Any fellow Martial Arts Instructors, or Coaches?

Hi folks,

Soon I will be instructing, I will be insured to teach. I have confidence, I will demonstrate well enough to attract students. My concern is what to charge? What I am teaching, very few teach. In fact I am pioneering, a bit. I can teach beginners, to advanced. Assume I wouldn't just go about this Willy nilly. Recently someone from a BJJ gym suggested hundreds of dollars per hour. While I would be worth that for a small group, or Individual, or an advanced class. My kids/children, I don't rightly know, if I should charge as much. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

a reply to: 2ndTenor

Strike first, strike hard, no mercy

a reply to: 2ndTenor

What kind of clientele are you aiming for?

While you may have a rare skillset, you also have to bear in mind what you market will bear too. It's all well and good to value yourself and your skills very, very highly, but if you charge a price that very few can afford, you're right out of business in a hurry.

Do you have a reputation with your skills that will allow you to command the price you want to demand? Is there enough of a market where you are that will allow you to command the price you want to demand? Could you create that market if it isn't where you are at either by moving to one or by getting creative -- teaching lessons via Zoom in order to reach a broader market, for example.

Upper Middle Class Market. DFW area Texas. I am making my own way, through networking and demonstrations. My favorite Demonstration is try to hit me, under the conditions I provide. It's awesome.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: 2ndTenor

What kind of clientele are you aiming for?

While you may have a rare skillset, you also have to bear in mind what you market will bear too. It's all well and good to value yourself and your skills very, very highly, but if you charge a price that very few can afford, you're right out of business in a hurry.

Do you have a reputation with your skills that will allow you to command the price you want to demand? Is there enough of a market where you are that will allow you to command the price you want to demand? Could you create that market if it isn't where you are at either by moving to one or by getting creative -- teaching lessons via Zoom in order to reach a broader market, for example.

a reply to: 2ndTenor
I have found your "why" defines your business. 1. Do you teach for your students, or 2. for your finances?

When we approach from a perspective of expansion and growth...qi flows

when we seek to acquire through others, qi is in limited supply

a reply to: 2ndTenor

I'll put it to you this way as someone just starting out learning in the martial arts.

You might be the most awesome thing ever, and I might want to learn what you have to teach me more than anything, but if you price yourself out of my pocket ... I'll have to find another way and likely another instructor.

There are good coaches and good instructors all over, and not all of them will be priced out of my reach because they may have a different approach to how they plan to market themselves and their ability and different philosophy to what they're all about.

Sure, I may not be learning exactly what you know, but I'll be learning something.

a reply to: 2ndTenor

What exactly are you teaching? Not enough specifics.

I can appreciate this, actually. I am looking to market to existing martial arts students enrolled in a curriculum.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: 2ndTenor

I'll put it to you this way as someone just starting out learning in the martial arts.

You might be the most awesome thing ever, and I might want to learn what you have to teach me more than anything, but if you price yourself out of my pocket ... I'll have to find another way and likely another instructor.

There are good coaches and good instructors all over, and not all of them will be priced out of my reach because they may have a different approach to how they plan to market themselves and their ability and different philosophy to what they're all about.

Sure, I may not be learning exactly what you know, but I'll be learning something.

I am teaching the use of hand to hand weapons, anything straight above 12 inches. It's not a style adherence, it's a broad brush stroke for inquisitive minds. I will ask them what of hand to hand they want to learn. I have safe weapon replicas, and I get them familiar with the weapon, and work them up to fighting speed through training with me. I am comfortable in groups or individuals. My experience with my tools, and people skills will be the selling factor.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: 2ndTenor

What exactly are you teaching? Not enough specifics.

originally posted by: 2ndTenor
Hi folks,

Soon I will be instructing, I will be insured to teach. I have confidence, I will demonstrate well enough to attract students. My concern is what to charge? What I am teaching, very few teach. In fact I am pioneering, a bit. I can teach beginners, to advanced. Assume I wouldn't just go about this Willy nilly. Recently someone from a BJJ gym suggested hundreds of dollars per hour. While I would be worth that for a small group, or Individual, or an advanced class. My kids/children, I don't rightly know, if I should charge as much. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

youre going to find it hard to teach each individual person a different weapon, and quickly find you dont have enough time and will need to move to group classes.

Always start with the basics as they say......

I tought BJJ and Dutch style kickboxing for a lot of years........

Running a studio can be really challenging , people skills go a long way, but always keep in mind youre gonna have people come in and out that are going to challenge your knowledge and effectiveness.....

MA instruction is not for the light of heart, or going about half assed, so I do hope you have your curriculum down pat.

I do wish you the best of Luck, and as someone who use to live in the DFW area, theres a lot of competition out there, so it should be a good time if nothing else lol

Have you thought about what youre going to call it? Is it Silat? Arnis? Eskrima? whats your training background? I did a lot of knife work and though I dont much anymore I still keep up with my proficiency with the Karambit, love that damn thing!

While I can teach all of the weapons I provide you are offering great advice. This will be a weapons only course. I will also be happy to teach the inexperienced. As far as groups, yes I will have a few students at first, until I build a class size. Fortunately, I am not opening a whole insured dojo/gym. I will be a travelling instructor. I will be visiting existing schools, and offering them a chance to retain my services, as a 1099 or something similar.

I am floating a few fun names for the courses...The Influences behind my style, are a mixture of Western and Eastern, practical, and for just sport.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: 2ndTenor
Hi folks,

Soon I will be instructing, I will be insured to teach. I have confidence, I will demonstrate well enough to attract students. My concern is what to charge? What I am teaching, very few teach. In fact I am pioneering, a bit. I can teach beginners, to advanced. Assume I wouldn't just go about this Willy nilly. Recently someone from a BJJ gym suggested hundreds of dollars per hour. While I would be worth that for a small group, or Individual, or an advanced class. My kids/children, I don't rightly know, if I should charge as much. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

youre going to find it hard to teach each individual person a different weapon, and quickly find you dont have enough time and will need to move to group classes.

Always start with the basics as they say......

I tought BJJ and Dutch style kickboxing for a lot of years........

Running a studio can be really challenging , people skills go a long way, but always keep in mind youre gonna have people come in and out that are going to challenge your knowledge and effectiveness.....

MA instruction is not for the light of heart, or going about half assed, so I do hope you have your curriculum down pat.

I do wish you the best of Luck, and as someone who use to live in the DFW area, theres a lot of competition out there, so it should be a good time if nothing else lol

Have you thought about what youre going to call it? Is it Silat? Arnis? Eskrima? whats your training background? I did a lot of knife work and though I dont much anymore I still keep up with my proficiency with the Karambit, love that damn thing!

I don't know. I've done a lot of different martial arts over the years, and instructed in some of them. I never made any money doing so, as I the only thing I ever asked was that they actually wanted to learn for the right reasons.

It does matter what the average/mean income is. If your going to be teaching young people you have to remember it's more than likely going to be there parents paying for it.

Also, this is kind of besides the point, and just my opinion, but please don't be the kind of instructor that spends the majority of the class talking about themselves, their past, and who they know. In my opinion that's my number one turn off. If I'm paying to learn a a set of techniques I want to learn techniques. If I wanted to learn the histories and philosophies or just listen to someone fluff their ego I'd go to a bar.

You'll find that a lot of people will become disinterested and begin to feel ripped off.


eta:

Also, you can do different pricing for adults and youth, but ultimately unless you're running the classes out of your house or some field somewhere you're going to have to figure out how to cover the overhead out of whatever space your renting out.

dp

Also very good advice. I am athletic, and we will be active in each class. They get a chance to swing about within the first 10 minutes. I can cover history if they like, but seeing is believing...

originally posted by: AutomateThis1
I don't know. I've done a lot of different martial arts over the years, and instructed in some of them. I never made any money doing so, as I the only thing I ever asked was that they actually wanted to learn for the right reasons.

It does matter what the average/mean income is. If your going to be teaching young people you have to remember it's more than likely going to be there parents paying for it.

Also, this is kind of besides the point, and just my opinion, but please don't be the kind of instructor that spends the majority of the class talking about themselves, their past, and who they know. In my opinion that's my number one turn off. If I'm paying to learn a a set of techniques I want to learn techniques. If I wanted to learn the histories and philosophies or just listen to someone fluff their ego I'd go to a bar.

You'll find that a lot of people will become disinterested and begin to feel ripped off.


eta:

Also, you can do different pricing for adults and youth, but ultimately unless you're running the classes out of your house or some field somewhere you're going to have to figure out how to cover the overhead out of whatever space your renting out.

a reply to: 2ndTenor

Sounds like to me then what would be more feasable to do , is to market it to the Dojos/Gyms themselves rather than the individual practitioners.

Sort of like how people like Robson Moura, or Gracie come to schools and charge the school its self a fee, to put on the seminar....then the Schools can recoup that cost through their students however they wish

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

That's a pretty good idea.