No Charge Students

[tshadowchaser]

How many of you see the kid standing outside, watching so intently yet haveing that sad look in their eyes. You see him/her and know that they can't pay a cent to study.
Do you say come on in, do you find a way to get them on the floor to see if they realy have that spark? If they realy want it ( you see it in their action and eyes) do you try to find a way to keep them comeing back without seeming to give charity (floor sweeping, general clean up of school, etc.).
How many of you teach for free at rape prevention or abuse classes?Have you ever taught for free just to teach?
Shadow
Maybe I should have split this into diffrent threads.

 

[Shinzu]

a student who has a passion to learn is an asset to your school and the arts. unfortunately not everyone can afford it. some schools charge outrageous prices.

if i came across a person like this i believe i would teach them for free. perhaps we could cut a resonable deal that he/she could fix the place up or clean twice a week. something that i would need to pay someone for anyways so it benefits both of us.

i have taught for free also. it is a great sence of accomplishment to see students excel in what you have taught them. it somehow makes it all worth it.

 

[fist of fury]

I had that opportunity once years ago. An instructor I had taught out of his garage I trained a couple of months than informed him I had to quit as I no longer had the money. Jokingly I said I'd mow his lanw if I could continue he said that would be fine.
So that I did until he moved away to another city.

 

[Kirk]

I'll teach you the ins and outs of Tae Kwon Leap. Meditate
on that with me ... oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhmmmmmm.

 

[Dronak]

Well, I think there are always options. Our teacher basically taught our classes for nothing the last semester or two. I think the club is paying him now though. We pay the club, not the teacher directly. The club pays him (but school rules say he has to be 100% volunteer, so shhh, nobody say anything or we won't have a teacher ). He's told us before though that if we couldn't afford the per semester fees or something (and they're still really reasonable), we could talk to him and work something out because money isn't the only way to repay your teacher. He said that he used to do jobs for his master, like teaching somewhere when he couldn't make it or being an assistant in class. And sometimes, like for being a teaching assistant, he'd have to be taught something new first, so by doing all this helping out, he'd learn more and progress faster than some of the other students. He said he'd kind of follow his master around like to other schools he taught at to get more instruction and in exchange for the help he gave him in other jobs, his master would give him extra teaching. So I would think that if you had a case like tshadowchaser outlined, you could do something for that kid. If he/she is really interested and wants to learn, then you can work out something like Shinzu mentioned where the kid can do some sort of jobs for you in return for the lessons. As Shinzu also said, someone with that kind of drive and passion for learning the art can be a benefit to everyone by setting a good example in the classes. It's probably worth giving the kid a shot and working out some sort of deal later.

 

[Shinzu]

exactly Dronak. the martial arts is not all about money, it's about helping your fellow man to help himself.

everyone needs to start somewhere.. who knows, you may be training the next world champion!

 

[Kirk]

I love all the heart warming stories! After hearing a lot of
horror stories of CMD guys, or bad instructors, this was a nice
change.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Beings as I was a dojo janitor myself once upon a time......... Yes, I have taught wayyyyyyy too many students for low or no fee. I did have a nice yard and clean studio but no money to send my kids to college with.

:shrug: Sigh... I need a real job!

:asian:

 

[Dronak]

Goldendragon7, that's when you hope they get scholarships and grants. But more seriously, you're right. If you teach for reduced/no fees a lot, then you are going to be reducing your own income. If that's your primary job, it can cause problems. I suppose you find ways to work around it if it influences things. Since you kept doing it, I assume you thought it was worth it in the end. I'm sure the kids who got the break appreciated it.

 

[Klondike93]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

Beings as I was a dojo janitor myself once upon a time......... Yes, I have taught wayyyyyyy too many students for low or no fee. I did have a nice yard and clean studio but no money to send my kids to college with.

:shrug: Sigh... I need a real job!

:asian:

NEVER!! Don't give in GD!!!

I have a real job, and it sucks!! Wish I could quit and teach full time

:asian:

Chuck

 

[Kirk]

Originally Posted By GD7:
Beings as I was a dojo janitor myself once upon a time

Oh this story I gotta hear? It had to be with Mr Parker, right?
What kinda stuff did he make you do?

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by Dronak

Goldendragon7, that's when you hope they get scholarships and grants. But more seriously, you're right. If you teach for reduced/no fees a lot, then you are going to be reducing your own income. If that's your primary job, it can cause problems. I suppose you find ways to work around it if it influences things. Since you kept doing it, I assume you thought it was worth it in the end. I'm sure the kids who got the break appreciated it.

Well, Scholarships would be a godsend however they are few and far between. Yes, it is always worth it. Many eventually became paying students that I helped find real jobs or started teaching a bunch to more than cover their dues. I'm a believer in making them pay in some fashion otherwise I have a bunch of spoiled leaches. I don't let that happen. They owe me and have to earn it. I am more than generous but it did have a price. I sometimes spent 200.00 a week in lunches for all my little high school "helpers" they would come down to the studio all day and train clean, do yard work help at my tournaments etc. they worked, but I still needed cash. LOL fortunately I had a solid base of 150-200 students all the time. So I survived, but I always invested a lot back into either the studio for equipment or them for food, uniforms and other fun stuff. We all had fun!


As to my dojo Janitor years........ LOL, my original instructor was Lonny Coots and he made me do everything from sweep the floor to build little private rooms to throwing knife boards to you doing demos everywhere in the city! I was just one in a long line of Kenpo Dojo Slaves! lol (I wouldn't have traded it for paying) Later on my students and myself always helped Mr. Parker set up and clean the Long Beach Arena before finals. I would set up all the rings (tape the floors, put together trophies, judge, arbitrate and you name it - ah the memories!!) loved every minute of it. In exchange my students always got on the main floor up close to the stage and got to be around Mr. Parker a lot more than many. I also got to do some special jobs like body guard Van Dame with Frank Trejo one year and other celebrities. To be a center referee on the finals floor was also a special privilege that many didn't get the chance to do.

So pay your dues and you'll have the benefits.

:asian:

 

[Rob_Broad]

I think every instructor should have to teach a few people for free in thier career just to makke them understand how valuable each paying student, this would also make them understand that by charging outrageous rates you just make it harder on yourself as an instructor. I would rather make $2.00 profit on 100 students than $200.00 profit off one student.

 

[Shinzu]

its perfectly fine to charge a fee so you can support your school and make a living. we all need a source of income. but i dont feel it is right to rip off the ones who look to you for guidance.

too many sensei's spoil the art.... and with the explosion of the martial arts craze everywhere, you see all these grandmasters popping up everywhere wanting you to give them your first born to train with them.

a humble instructor is one who does it for the love of the art. these are the people that care ore about passing on their knowledge than passing your cash into their pocket.

they are few and rare but they are out there.

 

[Despairbear]

Greetings,
Nice to see so many like minds. Personaly I teach any one who want to learn. My dojo is my yard and the fee is being there to help me train. I also study with a more formal dojo but the teachers are not payed and our dues just cover the rent of the space.



Despair bear

 

[Kirk]

Nice to see so many like minds. Personaly I teach any one who want to learn. My dojo is my yard and the fee is being there to help me train. I also study with a more formal dojo but the teachers are not payed and our dues just cover the rent of the space.

I like that. Kind of like a martial arts club? I want to do that
with sparring. Invite m.a.ists from my town to come in on
specific nights .. charge dues, or fees to spar .. just enough
to cover the lease.

 

[Chiduce]

That is what happens with relatives anyway! Lets get back to the point in question. I would teach the student and he /she would clean the dojo etc, for the discipline to grow as a martial practitioner and future instructor him/herself! Sincerely, In Humility; Chiduce!

 

[Klondike93]

I guess you could say I'm a dojo slave :rofl:
I don't get paid to teach, but I do get a place to workout at and discounts on uniforms and other gear.
I also wouldn't have it any other way, unless I owned the school that is.

:asian:

 

[Shinzu]

seems like the people here are willing to help. it's nice to see that rather than money hungry teachers just out for the buck.

im sure many teachers would consider teaching for free depending on the circumtances. i know my past instructor does it with one of his students now. he fixes up the place in exchange for lessons.

 

[Crane]

Great thread!
I was given a gift from my sensei that could not be bought. if he did not think me worthy then i would not have been past the gift.
I know that things have changed a great deal. there are martial arts schools on every block. and meny of these schools charge big bucks or crazy crontracts have to be sighned by the student before they are allowed to study. because without the money they could not build another nice school and make more big bucks.
we all need to earn a living and if you have a school of course you have to charge your students to keep the school going. I think some people are more concerned with running a buisness then passing on their art. a dedicated student will learn good martial arts from a good instructor. no matter how big the kwon or dojo is. he does not need 100's of other students there for him to be great!
he may just be the little one with his nose pressed up aginst the window that carries on your style when your gone.
it is the job of the students to help take care of the school and their sensei. at our school if you don't have money and you really want to learn then you will be taught. payment can be by helping out with the school or whatever is needed. but all of the students should do this as well. weather you pay or not. We pay to have a place for master and the students to train. the teaching is free. For if were not dedicatided and train hard we may not be worthy of anything new. being given new knowledge is not our decision to make!!! hundreds of students can go through your door, but only one will have the gift. don't miss him.