# A better situation: this or that?



## IcemanSK (Aug 11, 2008)

As a school owner, I'm trying to think of what a better situation of these two is.

Is it better to get rank in more than one Art & teach all Arts that you know, or the hire instructors that teach Arts other than your area of expertise?
Guys like Fred Degerberg in Chicago who have a 12,000 sq foot school. He hires folks to teach everything one can imagine. Then there is other folks (I can't think of an example) who teach several Arts themselves.

As a school owner, I'd imagine the pros of running Degerberg-type of school outweigh the cons of doing it that way. I'd think teaching sevral Arts oneself would just be harder. Marketing a Degerberg-type school would be easier also....I'd think.

What are your thoughts? How do you think/know it would be?


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 11, 2008)

Having a time and day(s) for different instructors to teach opens the possibility of more income coming in to keep the school open. 
Trying to teach different arts yourself  is also a possibility as long as you have the experience to do so but is harder on you as you must be there longer hours
Teaching what you do not fully know is not an option but one of the biggest mistakes one can make


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## stickarts (Aug 11, 2008)

IcemanSK said:


> As a school owner, I'm trying to think of what a better situation of these two is.
> 
> Is it better to get rank in more than one Art & teach all Arts that you know, or the hire instructors that teach Arts other than your area of expertise?
> Guys like Fred Degerberg in Chicago who have a 12,000 sq foot school. He hires folks to teach everything one can imagine. Then there is other folks (I can't think of an example) who teach several Arts themselves.
> ...


 
I mainly teach the (3) arts that I know, although I have had another instructor come in and run a club for an art that I was not qualified to teach. The main drawback with that is that if the instructor leaves, or doesn't work out for any reason it may be difficult to find another instructor quickly that has the technical skills, people skills, or is a good fit to keep the program going. Or if they leave they may take the students with them!
I think the main focus should be on running a high quality school / program. I don't think offering a large number of arts is necessarily the key to having lots of students. I know of schools that offer only one art that have hundereds of students. Most students that enroll with us really don't know much about the art. They just want to learn "martial arts" or "karate". Only a few ever come in because they specifically wanted to learn our art(s).
I think if there is another art or program that one wants to offer and he / she isn't qualified to teach it, bringing in a qualified person is the way to go although a clear agreement should be drawn up protecting both parties.


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## terryl965 (Aug 11, 2008)

I teach TKD even though some is Karate or Hapkido or some Judo, it is all TKD since that is what I teach.


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## Kacey (Aug 11, 2008)

If you were a student, which would you rather have as an instructor; someone with broad experience of several arts, or someone with in-depth experience in 1 or 2 arts?  Each situation has its pros and cons; the amount of breadth and depth the instructor has in each art will also feed in to the pros and cons.  For students with experience in a particular art, or an interest in a particular art, an instructor with in-depth experience in that art will be their best choice; for those who want a variety of experiences, an instructor with a broader range will be their best choice.  It will depend on which student population you are appealing to.  However, in general, if you have multiple instructors with in-depth training in their particular art, I would expect that you could get both types of students - so for a school (rather than a class) that may be the better choice.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 11, 2008)

I think that is what these guys do as well, rent space, and I would go and check out Systema there if I were closer

And it does make for an interesting mix and I guess it all depends on what you want to accomplish. I tend to go where the teacher is I want regardless of the rental arrangement but if I were to have my own school I do not think I would get into that. I would likely be the one and only teacher there. But I should also add this would not be my only source of income.


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## IcemanSK (Aug 12, 2008)

Kacey said:


> If you were a student, which would you rather have as an instructor; someone with broad experience of several arts, or someone with in-depth experience in 1 or 2 arts? Each situation has its pros and cons; the amount of breadth and depth the instructor has in each art will also feed in to the pros and cons. For students with experience in a particular art, or an interest in a particular art, an instructor with in-depth experience in that art will be their best choice; for those who want a variety of experiences, an instructor with a broader range will be their best choice. It will depend on which student population you are appealing to. However, in general, if you have multiple instructors with in-depth training in their particular art, I would expect that you could get both types of students - so for a school (rather than a class) that may be the better choice.


 

Thank you all for your thoughts. You all bring up some great points that I hadn't thought of. To be an instructor with a breadth of knowledge (as well as depth) would be ideal. 

I hadn't thought of what the potential student population might want in a school in that regard. I suppose a smorgasborg may not be as appealing to some as a steak house. 

I lost my thoughts. I'll have to add more after some sleep


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## jarrod (Aug 12, 2008)

i think it's a mistake for schools to try to be all things to all people.  i think that the best advice is to teach what you love to teach.  later if you meet someone that you think is a trustworthy business partner who is qualified to teach another art, bring them in.  or if you pick up another art along the way, offer a class in that.  imo, the best schools come together organically out of a love for the martial arts rather than a business plan.    

jf


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## Perpetual White Belt (Aug 12, 2008)

jarrod said:


> . imo, the best schools come together organically out of a love for the martial arts rather than a business plan.
> 
> jf


 
Agreed!


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