What make a successful TKD school

[Daniel Sullivan]

In my opinion having a MA supply store to "get more cash from their students" is a good thing. If they dont buy their MA gear from you they are only going to go to a martial arts store and spend their money there. Vending machines are also a great idea, if students are going to roll up to class with a gatorade in their hand they may as well be purchasing it from the club and you pocket the money. Again, if they dont buy it from you they have to buy it somewhere.In winter the students are going to wear a jacket to class and they may as well purchase one from the club with your dojang name on it because everywhere they wear it they are giving you free advertising. There are plenty of ways of making the extra dollars out of your dojand and you shouldnt think your school is any less reputable if you take advantage of these things. Its your living and you should try to make as good money as you can providing the quality of instruction doesnt suffer and your fees remain in line with your competitors.

So long as the school isn't gouging people on the gear, I think that having a pro shop is a good idea generally.

Now, requiring students to buy your gear and/or charging excessive fees for gear is another story.

Daniel

 

[Xue Sheng]

In my opinion having a MA supply store to "get more cash from their students" is a good thing. If they dont buy their MA gear from you they are only going to go to a martial arts store and spend their money there. Vending machines are also a great idea, if students are going to roll up to class with a gatorade in their hand they may as well be purchasing it from the club and you pocket the money. Again, if they dont buy it from you they have to buy it somewhere.In winter the students are going to wear a jacket to class and they may as well purchase one from the club with your dojang name on it because everywhere they wear it they are giving you free advertising. There are plenty of ways of making the extra dollars out of your dojand and you shouldnt think your school is any less reputable if you take advantage of these things. Its your living and you should try to make as good money as you can providing the quality of instruction doesnt suffer and your fees remain in line with your competitors.

Absolutely nothing wrong with an MA supply store but they tend to use it for everything from MA supplies to the "Required board" that is needed if you want your kids to break boards. No you can’t go out and get the same exact board form elsewhere you have to buy theirs. For the record it is a ¼ inch thick pine board.

And then there is the theme weeks; board breaking, weapon, jump rope, balloon, etc. And of course they do not tell a new student or that students parents about any of this and you get slammed with it and you end up having to buy the boards, weapons, jump rope (yes they require THEIR jump rope) and balloons… how much does a bag of balloons cost for crying out loud… and they sell the balloons. I went out a bought a bag of balloons, believe it or not they did not require “Their” balloons and during balloon week I gave them away to the parents that did not know it was balloon week so they would not have to pay a $1 for a damn 3 cent balloon.

Then when you complain they say, well we have a schedule that is on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'. WHAT, you didn’t see it and NO we will not print you a copy.

After my last round with them the schedule was moved from the training area where parents could not see it to the door so parents could see it.

Vending machine water, juice, gator aide ok, vending machine Pepsi, coke and ice crème not ok IMO.

OK, I am too old school and my TKD was back before TKD was an Olympic sport at School #1 of my first post. And I am sick and tired of the belt factory that my daughter is enrolled in so I went into a bit of a rant there, sorry.

 

[bluewaveschool]

so take her to a school that isn't a belt factory?

 

[granfire]

Absolutely nothing wrong with an MA supply store but they tend to use it for everything from MA supplies to the "Required board" that is needed if you want your kids to break boards. No you can’t go out and get the same exact board form elsewhere you have to buy theirs. For the record it is a ¼ inch thick pine board.

And then there is the theme weeks; board breaking, weapon, jump rope, balloon, etc. And of course they do not tell a new student or that students parents about any of this and you get slammed with it and you end up having to buy the boards, weapons, jump rope (yes they require THEIR jump rope) and balloons… how much does a bag of balloons cost for crying out loud… and they sell the balloons. I went out a bought a bag of balloons, believe it or not they did not require “Their” balloons and during balloon week I gave them away to the parents that did not know it was balloon week so they would not have to pay a $1 for a damn 3 cent balloon.

Then when you complain they say, well we have a schedule that is on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'. WHAT, you didn’t see it and NO we will not print you a copy.

After my last round with them the schedule was moved from the training area where parents could not see it to the door so parents could see it.

Vending machine water, juice, gator aide ok, vending machine Pepsi, coke and ice crème not ok IMO.

OK, I am too old school and my TKD was back before TKD was an Olympic sport at School #1 of my first post. And I am sick and tired of the belt factory that my daughter is enrolled in so I went into a bit of a rant there, sorry.

no, rant away, that's how we learn.

Like I said, I crossed sabers with a somewhat prominent school owner in the organization. Some people had wondered why the people in the internship program were now asked to pay a yearly fee on their volunteer activity. This gentleman managed to add his own spin to it: created the leadership program, asked another 60$ a month for it.
It did cover some perks, like testing fees (around 4 tests a year) the fee and the 'leadership class' he got mad when I called bogus on him. The testing fees don't cost him a lot, the class he had to hold anyhow...

 

[Xue Sheng]

so take her to a school that isn't a belt factory?

1 year contract

When it is up we stop and frankly I am so disappointed in TKD as it is in my area and from what I read about many schools I do believe I shall train her myself and if she wants to go to another MA school I will wait a couple of years take her around to look and see what she wants.

no, rant away, that's how we learn.

Like I said, I crossed sabers with a somewhat prominent school owner in the organization. Some people had wondered why the people in the internship program were now asked to pay a yearly fee on their volunteer activity. This gentleman managed to add his own spin to it: created the leadership program, asked another 60$ a month for it.
It did cover some perks, like testing fees (around 4 tests a year) the fee and the 'leadership class' he got mad when I called bogus on him. The testing fees don't cost him a lot, the class he had to hold anyhow...

I don’t know what he is charging for his leadership group and I am afraid to ask since his black belt group is a 5 year contract at $6000 and what surprises me is the number of students he has in his specialty classes. Last time I counted there were at least 25 to 30 in his black belt class alone

 

[clfsean]

back when i first started training all the Y had was a candy machine and a RC Cola machine.

When I started, it was a gun range with no A/C in the summer, minimum heat in the winter & a water fountain. We swept the floors every night to clean up the powder that didn't burn, lead shavings & splinters from the target backdrops that flew after getting shot.

You were in a Ritz Carlton compared to me & nowadays... jeez... I can't imagine 90% of the people nowadays training like that.

 

[Xue Sheng]

When I started, it was a gun range with no A/C in the summer, minimum heat in the winter & a water fountain. We swept the floors every night to clean up the powder that didn't burn, lead shavings & splinters from the target backdrops that flew after getting shot.

You were in a Ritz Carlton compared to me & nowadays... jeez... I can't imagine 90% of the people nowadays training like that.

Back when I started we had a dirt floor in the cave so sweeping was a waste of time and we had to fight off a T-Rex just to get to the school

Actually it was on the second floor, no elevator, no AC and little heat. Also in the beginning, no pads and no protective gear. Just a big room, a carpeted floor, a heavy bag and some target bags and a stretching machine of sorts... but we did have a fruit juice vending machine (actualy real live natural fruit juice) that I beleive may have cost 25 cents and it was the only juice vending machine I ever saw

 

[clfsean]

Back when I started we had a dirt floor in the cave so sweeping was a waste of time and we had to fight off a T-Rex just to get to the school

Actually it was on the second floor, no elevator, no AC and little heat. Also in the beginning, no pads and no protective gear. Just a big room, a carpeted floor, a heavy bag and some target bags and a stretching machine of sorts... but we did have a fruit juice vending machine (actualy real live natural fruit juice) that I beleive may have cost 25 cents and it was the only juice vending machine I ever saw

I teach in a rec center 2 days a week & in a park 1 day a week. It's going to be rainy & cold (low 40's for the high only) this Sunday. I'd kill to have that gun range back again.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I teach in a rec center 2 days a week & in a park 1 day a week. It's going to be rainy & cold (low 40's for the high only) this Sunday. I'd kill to have that gun range back again.

Could be worse... could be where I am... this Sunday we may have a snow storm with highs in this 20s... actually... that would be exactly the weather my Sanda sifu would have dragged me out in to train...well what do you know there is something good about not training Sanda anymore after all :uhyeah:

 

[granfire]

When I started, it was a gun range with no A/C in the summer, minimum heat in the winter & a water fountain. We swept the floors every night to clean up the powder that didn't burn, lead shavings & splinters from the target backdrops that flew after getting shot.

You were in a Ritz Carlton compared to me & nowadays... jeez... I can't imagine 90% of the people nowadays training like that.

sounds about like the average school gym around here (minus gunpowder, naturally)
I always felt we grew 2 inches after a day of demos...

 

[granfire]

I don’t know what he is charging for his leadership group and I am afraid to ask since his black belt group is a 5 year contract at $6000 and what surprises me is the number of students he has in his specialty classes. Last time I counted there were at least 25 to 30 in his black belt class alone

Well, that was one of his arguments, his clients were happy and there was no other school in the area...

I am all for making money, but I lack the chutzpa to fleece people....

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

At KMA, the facility is nice, but there is minimal heat in the winter and only ceiling fans; no AC in the training area.

My private students get to enjoy all of the creature comforts.... of my garage! Except for kendo/kumdo. For that I rent space at a ballet studio.

Daniel

 

[dancingalone]

I have a private dojo built as an add-on to my house. It is nicely furnished with wooden floors along with built-in striking posts set directly into the floor surface. We do have air conditioning and heating along with a hardworking refrigerator with ice and cold water available.

I understand the appeal of 'roughing it', but at this point of my life, I'd rather teach the best lessons I can free of distractions. Hopefully, the time my students don't spend avoiding bugs or sun or rain means can be spent on more direct learning.

If I ever opened a full-time dojo in a commercial space, it would likely have the same amenities as any other modern gym.