2 Hour Intro to Wing Chun Class

[wayfaring]

I wish the weather around here was good enough year-round to teach in the park. Right now the weather is miserable, so I have run out of options...except for things like this.

Yes me too. And again thank you for expanding my thoughts as to resources.

 

[JowGaWolf]

As for explaining differences between other styles...I think that would be better suited for a longer class. If someone comes in and they have never done a martial art AT ALL, then they won't even know what differences I mean. I think this 2-hour class needs to focus simply on Wing Chun. Like GP said, in the name of transparency I could go over Wing Chun's flaws and explain why the systems still works (in my opinion).

By explaining the differences, I mean a general overview so that they won't say that they are learning a karate called Wing Chun or that they are learning a martial art that is similar to Wing Chun. Something as simple as Wing Chun is from China, taekwondo is from Korea, Karate is from Japan, etc. is about as deep as you need to go. Sifu is for Chinese martial arts, Sensai is for Japanese martial arts. Although this information is basic, it will help them to avoid scams where a school says they do Kung Fu yet the teacher is called Sensai. This way they can as the important questions like "Why do you call yourself Sensai instead of Sifu?" Kung fu schools usually practice with shoes on, Japanese and Korean martial arts schools do not. Simple things like that are quick and easy things to remember.

I know I will be happy when people where live stop asking me. "Kung fu? Is that some kind of Karate?"

 

[JowGaWolf]

Here is something that work for me in finding a building to save our Jow Ga school after my Sifu went overseas. I went to linkedin.com and looked for networking groups that were in my area. I simply told my story and what I was looking for and what my goals were. I got a response and some helpful suggestions from others. The networking group you should look for is a small business networking group. A group that helps small businesses get started. Sometimes people in these groups are willing to barter, if you have additional skill sets that may be helpful to them. It doesn't matter if you have the skill set or if one of your most dedicated students has the skill set and is willing to help your school grow.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I also forgot. Invest in a website if you don't already have one. (don't use weebly, wix, or any of the other DIY websites) It's cheaper to buy hosting from a web host provider and to have the website made to fit your current needs. Wordpress and Joomla makes operating a website easier.

The reason why you want a website is so you can use it as an extension of your school. If you can't afford a website at this time then use Facebook as a last resort. Overall you want the website to be an extension of your school and Facebook for marketing purposes. Your own dot com website is like having a business card. It makes you look official and it helps to show the that your school is "here to stay."

 

[wingchun100]

Here is something that work for me in finding a building to save our Jow Ga school after my Sifu went overseas. I went to linkedin.com and looked for networking groups that were in my area. I simply told my story and what I was looking for and what my goals were. I got a response and some helpful suggestions from others. The networking group you should look for is a small business networking group. A group that helps small businesses get started. Sometimes people in these groups are willing to barter, if you have additional skill sets that may be helpful to them. It doesn't matter if you have the skill set or if one of your most dedicated students has the skill set and is willing to help your school grow.

Thank you for these tips. However, there is one thing I want to make clear: I have no school or students yet. I was recently given permission to teach, but I have yet to find anyone. So far all I have is a Craigslist ad up, which has gotten 3 replies. Out of those 3 replies, I met only one guy who was not interested in what I was offering.

Another guy was reluctant to meet in a public place like a park because he said "cops are suspicious of a black man in the park after sunset." (Those were his words, not mine.) Then he went on to admit he'd been in trouble with the cops before. From there, he proceeded to ask if we could just meet at my place instead. I said, "No offense but I don't know you, and I live with my girlfriend and her two kids." A few days later he texted me and said, "Are we still meeting?" I said, "Well you never confirmed whether or not you would be okay with my wish to meet in public at first, so I scheduled a lesson with someone who didn't mind meeting in a park." This was a bluff meant to see what his response would be...if he would cave in and comply to my wish. Nope! All he wrote back was, "Okay."

Last contact from the ad was a guy asking how much the lessons were. I told him first one is complimentary, so he could see if he liked it without any risk. Then I gave him the price for a private lesson...and never heard back.

It was my hope that I could get a couple students who were willing to invest a little BEFORE I tried renting anywhere. I would set aside the money from those private lessons for rent and insurance. So far, I have had next to NO bites...which, of course, bites!

 

[JowGaWolf]

Thank you for these tips. However, there is one thing I want to make clear: I have no school or students yet. I was recently given permission to teach, but I have yet to find anyone. So far all I have is a Craigslist ad up, which has gotten 3 replies. Out of those 3 replies, I met only one guy who was not interested in what I was offering.

Another guy was reluctant to meet in a public place like a park because he said "cops are suspicious of a black man in the park after sunset." (Those were his words, not mine.) Then he went on to admit he'd been in trouble with the cops before. From there, he proceeded to ask if we could just meet at my place instead. I said, "No offense but I don't know you, and I live with my girlfriend and her two kids." A few days later he texted me and said, "Are we still meeting?" I said, "Well you never confirmed whether or not you would be okay with my wish to meet in public at first, so I scheduled a lesson with someone who didn't mind meeting in a park." This was a bluff meant to see what his response would be...if he would cave in and comply to my wish. Nope! All he wrote back was, "Okay."

Last contact from the ad was a guy asking how much the lessons were. I told him first one is complimentary, so he could see if he liked it without any risk. Then I gave him the price for a private lesson...and never heard back.

It was my hope that I could get a couple students who were willing to invest a little BEFORE I tried renting anywhere. I would set aside the money from those private lessons for rent and insurance. So far, I have had next to NO bites...which, of course, bites!

If you don't want to invest in a website at this time then you'll need to set up a Facebook page for your school and a Meetup.com page. The reason that I keep saying school is because you are the teacher which makes you the school. You just don't have students at this time.
If the term school is uncomfortable to use then use the term "wing chun club." The main thing is that you need some way for people to learn more about what you teach, on their own time without having to contact you directly. A Facebook page + a MeetUp page will allow you to market yourself and your club without spending tons of money.

It may be a slow student build-up, depending on how deep the interest for Wing Chun is, but a slow build-up is better than no build-up. The other thing you can do is to practice your Wing Chun where you plan to hold your class. Even if it's just you in the park, be there at the time the class will normally be there and get your practice on.

And keep any email that you get with people who expressed interest and ask them nicely if they want to receive your club newsletter. If they say no, then lose their email. If they say yes, then it gives you a door way to market to them even if they don't want to do your class, they may know someone who does. Don't underestimate the power of word of mouth.

 

[PiedmontChun]

The idea of meeting in a park or public space is very cool in theory but I would think it has disadvantages to overcome, like the weather, you might get hassled by police, lots of nosy onlookers. I know some 'private lesson' type sifus have made it work though, it really depends on your location I suppose. I would not give up on that idea, but have you considered your local YMCA or any privately owned gyms? YMCAs often have multi-purpose rooms they rent or allow use of. The town I live in has at least one or two mom and pop gyms in addition to the big corporate places like LA Fitness and Gold's Gym, that could be amiable to letting someone use some of their space if it sent a few dollars their way and didn't leach their customers. I personally know someone who owns a crossfit gym that is struggling financially with their overhead and actively looking for people to sublet space to. Depending on your area, there could be some opportunities like that to be had.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If you don't want to invest in a website at this time then you'll need to set up a Facebook page for your school and a Meetup.com page. The reason that I keep saying school is because you are the teacher which makes you the school. You just don't have students at this time.
If the term school is uncomfortable to use then use the term "wing chun club." The main thing is that you need some way for people to learn more about what you teach, on their own time without having to contact you directly. A Facebook page + a MeetUp page will allow you to market yourself and your club without spending tons of money.

It may be a slow student build-up, depending on how deep the interest for Wing Chun is, but a slow build-up is better than no build-up. The other thing you can do is to practice your Wing Chun where you plan to hold your class. Even if it's just you in the park, be there at the time the class will normally be there and get your practice on.

And keep any email that you get with people who expressed interest and ask them nicely if they want to receive your club newsletter. If they say no, then lose their email. If they say yes, then it gives you a door way to market to them even if they don't want to do your class, they may know someone who does. Don't underestimate the power of word of mouth.

I'd encourage at least a single-page website to start with. It's easy enough to create a generic placeholder in Wordpress (or Joomla) and add your text to it (someone on Fiverr.com or Gigbucks.com will do it for about $5-10). And you can add posts and pages as you see fit later.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

The idea of meeting in a park or public space is very cool in theory but I would think it has disadvantages to overcome, like the weather, you might get hassled by police, lots of nosy onlookers. I know some 'private lesson' type sifus have made it work though, it really depends on your location I suppose. I would not give up on that idea, but have you considered your local YMCA or any privately owned gyms? YMCAs often have multi-purpose rooms they rent or allow use of. The town I live in has at least one or two mom and pop gyms in addition to the big corporate places like LA Fitness and Gold's Gym, that could be amiable to letting someone use some of their space if it sent a few dollars their way and didn't leach their customers. I personally know someone who owns a crossfit gym that is struggling financially with their overhead and actively looking for people to sublet space to. Depending on your area, there could be some opportunities like that to be had.

I know the OP has already been looking at those, and is investigating some new ideas there. Finding space is one of the hardest parts of starting a new program if you can't afford to take a bunch of losses and/or it's going to be a very small program.

 

[wingchun100]

The idea of meeting in a park or public space is very cool in theory but I would think it has disadvantages to overcome, like the weather, you might get hassled by police, lots of nosy onlookers. I know some 'private lesson' type sifus have made it work though, it really depends on your location I suppose. I would not give up on that idea, but have you considered your local YMCA or any privately owned gyms? YMCAs often have multi-purpose rooms they rent or allow use of. The town I live in has at least one or two mom and pop gyms in addition to the big corporate places like LA Fitness and Gold's Gym, that could be amiable to letting someone use some of their space if it sent a few dollars their way and didn't leach their customers. I personally know someone who owns a crossfit gym that is struggling financially with their overhead and actively looking for people to sublet space to. Depending on your area, there could be some opportunities like that to be had.

Many of the other replies to this thread have suggested YMCA's and gyms. I have already addressed the problems I have run into with those.

As for the park: yes, the weather is a problem. As for nosy onlookers, I couldn't care less if people are staring at us or mocking us or what have you. The police usually don't hassle anyone in the park unless it is after dark.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I'd encourage at least a single-page website to start with. It's easy enough to create a generic placeholder in Wordpress (or Joomla) and add your text to it (someone on Fiverr.com or Gigbucks.com will do it for about $5-10). And you can add posts and pages as you see fit later.

Gpseymour is right. Having some kind of website (non-facebook, non-meetup). Sometimes we just have to invest in what we really need. Free is nice but, it doesn't make the road any easier to travel. Getting a domain + website (running off Wordpress or Joomla) is a worth while investment and he would have a year to break even from that investment.

Facebook and MeetUp.com are great marketing tools, but shouldn't be thought of as a permanent solution for not having a webpage. Sooner or later, by force or by choice, you will have a website. When people look for martial arts schools in the area, the first thing they will do is google for a Wing Chun school. If you don't pop up on that list then your customers won't find you.

 

[wingchun100]

Gpseymour is right. Having some kind of website (non-facebook, non-meetup). Sometimes we just have to invest in what we really need. Free is nice but, it doesn't make the road any easier to travel. Getting a domain + website (running off Wordpress or Joomla) is a worth while investment and he would have a year to break even from that investment.

Facebook and MeetUp.com are great marketing tools, but shouldn't be thought of as a permanent solution for not having a webpage. Sooner or later, by force or by choice, you will have a website. When people look for martial arts schools in the area, the first thing they will do is google for a Wing Chun school. If you don't pop up on that list then your customers won't find you.

Right. The problem is having the funds ahead of time for that. I am trying to save, but it isn't easy. I was hoping the money from a few private students would help out. LOL

 

[PiedmontChun]

Many of the other replies to this thread have suggested YMCA's and gyms. I have already addressed the problems I have run into with those.

As for the park: yes, the weather is a problem. As for nosy onlookers, I couldn't care less if people are staring at us or mocking us or what have you. The police usually don't hassle anyone in the park unless it is after dark.

Sorry, that was my fault for skipping from the first couple posts on to the 2nd page in haste while here at work. Best of luck to you though - in finding something that allows you to retain students, but doesn't create a bunch of overhead to manage on top of teaching.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Right. The problem is having the funds ahead of time for that. I am trying to save, but it isn't easy. I was hoping the money from a few private students would help out. LOL

You can get a first year for just a few bucks. I'll PM you.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Right. The problem is having the funds ahead of time for that. I am trying to save, but it isn't easy. I was hoping the money from a few private students would help out. LOL

I'll give you a push lol.
Get a hosting account at Hostgator.com You want the Baby plan which you can now get with 25% off on the price for 1 year. This will allow you to host unlimited domains on the same account. Don't get any of the extra hosting mess like backup and whatever else they check for you. Make sure your domain name is something that someone can easily spell and remember if you were to tell someone in person. WhiteCrane+WingChun or yourlastname+WingChun, your city name+WingChun, or wingchunacademy etc. If you plan moving out of your city in the next 5 years then don't use city name as part of your domain.

Right now the cost of your website is around $107.41
WordPress and Joomla are free so there's no additional cost there.

Still too much go to www.Joomla.com
Get a free website with them using Joomla. They offer free joomla website templates that you can use.

or go to www.wordpress.com and get a free wordpress website

You now have 3 options. The free options will get you started with something simple until you can pay the 107.41 with a better domain name than mywebsite.joomla or mywebsite.wordpress

 

[wingchun100]

I'll give you a push lol.
Get a hosting account at Hostgator.com You want the Baby plan which you can now get with 25% off on the price for 1 year. This will allow you to host unlimited domains on the same account. Don't get any of the extra hosting mess like backup and whatever else they check for you. Make sure your domain name is something that someone can easily spell and remember if you were to tell someone in person. WhiteCrane+WingChun or yourlastname+WingChun, your city name+WingChun, or wingchunacademy etc. If you plan moving out of your city in the next 5 years then don't use city name as part of your domain.

Right now the cost of your website is around $107.41
WordPress and Joomla are free so there's no additional cost there.

Still too much go to www.Joomla.com
Get a free website with them using Joomla. They offer free joomla website templates that you can use.

or go to www.wordpress.com and get a free wordpress website

You now have 3 options. The free options will get you started with something simple until you can pay the 107.41 with a better domain name than mywebsite.joomla or mywebsite.wordpress

Oh, I had already thought of the free site, but when you said avoid Weebly and so on, I figured free was out. I mean, as you can see from my signature, I already have one free site on there. The thing is, it doesn't have the most memorable URL at the moment.

Thanks for all this help.

 

[JowGaWolf]

The problem with Weebly and Wix is that they are very limited and you'll have difficulty in transferring them to a better hosting company. In most cases you'll have to redesign your website and retype the wording unless you do a copy and paste.

Wordpress and Joomla can be transferred to any hosting company so there's no need to change redesign it when you transfer your site to a different hosting company.

 

[Flying Crane]

Gpseymour is right. Having some kind of website (non-facebook, non-meetup). Sometimes we just have to invest in what we really need. Free is nice but, it doesn't make the road any easier to travel. Getting a domain + website (running off Wordpress or Joomla) is a worth while investment and he would have a year to break even from that investment.

Facebook and MeetUp.com are great marketing tools, but shouldn't be thought of as a permanent solution for not having a webpage. Sooner or later, by force or by choice, you will have a website. When people look for martial arts schools in the area, the first thing they will do is google for a Wing Chun school. If you don't pop up on that list then your customers won't find you.

I'm not on facebook, so when I see some reference to checking out someone's facebook page for their martial arts, i stop there. Can't sign in, can't see what they have.

 

[wingchun100]

Update: the class is now scheduled for February 23 at 7:15pm. My friend came over, and we "rehearsed" what I will do and say as the class progresses. Things ran pretty smoothly. The only thing I could not factor into my time estimate was, of course, how long it might take to introduce people, how long it might take for questions, going around to correct everyone's form, and so on.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I'm not on facebook, so when I see some reference to checking out someone's facebook page for their martial arts, i stop there. Can't sign in, can't see what they have.

Yep that's the downside. But if you have a school then a facebook page for your school can greatly reduce marketing costs. In short, it's free and effective advertising.

Websites are still a must because it shows that the person is serious enough about what they are doing to invest in a website. Website has other benefits as well such as being an extension of the physical school.