Grant money for college MA clubs?

[DancingSteve]

I have been trying to be persistent for quite some time at getting classes offered at various locations for extra money, and lately quite frankly for a living so I can tell it, it's not easy..and you just have to be persistent.

A very good place to look is if your University has a Community Ed office. Classes for old people like "How to use Computers", and "Bowling for Beginners" Classes people take just for fun. You go to them and explain what you want to do, they usually have facilities and then people will actually sign up and PAY for your class (of which you'll get a little bit on the side)

If you are going completely for the fun and goodwill of sharing your karate with others (IE..you dont want to make any money) Then your best bet is just to start off with a flyer, and a vacant room in the college.

Do you REALLY need all the fancy pads and mats? I've taught karate in beautiful health club facilities..and also in a middle school classroom with the desks pushed to the side. It's the same karate.

As far as grants...look to your college activities board...I know at a community college that I taught at..an actual PE course which they could take. (As an aside..that college had a bad, bad karate instructor there too but I got in JUST as they were firing the old one and they hired me right off the bat..but within 3 semesters they phased it out and added more 'dance' classes--bleh) Anyways..the student activities council had a form to fill out to register as a Student Club...this club actually got a budget of x amount of dollars to use every semester..and of course you were allowed to have fundraisers on campus which are usually a big draw.

Here's a great fundraising idea. (I've done it for free but you could use it for a fundraiser) Go get a bunch of pine boards...about..4 inches by 6 inches. You can cut them yourself to save money. Out of a 12 foot board which costs like 10 bucks at Home Depot..you could get 36 of these little suckers. Make people put a dollar in a jar, and 'teach' them how to break it right then and there at the booth. Just make sure they make a tight fist...hit right in the middle of the board. If the board is 6x4 obviously its going to be a little easier to break than normal, and you'd be surprised at how many people will be surprised at their own abilities...AND you just made 26 bucks on that board. Give them the broken board and a flyer for your club and send them on their way. Make them take the boards and you dont have to clean them up later.

I know..Im a genius.

[parkerlineage]

A very good place to look is if your University has a Community Ed office. Classes for old people like "How to use Computers", and "Bowling for Beginners" Classes people take just for fun. You go to them and explain what you want to do, they usually have facilities and then people will actually sign up and PAY for your class (of which you'll get a little bit on the side)

I like that idea, too. I may look into it.

f you are going completely for the fun and goodwill of sharing your karate with others (IE..you dont want to make any money) Then your best bet is just to start off with a flyer, and a vacant room in the college.

Do you REALLY need all the fancy pads and mats? I've taught karate in beautiful health club facilities..and also in a middle school classroom with the desks pushed to the side. It's the same karate.

This is what I'm currently leaning toward, though I'd like to have pads, or something they can hit...

Mats are for sissies.

Anyways..the student activities council had a form to fill out to register as a Student Club...this club actually got a budget of x amount of dollars to use every semester..and of course you were allowed to have fundraisers on campus which are usually a big draw.

I'm hoping I could pull something like this, too.

Here's a great fundraising idea. (I've done it for free but you could use it for a fundraiser) Go get a bunch of pine boards...about..4 inches by 6 inches. You can cut them yourself to save money. Out of a 12 foot board which costs like 10 bucks at Home Depot..you could get 36 of these little suckers. Make people put a dollar in a jar, and 'teach' them how to break it right then and there at the booth. Just make sure they make a tight fist...hit right in the middle of the board. If the board is 6x4 obviously its going to be a little easier to break than normal, and you'd be surprised at how many people will be surprised at their own abilities...AND you just made 26 bucks on that board. Give them the broken board and a flyer for your club and send them on their way. Make them take the boards and you dont have to clean them up later.

That really is a good idea. Too bad I don't know how to break boards.

I know..Im a genius.

Definetely.

[DancingSteve]

You just get a board...and hit it. Anyone can do it really. It's very simple. The trick is convincing your fist that it can go through the solid wood.

But isn't that really what karate is about. Convincing your body that with proper technique, you can defend yourself against ANY attacker. It's all a matter of perspective.

With the smaller pieces of wood, rectangles..6 inches long.and 4 inches wide. The grain runs parallel to the shorter side. Its easier to break. All you HAVE to have...is a tight fist. Surely you know how to make a tight fist. Then you hit it with a hammer fist..on the fatty meaty part of the bottom of your fist, right along the grain..and it breaks. The tighter the fist..the less you will feel it. I've taught 6 yr olds how to break boards of this size before..so having a little booth on campus and showing college kids they can do it should be a breeze.

Just remember...TIGHT FIST....

[parkerlineage]

Hm. Okay.

I don't doubt that I can generate the amount of necessary power, or have a tight enough fist, we just don't do breaking in my system. Our founder actually worked with Bruce Lee before Lee was famous, and very much liked Lee's philosophy that "bricks don't hit back." No sense in learning to fight them if it's a non-issue.

Yeah, I know, body training, etc. I'm just sharing our founder's views.

[Jiffy]

Breaking is not required, but does have it's purpose and can be a bit of fun. As you said though, bricks don't hit back.

[DancingSteve]

I too never broke a board in my training all my life until I started working with kids and young adults. It can be a real self-esteem booster and like the other guy said..A bit of fun. I've never broken more than one board...I really dont see the point. A 3/4 inch thick piece of pine 12inches by 12 inches (square) is the equivalent of breaking through a human skull. Or so I've been told. Tell a teenager that, and then teach them how to break the board. It gives them a whole different perspective on their potential. Its obviously something not to take lightly and teach the 'wrong' kind of kids that information but I can't tell you how many kids faces I've looked into after they've broken a board and just seen absolute amazement!