Working In The Dojo For Lessons

[PhotonGuy]

Karate lessons can be expensive and not everybody can afford them so I was thinking, just how common is it for a sensei to hire a student to do work around the dojo and instead of paying him with money he pays him with lessons? Sort of like how Miguel Diaz was working for Johnny Lawrence to fix up the dojo when he first opened it up, before Kreese took it over. Or it could be argued, how Daniel was doing all that work for Miyagi, waxing cars, sanding decks, painting fences, ect.

 

[Simfers]

In all the time I've been doing martial arts, I've seen it happen to one guy, who would take care of maintenance and landscaping in exchange for training. Made it all the way to black belt that way, too, so it lasted a fair few years. So it exists, but anecdotally, it's pretty rare.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Don't know how common this is today, but 50 years ago it was not rare. Having a dedicated student who can bring in other students or otherwise help the school is more valuable than him paying fees.

 

[Steve]

Karate lessons can be expensive and not everybody can afford them so I was thinking, just how common is it for a sensei to hire a student to do work around the dojo and instead of paying him with money he pays him with lessons? Sort of like how Miguel Diaz was working for Johnny Lawrence to fix up the dojo when he first opened it up, before Kreese took it over. Or it could be argued, how Daniel was doing all that work for Miyagi, waxing cars, sanding decks, painting fences, ect.

I trained BJJ for a time for free because I built and maintained the school website. This was a while back, but bartering definitely happens, and not necessarily because one person can't afford it.

 

[PhotonGuy]

In all the time I've been doing martial arts, I've seen it happen to one guy, who would take care of maintenance and landscaping in exchange for training. Made it all the way to black belt that way, too, so it lasted a fair few years. So it exists, but anecdotally, it's pretty rare.

Well he was very resourceful to be able to do that. Anyway, if he made it to black belt, sometimes after you make it to black belt or after you make it to 2nd or 3rd degree you can get a job at the dojo as an assistant instructor and get paid for it. Its not that common, I've never seen it in any of the dojos I've been to, but I did once know this fellow who had a paying job as an assistant instructor at the dojo he went to.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Don't know how common this is today, but 50 years ago it was not rare. Having a dedicated student who can bring in other students or otherwise help the school is more valuable than him paying fees.

Well by now dojos have sprung up everywhere unlike 50 years ago where dojos could be hard to find. Also many dojos have become businesses more than anything, so it's probably less common than it was 50 years ago.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I trained BJJ for a time for free because I built and maintained the school website. This was a while back, but bartering definitely happens, and not necessarily because one person can't afford it.

Well if you look at most dojos it's mostly children who go there, most of the students at dojos are preteens and younger with a fair amount of teenagers. Yes, adults do train at dojos but they tend to make up the minority. As such, if you're a child and you don't have the earning power of an adult, it can be an option where you work at the dojo in exchange for lessons, if your dojo allows it.

 

[JowGaWolf]

It's not rare. I've seen it a few times. A few years ago I spoke to my first Jow Ga teacher that I had when I was in my 20's. I told him that I had to leave the school back then due to financial challenges where I was unable to continue. He then told me that I should have let the school know this so that they could see what could have been done to help me out so that I could attend. He said his teacher was known for helping students in that way.

The thing is that the school and the chief teacher doesn't do this for everyone. My understanding is that they are willing to do these types of things for people of good character that matches the schools image. It always involves doing more than just being a student and over all the person has to have a strong passion about learning the martial art that is taught at school.

My guess is that this isn't common in the larger schools where there are like 50 students. But I could be wrong. One of the rules for such help is to not let anyone know. When someone tries to help in that manner then it's best not to make things more difficult for the school by saying that you train there for free.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I would be willing to train someone for free, they would just have to have a strong passion for Martial Arts. People who enjoy what they are being taught are easy to teach in comparison to those who have no passion about Martial Arts. Teaching those people seems like a waste of time.