Instructor License

[Midkiff]

Do you have to have a special certificate to teach your own style of martial arts? or just a business license? I want to open a school using my own style of martial arts.

[Holland]

Out of curiousity, how many years have you been studying?

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, how many years have you been studying? Creating a style is essentially equivalent to completing your PhD thesis. You have a specific concern you want to address - such as 'I want to be able to grapple while wearing gloves and thus being unable to effectively use my hands' or 'I want to learn how to adapt my boxing to be more functional against opponents who kick and sweep' or something like it to think of a couple examples, you devote numerous years on top of the numerous years you already have done to gain your foundation to research and experimentation, then when you finish you have a style which is most likely just a substyle of another established art. It's not something you do to sound cool, because those who claim to create arts often are met with extreme skepticism, serving a similar purpose as the review on a thesis with hostile reviewers.

Technically you can just get a business licence, but most people who do that who can't show that they've backed their stuff up with the necessary work and development are considered frauds, much in the same way as I can't expect a warm reception if I were to bill myself as a Ph.D from an obvious diploma mill online "college" that lets me get my degree online in an hour, and how I would not trust a surgeon who studied medicine through a fifteen DVD video correspondence course.

[Midkiff]

i do not expect to open my school for another 25-30 years at the earliest. My styles foundation would be traditional karate, but an emphasis on using proper technique against streetfighters or "brawlers". i have seen black belts freeze up during a fight and just start throwing roundhouse punches in a fight because they are so used to defending against straight punches and such. Much more people fight like maniacs than those who actually have some sort of training. Even though it is about 20 times easier to defend against someone with no martial training, a lot of martialists don't know really what to do. (hint: shoulder toss to a wrist lock works like a charm against roundhouse punches!!) I know my style won't ever be perfected, and I won't even consider teaching it until i am completely sure that i have molded my style into exactly where i want it to be. No point in teaching a syle that you don't completely agree with. I want to be 100% sure of my style. thanks for listening to me reeterate my point a million times.

p.s. i have been training for a little over 5 years. Still much to learn.

[patusai]

I like your timeframe and your understanding that you have much to learn yet. Dreaming of your own style is great too. Understand that success is kinda based on recognition and acceptance. It's not an easy thing to accomplish. Hold on to your dream. Practice hard. In about 20 years see where you are at. Good luck

[Aodhan]

Do you have to have a special certificate to teach your own style of martial arts? or just a business license? I want to open a school using my own style of martial arts.

If you create your own style, then you create your own certificates

As far as business licenses, there are a few that you might need.

1- Federal tax license/EIN number. This is used for everything to do with your taxes such as payroll taxes, withholdings, etc. This would be mandatory.

2- State/City tax licenses - These may or may not be necessary in your city/state. If you sell goods (Such as uniforms, gloves, etc) in a store as part of the studio you will need a tax license. If all you do is perform a service (teaching), it will depend on your local municipality rules.

Since you are looking so long term, I wouldn't worry too much about the licensing yet. Study your arts (You may find one you'd rather teach than creating your own), and somewhere along the line look at taking some business courses. Either a business major, or minor, in college, or taking business courses from a local community college.

Good luck!

Aodhan

[Fairfax_Uechi]

Out of curiousity, how many years have you been studying?

Long enough to know that I need to study a lot more. Short enough to know I have a long way to go. And just right for where I am. In other words, it really doesn't matter. I have enough experience to teach what I know, and not so much that I can consider myself very accomplished, but I also know that I can hold my own if I needed to defend myself or someone else.

[MartialArthur]

i do not expect to open my school for another 25-30 years at the earliest.

The whole world will be different in 25 - 30 years. Whatever laws and requirements there are now are likely to be much different in the coming decades. You might very well need some sort of professional license someday in the future. As far as federal taxes, there are proposals currently being considered in the legislature that would completely change things like withholding tax and income tax in general.

Until you are within a couple of years of opening your school, I would not worry about business regulations. Concentrate on your personal development and document your new art.

..

[JusticeZero]

My styles foundation would be traditional karate, but an emphasis on using proper technique against streetfighters or "brawlers".

I fail to see why a new STYLE would be required for this - just an adjustment of training methodology with the same material should be sufficient. Look at what some of the modern people are doing with adrenalin, stress, and fear reactive exercizes and just add their theories to your work in your core arts. In the academic analogy, the way you were taught is weak in a specific area but the research to fix it up has already been done. You don't need to do new research (Ph.D level) to find a whole new approach, you just need to incorporate some theories into your existing body of knowledge which have already been studied.

[elbows_and_knees]

My styles foundation would be traditional karate, but an emphasis on using proper technique against streetfighters or "brawlers". i have seen black belts freeze up during a fight and just start throwing roundhouse punches in a fight because they are so used to defending against straight punches and such.

that's actually not why they freeze. They freeze from the adrenaline response and "fight or flight" syndrome. Basically, they get scared. These people have likely not been in more than a few fights in their lives and don't have the experience to cope with the rush of adrenaline. Then, when they do fight, they revert to only what they are most comfortable with, because under stress, things that are not ingrained into your "muscle memory" will fly out the window - you will forget them.

Much more people fight like maniacs than those who actually have some sort of training.

that doesn't really matter. In today's society, training can actually HURT you in a fight rather than help you.

Even though it is about 20 times easier to defend against someone with no martial training

that tells me that

1. you haven't had a serious streetfight yet

2. you haven't fought anyone who literally wants to kill you.

a lot of martialists don't know really what to do.

How do you know? How many martial artists did you watch or study to come to this conclusion? Where can we see the results of your study?

(hint: shoulder toss to a wrist lock works like a charm against roundhouse punches!!)

NOTHING works all the time. If I am taller than you and you swing at me, guess what? It's gonna be harder for me to seionage you because you center of gravity is lower than mine.

I know my style won't ever be perfected, and I won't even consider teaching it until i am completely sure that i have molded my style into exactly where i want it to be. No point in teaching a syle that you don't completely agree with. I want to be 100% sure of my style. thanks for listening to me reeterate my point a million times.

p.s. i have been training for a little over 5 years. Still much to learn.

That's very true. It's good that you recognize that. Sorry for being harsh on your post, but it's things like this that you have to think about when you are teaching. After all, they are putting their life in your hands if they are in a confrontation. What you teach them will either help or hurt them.

Out of curiosity, how old are you?