Starting a Studio

[Faruq]

I hear ya. Usually my demeanor changes their demeanor. If I come back at them friendly and then show interest in who they are, then their walls come down, and they become much more open.
I've had guys who were wrestlers come in with an attitude, and I turn it around on them and say,"Wow, we don't really have much of that. Perhaps you could come in and give a seminar."
they never follow up for some reason...

Wow, that's great. It's like some weird aikido mind trick where you turn their own words against them, lol. But without any malice! Nice!

[TenTigers]

Wow, that's great. It's like some weird aikido mind trick where you turn their own words against them, lol. But without any malice! Nice!

you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
I do the same thing when I turn away people who I feel are not "right."
I tell them what they don't want to hear, so they feel it is their own decision not to stay, rather than saying, "I won't teach you because you're a db."
This way, there are no hard feelings and I don't get my windows broken because he got his feelings hurt.

[mooyingmantis]

Yeah, but you only have a few students and they are all people you know, no? You don't do it as a living anymore, right? I remember you told me a few years ago, but I forget.

I usually teach people I already know. Those who contact me that I don't know, go through an interview process. I consider my school a private school and I am selective on who I let in. I would rather train one serious student than a class full of poseurs. Currently I have three students. Recently, I threw my own son out for not following proper decorum.

I have never used teaching martial arts as my main job. I am not against it. I simply think it would be too much work and not enough pleasure for me.

[Syn7]

I usually teach people I already know. Those who contact me that I don't know, go through an interview process. I consider my school a private school and I am selective on who I let in. I would rather train one serious student than a class full of poseurs. Currently I have three students. Recently, I threw my own son out for not following proper decorum.

I have never used teaching martial arts as my main job. I am not against it. I simply think it would be too much work and not enough pleasure for me.

You tossed your kid for good or just for a temp ban? You are a hardcore disciplinarian huh. LOL.

Yeah I thought that's what I remembered. Wasn't sure tho. If I was a teacher, in anything, I would feel the same way you do, I think.

I would think it's difficult to make a real living off teaching MA's. Most fail miserably and quality of the art and sifu isn't the main factor. Especially in the more rural areas.

[Faruq]

you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
I do the same thing when I turn away people who I feel are not "right."
I tell them what they don't want to hear, so they feel it is their own decision not to stay, rather than saying, "I won't teach you because you're a db."
This way, there are no hard feelings and I don't get my windows broken because he got his feelings hurt.

But like what do you mean when you say you tell them what they don't want to hear? Like please give an example, because it sounds like its something really useful to know how to say.

[TenTigers]

But like what do you mean when you say you tell them what they don't want to hear? Like please give an example, because it sounds like its something really useful to know how to say.

sort of like opposite salesmanship.
One of the things I learned is that you ask before you speak.
"Do you do full contact sparring here?"
now if I say, "Oh yeah, we spar full contact"
he might answer,"Oh, ok. I don't want to do full contact sparring...click." oops.

so instead, you say,"Are you interested in full contact sparring?" and go from there.

I do the same thing, only in reverse.
"Do you do full-contact sparring here?"
"Are you interested in full contact sparring?"
"Yeah. I want to spar full contact."
"Oh no. we do mostly drilling and forms."
"ok, thanks. click."

No harm, no foul.

[Faruq]

Wow, you're a smooth talker. lol. Nice, TenTigers.

[CLFNole]

You could start out teaching in a park and once you build up enough students go to a "sticks and bricks" location. This way you could build up funds that you would need when opening at a real location.

[RickMatz]

An aikido teacher I know has a "day job" as a fireman.

As a fireman, he has a living salary, excellent benefits, a retirement program and ... lots of time. When he's on duty it's basically a 24 hour shift, but he only works about 10 days a month.

Like many other firemen, he has a side job. His side job is running his aikido school.

As he already has a living wage and benefits, the bar for how much he actually needs to make to keep his school up and running has been lowered. He can write off the cost of his own training with his seniors and seminars, etc as business expenses.

When he's at work, he has his senior students lead the class in practicing their testing techniques. When he's not at the firehouse, he teaches.

[mooyingmantis]

sort of like opposite salesmanship.
One of the things I learned is that you ask before you speak.
"Do you do full contact sparring here?"
now if I say, "Oh yeah, we spar full contact"
he might answer,"Oh, ok. I don't want to do full contact sparring...click." oops.

so instead, you say,"Are you interested in full contact sparring?" and go from there.

I do the same thing, only in reverse.
"Do you do full-contact sparring here?"
"Are you interested in full contact sparring?"
"Yeah. I want to spar full contact."
"Oh no. we do mostly drilling and forms."
"ok, thanks. click."

No harm, no foul.

Very impressive!!!