garage dojo

[SigungWhite]

I realize that, I am saying I don't charge for lessons and that I have some risk, and yes I still pay insurance through my training business for teaching Law Enforcement, security, and corrections personnel and Martial Arts.

Sorry if I was misleading there

Sigung White

PS. I don't train too many outsiders, Now it is mostly family and friends.

[jaymac]

My advice is cover your own butt. You never know who is going to sue you for some "injury" they may or may not have obtained while training in your garage.

[parkerlineage]

I plan to be opening a garage/park dojo in a few months. These posts were very helpful.

Thanks!

[younwhadoug]

i teach three classes a week, my favorite is in a church gym with cold concrete floors and i always have to pick up kids toys and sweep the floor before my students get there. its also in a very small town and takes about an hour to drive to. i love the atmosphere. its not like a gym, its more like a big cold tin shed. my students there have a blast and they range from 5 to 46, white belt to blue belt. 12 students in all that attend and they have better power and technique than my school in springfield at an elementary school gym.

close training partners frequently train in my brother in laws garage and we love it. we practice forms, tech, sparring and self defense. simple and comfortable envirements (i would imagine) could help a white belt out in the "embarassment stages" of beginners. i say go for it and good luck

[GoshinKaikuRyu]

I have a buddy in Tampa, FL who teaches out of his garage and is quite good.

I'm in Tampa... what does your friend teach? Does he charge? I'm interested in training with others and being taught new things, but I don't want to join a school because I basically have my own and I don't have the time or money to put into ranking up, waiting to learn certain things in order to learn other things, and what not. I just want someone to train with, regardless of system or style, politics free.... that's basically what garage dojo says to me:)

Give me more info!

[Fairfax_Uechi]

I have a Home Dojo, My Barn is convert with artificial floors, mats, total gym, kicking bags etc

I have everyone who trains here to sign a waiver. It is just that simple, besides, I only charge for promotion fees and other club activies that we all attend.

Sigung White

/quote]

Please be careful. Just because someone signs a waiver doesn't mean that you can't be sued. A good laywer can tear apart a waiver and even if the case is dismissed you can still have lots of legal fees which can seriously impact you. IMHO, it's better to pay a little extra in insurance than to go bankrupt because someone does something dumb and hurts themselves and sues you.

[nix]

I trained in a tiny two car garage for 6 years (from 10 until 16 years old). My instructor managed to take myslef and 5 other students all the way from our first lesson to our 1st and second dans. The garage kept class size small, and inadvertabtly resulted in really good close quarter kumite

[Holland]

Nix and I seem to have come up the same way. I too came through the ranks from white belt to 1st dan in a double garage. We usually had 4-7 students at any given time and the class was fun. (I did this from the time I was 13-20)

One thing that my instructor did well, and copied when I was teaching at my house (before moving to my current location) was making sure that at least once a month or so he would take me and one or two other students to train at the dojo (about an hour away) that was his home school. The classes were much bigger and it allowed us to gauge our training against a much bigger group of people. Its hard to see your improvement when you are in such a small environment.

[JimmyNewton]

so none of you guys pay taxes or have business licenses?

I am set to start teaching within the next 2 weeks. I will be getting insurance through the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

I beleive 12 bukcs a month covers a student for up to a million dollars. I'm not sure how the tax stuff and all that works yet. I just know my sensei is retiring and passing the torch to me. we are supposed to go over the business side shortly. I know i'm going in the rent with another person who teaches out of the building. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.

[Aodhan]

so none of you guys pay taxes or have business licenses?

I am set to start teaching within the next 2 weeks. I will be getting insurance through the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

I beleive 12 bukcs a month covers a student for up to a million dollars. I'm not sure how the tax stuff and all that works yet. I just know my sensei is retiring and passing the torch to me. we are supposed to go over the business side shortly. I know i'm going in the rent with another person who teaches out of the building. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.

What I would do is set up the school as a corporation, and hire yourself as an employee. If you set it up as a sole proprietorship, then once the school assets are exhausted, they can go after your personal assets in any lawsuit.

Also, the AAU insurance I believe is personal injury insurance, not liability insurance. The injury insurance will pay for the injuries, but if they sue you for negligence/creating the circumstances that aided in the injury, then that isn't covered.

Also, be sure that the other person that teaches doesn't affect you in any way. It would really suck to lose your half of the business because he did something wrong.

Since you are selling a service, most cities won't require a tax license. That is usually reserved for businesses that sell tangible merchandise that can be taxed. You will probably need a federal EIN, though, and have to pay taxes on the income you generate from the business.

Aodhan