Our place in society in 2008...

[LoneTiger108]

I thought it may be interesting to see how other people who use this forum feel about the way their art and practices are promoted in todays society.

How are you actively promoting your school to the general public?

Please feel free to add clips, articles, upcoming events or just comment on the thread itself, whatever your background or opinion...

Here's a clip of me at The Opening Ceremony of the Millennium Dome (O2 Arena)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Em0-tCDogE

[chisauking]

Spencer sez: Here's a clip of me at The Opening Ceremony of the Millennium Dome (O2 Arena)

Yes, and we all know what happened to the 'Dome'.








just winding you up, Spencer LOL

[LoneTiger108]

Cheers for that chisauking!

I was wondering why all our efforts ended up meaning nothing to anyone :o

No offence taken (honest!) I only hope the thread has some other input, as flying flags around to Jools Holland tunes isn't my ideal way of promoting Wing Chun believe me!! It was fun though and very memorable.

I started this thread as I thought this was a great promotion by Sifu Fong...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Ui6rj58DA0

Public demonstrations sometimes reach thousands, if not millions of people. IMO we do not see enough of this type of exposure, so prove me wrong!

[anerlich]

People get passionate about all sorts of things. Most of them are shared with only a small proportion of the rest of the population. Maybe that's not a bad thing. IMO it is foolish to expect anything else.

There's a huge sh*tstorm going on here at the moment about the cricket tests between Australia in India, all sorts of people up in arms on several continents, but I couldn't care less. Cricket bored me to death as a school kid and still does now. The only good use I've seen for a cricket bat was in Shaun of the Dead.

Lots of people feel this way about TCMA. BJJ, TCM, Chinese History, Zen, and the like. You ain't going to change their minds.

I'm not a fan of religious evangelicals, and I don't see that Wing Chun (or MA in general, since I practise several arts and enjoy them) needs to be evangelised.

As for promotion of our academy:

Street signage
Yellow pages
Articles and advertising in MA magazines and local media
Occasional demo's, usually at multistyle MA events, but we have done various festivals as well
Website (Academy link in .sig)
Youtube (search for "Rick Spain")
Entering fighters in kickboxing, MMA and BJJ competitions/shows

My instructor spent considerable time researching which methods of promotion led to membership enquiries. We did letterbox drops in the early days, and used to do as many demo's at Chinese festivals, New Age type expo's etc. as possible.

We found that the yellow pages was the best, MA mags next, letterbox drops were hard work for little value, and in three years of festival extravaganzas we got one enquiry that was directly related. They're a lot of fun, but in my experience a near-complete waste of time as regards promoting your art/academy.

Word of mouth and bring a friend were still the best form of advertising as regards quality students, but we still found that the majority of enquiries came from people looking to the closest MA school to where they lived. I live 30 K's from my WC school and 40 K's from my BJJ/MMA school, but most students at both schools live fairly locally.

[LoneTiger108]

As for promotion of our academy:

Street signage
Yellow pages
Articles and advertising in MA magazines and local media
Occasional demo's, usually at multistyle MA events, but we have done various festivals as well
Website (Academy link in .sig)
Youtube (search for "Rick Spain")
Entering fighters in kickboxing, MMA and BJJ competitions/shows

...and in three years of festival extravaganzas we got one enquiry that was directly related. They're a lot of fun, but in my experience a near-complete waste of time as regards promoting your art/academy.

Thanks for sharing anerlich, and for proving me wrong! Try almost ten years :o Above all, most students suffered from severe fatigue! Maybe there is a time and place for this sort of activity, but it definately should never be utilized to recruit new students.

Our best promotion, and something we still receive enquiries from today, was a small clip of training that was put onto a DVD release of the UK version of Descendant of Wing Chun! I'd recommend that to anyone, if you have a friend in the know.

Is our place as a business, or a non-profit club or charity?

[tjwingchun]

Don´t suppose there is a video clip out there of me talking at the opening of the Yip Man Tong as being onstage I missed the photo opportunity.

Relating to the topic as written I have and always will promote Wing Chun as a pure science, simple knowledge of understanding body mechanics related to violent confrontation.

As simple knowledge it will forever be relevant and vibrant, being real and developing in a world constantly seeking the truth.

Been watching too many old ¨Kung Fu¨videos Grasshopper pmsl

[LoneTiger108]

Don´t suppose there is a video clip out there of me talking at the opening of the Yip Man Tong as being onstage I missed the photo opportunity.

Well, you may in in this clip! Check it out and let me know...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgialUAw1K8

[tjwingchun]

Well, you may in in this clip! Check it out and let me know...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgialUAw1K8

I am in the clip but not the bit I mean, Yip Chun got me onstage to say a few words being introduced as ¨Master Trevor¨, got a photo but it is focused on the flowers on the front of the stage pmsl.

Now in the process of trying to make Wing Chun a family in Mallorca/Majorca avoiding politics and hoping for open minds.

[LoneTiger108]

Now in the process of trying to make Wing Chun a family in Mallorca/Majorca avoiding politics and hoping for open minds.

Good luck over there! This is exactly why I started this thread, for practitioners who are setting up somewhere new who can share their experiences. To find our place in society will depend greatly on the society we teach in.

How do you intend to promote your activities in Majorca?

ps. I think I may have some footage of your speech on Hi8

[anerlich]

Is our place as a business, or a non-profit club or charity?

Tha is entirely up to the person concerned.

[tjwingchun]

Good luck over there! This is exactly why I started this thread, for practitioners who are setting up somewhere new who can share their experiences. To find our place in society will depend greatly on the society we teach in.

How do you intend to promote your activities in Majorca?

ps. I think I may have some footage of your speech on Hi8

I intend contacting and advertising to make those interested in Wing Chun on the island aware that I exist and offer a simple extra resource for them to learn more about Wing Chun, different viewpoint and outlook.

I have always stated that all I offer is my explanation of how I understand myself through applying personal body mechanics related to violent confrontation, and with 34 years practice, 24 of those teaching professsionally I have developed a substantial amount of relevant experience which I am happy to share with anyone interested in learning Wing Chun.

As far as the speech goes it would be great if you did have the footage, I cannot remember what I said, I was busy at the side of the stage chi sau-ing with Sifu´s instructors from around the world when I got the call to go on stage, baffled I walked onstage, Yip Chun handed me the microphone and introduced me as ¨Master Trevor¨and I mumbled some rubbish of other still a bit stunned. The amusing part for me is that being Geordie with an accent most English speaking people have problems understanding me! so what the audience and millions watching the news coverage made of it I don´t know :D

[LoneTiger108]

As far as the speech goes it would be great if you did have the footage...

I'll have a look through, but I'm sure I remember a Geordie Gent! So much experience you have there too, what made you wanna settle in Majorca? Hoiliday type training is getting more popular. I see Sifu Nino Bernardo has done something similar in Ibiza...

[CFT]

I'll have a look through, but I'm sure I remember a Geordie Gent! So much experience you have there too, what made you wanna settle in Majorca?On a day like this (in the UK), it is pretty obvious! :)

[Paul T England]

Hi Trevor,

Maybe one of Sifu Kwok's other students or one of Ip Chun students might have a full copy of the opening if they recorded it?

Hope things are going well in the sun and hopefully we can share a few drinks when I get out there in June.

Paul

[LoneTiger108]

Hi Trevor,

Maybe one of Sifu Kwok's other students or one of Ip Chun students might have a full copy of the opening if they recorded it?

Hey Paul! You may have problems trying to find quality footage of the event, especially since it's been so long since the opening. I was expecting an official DVD release of the event from the Ip Family, but this just never happened.

Hundreds of people recorded the demos, including some major TV networks. If you have any luck Trevor I would be very intersted to see some alternative footage myself...

[tjwingchun]

On a day like this (in the UK), it is pretty obvious! :)

Too true at the minute it is t-shirt weather when the sun is out, though in the evenings I do have to resort to a sweatshirt for walking about lol, lmao, pmsl.

It is the relaxed way of life out here, no real hassle and definitely less stressful on the violence side of life, so enjoying chilling out.

Was keeping in touch a few months back with Nino as I first met him at a Wong Shun Leung seminar at his ¨Basement¨back in 1985 I seem to remember but either he is not online often or he has put me on his ¨appear to be offline¨list on messenger :D

To me the holiday option is good way of offering a different viewpoint to anybody interested in expanding their Wing Chun without the fear of being entrapped in an organisation.

All I offer is the usual that I do in any teaching situation, to get others to understand themselves the way I understand myself in relation to Wing Chun and violent confrontations, by having it in a holiday scenario, it is more relaxed and therefore people are more open to learning.

The trouble is that some over-do the relaxation in the bar and the lessons are forgotten :eek:, but by having it all on video and so accessible when back home the knowledge gained is not lost ;)

Working on making a dummy out of a Almond tree trunk at the minute, never realised it was such a heavy wood, heavier than Sifu´s ¨iron wood¨one from Hong Kong, but it was only chopped down a month back so still full of water.

Look forwardo catching up with you Paul, that lad Mark who is starting the new martial art thing contacted me.

http://martialart.freehostia.com/

¨not sure if you have any sway with him, but Paul is also highly respected¨he said he had been in touch with you and I said I would mention it.

[LoneTiger108]

http://martialart.freehostia.com/

A great example of what this thread is about! Obviously taking a non-profit approach to the whole Martial Art career...

[Paul T England]

Thanks Trevor,

Yes I have chatted with Mark but to be honest I just don't have the time at the moment. My non-martial arts friends have a middle name for me, "Busy" Holding down a full time job, teaching 3 evening and most of Sunday and trying to have a family life.

Paul

[LoneTiger108]

...to be honest I just don't have the time at the moment. My non-martial arts friends have a middle name for me, "Busy" Holding down a full time job, teaching 3 evening and most of Sunday and trying to have a family life.

Ahhh! The average Martial Art practitioner imho!!

This reminds me of a scene from the movie '300' when the Spartans meet some helpers who are more in number, so the Spartans are teased. However, on confronting the joining army and asking what their 'profession' was they replied 'blacksmith', 'farmer' etc.

Ask any Spartan his job and they'd say 'Soldier!'

Although I can humbly relate to your current position Paul, as I have also battled with life in the same manner, I say choose what you want to be! I'm 'what I would call' semi-retired already because I've also got kids, work 40hrs a week (kind of!) and coach sporadically. It wasn't always like this!

One of the reasons I started this thread was to see how many 'Career Martial Artists' are out there in Wing Chun. Although I'm the first to raise my hand when asked if Wing Chun is my life, I'm still uncomfortable with the idea of feeding my family with students' fees...

Maybe someone can offer their views?

[tjwingchun]

Maybe someone can offer their views?

When I get back online properly I will much to say about this lol :eek::D:confused: