Quote:
Originally Posted by thescottishdude
I don't know if this is perhaps cultural differences, but in the UK pretty much all the martial arts clubs are run by trainers who just want to get enough money to pay for the hall and the rest is spent on club nights out. Doing it for free.
Over in the UA, by the sounds of this thread, it's alot more capitalist?
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For free? Sure, some people do it for free - always have and always will. But I think there's a (mistaken) perception that it was often taught for free throughout history.
Uchi Deshi (live in students) in Japan may not have had to pay a financial tuition (I don't know) but they certainly had to clean floors and do chores. This is a form of barter (though it has other, more esoteric purposes as well) and, therefore, the training wasn't "free."
In the Philippines & Indonesia it was common for students to bring rice or chickens or perform chores or maintenance around the instructor's house. Again ... a form of tuition payment.
I started programming computers when I was kid (taught myself BASIC on a Commodore Vic-20 when I was 9 years old). I did it purely for the enjoyment of doing it. I loved it. I still love it. But, you know what, it's a marketable skill and when people need something I can provide, I have no problem charging them for the time and effort I put into it. But I still do it for the love of it. I do it for myself and friends/family for free - just because I love it. But should I give it away to clients just because I love it? I think not.
What's the difference between teaching martial arts and programming computers? Or being a personal trainer at a gym? Or any other type of service people around the world provide - and charge for - every day?
As Guru Stevan Plinck phrases it, "I don't charge a dime for what I teach. It's impossible to put a price on it. But my time and effort while teaching *is* worth something and that's what I charge for."
How does charging for doing something take away from the love of doing it?
Mike