by jerrymartin on Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:03 am
ah ha!
I knew you were a softy Beegs!
Just kidding. I have also been "grappling" with this issue. Those of you that have followed some of my posts from when I signed on here to now, know that I own a school (just quit my other job and do it full-time now) and have struggled very hard to maintain my integrity by not watering down. BUT at the same time, in order to make a living sometimes you take on students that would not cut it if it were too militant.
I have now come to the conclusion that it's kind of like boiling the frog. Here's an example for you. One of my students is a wonderful mother of two. Very cerebral, nerdy even. She would not have signed up if it were too intimidating. She liked the good workouts and the memorization element of forms training. Now, four years later, she's probably one of my best students. She's getting ready for her Brown Sash test and is beginning to get pretty good at the whole "self-defense" thing. I eased her into it you see.
My point is, if you own a school, the focus needs to be on self-improvement. Let me qualify this statement; if you own a school and want it to be your sole source of income. If you want to be teh deadly, you better find a good paying job.
I feel that you've struck on a chord here that's been resonating with me personally and have been making work for the past five years. Most of the students I sign up are broken in some way; OCD, HDD, Asburgers, Autistic, Down Syndrome or just plain awkward. Why is it less important to help these people? In fact, I would argue that it's the more noble use of my knowledge.
These people all need the most basic things that martial arts offer; balance, self-confidence, flexibility, strength, etc.
How many people walking the streets today have been in actual fights? I would argue the percentage is small. How many people walking the streets today need to be in better shape and have a greater level of self-confidence? I would say the lion's share do.
Eventually, the cream rises to the top. And over time only the most qualified will get the "closed door" stuff. Many will quit along the way as it becomes more difficult but they still will have benefitted from the time they spent training.
my .02
Jerry
Last edited by
jerrymartin on Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.