money money money

[1st_degree_black]

If your martial arts academy or facility charges a lot and they basicall hand out belts dont think of it as a bad style, just make the best out of it and practice and u can be just as good as anyone else. If anyone agrees please place a reply! THANKS!

[SoonerJohn]

I'm a big fan of determination to succeed in whatever circumstance you are in, but it usually turns out that you suffer by not having anyone that pushes you to become the best you can.

[Ottman]

The only person you need to push you to become the best you can be is you. In fact you're the only one who can push you to such an end. It's not something that can be forced in my opinion.

To get back to the post: I do agree with you 1st. I think a lot of people on this forum bad mouth schools that charge lots of money, but in the end, even martial arts instructors have to make a living, especially in today's world, and if they are good enough instructors to deserve such fees, then they should get them. If a person doesn't like how he's being instructed, and doesn't think it's worth his time and money to train there, then it's up to him to go somewhere else to seek better instruction. Just as with anything else, quality costs money, so I usually equate high prices with quality instruction until it's proven to me otherwise.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

If your martial arts academy or facility charges a lot and they basicall hand out belts dont think of it as a bad style, just make the best out of it and practice and u can be just as good as anyone else. If anyone agrees please place a reply! THANKS!

I fully disagree. The fees should be fair. I agree with Ottman that schools have to make money. That's a given. But that doesn't mean you should feel like you're being ripped off. You should get what you pay for.

If they're handing out belts like that, then how do you know that you're not one of the students who had a belt given to them? Frankly, I'd go find another dojo. I'd train under someone who I know was giving me a quality education, and that I knew for a fact that I earned my rank, and that I actually learned good technique (um, actually that's what I do)

As for styles. Yea, you're right styles are bad or good as a general rule, but I do believe that as a style gets bigger and bigger and more popular it gets harder and harder to keep the standards high. Look at TKD as it is often the target of bashing and since it's very popular. There are some good TKD schools, and there are some horrible ones. There are many in the middle, and I'm sure even the horrible one can teach some good things. But I'm willing to bet, you'll never find a student in a school who says his/her school is one of the horrible ones until they are ready to leave or have left.

So, there is no point in putting up with poor instruction and being charged a lot. There is always a good teacher not too far away. The trick is finding them.

[1st_degree_black]

fairfax,

I am not talking of personal expenses on this i was pointing out that people think that dojangs that go for money usually do not have proper instruction but that isnt true, and they also think that if u get ur black belt in less than nine years that ur not really a black belt, i would like to point out that the military teaches martial arts and has a marine progress through 6 different degrees of the black belt and they fight well.

[SoonerJohn]

The only person you need to push you to become the best you can be is you. In fact you're the only one who can push you to such an end. It's not something that can be forced in my opinion.

Well, I can agree with you on principal, but in reality I've seen the studies done on these circumstances.

I'll use weightlifting as an example since you can better gauge growth. Having a trainer or partner to push you to succeed has consistently shown 30%-40% more muscle growth.

I do agree that it takes internal willpower to want to succeed, but this is maximized by having others help.

[1st_degree_black]

You are correct Sooner. If you yourself have confidence but if you have a trainer to push you it is even better, i have an awesome trainer myself, he takes state and is currently working on world champ and is very good at teaching and i have learned a lot from him. If any of you are familiar with ATA you know that they have high fees but most have aweomse teachers.

[Fairfax_Uechi]

You are correct Sooner. If you yourself have confidence but if you have a trainer to push you it is even better, i have an awesome trainer myself, he takes state and is currently working on world champ and is very good at teaching and i have learned a lot from him. If any of you are familiar with ATA you know that they have high fees but most have aweomse teachers.

Not to start a flame war but I have heard many bad things about ATA. Now granted this isn't first hand experience as I've never studied TKD, but people that I know who have, don't think highly of ATA. So with that said, I'm glad you think you're getting your money's worth, and think highly of the instructors.

[1st_degree_black]

well they all have diff instructors and mine happens to be good he pushes us HARD lol, its awesome!

[Fenris-wolf]

Well, it's not a matter of fees so much as that they're "handing out" belts. True that the only person who can really push yourself is you, but it's so good with someone you have confidence in to encourage and challenge you. Finally, how can you know the quality of the training you're getting if they're selling belts? That's just depressing.