Why Free Instruction Is Great Instruction

I am thrilled to be offering free classes in Tae Kwon Do for several reasons. The most important one to me, however, is because I feel that I generate the best students when money is taken out of the picture.

I began my training on the basketball court of the YMCA in Rome, NY. We paid a small fee for a membership to the YMCA, which gave me access to the class. My instructor might have seen a nickle of that fee. He was paid virtually nothing.

As a result, he taught exactly how he wanted to. If students came and went, that was no problem. He didn't lose money if someone left, so he honestly did his own thing. In the modern, commercial dojos, instructors often find themselves choosing between providing quality instruction and paying the electricity bill. Even if it doesn't touch their conscious mind, in the back of their heads they are thinking "If I don't promote Johnny, he might quit. I really can't afford to lose any students right now." So the instructor promotes Johnny even though he's not quite ready, not quite good enough.

Because I am offering classes at no personal expense, I am not bound by these worries. I never have to promote someone before they are ready or "dumb down" my teaching for the lazier students. You will never have to question the rank you earn from me, and you can be sure that I will be pushing you to achieve your best rather than promoting you to get your money.

This is one case where you really do get something for nothing, with no strings attached. I have been a martial artist for over 20 years, and I honestly feel that the training you receive from me is some of the best training available in Tucson. I am proud to say that you will always receive top-quality instruction from me.

Martial Arts, from my perspective, is about your development as a human being. If you just want rank and recognition, there are plenty of places where you can put in your time, pay your dues, and get whatever belt you like. That is how business works. For me, however, because money has been removed from the picture, I am free to teach for your benefit as a person, not for my financial benefit. That means that my classes are dedicated to helping you to become your best. That is my one and only goal. That means that I will expect a lot from my students, but that also means that you can count on receiving a lot from me.

"Does all of this really make that much of a difference?" you may be asking yourself. By way of illustration, let me tell you a true story: I once saw a 4th degree black belt pummelled by one of my instructor's green belts. That black belt thought we tricked him, that we put in a "ringer" who was actually a black belt. Unfortunately, it was that 4th Dan's instructor who had actually tricked him into thinking that he had earned, rather than bought, his 4th degree rank. What good were all the stripes on his belt? What good was the recognition from the outside world for skills that — on the inside — he knew he didn't possess. In that story, would you rather be the green belt with skill or the black belt with the worthless stripes and certificates? If you would rather be the green belt, then Blue Cliff Tae Kwon Do may be the school for you.