Finding Work

[Voyager]

Does anyone know how hard to is to find work as a Jeet Kun Do instructor? I am going to try and get certification in a year or so when I'm ready but I'm a little worried about job stability. I know there are not nearly as many dojos teaching JKD as there are teaching traditional martial arts so I'm a little stressed. I'm training at Dan Inosanto's Academy of Martial Arts so hopefully my connections will help out. It's wierd seeing Dan all the time...knowing he was friends with Bruce...

[Hardball]

You could always take the self employment route.

[Michael Wright]

In my experience, success as a full time instructor is not related to any art or lineage. It is a combination of business acumen, marketing, networking, good student retention, and obviously a very high standard of skill in both the performance and instruction of your art, regardless of what that is.

[fire cobra]

Originally Posted by Michael Wright

In my experience, success as a full time instructor is not related to any art or lineage. It is a combination of business acumen, marketing, networking, good student retention, and obviously a very high standard of skill in both the performance and instruction of your art, regardless of what that is.

Great post Michael,
may i add that to run a sucesfull gym a instructor needs to have a genuine love for helping people,and endless ammounts of enthusiasm.

[Michael Wright]

Originally Posted by fire cobra

Great post Michael,
may i add that to run a sucesfull gym a instructor needs to have a genuine love for helping people,and endless ammounts of enthusiasm.

Naah, balls to that. As long as they pay their direct debits I couldn't care a less, I'll be in the office counting my money and stroking my certificates

Seriously, you are absolutely bang on sir. Instructors who display both qualities you mention are the ones who inspire me, and the ones to whom I stay loyal.

[fire cobra]

Originally Posted by Michael Wright

Naah, balls to that. As long as they pay their direct debits I couldn't care a less, I'll be in the office counting my money and stroking my certificates

Seriously, you are absolutely bang on sir. Instructors who display both qualities you mention are the ones who inspire me, and the ones to whom I stay loyal.

LOL at the 1st part of your post Michael,smells of Macdojo there!

[Liberty]

Originally Posted by Voyager

Does anyone know how hard to is to find work as a Jeet Kun Do instructor? ...

Wow! That's exciting!

I used to know a guy. School teaches so called "JKD" as part of it's curriculum. Once, he told of how he'd had dreams of opening up a place... Had nothing good to say about Bruce Lee, but is very succesful making a buck on the man. Has even had Inosanto et al, come in for seminars. His secret? Guys a real charmer, has tremendous drive, the marketing, the networking, and location - in that order!

Anway, he loses alot of the hardcore people pretty rapidly - people who want to learn/train reality, etc. He still makes a killing though, on all the people out there who don't know any better. The right person could easily build on his already built market, on the fall out.

I know another hater - I mean this guy, I admit it, my complete opposite on this, will turn any conversation into a 'here's why Bruce Lee was not what he's cracked up to be' -this guy teaches Wing Chun out of a small apartment - 8 students at $200 a month each. Not a fortune but, it gives him some extra money and some people to work out (feel mighty around). This guy, by the way has beautiful, fluid form.

My point? If these two individuals can do that much, surely someone with an actual Inosanto certificate of instructorship can do as well if not better.

Here's an idea - advertise a seminar way in advance to see what the interest out there is. You know, just to see what's. Begin to build from there.

Personally, I would not mind trading on the Inosanto-Lee name. Here's why. You put in your time, paid your dues. Just do right by those names, as Inosanto has done by Lee. Another reason is that, according to a letter by Lee to his lawyer, Lee was planning to meet with him to discuss offers he had for clothing, action figures, etc. Lee had no problem marketing himself and we're all better off for it. I mean, look at your own comment - "It's wierd seeing Dan all the time...knowing he was friends with Bruce..." Plenty would kill to train with someone who "was around Inosanto." Again, honor that responsibility and you'll be fine.

By the way, where are you thinking of opening/instructing?

[Liberty]

Originally Posted by Voyager

Does anyone know how hard to is to find work as a Jeet Kun Do instructor? ...

Wow! That's exciting!

I used to know a guy. School teaches so called "JKD" as part of it's curriculum. Once, he told of how he'd had dreams of opening up a place... Had nothing good to say about Bruce Lee, but is very succesful making a buck on the man. Has even had Inosanto et al, come in for seminars. His secret? Guys a real charmer, has tremendous drive, the marketing, the networking, and location - in that order!

Anway, he loses alot of the hardcore people pretty rapidly - people who want to learn/train reality, etc. He still makes a killing though, on all the people out there who don't know any better. The right person could easily build on his already built market, on the fall out.

I know another hater - I mean this guy, I admit it, my complete opposite on this, will turn any conversation into a 'here's why Bruce Lee was not what he's cracked up to be' -this guy teaches Wing Chun out of a small apartment - 8 students at $200 a month each. Not a fortune but, it gives him some extra money and some people to work out (feel mighty around). This guy, by the way has beautiful, fluid form.

My point? If these two individuals can do that much, surely someone with an actual Inosanto certificate of instructorship can do as well if not better.

Here's an idea - advertise a seminar way in advance to see what the interest out there is. You know, just to see what's. Begin to build from there.

Personally, I would not mind trading on the Inosanto-Lee name. Here's why. You put in your time, paid your dues. Just do right by those names, as Inosanto has done by Lee. Another reason is that, according to a letter by Lee to his lawyer, Lee was planning to meet with him to discuss offers he had for clothing, action figures, etc. Lee had no problem marketing himself and we're all better off for it. I mean, look at your own comment - "It's wierd seeing Dan all the time...knowing he was friends with Bruce..." Plenty would kill to train with someone who "was around Inosanto." Again, honor that responsibility and you'll be fine.

By the way, where are you thinking of opening/instructing?