The Best Things in Life are Free

[stoneheart]

Thought I would start a new thread after skimming through the class prices posts. I've studied a number of martial arts, including tang soo do, goju-ryu karate, judo, and now kenpo. I think I've been lucky enough to have good instructors in all of them and I feel what I have received from the classes exceeds the cost of tuition. Win, win situation.

You know what, though? My kenpo instructor has been the best out of all of them. Classes are small and the curriculum is freshingly straight to the point. He explains in great detail what the principles of his art are and then all of our drills specifically work towards those self-same principles. Ironically, he doesn't charge any of his students a dime, although we'd all be willing to pay him. Sure, I buy things for the school as they come up, but the real tuition I pay my instructor is my loyalty, my friendship, and my committment to learning his teachings as best as I can. I feel very lucky.

[karatekid1975]

I totally agree. I pay high fees for TKD, but jujitsu I get is free. My (jujitsu) instructor and his wife are my dear friends, but I would repay him/them in any way I can. My boyfriend (who also takes jujitsu) offered to fix his boat ... anything like that is nothing compared to what he teaches us for free. We are willing to help out. We won't think twice about stuff like that. Because what he teaches us is great, and he does it for free. So we don't have a problem helping them.

[stoneheart]

I don't pretend to understand my teacher's motivations completely, but I know he wants to pass on his knowledge lest it be "lost". It's tough when you turn the martial arts into a business. All of a sudden you could find yourself relaxing your standards or letting something slide that you normally would not let because you want the monthly fees to keep coming in.

[ninjanurse]

I've studied a number of martial arts, including tang soo do, goju-ryu karate, judo, and now kenpo. I think I've been lucky enough to have good instructors in all of them and I feel what I have received from the classes exceeds the cost of tuition. Win, win situation.

... but the real tuition I pay my instructor is my loyalty, my friendship, and my committment to learning his teachings as best as I can. I feel very lucky.

My sentiments and experience exactly, although I might add that loyalty, friendship, and committment are the key to value-both giving it and receiving it...regardless of how much you pay.

"The definition of a mature mind is to give without remembering and to receive without forgetting."

p.s. thread moved to General MA so all can enjoy! Thanks Laurie

[karatekid1975]

Your welcome

[aefibird]

I have paid for all my martial arts tuition at some point or another, although I no longer pay for Karate as I'm now an instructor at my Sensei's club.

However, although I've always paid for training at some point I've been happy to do so. Lesson fees have covered costs for the MA school and have also helped to support the instructors family.

I feel the rewards I've reaped in all the MAs I've studied have far outweighed whatever monetary cost I've paid out. Honesty, courtesy, respect, dignity, these things can't be bought but being treated with all these and more by instructors is worth more to me that what I pay in lesson fees to them.

I've been lucky in that most of the instructors I've trained under have been great people and great teachers - the ones who weren't soon lost me as a customer. My TKD and Karate instructors I particularly count as friends and would be happy to do anything for them to help them out.

That's what martial arts to me is about - not all rewards are monetary and the best things in life can come from sharing and helping other people.

[bat in a birdless village]

I could not pay my instructor when I was in my late teens due to my parents' divorce, so I told him that I would not be able to attend class for a while because I could not pay.

He told me that he would not let me quit for that reason and refused payment. From that point it took two years to get my black belt and I never paid in that two years. After black belt, you don't pay anymore.

I stuck around and got my black from him.

That was a nice thing for him to do since he had to pay rent and electricity at that school.

Years later, I ran a school and didn't charge anyone. I am about to reopen a school through my church that will not charge either.

It is nice when someone does something like he did, and it is important to help others in similar ways.

bat

[pittbullJudoka]

Stoneheart you are luck to recieve free Kenpo.Your Senei sounds like he just wants to share his knowledge.If he didn't love the martial arts he would not do this for free.

My instructor doe not require upper belt to pay for class.I use to work a second job just to pay my dues but when I lost that job and my Sensei found out he will not take money from me for anything except promotions,and equipment he orders for me.But I pay my dues in other ways,I help with the kids class,buy bottled watter to leave at the school for all to use, sometimes when he feels under the weather I make sure the doors are open for the adult classes,I have even went in on non class nights and clean the place up for him.

I think if you have a student who come upon financal hard ship and can't pay dues and they're deticated to learning let their dues slide.Alot of people who fall short on money quite martial arts and never go back because most schools are money hungery.

[parkerlineage]

The dojo I will be opening in a few months will be free of charge for much the same reasons; I want to keep martial arts an art, not a business.

[jaymac]

I do pay tuition, but it is a very small one. It really wouldn't matter what my instructor charged, I would pay it. He is a fantastic instructor. I believe that I can only truly repay him with my loyalty, respect, and devotion to the dojo. I help out whenever possible because I do not think he makes very much off tuition, but it does keep the lights on and the heat for the winter going.