# Do you pay your instructors?



## HKphooey (Jun 14, 2006)

Out of curiousity, if you own/run a school, do you pay your top instuctors?  Or do you trade them for their own training/private classes?, Require it as part of there belt progression?, Or any other arrangements?

 Have you ever had students tell you they do not want to teach?

Any thoughts/feedback is greatly appreciated.


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## Rick Wade (Jun 14, 2006)

listen to all of those crickets.

(hand next to ear)


Aloha 
Rick


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## Blindside (Jun 14, 2006)

I am not the owner of the school, but I will tell you how it works.

He doesn't pay any of his instructors, but we don't pay him anything either.  If he felt he needed the resources of the instructors to pay, then of course we would do so.  The elimination of our class dues is compensation for the assistance we give him, and we teach his/our students to give back to the art.  He will give us private lessons if we ask for them, again no charge.    

In our school black belts are instructors, period.  If you don't want to teach, you won't make it to black.  Starting around purple/blue the students are introduced to the studio's training methodology, and by brown there is a minimum teaching hour requirement.  We have had several awesome green belts who stuck there because they weren't interested in teaching.  Which is fine, they were badass green belts after 3 years in the rank. 

Lamont


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## Carol (Jun 14, 2006)

Well, I'm not the owners but I know who is an employee and who is not based on who is allowed in what part of the school 

We have two F/T instructors, a F/T assistant instructor (2nd BB) and a part-time assistant instructor (2nd Brown).  The 2nd Black assists the adult classes, the 2nd Brown assists the kids classes.

We also have a leadership team in the adults and kids classes that can be entered at (I think) 3rd brown.  The leadership team members are expected to take leadership roles in the class and make a two-year commitment to the school.   While two years sounds like a lot...the track from 3rd Brown to 1st black at my school is typically 18-24 months.   The program students get some specialized leaership classes.  I don't know if they "get" anything else for their time other than the experience.


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## fnorfurfoot (Jun 14, 2006)

Brown belts are assistant instructors.  They pay for classes and are basically being taught how to teach.  Black belts would be expected to "pay off" their monthly tuition by teaching so many hours a week.


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## Grenadier (Jun 15, 2006)

I also didn't own the school, but I can tell you how it worked in a previous dojo:

Being an instructor meant that you were at least a shodan, had been attending the teaching seminars, and passed a comprehensive exam.  Those who met all of the requirements, and with the chief instructor's approval, became ko-sensei.  You would teach classes as the lead instructor, all on your own, with no direct intervention from the other instructors.  Of course, before and after classes were open for such intervention, but never during.  

Those who were at least nidan, had demonstrated solid instruction credentials, and had been ko-sensei for a while were eligible to become sensei with the chief instructor's approval.  

Basically, the sensei and ko-sensei were paid for each class that they taught as the lead instructor of the class.  You were still expected to pay your tuition, but that would be taken out of your monthly paycheck.  

Those who were brown belt or higher, and were assisting the sensei / ko-sensei teaching the class, weren't paid for it, but at the same time, it would certainly count for something.  If they were serious about becoming instructors, they would also attend the instructor seminars.  

Once in a while, we'd reward them with a gift certificate, or give them a piece of equipment that they wanted for free, such as a new set of sparring pads, or whatever was appropriate for them.  Their help was always appreciated, since sometimes, you might have had a large sized class, and had to give first day lessons, or you would let them give the first day lessons to the new folks.  The least one could do is show that appreciation once in a while.


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## HKphooey (Jun 15, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback so far!


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## Brandon Fisher (Jul 2, 2006)

I have 2 that I will pay when they teach at the dojo once we open.


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## Muwubu16858 (Jan 23, 2007)

My teacher has always told me that instructors under 4th Dan (kyo sa[2nd & 3rd Dan]) don't get paid to teach, but if they teach enough every week, they don't pay for their classes either. Only Sa Bom (4th Dan & up) get paid if they are instructors for another's school.


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## bushidomartialarts (Jan 23, 2007)

i pay black belt instructors (with the exception of one who won't let me).  brown belts can run classes at our school (we're still young), and have the option of teaching instead of paying for lessons.


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## The Kidd (Jan 24, 2007)

Not an owner but an instructor, I get breaks on fees and free equipment.


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## jdinca (Jan 25, 2007)

I'm an instructor, not an owner. We don't get paid but we get private lessons in return for teaching a certain number of hours a week. In addition, an instructor becomes a student of Grand Master Lee, who runs the instructor workouts.

We pay tuition but there does come a point where that is dropped also.


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## searcher (Jan 27, 2007)

The only other FT instructors in my Dojo currently happen to My Wife and me.   So we are paying each other, but all of the money goes into one account.


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## Makalakumu (Jan 27, 2007)

When a student becomes a certain rank, they must assist in teaching.  They do this, so they can learn how to teach and in order to better understand the material that they know.  At this point, I stop charging them for lessons.  This seems fair to me for two reasons...

1.  They are helping me and this is my way of trading something of value for that help.
2.  They have proven themselves to be dedicated students and I no longer need to be compensated like that.  My hope is that the art becomes worth more then the paltry sum I charge.


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## BasFan (May 7, 2007)

My question kind of falls into this topic so I guess I can ask it here. How much is the average assistant instructor paid? Geographically there will be changes. i.e. California generally has higher tuition fees than anywhere else so I would assume assistant instructors would be paid higher there. I've seen ads in BB magazine that assistant instructors in New Jersey were getting $20 an hour. Is this about right?


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## Kodiak61 (Sep 26, 2007)

I am a Black Belt and certified instructor; however I do not have a school (yet), and still train at my instructor&#8217;s school.  I also teach a couple of classes a week and cover when needed.  I do not get paid, but I get the chance to hone skill under my instructor&#8217;s eye and free Gatorade


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## kosho (Sep 26, 2007)

I have my own Dojo. I have about 4 students that cover for me.

all have been with me for over 3 plus years. and I have them run class for me. If they cover most of the month I do not charge them. I have 1 that I do not charge at all. That person covers every saturday class for me. 

I feel that it is like a Intership, I did the same when I was helping my Instructor out before I was a black belt.  I feel it is really helpful to get that traigning in under someone. 

If my student cover a private class, then I give them a free private for then when ever it fits there needs. I do private classes on tue: and sundays. and booked 

hope this helped

Kosho


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## terryl965 (Sep 26, 2007)

I own and run the school and no I do not pay my Instructor but in fairness I do not charge them for there classes or there family, so it is a washout between us. It has always benn that way. When Icame up I thought but never recieved a paycheck for it it was just that way.


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## Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu (Sep 26, 2007)

My Sensei has never charged me for classes.  I teach 4 or 5 people in my area, and I've never charged them anything, but I do call in a lot of favours!​


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## temagami (Jan 21, 2008)

I used to live in South Korea (2 years) and how it worked there is as son as you become 1st dan you no longer pay school tuition.  However, now you are part of that school family and it is your job to recruit new students and teach classes. 

One school I taught at wanted to charge me $70 a month and a locker fee.  I would open his school teach 4 classes and even take out the garbage.  When he tried the $70.00 thing; I told hime where to go.  Remember the back door of the dojo is always bigger than the front  - especially for black belts.

I went ot another school where I taught classes and did pay a thing - However, other teachers were paid.  I was ok with this because if I needed to bail on a class - I would just make the call and have some else take it.  If you're not getting paid then the school can not expect the same class responsibility from someone who is getting paid.


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## kidswarrior (Jan 21, 2008)

To pay any assistant instructors, I'd have to pay myself first (so that I'd have something from which to pay them). And to pay myself, I'd have to charge students. So, I just ignore it all and it seems to go away.


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