Goldendragon7
Grandmaster
I mean, have you noticed easier promotions, new classes (cardio kickboxing (with no touching - lol)) or any other noticible changes.... good or bad?
Have you notices any changes in your Studios Operations lately?
- Thread starter Goldendragon7
- Start date
satans.barber
Master Black Belt
Our junior class has dropped from a regular ~15-20 per night to a regular ~4-6 per night...which isn't good.
We still trying to work out why! Theories include:
'kids don't like anything that's too difficult these days'
'if we tell them to behave it's too much like school'
'MA just isn't trendy with kids these days (sub-argument: most of them haven't seen Karate Kid and been inspired like 80's kids (i.e. me!))'
'they miss Glen'
etc...
We've made a poster to put up locally to try and attract some new people, hopefully that will help
Ian.
We still trying to work out why! Theories include:
'kids don't like anything that's too difficult these days'
'if we tell them to behave it's too much like school'
'MA just isn't trendy with kids these days (sub-argument: most of them haven't seen Karate Kid and been inspired like 80's kids (i.e. me!))'
'they miss Glen'
etc...
We've made a poster to put up locally to try and attract some new people, hopefully that will help
Ian.
D_Brady
Purple Belt
I raised tuition 10$ a month, but I stopped charging for tests. Everyone thought that was great,they knew tuiton might go up at some point. This took the sting out of it.In the end I make more money with the extra 10$ a month than I do test fees. Oh a side note Black Belt test will still have a fee.
Atlanta-Kenpo
Blue Belt
I will say that teaching at a large (400+) profesional school is very challenging. No one wants to earn rank and learn what is needed to honestly advance in thier art/any art. We have a saying at our school that it is the 97% that pay the bills so that the rest of us (3 %) can crash and bang and learn out art.
I think most people just join karate for something to do and are not verry serious about it. In our school the farther you get the more difficult it is supposed to get. However, it seems that we tend to lose student around the intermediat level. IF anyone has any ideas then please let me know. I think people want to be challenge but if you make it difficult they won't come. I wish I knew the answer to this question.
I think most people just join karate for something to do and are not verry serious about it. In our school the farther you get the more difficult it is supposed to get. However, it seems that we tend to lose student around the intermediat level. IF anyone has any ideas then please let me know. I think people want to be challenge but if you make it difficult they won't come. I wish I knew the answer to this question.
Mark L
Brown Belt
Attrition in the class (I'm in brown-black belt class). Lately it has been myself and a bunch of high schoolers. Most of my contemporaries (30 - 50 yrs old) have been slowly trickling away, showing up here and there, without really striving for anything. I suspect the attrition is due to the size of the curriculum and the rigor of advancing in rank. The tests keep getting longer and harder, the standards keep getting higher. I'm glad the bar is set high, but sometimes I feel like I'm chasing a target moving slightly faster than me.
Messing with the kids is OK, it keeps me on my toes. But sometimes the lack of seriousness to the study is frustrating for me. Personally, I'm on a mission. I want black. I want it because of the knowledge and commitment it represents. I know it's just a belt, but it is a milestone I've sought for many years.
Cardio kickboxing has always been there. New additions include yoga, Pilates, and aerobics. The school is expanding, the instructor is trying to make a better living for himself. So far the expansion has not affected the karate stuff at all.
K
kkbb
Guest
I don't think there is any one answer.... I think it is a combination of things...
We also tend to loose students in the intermedaite level (around the 2 year mark) because they loose interest or their lives change. External pressures... jobs, family, school, boys, girls & other pressures put a damper on their martial arts interest. But.. most notable though is that generally the one's that leave are usually the ones who were probabley not going to be black belts anyway.
They enjoyed comming, learned something and moved on. Your right, you do need the masses to pay the bills.. but sometimes the "cream" rises to the top and remains focused on their goals.
Probabley the most effective way to combat boredom is to recognize even the smallest accomplishments by individuals. Making a big deal out of stripes when they recieve them, award for improvements, etc...
Yes, I have noticed some changes to the publics perception of what a school should be... I think it is foolish not to acknowledge that perception. I don't mean we should jump on the "fad" bandwagon, but we should not fully dismiss them either. Sometime rephrasing terminology can help. Try the words "personal protection" rather than "self defense" in ads. To cool the thirst for "Cardio Kickboxing" I have started to incorporate "Shadow Kickboxing" in my warmups.
I could go on for hours but I have work to do, have to figure out what we are doing for tonite's classes.
TTYL
Jim
Actually there have been several changes at the school I train at. My instructor has implemented several new programs, BJJ, Fitness Kickboxing, and at first I was afraid we'd McDojo. Over time, I've relaxed because the addition of these new programs has done nothing to effect our Kenpo program, and that's what I was afraid of. In an even more positive light our childrens program has grown by leaps and bounds. After the summer ended a lot of kids who'd been gone came back all at once and our class exploded. Things are going really well for us.
-Rob
-Rob
