Im considering teaching private lessons, your feedback is greatly appreciated.

[isshinryuronin]

I've been practicing martial arts for 15 years total, and I've earned a few ranks in several systems.

Shotokan-Shodan

Kyokushin-blue belt

Shorin Ryu-Shodan

BJJ-2 stripe white

With the exception of guiding a few stretches before class, I have never taught. Due to priorities like family and career, I am not actively training. I'm considering using the space I have to teach a maximum of 1-3 people individually. Id prefer to be on a more low profile teacher (no huge advertising). I simply figured I'd refer back to my MA credentials and see how I can use it to make a little cash by imparting what I know. I have no curriculum or ideas on what and how to teach.

You realize that shodan (without teaching experience) is not that high of a rank that would qualify one to teach much beyond the basics. Do you plan on teaching one of your styles, or a hodgepodge combo? There is a big difference between the styles you have dabbled in and there would be compatibility issues if you try to combine them. I think those that would pay for private lessons would expect a higher level of overall experience and expertise. Are you confident that you can deliver the goods?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Some organizations do not want you to teach the system in conjunction with other styles, and they also want the org fees.

I'm always the rebellion type. I will never allow any organization to put restiction on me. I do know that I don't belong to the main stream, I don't expect people to always agree with me.

Why don't you start your own organization? It's better to be the head of a chicken than to be the tail of a cow. Is that why US is separated from UK - No more queen?

The ACSCA doesn't care whether a white belt student who teaches to his students. That white belt student just can't give out any official ACSCA certificate. But if that white belt student wants to offer his own certificate, ACSCA won't have any control over it.

Can US president knight a person as a UK queen can? May be not. But the US president can do a lot of other things.

 

[Jared Traveler]

Congratulations on having a desire to teach. I would say, first learn to be comfortable teaching at your level (don't try to be something you aren't), be upfront and honest about your credentials and experience.

Two, determine what type of class you can realistically teach. Is it MMA style, self-defense focused? Then stick to that, don't try to adapt to what people ask for. If you are running a self-defense focused class, don't try to turn it into an MMA gym, because that's what people want. Figure out what you can and want to teach well. Then own it and be comfortable in it.

Develop yourself as a trainer. Learn how to write a 6 month lesson plan, a 3 month lesson plan, a month lesson plan and a weekly plan. Understand skill development. Understand skills and drills.

Also consider what type of liability you are taking on, if you are opening this class up to just anybody.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I've been practicing martial arts for 15 years total, and I've earned a few ranks in several systems.

Shotokan-Shodan

Kyokushin-blue belt

Shorin Ryu-Shodan

BJJ-2 stripe white





With the exception of guiding a few stretches before class, I have never taught. Due to priorities like family and career, I am not actively training. I'm considering using the space I have to teach a maximum of 1-3 people individually. Id prefer to be on a more low profile teacher (no huge advertising). I simply figured I'd refer back to my MA credentials and see how I can use it to make a little cash by imparting what I know. I have no curriculum or ideas on what and how to teach.

True and completely agree, but some organizations/styles are very strict about how you teach the style or keep close tabs on you. Some organizations do not want you to teach the system in conjunction with other styles, and they also want the org fees.

Thats my head ache if I chose to teach the systems individually, plus more time will need to be allotted to teach each one

Seems honestly like you're a bit confused regarding what you want to do. The biggest thing to me is be honest regarding your experience (ie: if you supplement your system with ground grappling, let them know you're just a white belt in BJJ), and your current inability to give certs in the style, and be aware that most students aren't going to care. They want to learn martial arts, not be in some organization they never heard of.

Regarding organizations keeping tabs on you, that's theoretically possible, but I doubt they'd take any sort of legal action unless you become huge. They won't even know if you don't tell them. I made you a flowchart to help plan it out.

 

[Flying Crane]

Buy liability insurance specific for teaching martial arts.

 

[hoshin1600]

Don't get discouraged if ...
A, you don't attract students
B. The ones you do start to teach don't last more than a few lessons.

Most students don't stay. A large school stays open by sifting through 20 to find one that sticks. If your teaching on the side the numbers are not in your favor.

I would advise learning how to teach before you start charging money. You are providing a service, if you can't uphold your side of the deal with competence, your students could feel cheated and that they are wasting their time.

Try teaching for free so you can work through problems without the expectations.

 

[geezer]

Don't get discouraged if ...
A, you don't attract students
B. The ones you do start to teach don't last more than a few lessons.

Yep.

...You are providing a service, if you can't uphold your side of the deal with competence, your students could feel cheated and that they are wasting their time

Yep. Put some effort into giving your students organized, quality instruction ...understanding that you are also learning to teach as you go. Just do your best, but don't worry about being perfect.

Try teaching for free so you can work through problems without the expectations.

Nope. Don't teach for free ...if you want your students to value what they are learning. Rather, teach for a fair, modest fee. That's what I do.

 

[hoshin1600]

Yep.

Yep. Put some effort into giving your students organized, quality instruction ...understanding that you are also learning to teach as you go. Just do your best, but don't worry about being perfect.

Nope. Don't teach for free ...if you want your students to value what they are learning. Rather, teach for a fair, modest fee. That's what I do.

For clarification I was suggesting teaching for free for the experience short term. Most students learn to teach under their own instructor for free or in trade for class tuition. Lots of fields require time as an intern.
So yes, teach somewhere somehow for free for the experience before teaching professionally for money.

 

[Flying Crane]

I offer new students four free sessions, so they can experience the methodology and decide if they like working with me. When choosing a teacher, the fit needs to be good. I like that they are able to then make a more educated decision if they choose to continue.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Nope. Don't teach for free ...if you want your students to value what they are learning. Rather, teach for a fair, modest fee. That's what I do.

I have never charged a single penny for training anyone. Never. Ever. Not even once.

What a shame to learn that none of those students value what I taught. I'm so depressed.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Don't teach for free ...

When I paid my teacher's round trip airline ticket, room and board (stay in my house), plus $1800 monthly salary, it makes no sense for me to teach for free.

 

[geezer]

I have never charged a single penny for training anyone. Never. Ever. Not even once.

What a shame to learn that none of those students value what I taught. I'm so depressed.

I'm sorry I had to break the news to you. Perhaps your students have been fooling you all this time by working hard, showing commitment, and getting skillful at martial arts? I can see how that might confuse you!

Seriously though, asking for a small financial commitment often helps to motivate students, you know "skin in the game" and all that. If you have found students who are motivated without needing that, it is a testament to high value they place on your instruction.

 

[geezer]

When I paid my teacher's round trip airline ticket, room and board (stay in my house), plus $1800 monthly salary, it makes no sense for me to teach for free.

Well, Chang Dong Sheng was a true martial arts legend. I'm not surprised that you showed respect by paying him a substantial amount, and as his direct student, your time is also valuable.

On the other hand, I have had a couple students who trained diligently but fell on hard times and I continued to train them at no charge. I did accept their offers to trade work for training ...even if it was just a token gesture, like helping me clean up my yard. But then, I just run a small "club" and don't have the overhead and bills that a commercial instructor has.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I'm sorry I had to break the news to you. Perhaps your students have been fooling you all this time by working hard, showing commitment, and getting skillful at martial arts? I can see how that might confuse you!

Seriously though, asking for a small financial commitment often helps to motivate students, you know "skin in the game" and all that. If you have found students who are motivated without needing that, it is a testament to high value they place on your instruction.

Back in 1976, one of Cheng Man Ching's students from NY told me that CMC charged $4000 for learning his 37 Movement Taiji fom. If you asked him to correct your form, he will charge you another $4000.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I continued to train them at no charge.

If my students would spar/wrestle with me in training, I would stop charging them. They won't be my students any more. They became my training partners. I would teach them less and spar/wrestle with them more. My lunch time training session was like that. It was my privite fighting club.

The concern is I won't be able to help them to develop a proper training program. They just trained what I felt like to train myself at any particular moment. So I don't know that can be good or bad.

 

[Flying Crane]

Well, I do buy liability insurance and I have a website and some business cards, and I pay a small fee to the city Park and Recreation Department because I hold class in the park. I charge a very modest fee. It would be nice if someday I had enough students to break even, so I’m not paying for the privilege of teaching people.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

You're not qualified to promote, so how will you do that? On what authority?

 

[SifuBoza]

When I paid my teacher's round trip airline ticket, room and board (stay in my house), plus $1800 monthly salary, it makes no sense for me to teach for free.

What martial arts do you teach? Where do you find that teacher? I want to find student like you..really want to teach real wing chun somebody who is wiling to teach like i am..

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Yep.

Yep. Put some effort into giving your students organized, quality instruction ...understanding that you are also learning to teach as you go. Just do your best, but don't worry about being perfect.

Nope. Don't teach for free ...if you want your students to value what they are learning. Rather, teach for a fair, modest fee. That's what I do.

Well that is a good point, not teaching free, but a fair modest fee.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Well that is a good point, not teaching free, but a fair modest fee.

A soft drink company X start to sell in a country. Another soft drink company Y gets in and starts to offer free soft drink. A year later, the soft drink company X bankrupts. The soft drink company Y starts to charge twice as much on the soft drink.

After all the MA instructors die by starvation, you can charge as much as you want from your MA teaching.