Equipment

[rabbit]

I was just wondering do you buy your weapons, sparring gear, and other equipment from your instructor. Do we as students have to buy from our instructors?

I was looking on Ebay and found the same thing my instructor sells me but at 1/4 of the price. Makes you wonder... Basically what they are selling you is a peice of foam in plastic covering. I am sure it doesn't cost very much to make them.

I am going to continue getting my stuff from my instructor. I think that would be disrespectful to buy from ebay.

 

[Kacey]

I was just wondering do you buy your weapons, sparring gear, and other equipment from your instructor. Do we as students have to buy from our instructors?

I was looking on Ebay and found the same thing my instructor sells me but at 1/4 of the price. Makes you wonder... Basically what they are selling you is a peice of foam in plastic covering. I am sure it doesn't cost very much to make them.

I am going to continue getting my stuff from my instructor. I think that would be disrespectful to buy from ebay.

I sell things to my students; I also tell them where they can buy them for comparable prices. I get a wholesale discount, and sell things for retail; the difference in price goes into the class fund and is used to buy things for the class - rebreakable boards, wood for breaking, target pads, a BOB, belts, etc. My students know I do it, and they know why - they buy most things from me, but if I don't have something, I will help them find it, like one of my students who wanted purple sparring gear; it's not something I keep in stock (I usually only buy black), but I helped her find some gear through Century that she liked, and her parents bought it directly from them, as I don't have an instructor's account with them.

If this is his livelihood, or if he supports his school this way, then yes, you are supporting your instructor and school by buying from him/her; if your instructor is doing this to raise extra funds for personal use above and beyond running the school... then you need to decide for yourself if that's what you want to do. Lots of stuff is cheaper on eBay - that's why many people buy things there. Whether or not buying from other sources is disrespectful depends on why your instructor's purposes in selling equipment, and what your instructor would think if you bought elsewhere; there are some facilities where you must buy from the instructor/school, while others recommend it (I do - as a way to make sure that sparring gear meets our requirements - but I'll also help students who want something I don't have), and some don't sell anything themselves. It all depends on the situation, and each one is different.

 

[jim777]

We get a discount (the school) so it's cheaper to buy through the school than to get things elsewhere. No one is forced to buy from the school, but most do.

 

[terryl965]

I have adapted a strict policy all equipment has to be purchase though the school we average about 10% less than most retail outlets so it in a way helps them. I also explain that the little extra we make goes for new equipment for the school and not my pocket so it is in there best interest to do this.

 

[igillman]

I looked up the cost of our equipment from the manufacturer that our instructor uses and I found that the price we pay is very close to the price the manufacturer charges. When you factor in the branding of the items with the schools logo the cost is pretty much even.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

I understand where you are coming from regarding respect.

If you do buy from outside your school, be sure that you do not require specific certification for insurance. For example the WTF branded stuff has to be used for competetions in WTF TKD.

 

[jks9199]

I will order and sell at slightly over cost most of the stuff my students need. But if they want to go out and buy something on their own, that's their business. The advantage of me doing it is (often) some cost savings, and I know it's decent stuff. Boxing gloves are simple example. You can get a pair at most sporting goods stores a bit cheaper than the ones I order. The ones that you buy are decent -- but won't hold up as well. There's a reason the ones I order cost a little more... So, it depends on what you want from your gear.

 

[Topeng]

Our Guro does not require us to buy equipment through him. Actually he tells us some of the best websites and stores to go through. Even the purchase of a school T-shirt was not required. Every student bought one out of pride for the school and to help our Guro recover his costs. Most purchases through our Guro are out of respect because he goes out of pocket for us and only asks we train hard in return.
I don't agree that you must buy EVERYTHING through the school but then again, I'm spoiled with the way we have it. We don't have much overhead either since we don't have uniforms, train at a rent free facility, and the biggest purchase we really make are new sticks (FMA guy here) every so often.
If you are using the money to recover costs and its ultimately going back to the students, I can understand requiring some purchases throught the school. This also ensures products are to your standards.
Just my two cents.

 

[YoungMan]

Yes, as a matter of respect you should purchase all gear and uniforms through your instructor. First, it standardizes everything so that you don't have 10 students wearing 10 different brands of uniforms (each looking slightly different), aside from a quality isue.
Second, many instructors do make some profit by selling students uniforms and gear, and you are helping support them. Again, it is a way of thanking your instructor for what he puts into the class.
On the instructor side (having been there), the instructor should do his best to ensure he is getting his students the best quality at a fair price merchandise he can. Don't gouge them, but don't buy them crap either.
Buying merchandise on your own without going through your instructor is like going behind his back: it implies you don't trust him.

 

[K31]

Buying merchandise on your own without going through your instructor is like going behind his back: it implies you don't trust him.

I've got to disagree. First, most likely what you are going to buy may be slightly or significantly different than what they provide. Second, even if it is the same, in a small school the instructor is certainly going to realize that you didn't by from them, even if you don't tell them. And if an instructor tells me outside sources where I can buy equipment, I think I'm going to trust him more than if he says you must buy from me period.

There are a great many reasons why a student might want some equipment the instructor doesn't offer. In my case the largest helmet my school stocked was quite tight on my head. I bought one on the outside and my instructor even commented that another school had been wearing the same model at a recent tournament and that he wished our school stocked them. Also, they sometimes stock only one or two of the largest sizes and these get snapped up fast.

The instructor may count on this money to keep his business going. If so, I've got no problem supporting him but I personally would rather that he simply increase his tuition if that is the case. That seems more up front to me.

A lot of businesses are in this boat. They are now competing with the Internet and they need to change their business model instead of whining about it which a lot of them do.

 

[YoungMan]

I would never demand that students buy through me. However, I would let them know that, as a matter of respect and support, they go through me as much as possible to purchase uniforms and gear. It is simply a sign of the instructor-student relationship. They trust me to buy their supplies, and I do my best to get them quality merchandise at a fair price.

 

[jks9199]

I will order and sell at slightly over cost most of the stuff my students need. But if they want to go out and buy something on their own, that's their business. The advantage of me doing it is (often) some cost savings, and I know it's decent stuff. Boxing gloves are simple example. You can get a pair at most sporting goods stores a bit cheaper than the ones I order. The ones that you buy are decent -- but won't hold up as well. There's a reason the ones I order cost a little more... So, it depends on what you want from your gear.

I'd like to clarify one thing... I round the prices up, usually to the next even dollar, sometimes to an easy $5 or $10 line (like instead of $27.43, $28 or $30). A few things I round down, catching the difference from the others. (Like mouthpieces; I charge a buck. Sometimes the cost me a little over, sometimes a bit less...) I'm not looking to profit; I'm just trying to cover shipping and credit card interest.

I would never demand that students buy through me. However, I would let them know that, as a matter of respect and support, they go through me as much as possible to purchase uniforms and gear. It is simply a sign of the instructor-student relationship. They trust me to buy their supplies, and I do my best to get them quality merchandise at a fair price.

I think the idea of "buy from the school/instructor out of respect" is off-base. If the instructor is making or recommending gear, that's one thing, and you're going directly counter, that's disrespect -- but if it's just that the school sells the gear as a sideline to supplement the student fees... I don't see any disrespect in shopping around for the gear.

With very few exceptions, I don't care where you got it, so long as the quality and characteristics are correct.

At the same time... I often purchase t-shirts or some other things to support the school/instructor/promoter at events.

 

[Twin Fist]

I dont require my students buy thier gear from me, but I recommend it.

 

[YoungMan]

After they make 4th Dan and are teaching their own class, they can buy gear however they want. Until then, assuming they are not that far from me, it is preferable they buy their gear from me, their instructor.

 

[JWLuiza]

I buy my own materials. I am a uniform snob, and tend to buy expensive uniforms ($150+ Wholesale). And, obviously, have my own Wholesale account, which helps DEARLY with my uniforms. But at the same time we aren't a commercial Dojo/Dojang. I think it acceptable for instructors to require items be purchased through them as long as they are up front and are charging fair market value.

For me, I am 100% sure the owner of our school doesn't mind, so I don't even bother discussing it with him.

 

[igillman]

I have no problems buying from my school when the price is reasonable. I can understand making a bit of profit from the sale of equipment after all the instructor had to order it, get it in, check it, store it and distribute it and all of that takes time and effort. What I would object to is an instructor insisting that the student buy through them and then hiking the price of the equipment up to make a large profit.

Respect is a two way street, if the instructor respects me by not hiking prices above what is reasonable then I will buy through them even if it costs a little bit extra.

Rank is something you wear, respect is something you earn.

 

[terryl965]

I believe a student need to really try hard about supporting the school. Today store like Sport Authority and Academy sport sell Gi's and MA equipment cheaper than I can get it though Century because they can buy millions of pieces at a time and being a small school I cannot compete. But I also understand most students do not understand that if they do not help the school out one way or another that the school may not be able to keep the cost of tuition down for them. The school owners need to have it one way or the other for survival.