My advice is to find a fitness center that will let you teach as part of their services. Your liability worries will typically be covered under their blanket liability coverage. Be fair warned, "teaching" martial arts can become a very disenchanting experience. And the density of schools are extremely high these days, in fact a dime a dozen. I have advised many over the years to not "go commercial (full time)" but to keep it small, simple, and at will. The few that did not heed my advise later told me they wished that they did. Not trying to be negative it's just a road that I traveled for a long time. Best of luck.
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Starting a martial arts school
- Thread starter MRH
- Start date
I taught for 20 years, so this is nothing new to me. I'm not seeing schools as being a dime a dozen at all around here. In comparison to 20 years ago, we have a small fraction of the schools we once had. And yes, like I stated in the op, this will be a small project and there's no way I will be betting the farm on it. I have a full time job and this will be something for fun. Still, I will need to be insured and have waivers. The insurance should run around $10-$15 per student, and will be part to their dues. I have students already lined up, and if they want me to teach them, they must 1. Make it worth my time and 2. Be willing to take responsibility for their own insurance costs, which will be a part of their dues, anyway.
I'm fully aware of the non lucrative nature of gyms in general. I have a couple friends who own or have owned gyms. This will not be a gym, so to speak...I also have several acquaintances and two close friends who are or were owners of martial arts schools, one of them an MMA gym, and they have advised me as well. No way I will dive into something head first without checking it out thoroughly. I will be small and cheap, but the school will be good. I believe I have a plan that is better than most. I just have a few more details to work out, the insurance being one of them.
Thanks for your input.
Ah I forgot to mention I won't use a public gym because I won't be open for the public. It will be a private venture, for folks I already know and a few folks they know, by referral only. I have enough good people already lined up, so I have no worries about having students. If it rapidly grows, I may move to a bigger place and open up to more of the public, but honestly, I don't really want to. My only concerns at this point are liabilities and legalities.
how long before I will be able to full blown ninjer somebody?
Keep your expenses as low as possible to start especially since not a full time gig where you have to build a large clientele to pay yourself a salary. I studied martial arts years ago and I think the dues were small or even nonexistent. We met in school gyms and other free venues, sometimes even parks. This was not a business so your model, especially if you want to grow it to a full time job would be different. I would interview my prospective students and weed out those who seem likely to get you sued or bring a bad rep to the school. Waivers, as stated. Find an insurance agent familiar with this specific business type. You might approach fitness centers, especially locally owned types, and see if you could conduct classes there for a split of the revenue. Trainers where I work out pay out 25%, a fitness center might even let you keep all the money as it might potentially bring people in their food. You might also come under their insurance policy.
Just dome random thoughts. Best of luck.
Good on you OP
Kudos
Kudos
As a former American karate & ****o ryu 5th Dan instructor.......not the best idea if you want to actually teach what works. I stopped when all the dojo's became a glorified daycare.
pm me if you would like info on the waivers and specifics on the buisness side.
pm me if you would like info on the waivers and specifics on the buisness side.
