I don't believe I've ever paid $200 for a seminar. It would have to be an instructor that I really, really, really wanted to learn from to justify that price. Even then I'd have to be feeling unusually flush.
Collecting Training by the Famous
- Thread starter Bill Mattocks
- Start date
That’s good I’ve seen a lot of them pop up for over $150 for a one day seminar.
drop bear
Sr. Grandmaster
By the time I pay travel and food. Most competitions are over $200.
I have never attended any seminars in my life. But I have invited guest instructors to come to my school to teach my students. This way my student would have a cross training opportunity. At the same time I could also have cross training opportunity for free.
I have invited:
- praying mantis master Brendan Lai,
- Baji master Adam Hsu,
- my senior SC brothers David C. K. Lin, and
- my senior SC brother Chang Hsin-Ping,
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In my opinion -- there are two basic types of seminars.
One type is an "exposure" class. It's a chance to see something that you haven't done, or don't do often, or just get a flavor of it. It might be firehose experience with a lot of material dumped out for the attendees to try to pick up, but it's not really about the in-depth teaching. You might learn a complex form -- but not the drills that lead into it. You might get a taste of the art -- but you aren't learning it in depth. It might be a glimpse of something to come down the road when you let a beginner attend a seminar that's really beyond their current skill. In all of these, the main point is that you're just getting the idea of it... Maybe learning a particular drill or form. You may go home and practice some of it -- but it's not really going to impact your training deeply. It's a treat -- not a diet change. If we make a quick analogy to car mechanics -- it's really the quickie class in how to check your oil and change the tires on your new car.
The other is a deeper dive. It's what happens when you bring in an expert to teach some element in depth, or the point is to really shake up your training with a new approach and attitude. It may be broad -- but it's designed for you to go home, and keep working and developing. You'll be taught a drill and the application and how it fits into the system. If it's a broad exposure, it's going to shake up how you train, where you emphasize things. Instead of a treat, it's a reshape of the diet. Or, for a car analogy, it's a brake system certification.
Exposures are fun, like a trip to an amusement park -- but most of us don't want to ride a rollercoaster to work everyday.
Where it gets hairy is when someone attends an exposure, and claims that it gives them deep expertise. And, to make it even more frustrating, there are plenty of folks out there happy to collect money for a certification seminar that really doesn't go beyond exposure and giving out signed certificates in the grip & grin photo. (Note that there are certification seminars which build on lengthy work and actually test the material at the seminar -- not instantly grant license and "expertise"; I have no problem with those, they're just fewer and harder to find.)
One type is an "exposure" class. It's a chance to see something that you haven't done, or don't do often, or just get a flavor of it. It might be firehose experience with a lot of material dumped out for the attendees to try to pick up, but it's not really about the in-depth teaching. You might learn a complex form -- but not the drills that lead into it. You might get a taste of the art -- but you aren't learning it in depth. It might be a glimpse of something to come down the road when you let a beginner attend a seminar that's really beyond their current skill. In all of these, the main point is that you're just getting the idea of it... Maybe learning a particular drill or form. You may go home and practice some of it -- but it's not really going to impact your training deeply. It's a treat -- not a diet change. If we make a quick analogy to car mechanics -- it's really the quickie class in how to check your oil and change the tires on your new car.
The other is a deeper dive. It's what happens when you bring in an expert to teach some element in depth, or the point is to really shake up your training with a new approach and attitude. It may be broad -- but it's designed for you to go home, and keep working and developing. You'll be taught a drill and the application and how it fits into the system. If it's a broad exposure, it's going to shake up how you train, where you emphasize things. Instead of a treat, it's a reshape of the diet. Or, for a car analogy, it's a brake system certification.
Exposures are fun, like a trip to an amusement park -- but most of us don't want to ride a rollercoaster to work everyday.
Where it gets hairy is when someone attends an exposure, and claims that it gives them deep expertise. And, to make it even more frustrating, there are plenty of folks out there happy to collect money for a certification seminar that really doesn't go beyond exposure and giving out signed certificates in the grip & grin photo. (Note that there are certification seminars which build on lengthy work and actually test the material at the seminar -- not instantly grant license and "expertise"; I have no problem with those, they're just fewer and harder to find.)
For Chinese wrestling workshop, one may want to learn
- 10 different throws, or
- 10 different ways to execute 1 throw.
Whether the bredth first approach is better than the depth first approach, or the other way around can be debatable.
As it turns out, I had a chance to attend a seminar on leglocks today with Tommy Montoya, a BJJ no-gi world champion.
Excellent instruction and I learned a lot of useful details that I can already tell will make my leg lock game more effective. The price was only $40 and I would have felt I got my money’s worth at twice the price. The hosting school even provided dinner for everyone after the seminar.
It may just be coincidence, but it seems like a high percentage of the best seminars I’ve attended have been on the cheaper side. I’ve often received better instruction at the $40 seminars than the $100 seminars.
Excellent instruction and I learned a lot of useful details that I can already tell will make my leg lock game more effective. The price was only $40 and I would have felt I got my money’s worth at twice the price. The hosting school even provided dinner for everyone after the seminar.
It may just be coincidence, but it seems like a high percentage of the best seminars I’ve attended have been on the cheaper side. I’ve often received better instruction at the $40 seminars than the $100 seminars.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
I have to admit, the best seminar I went to, was not a famous martial arts person, but he was a student of a student of one and a student of another 
.....And you might be surprised it was a Xingyiquan Seminar 
But to be honest, I sm not sure how famous his sifu and shigung are outside of CMA. I also had a couple seminars with his shifu (not Xingyiquan), prior to the seminar with him
.....And you might be surprised it was a Xingyiquan Seminar But to be honest, I sm not sure how famous his sifu and shigung are outside of CMA. I also had a couple seminars with his shifu (not Xingyiquan), prior to the seminar with him
Yeah that sounds nice. If you’re getting dinner as well, $40 is a steal.
