For the Instructors

[SHBKF]

Please be honest!

My questions are:
1) Do you operate your school or organization for the community aspect or the business aspect of it? or Both?

2) Do you study the impact your school has on the community or better yet how active is your school in the community?

The reason I pose these questions is I run a school on close to a zero budget mainly to keep the youth off the street and have been doing it for approx. 7 years now. The reason I do this is because I pay no rent (which I am going to freely l start donating monetarily what I can a month) or utilities where I am, so I can charge a low amount, but not stress if the parents don't have it to pay. The main focus is keeping the youth away from the gang element and drugs. I have joined the chamber of commerce the city's youth and family master plan committee and have made efforts to interact within the community my school serves. Through my research Martial Arts traditionally have been about the community and serving as noticeable impacts within in its community. Today I don't see that as much anymore most schools/organizations are strictly about the business of martial arts and less about the community and our communities suffer from our silent voices.

I would just like to read your answers and see your replies about this issue at hand. Thank you

 

[stickarts]

I started my school for many reasons. I wanted to train and teach in my own way, I wanted to have a positive role in our community, and it was a challenge that excited me. I do try and make it a profitable school because we work hard and I have a lot invested in it, however, if I had wanted a business just to make money, I would not have chosen a martial arts school as my way to do it! I could have started other ventures that would be more profitable. I have also turned down high paying jobs that I was offered because it would have meant that I would have to travel and I couldn't have run my school. I do it because I love it. If I ever stop enjoying it then I will move on to something else. We are very active in the community. I think its a winning situation for everyone.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I never made money on/with my school. The whole intent of my teaching was to pass on my knowledge not to become rich.
As for the community , well I have some how changed the out look of some of the youth in town and kept them out off trouble. Others have been strong bar fighters when I started teaching them but they no longer pursue that avenue of fun because it is no challenge to them any more.
As for being active in the community. I have put on demonstrations for various organizations but other than that I do not actively participate in town event or try to change the town with my school. If I get involved in the political situations of the town I do it as a resident not as a business owner.

 

[Kacey]

My sahbum took the time and put in the effort to teach me - the best way I can repay that is to teach others. That's why I teach. The money the Y pays me as an instructor goes into an account that I use for training expenses, so that I can improve my abilities as an instructor, and which covers my instructor's insurance. Money raised from testing fees, sale of equipment and uniforms, etc. is in a separate account that is used to buy more equipment and uniforms so I have them on hand for new students, and to buy materials for the class, like boards, focus pads, and so on.

Being an instructor is a second job for me - but I certainly understand those for whom instructing is a primary job needing to earn a living from it. It's the people who milk and bilk their students I don't understand.

 

[Hyper_Shadow]

I can't speak for my instrctor, but I'm pretty sure our dojo would answer along the lines of....

1) Do you operate your school or organization for the community aspect or the business aspect of it? or Both?

Neither, we operate for the martial arts aspect of it. We don't make money from training and we only accept money from our students in order to keep the costs of the room we hire, not for services rendered. We are a dojo, that's what we do.

2) Do you study the impact your school has on the community or better yet how active is your school in the community?

As stated in the above answer, we're a dojo. We're not trying to bring in disaffected youths off the streets. We're not trying to open a créche so people can drop their kids off for a few hours a day. We do however, care for our students and their well being. We attempt to instill vital social skills and willingness to push themselves into them at an early age. We try to impress the importance of being good people on them and the ability to take responsibility for the knowledge and skills they are taught. I suppose you could count that towards the community.

It is my personal opinion that martial arts aren't made for going around trying to pander up to the community. Fair enough doing small events and things for charities and such is okay, but always the main focus should be the individual and their martial arts. As for business or community aspects; to me a dojo is a place I go to train and to teach. I don't make money and I wouldn't accept it if it was offered, martial arts weren't meant for making money (but that's another rant on another topic somehwere).

 

[thekuntawman]

i think a teacher personality will tell you if he's just making money or he wants to change somebody life. the martial arts you can make a whole lot of money, even with my junkie schools, i can take care of a lot of family back home, and i can give my kids everything they want. we are in a good position to help people, but some people understand alms, some people do not.

there is a saying, in my religion, which is, "purify your wealth". you can be uneducated, and poor, and because the arts, make a good living and buy a house etc. you clean your money by helping people who need it, but the ones who do not pay for it at the end.

 

[AMP-RYU]

I teach for many different reasons, I like to help troubled students, we donate our time around the community, free self defense courses for teachers of our school districts. But I also have to say I put so much time into developing my art and school and working with my students, this is my full time job and I probably spend 15 hours a day working, so I strive to make as much money as I can, not to rip of my students because I only charge $20 per month, but to better my school and make my association larger! I feel if you charge $100 per month there are alot of kids out there that will never get to join the martial arts. So I only charge $20 this gives everyone the opportunity. I do charge bimonthly testing fees of $35. But Im still cheaper than anyone else can touch.