Running a School FULL-TIME

[Samurai]

How many people here operate a school full-time?

My city has many 'general' karate / Tae Kwon Do schools, but I was thinking of starting a school with more of a self-defense / personal protection flavor.

I have taught many classes on a part-time basis, but not sure if this will fly full-time. I am thinking of arts simaler to Krav Maga, kali, and more of a combat flavored karate blend.

Thanks again
Jeremy Bays

 

[chaos1551]

I'm newish at this whole scene. But when I think of joining a school, I think of wanting to study one art. I may be in a minority, but I'm not interested in blends (I don't mind learning more than one style as long as they are differentiated--maybe I misunderstand what you mean by "blend"). I like the idea of doing something oriented toward self-defense because that's why I train (opposed to sports training).

Ultimately, if I were you I'd teach what I'd want to learn for two reasons: one, I'd have more interest and passion in what I'm teaching; two, I would more likely gather students that are like-minded with me.

 

[geezer]

How many people here operate a school full-time?

Full time? Not only no, but hell no! To do it right and make a liveble wage would be way too demanding. For me it would sap my energy, passion and the enjoyment of practicing the martial arts. Consider this: I also trained as an artist (got me an MFA) and was doing pretty well with my shows... although not well financially. Then back in '95. I became a full time art teacher. Now I can pay the bills, but I haven't had a major show since. And at the end of each semester I head into the summer thinking, "OK now I'll make art for myself..." Never happens. Too burned out and too many other demands to meet. I just look forward to retirement. Well, I don't want to have that happen to my passion for the martial arts too. So I run a class at the Y, another at a park ...and it's enough for me. It may be different for others. Good luck!

 

[searcher]

I wish I could make mine full-time, but it is just not happeneing. I also work as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor to help pay the bills. My Wife and I live a very minute lifestyle(living thin).

I want to make it "full-time," but it will be a long, hard road.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

How many people here operate a school full-time?

My city has many 'general' karate / Tae Kwon Do schools, but I was thinking of starting a school with more of a self-defense / personal protection flavor.

I have taught many classes on a part-time basis, but not sure if this will fly full-time. I am thinking of arts simaler to Krav Maga, kali, and more of a combat flavored karate blend.

Thanks again
Jeremy Bays

I do not do so full time (I have a some private students), but I have made very careful observations of my own GM, who does do so full time.

Firstly, you need not only meet a target student count, you need to have new students coming in to replenish the ranks as you lose students by attrition.

Secondly, a target number of those students need to be up to date and paying. Belt test fees and such may pad or supplement this.

Thirdly, know your target customer. The bulk of the money to be made in MA is with families and kids. If you are running an old school, hard core, traditional, whack-em with a shinai when they screw up dojo, don't market to parents and kids.

Fourth, if SD is your primary focus, make it tangible and practical. An SD oriented school can still cater to parents and kids; there is a legitimate need for kids to be able to defend themselves. But the material needs to be appropriate to parents and kids. Don't mix adults and kids. Hard core adult students will be put off by kids and the kids and parents will wig out if the kids are being thrown around by adults, and all will suffer in quality of training.

Fifth, if you are going to go after a smaller market (hard core students, adult only, etc.) you will have to work hard on letting students know you exist and have what they are looking for. And you will have to deliver.

Sixth, make sure to focus on long term retention. Lots of sign ups are worthless if they all quit after six months. Good retention can get you through lean economic times, though.

Bottom line is that you now have a bottom line and this will dictate that you run a successful business and focus on doing so every bit as much as you focus on training and teaching. The business end will make you or break you. You will have decisions to make that may make good business sense, but may go against your personal beliefs (such as use of billing companies and contracts).

I hope some of that helps. And I wish you the best in your endeavor!

Daniel

 

[blindsage]

It also depends on what you mean by 'full-time'. Most people who talk about 'full-time' teaching don't seem to mean the same thing as 'full-time' would be for another job. Are you talking about teaching classes 5-6 days a week, mostly in the evening? Because that doesn't necessarily equate to 'full-time', and it doesn't necessarily equate to being able to pay the bills. My school has classes 5 days a week, but the head of the school doesn't teach them all and his 'full-time' job is the nursery he owns and runs.

Aside from that, making a living from an MA school is a very difficult prospect if that's what your hoping for. High dues and children's classes or more fitness oriented classes are how most schools that are profitable maintain profitability, but not always even then. There is a school in my area that is fairly succesful that does a Muay Thai, Kali, grappling, JKD blend. Know how they do it? No contact sparring, none. And their marketing really brings in a fitness plus oriented crowd. People who like the idea of self-defense and fitness combined and like being told they don't have to get hit to learn it. That's a big crowd.

 

[terryl965]

I have a fulltime studio but I only have twenty three fulltime paying customers. With that being said I have programs to suppliment my income though Charter Schools programs, you know twice a week for an hour and they pay me good money to profide this service. If I was to really run a fulltime commercial school I would need twenty five afterschoolers and 50 fulltime students but since this will never happen in my life time we just get by because we love teaching a martial art to the people of our community.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

I ran a full time school for six years. With two kids now, I ended up selling off some programs and keeping only my most senior students, who train with me in my garage.

The school you describe will be very difficult to make a go of as a full-time, brick-and-mortar, professional school. Kids pay the bills, and that kind of program won't attract enough kids.

HOWEVER, you might very well be able to make a good supplementary wage, or even a working class living wage, teaching those classes out of a gym, community center or local armory.

Best of luck to you, whatever your decision. Please come to MT for help. There's a lot of experienced people out here.

 

[Samurai]

Thanks for all your insights.
I was taught for 20+ years from garages, YMCAs, parks, and very small schools (20 or so). I am not too fond of the sports karate (nothing against people who are into that, it is just not me) so I was looking more into the SD branches.

Thanks again,
Jeremy Bays

 

[Danny T]

How many people here operate a school full-time?

My city has many 'general' karate / Tae Kwon Do schools, but I was thinking of starting a school with more of a self-defense / personal protection flavor.

I have taught many classes on a part-time basis, but not sure if this will fly full-time. I am thinking of arts simaler to Krav Maga, kali, and more of a combat flavored karate blend.

Thanks again
Jeremy Bays

What do you consider "Full-time"?
I own a training center with approx 150 members: approx 30 are children.
We are open from 5:30pm till 9:30pm Mon thru Thur. and Sat morning 8:30-12:30pm

We provide training for teens and adults in:
Wing Chun, 3 training sessions per week
Muay Thai, 3 training sessions per week
Kali, 2 training sessions per week
MMA, 2 training sessions per week combination of boxing, muay thai, bjj.
Fitness Kickboxing, 2 training sessions per week
Jing Mo, 6 training sessions a week. This is our most popular adult training program and is a self-defense program based upon a blending of everything we have available for training at the training center. It is also what I consider "self-defense Lite". Yes it is the most popular but it "Is NOT" hardcore self-defense. It pays the bills while introducing and getting members in shape mentally and physically for the other training programs if they are serious about training a true martial art.

Children's program:
7-12 yrs. a strong Muay Thai base with BJJ and Shotokan Karate utilized.
4-6 yrs. Little Dragons program.



As to having to have a strong children's program I believe this shows it can be done without a big children's program.

Danny T

 

[Mark Lynn]

How many people here operate a school full-time?

My city has many 'general' karate / Tae Kwon Do schools, but I was thinking of starting a school with more of a self-defense / personal protection flavor.

I have taught many classes on a part-time basis, but not sure if this will fly full-time. I am thinking of arts simaler to Krav Maga, kali, and more of a combat flavored karate blend.

Thanks again
Jeremy Bays

I run a part time program out of a Rec Center, but have been toying with the idea of starting a full time school for a couple of years now. So I kind of understand where your at.

FWIW
1) Unless you know all about running a school as a business or running a business then you need to educate yourself on operating a school as a business and not a hobby. So I would educate yourself first.

2) Search the web for the different martial art consulting companies and there are plenty of them and check them out. There are trail memberships available that give you access to their sites where you can down load various martial art business related articles and such to help educate you. There are plenty of seminars that these companies put out that you might be able to go to and get even more educated.

1 and 2 help get your mind started on the business process, then I would look into what really works in the MA business field.

3) Get certified in a program to teach so you have some backup and help with a curriculum. You mentioned Krav Maga, are you certified to teach it? If not do you understand what it takes to get certified? Cost? Commitments (possibly having to have the head instructors come out yearly for seminars, licensing fees, etc. etc.)?

4) Formulate a business plan on how you want to make money in your school, as in multiple streams of income instead of trying to put all of your eggs in one basket. For instance if you want to teach Krav maga what type of person are you searching for? Young, semi fit, individuals who enjoy hard work and contact. But what about the timid male or female that really could use what you have to offer, who is turned off by the hard contact? They need SD training more than any of the others and would probably stay longer as students, so you might have a class that teaches SD but without the heavy contact. But one of your students might have a child who is being bullied at school and they could use SD training as well, so you might want to have a class for kids etc. etc. so you can capture multiple segments of the population, more students can mean a more stable income.

Work out an upgrade program to include your weapons training (FMA) to allow your Krav people to cross train in and vice a versa for the FMA people to train in KM.

5) Have a workable method of progression with set goals that the student can meet and progress onto the next level. Work out a method for people to help instruct, these people can help with the expanding class schedule later on as the school grows.

6) Start collecting your gear now and try it out on your current students, get use to practicing your drills/skills and such NOW. So when you make your move it will be old hat. Again depending upon what you decide to teach shop around for DVDs ebooks etc. etc. that show different drills to do in class to keep things different so it is not the same old same old. (You'd be surprised how just doing that will help you to expand your knowledge and adjust the drills you currently do.)

I believe you can make any art or blended arts work as long as you are a competent instructor and you make the commitment that you are going to do whatever it takes to succeed, even if that means getting rid of the mindset of trying to run a full time school as a hobby run school.

Mark

 

[shesulsa]

I just started and things seem to be starting fairly well - i have a handful of new adult students and I'm looking to grow all the time.