Whats Wrong Making A Fine Living From Teaching Martial Arts

[ninjanurse]

I agree there is a standard to be met, however, a good instructor should be able to recognize the potential in each student and respond appropriately. In general, physical limitations should not keep a student from advancing in rank, however, "limitations in character" are another story and hopefully these students are weeded out soon enough so that it does not become an issue.

[ps1]

Additionally, there are schools out there (one near me whose instructior has made millions teaching MA) that have a student sign a long term (3 yrs +) contract that guarntees a black belt.

How does that encourage the student to do anything? It says if you pay this much, you get this rank. Period. There are other schools, that Bushido mentioned, where a student tests and receives rank at set intervals of time regardless of wether a clear increase in skill has been achieved.

It's not people selling their service as a martial arts instructor that is worrisome. It's people selling things that are supposed to take hard work to achieve that is wrong. Imagine if the World Cup winner was decided by whichever team paid the most money, not who was the most skilled.

There are people who make alot of money teaching and spreading martial arts. The Gracie's are a prime example. However, they never let the skill level of their students degrade. If you're in a BJJ school and are wearing a black belt, then you know without a doubt you are a pretty tough cookie. Not because the style is more effective (that's a different debate) but because the isntructor would not let someone test just to keep them in the school or to please a students parents.

[Sensei Rick]

great point ps2, very good post.

[bushido_man96]

I agree there is a standard to be met, however, a good instructor should be able to recognize the potential in each student and respond appropriately. In general, physical limitations should not keep a student from advancing in rank, however, "limitations in character" are another story and hopefully these students are weeded out soon enough so that it does not become an issue.

You are echoing a point that I have made before here. Not everybody is going to be the same skill level. Not every student produced will be good at sparring, or forms, or whatever else. However, each student should excel at something, and should be able to demonstrate competency in all of the other areas. High levels of competency are very important, in my opinion.

[username8517]

As it's been stated, there's nothing wrong with making a living off of martial arts. The problem comes when instructors starting seeing dollar signs instead of students and worry more about keeping a minimum number of students in to pay the rent than the quality of instruction they teach.

[Sir Gerbil]

Making money in the MA is not the problem. The problem arises when instructors and school owners care more about the quantity of the bodies that they put into their classes and tests, as opposed to the qualitiy of those that they are teaching. When everyone tests, even though some are not ready, and the like...those things bring down that image.

it hink this is what happened to kicks karate. It is a cursed name in my karate place, because my instructors used to work there and call it a "belt machine", that whcihc produces blackbelts at the speed of light. there, a six year old can be a black belt if they joined at four, i even saw one walk into subway. true, sometimes i think my place is being a lttle soft (i only go twice a week for 50 minutes, three or four times before belt tests!)but i am happy knowing it is a sort of mom and pop shop - at its largest, if each and every person attends at once, it is only about 6 people in the adult class. this makes individual attention possible.

[shift]

Making money in the MA is not the problem. The problem arises when instructors and school owners care more about the quantity of the bodies that they put into their classes and tests, as opposed to the qualitiy of those that they are teaching. When everyone tests, even though some are not ready, and the like...those things bring down that image.

I totally agree

I have left too many schools because of lack of proper training because the school wants to make numbers. I was a part of Side Kicks Tae Kwon Do originally Songham TKD. It was hard core when I started out. Sparring and self defense 2 - 3 times a week. I felt I could really fights back then.

Then we started entering tournaments to build a relationship with other schools to encourage them to support our tournaments. Eventually they started watering down because the other schools didn't want axe kicks and ridge hand strikes in tournaments. Eventually we became olympic tae kwon do and sparred much less because people didn't like the bruises. Started getting more students but less effective at self defense and sparring

Eventually left due to differences with my instructor. Went to ITF TKD where I learned even less self defense and less sparring. We did self defense that had a lot of jump kicks in it...quite ridiculous really.

Now I have joined a kung fu school that does MMA and they don't compromise on training for anyone. I don't think I'll believing for now.

[YoungMan]

I don't even agree with teaching martial arts for a living. Teaching martial as a living means your number one perogative is getting people to sign up and keep practicing. You will always have a few hard core students that want the tough practice, but most of your students will look at it as recreation, exercise, and self defense. As a result, you will have to water down the curriculum to meet their needs. If you teach on the side, making money but not as a main source of income, you are not dependent on getting new students. As a result, you don't have to compromise the integrity of what you teach to keep people interested. One of our Instructors does teach for a living. His number one concern is getting new classes started and getting students. When enrollment drops, as it does during the summer, his income suffers. Even our Grandmaster doesn't teach for a living. He owns several businesses as his main source of income. He told us several times not to teach for a living. The money is just too unpredictable.

[bushido_man96]

I have left too many schools because of lack of proper training because the school wants to make numbers. I was a part of Side Kicks Tae Kwon Do originally Songham TKD. It was hard core when I started out. Sparring and self defense 2 - 3 times a week. I felt I could really fights back then.

This is interesting. I was in Songham TKD a number of years ago. But what is this "Side Kicks TKD?" I am just curious.