Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:54:18 -0700 From: the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: The_Dojang digest, Vol 13 #332 - 10 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.13.cisto1 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13.cisto1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Subscribed-Address: kma@martialartsresource.com List-Id: The Internet's premier discussion forum on Korean Martial Arts. 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Copyright 1994-2006: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Korean Martial Arts. 2,100 members. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Today's Topics: 1. RE: RE: Blow to Wallet (Mr. Burdick) (Thomas Gordon) 2. RE: blow to the wallet (Thomas Gordon) 3. Re: blow to the wallet (Ray) 4. Three Poets of Modern Korea (Ray) 5. Re: blow to the wallet (Jay O'Connor) 6. Re: Blow to wallet (Jye nigma) 7. Re: blow to the wallet (Jye nigma) 8. Yes, another post about Blow to Wallet.... (Greenbrier Tae Kwon Do Academy) 9. More about the wallet (James K Allison) 10. Re: Yes, another post about Blow to Wallet.... (Steven Berkowitz) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: "Thomas Gordon" To: Subject: RE: [The_Dojang] RE: Blow to Wallet (Mr. Burdick) Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:50:39 -0500 Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Mr. Burdick said, ""....but over the next three years he alienated not onl his customers but also his instructors with his attitude...." Apparently, problem was instructor/owner attitude, not cost, not contracts. Mr. Burdick said, "and what I find most bizarre is that it is often the folks in NAPMA, who claim they are developing the profession, that encourage these sorts of contracts." I'm not real interested in hearing consulting advice from someone who can't live comfortably on their own school. I don't make it a practice going to a dentist who has bad teeth either.... I do have a few mentors I listen to and all them have very successful schools. Some of the consultants today are second rate losers who couldn't keep their own school going on their own merits. Thomas Gordon Florida --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Thomas Gordon" To: Subject: RE: [The_Dojang] blow to the wallet Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:50:52 -0500 Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Good point about the average being set based on full time schools using services such as MAIA, NAPMA, etc. For me, I'll concede that the average is based on full time martial art schools. With the argument being similar to mechanics, the "average" car repair is based on a professional auto shop - not shade tree mechanics. Thomas Gordon Florida --__--__-- Message: 3 From: Ray Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] blow to the wallet To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 16:03:09 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net > In response to comments made by James Allison: > Your dojang must be in a very special high income area surrounded by > doctors, lawyers or celebrities. > I cannot imagine anyone who would pay $400.00 a month for lessons with a > three year required contract! I think Mr. Allison's quoted monthly price was a family rate. Not a single student. Ray Terry rterry@idiom.com --__--__-- Message: 4 From: Ray To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net (The_Dojang) Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 16:05:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [The_Dojang] Three Poets of Modern Korea Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Forwarding... _Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon and Choi Young-Mi_, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell. Louisville, KY: Sarabande Books, 2002. 72 pages. (ISBN 1-8893-3071-X, paper). US $13.95. Reviewed by Sehjae Chun Hanyang University san@hanyang.ac.kr Readers of Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon, and Choi Young-Mi, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell, may be pleasantly surprised to see the intriguing combination of these three poets, and wonder how these three poets have come to be put together in one volume. Yi (1910-1937) was an experimental poet from the early twentieth century when Korea was under Japanese occupation; Hahm (1930- ) is a poet, essayist, and professor of Korean Literature and relatively lesser-known than the other two poets; and Choi (1961- ) is the author of a poetry collection that has sold half a million copies. As Kimbrell warns, this volume is not a canonical collection, but presents "a sense of the vision inherent in each of these poets" (xviii) and appears to have been designed to showcase the diversity of Korean poetry to English readers. Yu and Kimbrell, after a succinct introduction that provides both historical context and biographical sketches of each poet, invite the reader to three distinct poetic realms of modern Korea. Yi Sang, the first to appear in this collection, is one of the few Korean poets, whose work, like that of Ko Un, has been relatively widely disseminated in English. Yi's poetry exemplifies many undercurrents in the modern Korean literary scene. Well-known for the experimental, surreal, and abstract composition of his poems, which invite various interpretations, he uses the pseudonym Yi Sang, which can be interpreted as "strange." His poems remind one of Louis Zukofsky's "A" or some of the experimental pieces of the L=3DA=3DN=3DG=3DU=3DA=3DG=3DE = poets, and it is little wonder that his poems are widely read and studied for their distinctive style. In particular, "Crow's-Eye View," a serial collection of fourteen poems, translated here, poses an interpretive challenge to readers of both Korean and English literature. The series, in combining geometrical diagrams, disruptive grammatical composition, the innovative appropriation of space and other devices allows for a rich but sometimes frustrating poetic freedom of interpretation. In accordance with the demanding textuality of Yi's oeuvre, translators sometimes must make bold interpretive decisions, and the attempts to embark on this difficult task in this volume deserve recognition for making the text very readable. However, close comparison with the original text shows that the translators have at times engaged in arbitrary interpretation of Yi's stylistic strategies. For example, the lack of spacing between the words in the original Korean highlights a visual and architectonic design on Yi's part, similar to the postmodern poetics found in many "Language" poems. The translation, however, disrupts this format, placing spaces between words and detracting from the aesthetic appeal of his poems. =46or Hahm and Choi's poems, however, the translators succeed more fully in maintaining a delicate balance between readability and faithfulness to the original. Hahm differs from Yi in neither following radical experimental poetics nor having attained stellar literary status. Hahm differs from the indigenous lyricism of Su Jung-Joo and Park Jae-Sam, or the prosaic rhetoric of Kim Su-Young, in his exploration of the acute sense of reality about the separation of North and South Korea. Given that poems about the Korean War and the subsequent confrontation between the North and the South largely have not currently been receiving the attention they deserve from literary circles, the reintroduction of such Hahm's poems as "Colony," "In Tunnel Number Three," and "The Last Face" by English readers of Korean is very welcome. Beginning with his own personal experience of exile in the Korean War, Hahm delves into the sensibility of those who were forced to leave their home and echoes this sensibility onward to contemporary Korean society in a controlled voice. For example, in "Jeju Island," Hahm employs a poetic alter ego, 'Chusa,' who was exiled to Jeju Island for his role in the political turmoil of 1840, in order to confront the unbridgeable rupture between the personal and the historical before returning to his own subjectivity. Hahm's poems attempt to reach into the ongoing histories of North and South and have perhaps their greatest appeal to the generation who experienced the Korean War. Choi's work, on the other hand, resonates most particularly with the so-called "386" generation who, in the 1990s were in their 30s, had attended university in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s (and who are now in the process of transformation into a "486" generation). The 386ers stood in the midst of the historical turbulence of the 1980s, marked by such events as the Kwangju Democratic Uprising, military dictatorship, radical student demonstrations, and the Seoul Olympics. Heirs to the spirit of the 4.19 Student Revolution in 1960, which led to the fall of the corrupt Syngman Rhee regime, they represent a similar wave of ideals and a desire to be free from corruption, politically and socially. Choi's first poetry collection, provocatively titled At Thirty, the Party Was Over, may be compared to the success of Sylvia Plath's Ariel. Choi here pointedly articulates the pessimistic voice of the female activist, recalling the agony and despair of the 1980s social movements that swept Korean society. In persuasively echoing the struggles of the 386 generation in the midst of the 1980s, she attempts to address the wounds of this turbulent age. "At Thirty, the Party Was Over" shows her ambiguous feelings about her involvement with the student protest movements. In a tone of self-contempt, she confesses that 'I liked the demonstrators more than the demonstrations' and that her efforts in the student movements made 'no difference at all.' However, she acknowledges her social responsibility, writing that 'someone will stay here until it's all over, and clean the table before the owner comes out.' =46urthermore, 'the party' has a more specific cultural significance for women, because the burden of the tremendous preparation for traditional Korean parties is placed on women. Choi's poems are also characterized by sexually provocative descriptions as in the following lines from "Recollection of the Last Sex": 'I chewed for a long time / on the recollection of the last sex / that filled my mouth.' Similarly in "Song in a Dolorous Caf=E9," she writes, 'With which chap / did I pluck the flower of random desire without any guilt at all.' Although overwhelmed by conflicting responses from the readership that she commercialized the student movement while succeeding in articulating her sexuality and individuality, Choi's poems make a fresh impact on readers who are accustomed to literary seriousness as well. Readers, however, must be aware that the translations here are chosen from both her poetry books, and arranged randomly without any indication of volume. Poems from Choi's second volume, such as "Amen I" "Amen II" and "In the Submerged Area of Imha Dam," reveal an evolution from her earlier sensational and self-derogatory impulses towards a more sedate and patient tone, although the translators make no note of this. The changes signal Choi and the 386 generation's adaptation to a changing social and historical environment. Three Poets of Modern Korea clearly shows Yu and Kimbrell's affection for Korean poems and fills a niche with its diversity of perspectives and tastes in Korean poetry. The volume will contribute towards fostering appreciation of Korean poems, and therein lies its strength. Citation: Chun, Sehjae 2006 Review of _Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon and Choi Young-Mi_, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell (2002) _Korean Studies Review_ 2006, no. 10 Electronic file: http://koreaweb.ws/ks/ksr/ksr06-10.htm _Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon and Choi Young-Mi_, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell. Louisville, KY: Sarabande Books, 2002. 72 pages. (ISBN 1-8893-3071-X, paper). US $13.95. Reviewed by Sehjae Chun Hanyang University san@hanyang.ac.kr Readers of Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon, and Choi Young-Mi, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell, may be pleasantly surprised to see the intriguing combination of these three poets, and wonder how these three poets have come to be put together in one volume. Yi (1910-1937) was an experimental poet from the early twentieth century when Korea was under Japanese occupation; Hahm (1930- ) is a poet, essayist, and professor of Korean Literature and relatively lesser-known than the other two poets; and Choi (1961- ) is the author of a poetry collection that has sold half a million copies. As Kimbrell warns, this volume is not a canonical collection, but presents "a sense of the vision inherent in each of these poets" (xviii) and appears to have been designed to showcase the diversity of Korean poetry to English readers. Yu and Kimbrell, after a succinct introduction that provides both historical context and biographical sketches of each poet, invite the reader to three distinct poetic realms of modern Korea. Yi Sang, the first to appear in this collection, is one of the few Korean poets, whose work, like that of Ko Un, has been relatively widely disseminated in English. Yi's poetry exemplifies many undercurrents in the modern Korean literary scene. Well-known for the experimental, surreal, and abstract composition of his poems, which invite various interpretations, he uses the pseudonym Yi Sang, which can be interpreted as "strange." His poems remind one of Louis Zukofsky's "A" or some of the experimental pieces of the L=3DA=3DN=3DG=3DU=3DA=3DG=3DE = poets, and it is little wonder that his poems are widely read and studied for their distinctive style. In particular, "Crow's-Eye View," a serial collection of fourteen poems, translated here, poses an interpretive challenge to readers of both Korean and English literature. The series, in combining geometrical diagrams, disruptive grammatical composition, the innovative appropriation of space and other devices allows for a rich but sometimes frustrating poetic freedom of interpretation. In accordance with the demanding textuality of Yi's oeuvre, translators sometimes must make bold interpretive decisions, and the attempts to embark on this difficult task in this volume deserve recognition for making the text very readable. However, close comparison with the original text shows that the translators have at times engaged in arbitrary interpretation of Yi's stylistic strategies. For example, the lack of spacing between the words in the original Korean highlights a visual and architectonic design on Yi's part, similar to the postmodern poetics found in many "Language" poems. The translation, however, disrupts this format, placing spaces between words and detracting from the aesthetic appeal of his poems. =46or Hahm and Choi's poems, however, the translators succeed more fully in maintaining a delicate balance between readability and faithfulness to the original. Hahm differs from Yi in neither following radical experimental poetics nor having attained stellar literary status. Hahm differs from the indigenous lyricism of Su Jung-Joo and Park Jae-Sam, or the prosaic rhetoric of Kim Su-Young, in his exploration of the acute sense of reality about the separation of North and South Korea. Given that poems about the Korean War and the subsequent confrontation between the North and the South largely have not currently been receiving the attention they deserve from literary circles, the reintroduction of such Hahm's poems as "Colony," "In Tunnel Number Three," and "The Last Face" by English readers of Korean is very welcome. Beginning with his own personal experience of exile in the Korean War, Hahm delves into the sensibility of those who were forced to leave their home and echoes this sensibility onward to contemporary Korean society in a controlled voice. For example, in "Jeju Island," Hahm employs a poetic alter ego, 'Chusa,' who was exiled to Jeju Island for his role in the political turmoil of 1840, in order to confront the unbridgeable rupture between the personal and the historical before returning to his own subjectivity. Hahm's poems attempt to reach into the ongoing histories of North and South and have perhaps their greatest appeal to the generation who experienced the Korean War. Choi's work, on the other hand, resonates most particularly with the so-called "386" generation who, in the 1990s were in their 30s, had attended university in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s (and who are now in the process of transformation into a "486" generation). The 386ers stood in the midst of the historical turbulence of the 1980s, marked by such events as the Kwangju Democratic Uprising, military dictatorship, radical student demonstrations, and the Seoul Olympics. Heirs to the spirit of the 4.19 Student Revolution in 1960, which led to the fall of the corrupt Syngman Rhee regime, they represent a similar wave of ideals and a desire to be free from corruption, politically and socially. Choi's first poetry collection, provocatively titled At Thirty, the Party Was Over, may be compared to the success of Sylvia Plath's Ariel. Choi here pointedly articulates the pessimistic voice of the female activist, recalling the agony and despair of the 1980s social movements that swept Korean society. In persuasively echoing the struggles of the 386 generation in the midst of the 1980s, she attempts to address the wounds of this turbulent age. "At Thirty, the Party Was Over" shows her ambiguous feelings about her involvement with the student protest movements. In a tone of self-contempt, she confesses that 'I liked the demonstrators more than the demonstrations' and that her efforts in the student movements made 'no difference at all.' However, she acknowledges her social responsibility, writing that 'someone will stay here until it's all over, and clean the table before the owner comes out.' =46urthermore, 'the party' has a more specific cultural significance for women, because the burden of the tremendous preparation for traditional Korean parties is placed on women. Choi's poems are also characterized by sexually provocative descriptions as in the following lines from "Recollection of the Last Sex": 'I chewed for a long time / on the recollection of the last sex / that filled my mouth.' Similarly in "Song in a Dolorous Caf=E9," she writes, 'With which chap / did I pluck the flower of random desire without any guilt at all.' Although overwhelmed by conflicting responses from the readership that she commercialized the student movement while succeeding in articulating her sexuality and individuality, Choi's poems make a fresh impact on readers who are accustomed to literary seriousness as well. Readers, however, must be aware that the translations here are chosen from both her poetry books, and arranged randomly without any indication of volume. Poems from Choi's second volume, such as "Amen I" "Amen II" and "In the Submerged Area of Imha Dam," reveal an evolution from her earlier sensational and self-derogatory impulses towards a more sedate and patient tone, although the translators make no note of this. The changes signal Choi and the 386 generation's adaptation to a changing social and historical environment. Three Poets of Modern Korea clearly shows Yu and Kimbrell's affection for Korean poems and fills a niche with its diversity of perspectives and tastes in Korean poetry. The volume will contribute towards fostering appreciation of Korean poems, and therein lies its strength. Citation: Chun, Sehjae 2006 Review of _Three Poets of Modern Korea: Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-Seon and Choi Young-Mi_, translated and edited by Yu Jung-Yul and James Kimbrell (2002) _Korean Studies Review_ 2006, no. 10 Electronic file: http://koreaweb.ws/ks/ksr/ksr06-10.htm --__--__-- Message: 5 Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:39:40 -0600 From: Jay O'Connor To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] blow to the wallet Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Ray wrote: >> In response to comments made by James Allison: >> Your dojang must be in a very special high income area surrounded by >> doctors, lawyers or celebrities. >> I cannot imagine anyone who would pay $400.00 a month for lessons with a >> three year required contract! > > I think Mr. Allison's quoted monthly price was a family rate. Not a single > student. I pay $255/month for a family plan with unlimited access. That includes myself, my wife, and my oldest four children. My wife and I and the two oldest kids attend conditioning/strength classes. My four children and I attend Hapkido classes. All told, some combination of our family is in the dojang about 6 times a week. Just another data point Take care, Jay --__--__-- Message: 6 Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:05:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Jye nigma Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] Blow to wallet To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net I would charge hefty prices if I ran a state of the art martial art school, and crazy prices if I taught celebrities. my explanation. In a location that is state of the art, with quality instruction curriculum, equipment, etc, you get what you pay for. So you pay top dollar for top of the line instruction/service, which is always understandable....you can actually see where some of your money is being spent... Reminds me of school. I attend a technical college and my tuition is well over 64,000. But when I walk into the school I'm thinking, where is my money being spent? lol. We have very knowledgeable instructors, a few computer labs, and vending machines, but for that tuition I'd expect the forementioned stuff plus maybe more computers/servers, etc maybe students get a free laptop...you know? Everytime I see a devry commercial, I frown because although I've heard they charge alot, you can see where the money goes. AND they get a free laptop...lol. But anyhow...I needed to vent a little seeing how I got my butt kicked in my math class... :o( Now as far as celebrities, I'd charge them ridiculous amounts because that seems to be the way they do things...and hey, they always get free stuff anyhow. Jye michael tomlinson wrote: > > You mean the doctors, lawyers, colleges, and other professionals are > > cheaper in your area too? Do the pharmacys charge less? How about Home > > Depot or Staples? > >In general, yes, prices for all the above can vary based on the area of >the country one lives. > > > Just food for thought.... > the cost of living in a given area has a certain average across the board...in our area it's less than what was stated earlier..that's why I made my comments on the 160 a month for the central Florida area....so yes we probably make less per average than other states...so it is relative...and inside of that relativity if your prices are way out of whack to other competing venues then eventually you will probably fail....for instance...in our area at home depot a piece of 4 by 8 plywood 5 eight's goes for about 15 dollars....if I go up the road and they have the same type plywood for 50 dollars a sheet,, well how many people do you think will buy it?? Only the ones that don't know the difference....and when these people find out the difference do you think they will ever come back to your store??? Point is...everyone lives and functions within the market parameters of their given demographics...if you can be the exception to this rule I applaud you ....but it doesn't happen that way.... Michael Tomlinson _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list, 2,100 members The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net Copyright 1994-2006: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta. --__--__-- Message: 7 Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:41:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Jye nigma Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] blow to the wallet To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net There's a local school that charges $100/month and you can attend 2 or 3 days can't quite remember. but for $180/month you can attend everyday if you want. man just think I used to pay 60/month and attended all classes (3) and stayed after class at times. Jye Jay O'Connor wrote: I pay $255/month for a family plan with unlimited access. That includes myself, my wife, and my oldest four children. My wife and I and the two oldest kids attend conditioning/strength classes. My four children and I attend Hapkido classes. All told, some combination of our family is in the dojang about 6 times a week. Just another data point Take care, Jay --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out. --__--__-- Message: 8 From: "Greenbrier Tae Kwon Do Academy" To: "Dojang Digest" Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 23:45:59 -0400 Subject: [The_Dojang] Yes, another post about Blow to Wallet.... Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Someone mentioned earlier that they have been a member of the DD for 6 months and this subject has gotten the most replies than any other. Well, I have been a member for a couple years and I too think the same.. I guess it's more important than discussing character development, maintaining tradition, teaching methods, or any of that other useless crap....:) Anywhoo... I have read every single post concerning this subject. My good ole WV boy instinct wants to just rag on the two gentlemen (who I won't name because my instructor taught me better), who have posted, one more waaaaaaaaay more than the other, about making allllll kinds of $$$ while teaching their chosen profession. Notice I say "chosen" profession. I'm sure nobody here was "forced" to teach MA, which in my opinion would constitute the ridiculous $160+/month fees. The US Army Rangers have a creed. In section "R" of the creed it states: "Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment." Now, replace "Ranger" with "Martial Arts Instructor" and replace "my Ranger Regiment" with "the traditions that my instructor instilled in me". I think there is something to learn from that. Think about it. Dave Weller, man, you've had the best post about this subject than anyone. His latest post was: Um, the ones that stick around ARE the loyal ones. 100.00 per hour for private lessons?? Wow, I get a private lesson every time I am the only student to show up on a Football/basketball/too hot/too cold evening. Maybe my teacher figures _I'M_ worth something too!! I'd happily pay my teacher whatever fee he asked, and several years ago we _begged_ him to charge more. He raised the fee 5.00 per month! If we only judge things (like martial arts instruction) only by what they cost, we lose sight of their true value. The local Krotty guy charges 120.00 per month. One class a week. There are NO adults, only kids in brightly colored uniforms flinging foam weapons around and having their Mom's think they are Billy Bad- asses. We are glad he is there, gives the folks who WANT to learn that crap a place to hang out. If a student leaves our school because he is not learning to flip 'chuck's at green belt level, well, adios! AMEN, my brotha! Golly Gee Beave, a student worth more than monthly dues...?? Now, THERE'S a new concept. Ok, I'm done ranting. I'm going to bed. And I for one will not be counting Lamborghini's in my sleep.. James Morgan GTKDA --__--__-- Message: 9 From: "James K Allison" To: Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:05:30 -0400 Subject: [The_Dojang] More about the wallet Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Response to Mr. Chambers: No, my dojang is not in a high income area. I am in a rural area in Northeast Georgia. But the standards I have set for myself and my business is obivious to my students and they pay what my program and I deserve to be paid. To me a Martial Arts degree is no different than any other degree you can earn from a college or University. So why should we not require the same level of commitment. I have single mom's and Dad's that pay those fees because they want to be able to do something with their children that is positive. I have Adults that need to be pushed to be more disciplined, I have Law Enforcement officers that need it for protection and they all see the value of what we teach at my academy. As for private lessons. I charge $300 an hour for folks with experience. For my students that are already enrolled in my academy they can sign up for one private lesson a month at no extra charge. I hope more people reading the digest realizes that nothing changes until you do. I believe Zig Ziglar may have said " If you can conceive and believe you can achieve it". So instead of saying that it can't be done or no way that wouldn't work just do it and watch what happens. Speaking of Bruce Lee, in Enter the Dragon when Bruce is teaching his student and is pointing up at the sky and his student isn't really paying attention to what he is saying and he slaps his student on the head and tells him not to concentrate on his finger or he will miss all that heavenly glory. That is what is happening to martial arts instructors that fail to wrap their heads around the concept that we are not minimum wage workers. Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Respectfully yours in Hapkido, James Allison --__--__-- Message: 10 From: "Steven Berkowitz" To: Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] Yes, another post about Blow to Wallet.... Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:26:47 -0700 Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Death From Above! 82nd ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greenbrier Tae Kwon Do Academy" To: "Dojang Digest" Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 8:45 PM Subject: [The_Dojang] Yes, another post about Blow to Wallet.... > Someone mentioned earlier that they have been a member of the DD for 6 > months and this subject has gotten the most replies than any other. Well, I > have been a member for a couple years and I too think the same.. I guess > it's more important than discussing character development, maintaining > tradition, teaching methods, or any of that other useless crap....:) > > Anywhoo... > > I have read every single post concerning this subject. My good ole WV boy > instinct wants to just rag on the two gentlemen (who I won't name because my > instructor taught me better), who have posted, one more waaaaaaaaay more > than the other, about making allllll kinds of $$$ while teaching their > chosen profession. Notice I say "chosen" profession. I'm sure nobody here > was "forced" to teach MA, which in my opinion would constitute the > ridiculous $160+/month fees. > > The US Army Rangers have a creed. In section "R" of the creed it states: > "Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my > chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and > high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment." > > Now, replace "Ranger" with "Martial Arts Instructor" and replace "my Ranger > Regiment" with "the traditions that my instructor instilled in me". > > I think there is something to learn from that. Think about it. > > Dave Weller, man, you've had the best post about this subject than anyone. > His latest post was: > Um, the ones that stick around ARE the loyal ones. > > 100.00 per hour for private lessons?? > > Wow, I get a private lesson every time I am the only student to show > up on a Football/basketball/too hot/too cold evening. > Maybe my teacher figures _I'M_ worth something too!! I'd happily pay > my teacher whatever fee he asked, and several years ago we _begged_ > him to charge more. He raised the fee 5.00 per month! > If we only judge things (like martial arts instruction) only by what > they cost, we lose sight of their true value. > The local Krotty guy charges 120.00 per month. One class a week. > There are NO adults, only kids in brightly colored uniforms flinging > foam weapons around and having their Mom's think they are Billy Bad- > asses. We are glad he is there, gives the folks who WANT to learn > that crap a place to hang out. > If a student leaves our school because he is not learning to flip > 'chuck's at green belt level, well, adios! > > AMEN, my brotha! Golly Gee Beave, a student worth more than monthly > dues...?? Now, THERE'S a new concept. > > Ok, I'm done ranting. I'm going to bed. And I for one will not be counting > Lamborghini's in my sleep.. > > James Morgan > > GTKDA > _______________________________________________ > The_Dojang mailing list, 2,100 members > The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net > Copyright 1994-2006: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource > Standard disclaimers apply > http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.10.9/416 - Release Date: 8/10/2006 --__--__-- _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang http://the-dojang.net Old digest issues @ ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com/pub/the_dojang Copyright 1994-2006: Ray Terry and http://MartialArtsResource.com Standard disclaimers apply. Remember September 11. End of The_Dojang Digest