what is the job prospect of martial arts
- Thread starter ark400
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First of all, welcome to MT.
Very few martial artists make a lot out of teaching martial arts. A very small number run very successful businesses. There are three questions. Firstly how much martial art experience do you have? Secondly, why do you need to make a living fom it? And finally, are you looking at working for someone else or do you want to run your own business? :asian:
Very few martial artists make a lot out of teaching martial arts. A very small number run very successful businesses. There are three questions. Firstly how much martial art experience do you have? Secondly, why do you need to make a living fom it? And finally, are you looking at working for someone else or do you want to run your own business? :asian:
Aiki Lee
Master of Arts
I too hope to make a living as a martial arts instructor, but knowing and teaching the art is only one side. Understanding how to run a business is far more important if you want to stay open and keep eating on a regular schedule.
I suppose if you could get noticed you could make a living as a professional fighter in MMA but competition is stiff and is probably just as much about who you know than what you know and how good you are.
It's a rather limited business venture.
I suppose if you could get noticed you could make a living as a professional fighter in MMA but competition is stiff and is probably just as much about who you know than what you know and how good you are.
It's a rather limited business venture.
Cyriacus
Senior Master
Sustainability is the big thing. From what ive seen the more blatant 'businesses' get a revolving door of students (lots leave abruptly after being sucked in by a sales pitch), mostly children, with a few 'dedicated followers'. So basically, you can profit off it by naming yourself after the latest buzzword and catering to the biggest audience around. Now just throw in some exaggerated usefulness and youve got a formula.
...or, you know. Just provide instruction and make money based on people thinking your work is so good you can start overcharging for seminars because they want to learn from YOU especially in a decade or two.
...or, you know. Just provide instruction and make money based on people thinking your work is so good you can start overcharging for seminars because they want to learn from YOU especially in a decade or two.
lklawson
Grandmaster
That's pretty much the standard for every martial arts school. The studies I've seen indicate that about 80-90% of students end up quitting and don't become long term students and the vast majority of those quitting do so for reasons that have nothing to do with perceived quality of instruction. Number 1 reason for quitting was "Personal & Job Time Constraints."
This, of necessity, means that schools are going to have a high "churn" rate. Successful schools (the ones that can actually pay for themselves) will have more students and a more noticeable churn. But even students who only stay a few weeks or months still help keep the lights on during that time.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Cyriacus
Senior Master
That's pretty much the standard for every martial arts school. The studies I've seen indicate that about 80-90% of students end up quitting and don't become long term students and the vast majority of those quitting do so for reasons that have nothing to do with perceived quality of instruction. Number 1 reason for quitting was "Personal & Job Time Constraints."
This, of necessity, means that schools are going to have a high "churn" rate. Successful schools (the ones that can actually pay for themselves) will have more students and a more noticeable churn. But even students who only stay a few weeks or months still help keep the lights on during that time.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Good point. I was being a little too general methinks
I've been training since '81, teaching in one capacity or another since '86.
I started out teaching in a school gym through the parks and recreation system. They took a percentage of what I took in and they provided the insurance.
After several years of that, I had a few attempts at an actual school...not a full time venture, just something I did on nights and weekends. They were all relatively successful, but to become a real success, I would have had to become something I didn't want to be.
I did not have my students sign contracts, we didn't go to tournaments a great deal if at all, I didn't charge a lot for testing fees, and I didn't teach a lot of kids...all things that seem to be necessary for a successful MA school.
I finally came to the conclusion that for a business man I make a pretty good kung fu teacher, and so I went with that.
I turned my school over to some of the other instructors and took my little enclave of students and built a little place to train on my property. I charge a small fee which puts a little jingle in my pocket and that's good enough.
Would I love to make a living out of teaching? Sure. But only if it could be done on my terms. It seems that it cant, so I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.
My advice...start out teaching in a park, a church basement, a school gym and see where that takes you.
I started out teaching in a school gym through the parks and recreation system. They took a percentage of what I took in and they provided the insurance.
After several years of that, I had a few attempts at an actual school...not a full time venture, just something I did on nights and weekends. They were all relatively successful, but to become a real success, I would have had to become something I didn't want to be.
I did not have my students sign contracts, we didn't go to tournaments a great deal if at all, I didn't charge a lot for testing fees, and I didn't teach a lot of kids...all things that seem to be necessary for a successful MA school.
I finally came to the conclusion that for a business man I make a pretty good kung fu teacher, and so I went with that.
I turned my school over to some of the other instructors and took my little enclave of students and built a little place to train on my property. I charge a small fee which puts a little jingle in my pocket and that's good enough.
Would I love to make a living out of teaching? Sure. But only if it could be done on my terms. It seems that it cant, so I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.
My advice...start out teaching in a park, a church basement, a school gym and see where that takes you.
Aiki Lee
Master of Arts
While kids certainly do provide a large source of income, the majority of my school has clients that are adults. So while I think it's common that you need to have a bunch of kids in order to have a sustainable income I don't think it's absolutely necessary or always the case.
Cyriacus
Senior Master
You can overcharge for kids, though. Adults tend to be wiser to how much theyre paying
Not likely. The military and air force academies do have full-time civilian martial arts instructors on staff teaching their curriculum though.
You might get stunt work or the like in Hollywood or other appropriate venues, with the right additional training. You might find work as a fight choreographer if you get the right training and make the right contacts.
In the military or law enforcement? Martial arts training may be useful, but is not a requirement.
Why the huge focus on using martial arts for income? Why not get a job that'll pay the bills and still let you earn money?
Cyriacus
Senior Master
Nope.
I think you've also got to be good at teaching and unselfishly care about helping people improve. Being good at doing martial arts and being good at teaching it are different skills.
Actually, you don't need to make a living out of it. Or did you lose a bet? You need to make a living. But you likely have a multitude of skills which you can trade on.
If you want to be a martial arts instructor to actors and celebrities, you need to demonstrate that you can help them to make a better movie through your training. For that, you need some refereces, a sizzle reel, and a host of things that I as a non actor am not familiar with. Connections really help.
Comparatively little stunt work is martial arts related. Most stunt work is falling, running and jumping, or other work with vehicles and props. Even most fighting in the movies isn't specifically MA based.
Do you mean if you enlist or are you talking about going around doing training seminars at military bases?
If the former, I suppose it helps, but I have no military experience, so I'm not the best source.
If the latter, like anything else, you need to demonstrate that you have something to offer. Prior military experience probably helps. If you don't have military or LEO experience, and you aren't already a famous martial artist (Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Donny Yen, etc.) then you're probably barking up the wrong tree. Again, I have no military service, so I may not be the best source.
Balrog
Master of Arts
That's pretty much the standard for every martial arts school. The studies I've seen indicate that about 80-90% of students end up quitting and don't become long term students and the vast majority of those quitting do so for reasons that have nothing to do with perceived quality of instruction. Number 1 reason for quitting was "Personal & Job Time Constraints."
This, of necessity, means that schools are going to have a high "churn" rate. Successful schools (the ones that can actually pay for themselves) will have more students and a more noticeable churn. But even students who only stay a few weeks or months still help keep the lights on during that time.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Agreed. I saw some stats (I gotta go find them) that indicate only about 10% of people who start training in a martial art will make it to 1st Degree Black Belt, and only about half those will go on to 2nd Degree. Far too many people think that "making Black Belt" is the end of the journey. I tell everyone it's like graduating from high school. It's a great goal to set and achieve, but now it's time to go to college. White Belt to Black Belt is learning the basics. Black Belt training is learning the art.
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