Open a School or Not?

[scottnshelly]

My father and I are both Black Belts in Tae Kwon Do. He has only ever trained in a very traditional TKD class. I have spent more time training in a much less traditional environment and have more diverse experience with grappling and other types of Martial Arts. His idea of “learning to fight” is along the lines of WTF sparring whereas mine is more along the lines of Kenpo self defense.

When I was a teenager, he opened a TKD school but I taught most of the classes. I was a Jr. Black Belt in two styles and working on my third. He handled all of the business aspects and was involved in most of the classes, but left a lot of the teaching to me. We conflicted a few times on belt promotions. He, being closer to the business aspect and seeing the school failing, wanted to promote the kids sooner than I thought they deserved. After less than two years the school went bankrupt.

Now, several years later, he is talking about opening another school, similar to that one. He suggested that we will be partners this time (instead of owner/instructor and employee/assistant). He will handle the business side again but this time I will be the head instructor.

I have several concerns and reasons to be hesitant. My main concern is that if the money comes up short he might push belt tests again in an attempt to retain young studunts’ interest and their parents’ money. Another concern is the financial insecurity, especially since I’m trying to raise a family on a small income.

Another major concern of mine is the curriculum. In the last couple years I have migrated away from high blocks and front snap kicks and forms. If I was to teach a class, I wouldn’t feel right teaching something that I have doubts about; yet I’m not qualified to teach anything other than these things that I’m questioning.

Should I go through with it and teach what I know or forget about the idea altogether? What would you do?

[danbong]

I think that you know in your heart what you should do. You just need to hear others tell that it's ok. Here's what I think: I have never regretted doing what I truely felt in my heart to be right. I have read enough of your posts in the past to know that you are a level headed guy with both feet on the ground.

Good luck!

[bushido_man96]

Just because you don't have a "certification" to teach things that are simple and effective, and stray from you standardized styles, doesn't mean that you can't teach them. However, training and gaining some certification would not hurt, either. Maybe you can work towards both of those goals.

If you don't believe in your "traditional" techniques, and don't want to teach them, then don't. However, if you like the idea of doing them for the sake of TKD or whatever style, and want to teach the physical fitness/sport aspect along with your self-defense stuff, then that is an option as well.

As for the money, you should come up with a business plan before venturing out on this. Look at some places to teach at, and figure up the total rent, utilities, insurance, and other expenses involved in running a school, and figure on having at least 3 months worth of funds built up to pay these things before opening your doors. This will help you to overcome a slow start. You may even choose to go for more than 3 months, which wouldn't hurt a bit.

Best of luck to you, and let us know what you decide to do.

[Zanshin]

Why don’t you look at it as less of a commercial venture and a way to earn a living, and more as giving something to the community?

You can hold down a stable job elsewhere (which pays the bills) whilst teaching a couple of evenings a week. Keep overheads down and enjoy your MA rather than worrying where the next buck is coming from.

This also allows you to keep your club standards high, without fear of financial implications and very importantly allows your to carry on learning yourself, which I think is key to the success of a good instructor.

Try it, I guarantee it will make you feel better.

[whitematt]

[Try it, I guarantee it will make you feel better.]

Until you find that you are giving more to the community than you are your own family.

A full time job, and running a martial arts program is a lot more work that people anticipate on the front end.

[Zanshin]

[Try it, I guarantee it will make you feel better.]

Until you find that you are giving more to the community than you are your own family.

A full time job, and running a martial arts program is a lot more work that people anticipate on the front end.

I've managed it quite successfully for the last ten years. It doesn't have to consume your life to the detriment of your family. In fact my wife also trains in Karate, and when they are old enough, my kids probably will too (as long as they want to).

I suppose my true feelings are that one shouldn't seek to "eat from karate" you should teach because you love it and not try to support yourself financially off the back of it.

That said don't lose money over it either, and make it worth your while.

[whitematt]

[i suppose my true feelings are that one shouldn't seek to "eat from karate" you should teach because you love it and not try to support yourself financially off the back of it.]

So if it's something you love, you should just "give back" and not seek to earn a living from it?

What about Doctors? Artists? Teachers? Coaches? Athletes? Ministers?

There is little more rewarding than being able to earn a living doing something that you love.

[username8517]

What Zanshin is trying to say is that when you rely on your school to provide your income you're more at the control of your customers than if you only run a part-time place and have a full time job for financial stability. And I use customers because thats effectively what they become. Your business would rely on keeping a minimum number of "students" in the door each money to not only cover the cost of doing business but for your salary as well. You'll be more at their whim in order to keep your business open versus having a small class that you can teach as you like with more grueling standards and requirements and let your standards for what a school should be weed out those who wouldn't make a good fit.

If attendence starts to falter and bills start piling up, what do you do? Do you water down your cirriculum and hope that it will appeal towards a larger base of people?

For example, say cost on the space your leasing adds up to $8800 a year; for a 1100 sq. foot facility at $8.00 per sq. foot (which for the record is very cheap, especially if you're located in a big city or located on a heavily traveled road with store front windows). This comes out to roughly $735 a month that you will need just for rent. Then you have monthly utilities such as water, electricity, etc. Let's assume this is approximately $65 a month (once again assuming a lower amount).

So to merely operate this facility you're looking at monthly fees of $800. Assuming a $80/month contract fee for student, you're going to keep to retain 10 students a month just to keep the place open.

Now factor in a meger salary of $24,000 (or an additional $2,000 per month) and you'll have to retain 35 students to stay above the red.

Personally, I'd take the 10 students that I could train the way I want over the 35+ that I would have to coddle.

What about Doctors? Artists? Teachers? Coaches? Athletes? Ministers?

Bad analogies, but seeing how you're corralting them to the arguement, allow me to address them.

Aside from the artists (most of whom don't earn financially stable wages to begin with) all the above examples are required to answer to higher powers. Doctors are subjected to a medical review board and certification to say they can practice medicine. Teachers are subjected to state certifications as well. Coaches are often selected based off of knowledge and experience with the associated sport as well as being answerable to school officials or team owners (unless you're talking about private coaches in which case they fall into the same situation we're talking about, just a different title). Athletes are expected to perform to a specified level of play per their contracts and answer to the coaches and owners of the team. And while I'm not religious enough to know, I know celergy members often have to report to a higher authority in their specificed affiliation.

Regardless, all of the above examples have a minimum level of standards they have to meet before they can practice/teach/perform professionally in their desired field. Failure to do so prevents one from getting the certification or approval to begin. Even after they begin their career, mistakes, errors, and sub-standard performance can cause termination of their position.

Martial arts, though, doesn't really have any certification board that it answers to. Sure there are councils and boards an instructor can voluntarily belong to, but very few (if any at all) have any governing power. In fact, many of them are subject to controversy and speculation, thus limiting or completely diminishing their credibility.

This effectively negates any need to answer to a higher authority. Anyone, with any amount of experience can open a training facility provided they can acquire the needed funds to do so. Or worse, people are technically make up their own style at will and doors to the public.

Then comes the issues of sub-standard instruction. With martial arts being fairly new in the mainstream public (only in the past 30 years or so), the general public still does not have a solid grasp on what standards for martial arts should be. On top of that, martial arts can be practiced for a multitude of reasons. The person taking it to get in shape and have fun will have different standards and needs for their workout versus someone wanting to train to enter the UFC one day. Much in the same way you don't see a gastroenterologist if you have problems with your knee (requiring an orthopedic doctor). Both are still being under the doctor umbrella but have vastly different areas of knowledge, training, and expertise.

However, without proper education on behalf of the end user (the student) - something many don't do before entering martial arts - or common knowledge through society of what is acceptable and where, they might stumble into a place that might not offer what there looking for simply because it's "martial arts" and come out jaded because of it.

[bushido_man96]

Bearich makes some good points. Running an MA school, even part time, is tough.

Check this schedule out:

8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Most people's normal working hours. (Bankers' hours, so to speak. Most people are at work and off by this time)

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. One hour for a Martial Arts class. This is just one class. Let's say you run two classes a night...

7:00 - 8:00. Now, you have to lock up, and get home.

Did I mention supper anywhere in there? Nope. Have to do that after class, if you are like me. I don't eat before working out, because then I get bad gas...

Nor did I mention any time with the kids, especially those under the age of 4. Do they want to hang out at the MA school all that time? Not likely, so either your spouse does it, or you find a babysitter (more money out of the pocket).

Now you just have to figure how many days a week that you want to do this, or can do this. It is very tough. I teach one day a week at the school that I attend, and then work out in two classes each week, and it is still tough on me. Would I open a school or club right now? No way. Too much time, right now.

[whitematt]

I use artist as an example, because I am one. I went to school for it and have spent the last 14 years in the field. It's something I love, and make an extremely good living at it.

So I do take issue when people imply that if it's something you love, you shouldn't try to earn a living from it.

So doctors are a bad example - so I'll try and come up with some others... photographers, carpenters, landscapers. (For what it's worth, the professionals I know in those fields make more than my doctor.)

I also run a "part time" martial arts club (for the last four years.) I currently have 70 students and teach three nights a week (from 5:30 to 8:30.) By the time I get out the door, and get home it's after 9:00. So three days a week I'm gone from my home from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM.

In addition to teaching, you have class plans, planning for testings/seminars/events, ordering gear, bookkeeping, advertising/marketing. I usually do these things after I get home from class, as the kids are in bed by then.

So I get to spend quality time with my kids (three under the age of five) Sunday, Wednesday night, Friday night, and Saturday. I still have to find time to spend with my wife (who works 40+ hours per week as well), and work on my own personal training.

If I could make enough teaching to replace my current salary I would LOVE that. It would allow me to spend more time with my family. It would also give me more time to improve my skills, and the skills of my students.

Running a part time club is a lot of fun, and very rewarding. But even if you teach part time, your very likely spending full time hours running things behind the scenes.