That's Not A Real Job!!

[sensei8]

For those MAists that have/had the honor and privilege of making their living from the MA, and from the MA ONLY, in one capacity or another, this thread/topic is directed to you.

We are a unique bred that can be easily considered a global rarity among the landscape of commerce through its enterprise and bravery. Dotted from corner to corner, sea to sea, and to and fro stand the plethora of MA schools that aren't full-time operations; whereas the largest majority of MA school owners/operators are part-time.

What separates the full-time school of the MA from the part-time school of MA is availability!! The full-time school is open for business for 12 hours or more, six days a week. On the other hand, the part-time school is open in the evening for 5 hours during the weekday, and 4-12 hours on Saturday. Part-time MA school owners hold down a full-time job during the day, and then operate their school at night. Neither school type is better than the other; preferences are decided upon through ones circumstance(s).

Then there are the MAist that are employed by a MA Governing Body. They work in the day in either a specificity role or in a general role conducting that Governing Bodies daily operations.

No matter if they own and operate a full-time or part-time MA school and/or they work full-time/part-time for a MA Governing Body, those Human Resources outside of the MA consider, for the most part, those MA entities are not real jobs; hobbies, at best. Advised by fortune 500 companies to job seekers to only attach to a resume relevant employment history, and not hobbies, except where a employment application is suggested.

So, for those here at KF that earn a living through the MA...

How'd you feel if what you do/did is only considered as nothing more than a hobby, and not a real job??

I'm a full-time MA school owner/operator since 1977, AS WELL as an owner/operator of my own MA Retail business since 1985, AS WELL as a Jr. Executive in a MA Governing Body ever since 1984, AS WELL as a Sr. Executive in a MA Governing Body ever since 2008. Every Fortune 500 company I've applied to has dashed my aspirations with the suddenness of a bulldozer, in which my employment history, as far as anything having to do with the MA, is labeled as a hobby, and not a real job or business.

[The Pred]

While I don't agree with what some people say in that Martial at is just a hobby. But surely running a retail store must count?

[JR 137]

You reminded me of what many athletic trainers’ wives typically say - “When are you going to get a real job?”

Many of our wives thought we hung out and clowned around all day in the training room, then hung out and watched a game in the afternoon/evening. And it’s not that far off. Yes it certainly was work, but there was a ton of clowning around. And I was a pretty good ringleader

One bight when my wife asked me “When are you going to get a real job?” it was like the clouds parted and a devine voice whispered in my ear, and I replied “When they pay me with Monopoly money instead of the real money they’re currently paying me with.”

And it was done.

I told my boss at the time my revelation. He said “why in 28 years did I never come up with that?” As chance would have it, he got to use that reply that same night. And he was proud of himself.

While it’s a comical story, it’s actually true. If you’re getting paid, it’s a real job. Doesn’t matter what it is. A local guy started his own business when that whole banking collapse happened a while back. He got laid off as a head of IT at a local branch of national health insurance company. His new business? He cleaned up dog doo-doo in people’s back yards. Seriously. Real job? He got paid. He got paid enough to stop foreclosure on his house, stay out of bankruptcy, and feed his kids. I’d surely call anything that pays the bills a real job. MA teacher easily included.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I hear that a lot through a lot of my friends, but also from some of the parents [of kids] that I teach.

But the thing is that I don't strictly teach just teach Karate. I also have clients come in for Personal Training on a daily basis to have other income.

And that is before any classes occur!

[JazzKicker]

I haven't been an instructor for a long time, never was a full-time one though I did undertake to be a personal trainer/specialist in martial arts conditioning. I decided I'd rather stay in the field I went to college for. However, I have a couple of friends who are full-time instructors, one in the boxing/MMA world, the other a karate guy who also does seminars internationally, and videos. I'm sure neither could care less whether the business world, etc. thinks they have a real job!

I saw a recent post on Linked In about a guy helping a homeless man he kept seeing in Florida. The homeless person had had some kind of problem, ended up on the street but looking for work- even had a resume. On it, it indicated he was a 2nd Dan Tang Soo Do black belt, and had been self-employed as an instructor/trainer for several years.

The view of many of the commentors was, they applauded trying to help the guy, etc. but none had anything favorable to say about his being an instructor. In fact, one even suggested his background was sketchy, and might be an indication he been in jail or had a substance problem.

My point is, I don't think being a full-time martial artist is compatible with the corporate world!

[Spartacus Maximus]

All the critics who use the “not a real job” line actually mean that they don’t consider martial arts to be a reliable, stable or even normal business. They think that because they truly haven’t the shadow of an idea that earning a living from martial arts requires work.

They also are completely ignoring the fact of that unlike the majority of people, those who earn a living with martial arts have succeeded in doing something very rare: earning a living by doing something they love doing.