVD, photos) in the mail selling an 8 week seminar to your students on a topic not usually covered in your school's curriculum

I think the key word there is "not usually covered." I think if there was a subject our system didn't have that I thought it needed, I would add it to the curriculum as opposed to having someone from the outside come in and give their take on it.

To me, if a school needs seminars to help "complete" it, the school needs more than what it currently offers.

The thing is, what you're suggesting happens all the time - offers for seminars. But instead of being threatened by them, they should simply serve as a wake up call to school owners that offer less than complete systems for their students.