There is an old saying, "you get out of it what you put into it." It is so true for everything in life including martial arts. Recently YouTube videos of the ITF Taekwon-Do Championships have been making the rounds between my students. These videos are amazing, and are often accompanied by the comment, "I wish I could do that." But what I think they really mean is, "I wish I could do that without all of the hard work." I have seen these videos and I know for a fact these martial artists spend not just hours, nor weeks, nor months training but YEARS! These exceptional people want their skills to be extraordinary so much they are willing to make the sacrifice in order to make their desires become a reality.
Let me pause here for a second, let me make sure everyone understands that 'sacrifice' means the giving up of something good for something better. It is a positive thing, not a negative one. I guess one of my crusades is to convince everyone that sacrifice is a positive, my students hear me saying this all of the time!
So let's put this in monetary terms because most people can relate to this. When I was 16 I asked my father for a car, because 'all' of my friends got cars from their parents on their 16th birthday. He said, "son if you get something for free you won't appreciate it or take care of it." I did buy my first car and years later I learned my dad was right. When people get things for free they don't appreciate them. I constantly find sparring gear left behind at class by kids whose parents gave them the gear. So often I see belts laying around the school (by the way this is a huge breach of martial arts etiquette) because the student didn't really work that hard to get it, so it doesn't have much meaning.
Over the years I have taught hundreds if not thousands of students. The vast majority are not willing to apply one of General Choi's points of the student/Instructor relationship, "A student must be willing to sacrifice for his art." Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do page 45. Most students go through the motions with visions of grandeur of being the next Bruce Lee. But soon they get frustrated because despite attending class for 90 minutes once or twice a week they just haven't progressed where they think they should have. They blame the school, the Instructor or the art for their frustration and failure. They refuse to accept the blame for not working hard and sacrificing for success. Interestingly in the 12 years I have been teaching I have only had a handful of students quit, I have however, had hundreds 'take a break' never to return, they simply refuse to accept the responsibility for quitting.
One thing most students will never understand is the heart break an Instructor experiences when he sees students with great potential (not necessarily great talent) give up and quit because they aren't willing to make the sacrifice for the art. It is easier to sit home and watch TV or videos, play video games, spend hours on Face Book, or just hanging out. I have seen so much potential wasted due to, dare I say, laziness, taking the easy road. So many want it only if it comes easily or even better, if it is given to them. This entitlement attitude has no place in Taekwon-Do or in a life worth being lived.
Now I am perfectly aware that as a full-time martial arts Instructor/student I have the luxury of devoting much more time to martial arts than the average person. I understand the importance of finding balance in life whether it be family, school, career, relationships or other hobbies. But I have known people who have careers or are full-time students who have made the sacrifice for their art. They give up good things, like casual time for something better, the perfection of their art. And just as I have experienced the heart break of students who do not live up to their potential, I have experienced the joy of students who excel in our art with enthusiasm and dedication. These people do not whine about the cost, instead the revel in the challenge. They are the ones everyone loves to train with because they are positive even when in pain and sweating profusely .
There are only a handful who are willing to sacrifice for their art. People who are willing to pay the price for excellence in sweat, blood and tears both figuratively and literally. The price they pay produces polished skills and a solid character. Their art benefits them in all aspects of their life not just in the gym. These students are the ones that keep instructors going through the toughest discouragement and motivate us to share our art with others even when so many end up 'taking a break'. These students are the true spirit of Taekwon-Do and martial arts.
As an Instructor I have only one request for the student that doesn't want to make the sacrifice, be courteous and honest. Don't just disappear from class or tell your Instructor you are going to 'take a break' for a while. Have integrity, face you Instructor and tell him or her, "martial arts isn't what I thought it would be, I do not want to continue my training." I know I would appreciate it as well as all the other serious Instructors out there.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Customer is Always Right!
As a Taekwon-Do School owner and Head Instructor I often find myself thinking, do I run a business with customers or a school with students? Fortunately, long ago I decided that I preferred to run a traditional ITF Taekwon-Do school as General Choi Hong Hi, the Father of Taekwon-Do envisioned it. That is, I run a school with students! I am both fortunate and blessed to have the privilege to run a Taekwon-Do school full-time, it is the way I make my living and I can devote my full attention to Centennial Taekwon-Do. My background in business accounting keeps the reality of business economics in the forefront of my thoughts about my School. I understand the need to make educated decisions on how to run my school from a economic business sense. I know that my income must exceed my expenses if I want my school to be an ongoing concern so that I can provide quality Taekwon-do and martial arts training to my students.
During my professional years I have worked for several large companies whose main focus is on customer service such as AMC Theatres, Regal Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures Promotional Services . I put myself through college working as a customer service representative for American Express Travelers Cheques. They spend millions every year promoting their customer service. I consider myself an expert on customer service, I know what it is and how to best provide it.
In response to my blog about avoiding contracts at martial arts schools, a martial arts school owner responded with the following in an attempt rationalize his use of contracts: "The peace of mind knowing the owner can make the rent and payroll make it worth it." I realized this person has a business with customers. In this case the term customer simply means, "revenue source".
I started Taekwon-Do when I was 9 years old and I have had a passion for the art all my life. I have worked hard so that my life's circumstances allow me to teach students, not service customers. Some people may not see the difference between a student and a customer. Fortunately, General Choi understood the difference and gave those that are serious about Taekwon-Do (not the business) guidelines on sharing the art. He set forth the Student/Instructor Relationship found in his Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do pages 44-45. I try to follow these guidelines carefully so that I can fulfill my responsibilities as an Instructor. A few of the points worth mentioning at this time are:
So if I have students not customers, what's the difference? Well I don't think a serious student of Taekwon-Do or any other martial art has to demonstrate their commitment to training by signing a 3 - 5 year contract (that is 36-60 months in McDojo terms). I don't want customers who feel obligated to train with me because they still have years left on their contract. I don't want to cover the rent from payments made from a customer who has quit training. Nor do I want customers who are only training at my school because I am the cheapest around. I want students who are committed to training because of their passion for Taekwon-Do and belief in what General Choi said about students; "A student must be willing to sacrifice for his art and Instructor." Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do page 45.
The reasons for training dramatically affect the attitudes of the students and in turn the atmosphere of the school. As an Instructor I feel it is my responsibility to provide a positive friendly atmosphere for my students to learn and train. If there are a bunch of unhappy customers who are only there because they are contractually obligated, the atmosphere becomes negative and not conducive to learning. On the other hand a group of students who share a passion for Taekwon-Do create a perfect environment to learn and grow.
So, if a customer is always right, will a business owner allow his customer to fail a Belt/Rank test? Or does the business owner just keep adding to an unending color belt system so they can collect more and more test fees. An Instructor would be concerned about the progress of his student, willing to put in the time and effort (without upgrade charges) to help the serious student prepare to succeed at Rank/Belt tests.
A business owner looks for as many different ways to increase revenue as possible from his revenue sources (customers). Upgrades are the holy grail of the McDojo. The business owner divides up the art and only teaches the whole to those who are willing to pay, leaving others wondering what happened to their dreams of learning martial arts. An Instructor shares his knowledge and experience in the martial arts as a whole with all of his students, he doesn't show favorites to those who might pay more.
Hopefully I have illustrated the difference between a customer and a student. So the next question you need to answer is, do you want to be a customer or a student?
During my professional years I have worked for several large companies whose main focus is on customer service such as AMC Theatres, Regal Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures Promotional Services . I put myself through college working as a customer service representative for American Express Travelers Cheques. They spend millions every year promoting their customer service. I consider myself an expert on customer service, I know what it is and how to best provide it.
In response to my blog about avoiding contracts at martial arts schools, a martial arts school owner responded with the following in an attempt rationalize his use of contracts: "The peace of mind knowing the owner can make the rent and payroll make it worth it." I realized this person has a business with customers. In this case the term customer simply means, "revenue source".
I started Taekwon-Do when I was 9 years old and I have had a passion for the art all my life. I have worked hard so that my life's circumstances allow me to teach students, not service customers. Some people may not see the difference between a student and a customer. Fortunately, General Choi understood the difference and gave those that are serious about Taekwon-Do (not the business) guidelines on sharing the art. He set forth the Student/Instructor Relationship found in his Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do pages 44-45. I try to follow these guidelines carefully so that I can fulfill my responsibilities as an Instructor. A few of the points worth mentioning at this time are:
- Never tire of teaching. A good Instructor can teach anywhere, any time and always be ready to answer questions.
- An Instructor must always set a good example for his students and never attempt to defraud them.
- The development of students should take precedence over commercialism. Once an Instructor becomes concerned with materialism, he will lose the respect of his students.
- All students should be treated equally, there should be no favorites.
- An Instructor should never seek any favors such as cleaning the studio, doing repair work, etc. from his students.
- An Instructor should not exploit his students. The only purpose of an instructor is to produce both technically and mentally excellent students.
- Always be honest with the students, and never break a trust.
So if I have students not customers, what's the difference? Well I don't think a serious student of Taekwon-Do or any other martial art has to demonstrate their commitment to training by signing a 3 - 5 year contract (that is 36-60 months in McDojo terms). I don't want customers who feel obligated to train with me because they still have years left on their contract. I don't want to cover the rent from payments made from a customer who has quit training. Nor do I want customers who are only training at my school because I am the cheapest around. I want students who are committed to training because of their passion for Taekwon-Do and belief in what General Choi said about students; "A student must be willing to sacrifice for his art and Instructor." Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do page 45.
The reasons for training dramatically affect the attitudes of the students and in turn the atmosphere of the school. As an Instructor I feel it is my responsibility to provide a positive friendly atmosphere for my students to learn and train. If there are a bunch of unhappy customers who are only there because they are contractually obligated, the atmosphere becomes negative and not conducive to learning. On the other hand a group of students who share a passion for Taekwon-Do create a perfect environment to learn and grow.
So, if a customer is always right, will a business owner allow his customer to fail a Belt/Rank test? Or does the business owner just keep adding to an unending color belt system so they can collect more and more test fees. An Instructor would be concerned about the progress of his student, willing to put in the time and effort (without upgrade charges) to help the serious student prepare to succeed at Rank/Belt tests.
A business owner looks for as many different ways to increase revenue as possible from his revenue sources (customers). Upgrades are the holy grail of the McDojo. The business owner divides up the art and only teaches the whole to those who are willing to pay, leaving others wondering what happened to their dreams of learning martial arts. An Instructor shares his knowledge and experience in the martial arts as a whole with all of his students, he doesn't show favorites to those who might pay more.
Hopefully I have illustrated the difference between a customer and a student. So the next question you need to answer is, do you want to be a customer or a student?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
There is an ancient Shaolin saying, "I do not fear your 10,000 kicks that you have practiced once. I fear your one kick that you have practiced 10,000 times." The most important key to learning martial arts and also the greatest challenge to learning martial arts is REPITION! Interestingly enough this is also true about learning anything else in life.
Our bodies and minds learn through repetitive actions. By repeating an action over and over we are telling our muscles and our brains that this particular action is important and needs to be remembered. Lack of repetition sends the exact opposite message to our muscles and brains, "this action is unimportant, no need to remember it."
Unfortunately, most students are unwilling to put in the repetition that is required to truly learn skills and techniques. They become bored and want to move on to the next "new" thing before mastering the current technique or skill. This creates mediocre martial artists. General Choi understood this part of training. He addresses repetition and boredom in his Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do:
"There is a common tendency among beginners to tire of repeating the same techniques over and over. Boredom will usually set in between the third and sixth month for the beginning student. This is the period when a student is building his Taekwon-Do foundation by learning fundamental technique and building power. The best way to combat boredom is to attend class regularly and resolve to attain a specified goal. Too often the students sacrifice thoroughness in the learning process, because they tend to lose patience and insist on progressing to a higher technique before mastering the previous one. Students should realize that it is extremely important for them to know thoroughly one single technique until it becomes reflexive before advancing to the next." -Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do by General Choi Hong Hi, pages 40-41
I would like to add that often I Dan Black Belts fall into this trap. Since they have reached what they consider an advanced level they become bored and quit because they feel there is nothing more to learn that is of any worth.
Therefore, boredom sets in because students repeat skills and techniques without purpose. In order to avoid this obstacle a student must learn repetition with purpose. Every time a student practices a Kick, a Pattern, Step Sparring, Self Defense, Free Sparring or Breaking, they should stop and fix a goal in mind, what aspect will they work on in order to refine, polish and master the skill or technique. There are so many things to work on such as; power, speed, balance, proper facing/posture, correct intermediate hand position, correct stances, focus, accuracy and so on. Since none of us are perfect, repetition provides us with unlimited opportunities to improve.
Boredom is simply the result of mental laziness. So the next time you are in class, I challenge everyone of my students to be both physically and mentally engaged. You should leave the class better than you started it, even if it is just one little thing. That is the difference between a class that is worthwhile and a class that is a waste of time.
Our bodies and minds learn through repetitive actions. By repeating an action over and over we are telling our muscles and our brains that this particular action is important and needs to be remembered. Lack of repetition sends the exact opposite message to our muscles and brains, "this action is unimportant, no need to remember it."
Unfortunately, most students are unwilling to put in the repetition that is required to truly learn skills and techniques. They become bored and want to move on to the next "new" thing before mastering the current technique or skill. This creates mediocre martial artists. General Choi understood this part of training. He addresses repetition and boredom in his Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do:
"There is a common tendency among beginners to tire of repeating the same techniques over and over. Boredom will usually set in between the third and sixth month for the beginning student. This is the period when a student is building his Taekwon-Do foundation by learning fundamental technique and building power. The best way to combat boredom is to attend class regularly and resolve to attain a specified goal. Too often the students sacrifice thoroughness in the learning process, because they tend to lose patience and insist on progressing to a higher technique before mastering the previous one. Students should realize that it is extremely important for them to know thoroughly one single technique until it becomes reflexive before advancing to the next." -Condensed Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do by General Choi Hong Hi, pages 40-41
I would like to add that often I Dan Black Belts fall into this trap. Since they have reached what they consider an advanced level they become bored and quit because they feel there is nothing more to learn that is of any worth.
Therefore, boredom sets in because students repeat skills and techniques without purpose. In order to avoid this obstacle a student must learn repetition with purpose. Every time a student practices a Kick, a Pattern, Step Sparring, Self Defense, Free Sparring or Breaking, they should stop and fix a goal in mind, what aspect will they work on in order to refine, polish and master the skill or technique. There are so many things to work on such as; power, speed, balance, proper facing/posture, correct intermediate hand position, correct stances, focus, accuracy and so on. Since none of us are perfect, repetition provides us with unlimited opportunities to improve.
Boredom is simply the result of mental laziness. So the next time you are in class, I challenge everyone of my students to be both physically and mentally engaged. You should leave the class better than you started it, even if it is just one little thing. That is the difference between a class that is worthwhile and a class that is a waste of time.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Interviewing Potential Instructors
Now that you have found the school you think matches your needs and interests it is time to interview the potential Instructor. Remember YOU are interviewing the Instructor, not the other way around, maintain control of the interview and don't let the Instructor turn it around on you.
I recommend you first ask if the Instructor/School is a member of either NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Artists) or MAIA (Martial Arts Industry Association). These Associations are NOT Martial Arts organizations but Sales and Marketing Companies that specialize in making sales not teaching martial arts. NAPMA is owned and operated by businessman Stephen Oliver and MAIA is owned and operated by the world's largest martial arts supplier Century Martial Arts.
Martial Arts Instructors pay these organizations $1000+ a month in consultations fees for sales and marketing advice. These companies DO NOT offer any martial arts instruction or training! For this astronomical monthly fee, the Instructor has been given and taught to use carefully crafted scripts to answer phone calls or talk to walk-in potential customers. They also have comprhensive lists of how to deal with any objections and get as many potential customers to sign lengthy and expensive contracts (5+ years and $17,000).
These sales and marketing companies and their Instructors have only one goal: increase revenues! Martial Arts are secondary to the $$$. I once interviewed for a position with Mile Hi Karate a franchise owned by Stephen Oliver (NAPMA). During the interview I was never asked about my martial arts background and experience, all of the questions were about my sales and marketing expereince. Need I say more?
The way these "martial arts" schools increase and guarantee their revenue is through CONTRACTS. This scheme is legal but I question how ethical it is, especially considering the code of honor most traditional martial arts schools claim to teach. These contracts vary in length from 12 month (1 year) to 60 months (5 years). I have noticed that these schools always quote time in months and not years, that is a tactic they use to downplay what may seem like a very long time to an ordinary person.
Monthly cost can vary from about $160 a month to $500+ a month. Time to do the math a 12 month contract at $160 a month = $1920. 5 year contract at $160 a month = $9600. I even heard of someone signing a 36 month contract at $395 per month. That's $14,220! Those are the values of the contracts. The monthly amounts must be paid whether the student is training or not. These contracts are ironclad, written by layers and tested in court. Don't think for one second that the Instructor won't send you to a collection agency or turn you over to their lawyer for payment even if you stop training.
Many of these Instructors actually count on a large percentage of their students quitting! Their facilities are simply too small to accomodate the number of students enrolled. They maximize their profits based on square footage by having "paying" students who do not attend. Legal? Yes! Ethical? Doubtful.
You should also ask about UPGRADES such as sparring, Black Belt Club, Masters Club, weapons training, etc. There are lots of upgrade options that these schools use to increase revenue. Each upgrade is added to the basic fee starting around $160 per month. It can really start adding up. Make sure you understand clearly what your basic fee gets for you, because you can easily end up paying 2 or 3 times the basic amount to get the training you wanted.
To sum this all up, I will never forget a series of articles I saw in the monthly magazine of NAPMA. It was entitled "How to Lock in Your Students." It dealt with using contracts to obligate students to pay the martial arts school. As distrubing as that is, the photo that accompanied it made me shudder. It was a picture of a young martial arts student in a locked cage. That's how they see their students!
Obviously, I would recommend staying as far away from these schools or "McDojos" as they are known among traditional martial arts schools. Never sign a contract! If the school doesn't offer a month-to-month go elsewhere, find a school where their priority is martial arts instructions and training, not sales and contracts.
If you have had expereinces with a "McDojo" I welcome your comments on this post.
I recommend you first ask if the Instructor/School is a member of either NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Artists) or MAIA (Martial Arts Industry Association). These Associations are NOT Martial Arts organizations but Sales and Marketing Companies that specialize in making sales not teaching martial arts. NAPMA is owned and operated by businessman Stephen Oliver and MAIA is owned and operated by the world's largest martial arts supplier Century Martial Arts.
Martial Arts Instructors pay these organizations $1000+ a month in consultations fees for sales and marketing advice. These companies DO NOT offer any martial arts instruction or training! For this astronomical monthly fee, the Instructor has been given and taught to use carefully crafted scripts to answer phone calls or talk to walk-in potential customers. They also have comprhensive lists of how to deal with any objections and get as many potential customers to sign lengthy and expensive contracts (5+ years and $17,000).
These sales and marketing companies and their Instructors have only one goal: increase revenues! Martial Arts are secondary to the $$$. I once interviewed for a position with Mile Hi Karate a franchise owned by Stephen Oliver (NAPMA). During the interview I was never asked about my martial arts background and experience, all of the questions were about my sales and marketing expereince. Need I say more?
The way these "martial arts" schools increase and guarantee their revenue is through CONTRACTS. This scheme is legal but I question how ethical it is, especially considering the code of honor most traditional martial arts schools claim to teach. These contracts vary in length from 12 month (1 year) to 60 months (5 years). I have noticed that these schools always quote time in months and not years, that is a tactic they use to downplay what may seem like a very long time to an ordinary person.
Monthly cost can vary from about $160 a month to $500+ a month. Time to do the math a 12 month contract at $160 a month = $1920. 5 year contract at $160 a month = $9600. I even heard of someone signing a 36 month contract at $395 per month. That's $14,220! Those are the values of the contracts. The monthly amounts must be paid whether the student is training or not. These contracts are ironclad, written by layers and tested in court. Don't think for one second that the Instructor won't send you to a collection agency or turn you over to their lawyer for payment even if you stop training.
Many of these Instructors actually count on a large percentage of their students quitting! Their facilities are simply too small to accomodate the number of students enrolled. They maximize their profits based on square footage by having "paying" students who do not attend. Legal? Yes! Ethical? Doubtful.
You should also ask about UPGRADES such as sparring, Black Belt Club, Masters Club, weapons training, etc. There are lots of upgrade options that these schools use to increase revenue. Each upgrade is added to the basic fee starting around $160 per month. It can really start adding up. Make sure you understand clearly what your basic fee gets for you, because you can easily end up paying 2 or 3 times the basic amount to get the training you wanted.
To sum this all up, I will never forget a series of articles I saw in the monthly magazine of NAPMA. It was entitled "How to Lock in Your Students." It dealt with using contracts to obligate students to pay the martial arts school. As distrubing as that is, the photo that accompanied it made me shudder. It was a picture of a young martial arts student in a locked cage. That's how they see their students!
Obviously, I would recommend staying as far away from these schools or "McDojos" as they are known among traditional martial arts schools. Never sign a contract! If the school doesn't offer a month-to-month go elsewhere, find a school where their priority is martial arts instructions and training, not sales and contracts.
If you have had expereinces with a "McDojo" I welcome your comments on this post.
Friday, January 29, 2010
What to look for or look out for in a Martial Arts School
There are countless martial arts styles and schools out there. So which one is right for you? The first thing a person should do is understand why they are interested in taking up a martial art. Do you want to learn self defense, get in shape, get involved in competition, or develop self discipline? There are a lot of different and legitimate reasons to get involved in martial arts. Once you understand your own motivation is when the foot work begins. The best place to start is the internet, doing a search of key words will narrow down the choices in your area. But then you have to out and visit these schools. Talk to the instructors, watch a class, talk to students and family members of students. If the school offers a free trial class TAKE IT!
Then once you have narrowed it down, it is time to look at the curriculums, school goals and tuition programs. I will address that in the next post.
Then once you have narrowed it down, it is time to look at the curriculums, school goals and tuition programs. I will address that in the next post.
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