2 Hour Intro to Wing Chun Class

[Hazardi172]

Not unless they are earning interest on it.

Everyone is earning interest with time, unless they are mismanaging their finances?

 

[Hazardi172]

I'm not sure why you think it's a bad idea for someone to make money teaching. They do it with science classes every day.

I think a good idea with science classes, but a bad idea with martial arts classes

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Everyone is earning interest with time, unless they are mismanaging their finances?

Entirely untrue. There are almost no personal checking accounts (and few business checking accounts) that pay any interest on deposited money in the US. And even Savings accounts pay a trivial amount, such that the amount a person would add to their finances over a year of delaying payments by 1-3 weeks (as opposed to paying monthly) would be less than $0.10. And then you factor the time and effort of managing paying twice a week for a year, rather than once a month (transferring the money from Savings each time), and they've spent at least an hour of their time to earn those ten cents.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think a good idea with science classes, but a bad idea with martial arts classes

You still haven't explained why. Martial arts aren't a religion. It's a skill. If someone teaches painting, science, automotive repair, physical education, or any other topic, they should have the option of making money. The same holds for martial arts, and always has.

 

[Hazardi172]

Entirely untrue. There are almost no personal checking accounts (and few business checking accounts) that pay any interest on deposited money in the US. And even Savings accounts pay a trivial amount, such that the amount a person would add to their finances over a year of delaying payments by 1-3 weeks (as opposed to paying monthly) would be less than $0.10. And then you factor the time and effort of managing paying twice a week for a year, rather than once a month (transferring the money from Savings each time), and they've spent at least an hour of their time to earn those ten cents.

Why would anyone have their money in place not earning interest

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Why would anyone have their money in place not earning interest

Because there's not a short-term storage method that provides any significant interest.

 

[Hazardi172]

You still haven't explained why. Martial arts aren't a religion. It's a skill. If someone teaches painting, science, automotive repair, physical education, or any other topic, they should have the option of making money. The same holds for martial arts, and always has.

I tend to think that martial arts is full of frauds, and that there are very few decent teachers. Given this I feel that personal trust and lack of a financial motive is very important. Plus there are so many easier and better ways to make money than teaching MA- in the end why bother, better to do it for the love

 

[Hazardi172]

Because there's not a short-term storage method that provides any significant interest.

I think you are mistaken

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If someone teaches painting, science, automotive repair, physical education, or any other topic, they should have the option of making money. The same holds for martial arts, and always has.

I can teach

- 200 different throws. If I just charge $10 each, that will be 200 x 10 = $2,000.
- 50 different forms. If I just charge $50 for each form, that will be 50 x 50 = $2,500.

Sometime I think to treat MA as "retail business" is not a bad idea.

A: I also want to learn counters for "hip throw".
B: I can teach you 10 different counters. That will be $2 each. But if you want to learn all 10 counters, I can give you for $16.99.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I tend to think that martial arts is full of frauds, and that there are very few decent teachers. Given this I feel that personal trust and lack of a financial motive is very important. Plus there are so many easier and better ways to make money than teaching MA- in the end why bother, better to do it for the love

All irrelevant to the person teaching martial arts, putting in their best effort, and setting aside a lot of their personal and/or professional time for it. I make next to nothing teaching (probably less than nothing), but I have no problem with those who earn a living at it. I'm not willing to teach kids (almost necessary) nor that many evenings (absolutely necessary) so I'll never support myself on martial arts. Others have a higher level of commitment to the activity of teaching, and they should be paid commensurate with that.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think you are mistaken

I've been living in the US for 46 years. I've been working with banks for 25. Want to tell me where I'm mistaken?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I can teach

- 200 different throws. If I just charge $10 each, that will be 200 x 10 = $2,000.
- 50 different forms. If I just charge $50 for each form, that will be 50 x 50 = $2,500.

Sometime I think to treat MA as "retail business" is not a bad idea.

If only it worked that way, eh? Instead, I teach an hour an make a few dollars. In my case, all of those end up going back to new stuff for the students to play with.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If only it worked that way, eh? Instead, I teach an hour an make a few dollars. In my case, all of those end up going back to new stuff for the students to play with.

If you don't want your students to learn, you will teach them new material everyday and never review it.

MA teaching can also be like car service. You can have

- oil change,
- 20,000 miles maintenance,
- ...

You can charge different fee for different service.

A: I would like to polish and enhance my "single leg" again.
B: That will be $4.99 for polishing and $5.99 for enhancing.

 

[Hazardi172]

All irrelevant to the person teaching martial arts, putting in their best effort, and setting aside a lot of their personal and/or professional time for it. I make next to nothing teaching (probably less than nothing), but I have no problem with those who earn a living at it. I'm not willing to teach kids (almost necessary) nor that many evenings (absolutely necessary) so I'll never support myself on martial arts. Others have a higher level of commitment to the activity of teaching, and they should be paid commensurate with that.

Depends who you want to teach really. The way you set it up determines who will come.

People should be paid depending upon how others value what they do. Making a business of MA is inviting lowered standards, low quality students, and so on. Depends what is most important to you, how you choose to do it.

 

[Hazardi172]

I've been living in the US for 46 years. I've been working with banks for 25. Want to tell me where I'm mistaken?

Not really on the martial talk forum

I am sure if you put your very experienced mind to it you will think of a way

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Depends who you want to teach really. The way you set it up determines who will come.

People should be paid depending upon how others value what they do. Making a business of MA is inviting lowered standards, low quality students, and so on. Depends what is most important to you, how you choose to do it.

Again, you're making assumptions not supported by research, nor by my experience in the US. Your assumptions, as you've said, are based upon your experience. That's experience elsewhere. Cultural differences actually matter.

As for your attitude that running a business is a bad thing, tell that to a doctor. Tell him he's cheapening what he does and inviting lower standards by earning a living.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Not really on the martial talk forum

I am sure if you put your very experienced mind to it you will think of a way

You've being arrogant. You don't know an answer that can counter mine.

 

[wingchun100]

Since on any given month there's a chance someone will quit, you'd need a minimum of two paying students to cover costs (the second is in case the first quits). Still a fairly low target. And your insurance for a small program will probably be about $500-700/year, unless something's significantly different in NY (and it often is, especially with insurance). So three students covers all of your expenses, plus a bit to hold back for equipment, even allowing that one may quit. When you get to 7 or 8, the math gets easier, and you may actually get to take some home.

I found a place that offers the insurance for $350 per year. Someone on one of the other threads directed me to them.

 

[wingchun100]

So how will you have enough money to invest in training equipment and other things for students if you are only covering costs? If your rent is $100 and you are only covering costs then you can't afford to invest into the training beyond $100

I don't really need much in the way of equipment. Maybe 2-3 pairs of focus mitts. Since the place I am renting would not be exclusively mine, I would not install anything like a wooden dummy or anything like that. Also, not for nothing, but since there is an MMA class there, I would also be able to share some of the gear they already have there.

 

[Hazardi172]

Again, you're making assumptions not supported by research, nor by my experience in the US. Your assumptions, as you've said, are based upon your experience. That's experience elsewhere. Cultural differences actually matter.

As for your attitude that running a business is a bad thing, tell that to a doctor. Tell him he's cheapening what he does and inviting lower standards by earning a living.

I don't think that running a business is a bad thing, just that running a martial arts teaching business is often a bad thing. MA very different to medicine because results are difficult to measure for most people in normal lives.

Again the charging method makes a big difference to the kind of person you attract in MA classes. Depends what you want really.