Dojo situation? How set up?

[Bujingodai]

Sort of a misleading title. But what I am asking is how are you set up? I have always been pretty meager on purpose. Small proximity, a lot of situations happen where there is no space so it is relative. Mats I have just enough. Most times over the years out of my basement. 6-10 (have had 40 in my warehouse) students. Very rudimentary. I don't have a fee. I work by honour, donation box you pay what you believe it is worth. That tells me a lot. Mind you I have never run it as a business. So no rent to pay.
But I keep it bare bones purposely

 

[dunc]

Hi
I hire a room in a dance studio, sprung floor, but no mats. Finding a place to rent in London is really hard and I’ve not found one that will let me store mats there
Charge £10 for 3 hour class (1 hour BJJ, 2 hours Buj)
People just leave the cash in a pile on the side (so no admin) and we pretty much break even
Pub after training

 

[Gyakuto]

Hi
I hire a room in a dance studio, sprung floor, but no mats. Finding a place to rent in London is really hard and I’ve not found one that will let me store mats there
Charge £10 for 3 hour class (1 hour BJJ, 2 hours Buj)
People just leave the cash in a pile on the side (so no admin) and we pretty much break even
Pub after training

Do you have some sort of insurance or are you covered by your governing body?

 

[Dirty Dog]

My teaching has always been non-commercial. The YMCA provides a room. If there's nothing available, or just because I feel like it, we train out in the lawn. I provide everything else. I do not charge.

 

[Bujingodai]

Do you have some sort of insurance or are you covered by your governing body?

No just release paperwork. Has always been quite casual

 

[dunc]

Do you have some sort of insurance or are you covered by your governing body?

Yes most places require insurance if you rent a space from them
& I think it's a good idea generally despite there being no major injuries in 25 years of teaching

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Our dojo is just a rented storefront, one of several that we've had in the past 40 years. It's very small, but 20 or so can comfortably train in it. One wall is mirrored, puzzle mat floors. We have a shomen, and a line of Wavemaster-type bags. There's a very small area up front where parents and visitors can sit. We have a liability waiver that all students sign. Dues are $75 a month currently, no contracts. Students are required to wear a white gi, which they can purchase from us or anywhere they want. No fees for promotion testing. If we give our a new colored belt, there's a $15 fee for the belt itself. Certificates are no additional fee for promotion. We sell dojo and affiliation patches, which students can buy and sew onto their gi, or not, as they wish. We teach Isshinryu karate and kobudo and Tokushinryu kobudo to those who additionally wish to learn that.

 

[Gyakuto]

No just release paperwork. Has always been quite casual

It’s alway casual until a student slips on a patch of sweat and injures themselves or trips over the corner of a mat! Then the nice friendly student decides (or their friends and family persuades them) the ‘no win, no fee’ lawyer might be worth calling.

Protect yourself!

 

[Gyakuto]

Our dojo is just a rented storefront, one of several that we've had in the past 40 years. It's very small, but 20
or so can comfortably train in it.

That’s huge!

 

[Bujingodai]

It’s alway casual until a student slips on a patch of sweat and injures themselves or trips over the corner of a mat! Then the nice friendly student decides (or their friends and family persuades them) the ‘no win, no fee’ lawyer might be worth calling.

Protect yourself!

Granted, but for 4 students in my basement. There is one company that does MA insurance here and it runs 1850 a year. But I would have it if I can afford it.

As for the other stuff, don't charge for promotion student buys their own gear. I do charge for a Shodan 100 bucks which gets put into a party for them.

Like stated my fees are donation based. Has been months where the monthly adds up to 30 bucks. But I am not in it for anything other than I want to keep up with my own path. And hopefully help some people learn too.

 

[Gyakuto]

Granted, but for 4 students in my basement.

It would take only one of them to sue you for $100,000 and ruin the rest of your and your family’s life. The population of North American continent are extremely litigious from what I’ve heard

There is one company that does MA insurance here and it runs 1850 a year. But I would have it if I can afford it.

That is excessive. Don’t bother then 😉 Personal liability insurance is is only tens of pounds in the U.K. and of course we get this automatically through our governing body. I can kick my students up the **** freely and without fear 😄

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Our gym is a repurposed warehouse. 2 large mat areas, 2 octagon cages, a boxing ring, a line of heavy bags, and a free weight area. Tends to be hot in the summer and chilly in the winter. $100/month for unlimited classes.

 

[geezer]

Our gym is a repurposed warehouse. 2 large mat areas, 2 octagon cages, a boxing ring, a line of heavy bags, and a free weight area. Tends to be hot in the summer and chilly in the winter. $100/month for unlimited classes.

$100 for unlimited classes? That's a freakin' steal. I'd join if I lived in your area. ...er, do you take old people?

 

[Gyakuto]

$100 for unlimited classes? That's a freakin' steal. I'd join if I lived in your area. ...er, do you take old people?

Yeah but he expects you to polish his shoes, cook his meals and pick up his dry cleaning.

 

[dunc]

Our gym is a repurposed warehouse. 2 large mat areas, 2 octagon cages, a boxing ring, a line of heavy bags, and a free weight area. Tends to be hot in the summer and chilly in the winter. $100/month for unlimited classes.

Curious do you have changing rooms and showers etc?

 

[J. Pickard]

About 2600 Sqft broken up into 2 rooms. Fully padded. I think the building used to be a mechanics garage in the 80s. The training floor is gymnastics carpet bonded foam and we have thin puzzle mats around that where parents and observers can sit and watch. The front wall on each training floor is lined with mirrors which is a great thing to have. The most we have ever had in there was about 60 at once and we were pretty comfortable. We have been in the same location since 1991. We have always been a "for profit" business but until 2019 it was more of a passion project of my instructor so the cost was low and little to no profit was actually made. He worked a full time job so his rule always was as long as his job never had to pay for the dojang it was doing well. Since I took over at the end of 2019 I have been trying to grow it but covid hurt us a lot and we haven't fully recovered yet but we are getting there. We have a broken mirror and my goal is to be able to replace it by next year.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

That’s huge!

Not if we all get to swinging bo around!

 

[Tony Dismukes]

$100 for unlimited classes? That's a freakin' steal. I'd join if I lived in your area. ...er, do you take old people?

Hey, I'd love to have someone older than myself (rather than 30 years younger) to train with. Darn kids have too much energy.

Yeah but he expects you to polish his shoes, cook his meals and pick up his dry cleaning.

I don't need shoe polishing or dry cleaning, but meal preparation sounds nice. @Steve likes to go on about cooking, so maybe if he ever moves to the area I can tell him that's part of the deal.

Curious do you have changing rooms and showers etc?

Changing rooms, yes. Showers, no.

For context, Lexington, Kentucky is comparatively cheap in terms of real estate prices and cost of living. I'm sure that if we were located on the coasts or in a larger metropolitan area then we'd have to charge significantly more. I still think it's a pretty good deal, even for the area, though.

 

[Steve]

Hey, I'd love to have someone older than myself (rather than 30 years younger) to train with. Darn kids have too much energy.

I don't need shoe polishing or dry cleaning, but meal preparation sounds nice. @Steve likes to go on about cooking, so maybe if he ever moves to the area I can tell him that's part of the deal.

Changing rooms, yes. Showers, no.

For context, Lexington, Kentucky is comparatively cheap in terms of real estate prices and cost of living. I'm sure that if we were located on the coasts or in a larger metropolitan area then we'd have to charge significantly more. I still think it's a pretty good deal, even for the area, though.

I'm in.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I couldn't find any pictures on hand which show our whole gym at once, so here are some photos from three different angles. As you might notice, the mats are pretty worn out, but they still function.