Really bummed about my recent test

[andyjeffries]

Unless you’re running a fight gym, your credentials aren’t really all that important most of the time. Far more important is what you can do to benefit the student. When I sit down to enroll a student, my rank comes up maybe 1% of the time. I do mention my years of experience and my education credentials...If and when you first start out, you’ll almost certainly need to market aggressively to be successful, but you won’t be marketing your school based on your rank. I’m not saying you shouldn’t bother with credentials, just that those credentials will be far more important to you than to the vast majority of your potential students.

This ^ Absolutely this ^

If you have higher rank than the others in your area, use it (it's a marketing plus point), if you don't have it, then emphasise other areas (extensive curriculum, family-friendly environment, health benefits, etc) in your marketing/advertising. As Jaeimseu said, most people don't really care. They see a black belt in the west as a super ninja-killer, and most don't know what different Dan numbers even mean.

 

[dvcochran]

Like I said, a few eccentricities. I even told him that I found these posted on a couple of different sites.



I don't really see that happening here. For one, they would be my competition. For another, they would be my competition.

On the one hand, if students are shopping around and my credentials are significantly less, I'm less marketable.

On the other hand, I don't see why a business owner would want to help me, when my customers could potentially be their customers. At the very least, I don't think my Master would promote anyone who didn't learn his curriculum, his way; because he doesn't want his name on something not done his way.

That is a compromising approach especially in a service industry. I encourage you not to let your experience(s) taint your future plans and to warm up to the idea of an open door. Better to get to know and learn about your competition and figure out what you can do different or better. Even better than that is to be very, very good at your core stuff. If you want to be competitive, or at least keep the doors open for that matter it is going to be from Your product and Your offering. And I mean Everything in the first person. That said, ego has to be appropriately checked. Passion on the other hand...
All the stallions are in the same field so what makes yours different? It certainly will not be by trying to make people think you have the only real 'ancient Chinese secret'.
It is quite common to work together and share information between schools. That is a Very good thing that has led to the industry moving forward. And that is coming from someone in a very traditional TKD environment. Lets be real, there really isn't any 'secret' or exclusive information in MA's now-a-days. Possibly in a high end fighter exclusive environment but not at all in the average MA school/system. Like anfyjefferies said KKW and particularly in regards to the Taegueks are a wide open platform.
I still strongly feel the best thing you can do for you is to visit and work out at as many local schools as you can, and farther out if possible. It is eye opening to say the least. That is the best way for anyone to get an idea of what works and what doesn't.
That is no way means you have to break ties with your current school. Possibly better that they do not know about it at all.

 

[skribs]

All the stallions are in the same field so what makes yours different? It certainly will not be by trying to make people think you have the only real 'ancient Chinese secret'.

It's ancient Korean secrets, of course.

I'm lucky that I run my school as a non-profit ethos and have a very "if students want to learn from me, great, if they want to go elsewhere, that's fine too" sort of attitude. However, as I understand most US schools aren't that way, let me use my business experience to explain why it may still work.

That's kind of the point. If they want to learn elsewhere, then the "elsewhere" should be responsible for their learning (not me).

If Master X in another area agrees to help you with testing:

a) he's in another area so not really your competition for students
b) he could charge some fee for the testing every time
c) he forms a relationship with another school leading to:
1) more potential customers for any products he makes
2) more potential customers for any seminars he hosts

As long as you're not asking another master that is just a few miles away, there are benefits aside from the potential competition.

I guess this is the biggest thing - that it's not close enough to be direct competition. I can imagine it from my perspective. If I were an instructor, this would be my thought process:

• If you are far away and there's nobody else in the area, that makes sense
• If you are far away and there's another Master closer to you, why aren't you under him?
• If you are close, why aren't you under me?

 

[skribs]

For anyone questioning my teaching abilities: yesterday, one of my students said I'm the best teacher he's ever had.

I'm going to ignore the small sample size of him being in first grade and just accept that I am the best teacher ever.

 

[dvcochran]

It's ancient Korean secrets, of course.



That's kind of the point. If they want to learn elsewhere, then the "elsewhere" should be responsible for their learning (not me).



I guess this is the biggest thing - that it's not close enough to be direct competition. I can imagine it from my perspective. If I were an instructor, this would be my thought process:

• If you are far away and there's nobody else in the area, that makes sense
• If you are far away and there's another Master closer to you, why aren't you under him?
• If you are close, why aren't you under me?

That is just very wrong thinking, regardless of the service industry. Why worry so much about the other guy when you can probably become better worrying about yourself/your own school?

 

[skribs]

That is just very wrong thinking, regardless of the service industry. Why worry so much about the other guy when you can probably become better worrying about yourself/your own school?

For one, that's exactly my point. Why help his school? Especially if I would need to travel to ratify his tests. If he's close, why help the competition?

If I'm ratifying their tests, do I know how much I'm ratifying? Is it fair to the students if I objectively grade one student high who has natural talent and a horrible attitude, because I don't know him, and grade another student poorly because I don't know of their injury history or medical conditions?

These would be my thoughts if someone asked me to test their students. (Assuming I was qualified, I'd have even more concerns right now.)

 

[dvcochran]

For one, that's exactly my point. Why help his school? Especially if I would need to travel to ratify his tests. If he's close, why help the competition?

If I'm ratifying their tests, do I know how much I'm ratifying? Is it fair to the students if I objectively grade one student high who has natural talent and a horrible attitude, because I don't know him, and grade another student poorly because I don't know of their injury history or medical conditions?

These would be my thoughts if someone asked me to test their students. (Assuming I was qualified, I'd have even more concerns right now.)

C'mon man. There is just so much wrong with that thinking. Plus you have to acknowledge you are getting way ahead of yourself in that reasoning.
Everyone needs help, usually more often than we want to acknowledge. Having good relations with other schools and instructors is a major asset and a must have for a successful, vibrant school. With that kind of hoarding mentality you are going to have a hard time finding help when you need it.
In context, ratifying someone's certificate/promotion is an honor and should be thought of that way. In your two examples, I would hope a person testing the good skill/poor attitude person would pick up on that and/or be informed by the person's instructor. The same should certainly be true for the person with a medical condition. That would be piss poor preparation on the front end of a testing.
I really, really feel you logic is being dictated by your experience. You need to get outside your current experience.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

That's kind of the point. If they want to learn elsewhere, then the "elsewhere" should be responsible for their learning (not me).

Maybe due to moving to different cities and age (adult), I've always felt that my learning was my responsibility.

(I attended 4 different schools before getting a black belt).

I look to teachers to teach, then it is up to me to think about it and practise it.