Is teaching your full time job?

**Underdog** · 09-09-2007, 11:17

I was just wondering how many people here who are instructors use that as their full time job. As well as how many have a monday through friday job and teach MA as a second job. Or possibly just have a second job on top of their teaching.

**Eliz** · 09-09-2007, 14:37

Day job + teaching in the evenings. I am lucky, I love my day job and I love teaching and training. Kind of the best of both worlds.

**Gumby** · 09-09-2007, 20:49

Full-time college student and teaching in the evenings. I do not make enough money teaching martial arts to make ends meet but since I love teaching that does not much matter to me.

**Clyde** · 09-13-2007, 22:03

Job 1 - Fitness Instructor in an after-school program (Part-time)
Job 2 - Martial Arts instructor at a gymnastics school (Part-time)
Job 1.5 - Private martial arts instruction (Part-time, now on client number 4 FINALLY!)

**Aaron T Fields** · 09-27-2007, 11:22

I make my living as a frefighter in a major metro.

The club supports itself, nothing more. This allows us some flexibility with regards to monthly dues and allows us to practice for the sake of practice.

Aaron Fields

**FunSPE** · 10-04-2007, 01:01

I'm a cancer researcher by day, assistant martial arts instructor by night.

**migo** · 10-04-2007, 02:50

It used to be. Not anymore. I wasn't the primary instructor, but I instructed some of the grappling classes, and working at the gym was my only job. I left for a number of reasons, and now I don't instruct in a formal capacity (well, that's not exactly true, I teach English now

)

**Underdog** · 10-10-2007, 06:09

Interesting replies.

I was just wondering how many people out there dedicate their proffession to the martial arts. I can imagine it would be greatly difficult in todays world though. So for everyone who posted, how do you feel your day job relates to your *night job*, if at all? Do you feel like it is together part of who you are, part of what you do? Or is one a hobby and the other a career?

**wingchundo.girl** · 10-10-2007, 23:48

Full time for 19 years. The school has always paid for itself. Although a living certainly can be made, maybe even enough money to send your kids to college, some claim to make them rich, it more importantly allows a certain lifestyle that spiritually, emotionally, and socially can make you a very happy person.

Raised our children in the school, help raised other people's children in our school. Many layers of satisfaction in teaching, doing it well, helping those in crisis, helping others gain confidence and self esteem, nuturing those with natural talent, guiding those that don't, trying to figure out what each individual needs and if you succeed even a little in each category, you win.

Making contact with a diversity of students, from 4 to 75 years of age, of all races, all different types of backgrounds, all professions. Making life long friends, traveling around the US and other countries for seminars.

It is just the coolest job anyone can have. It allowed my family to be together in the most positive atmosphere available. One that challenges your mind and body and raises the spirit. Every aspect is a win/win situation.

**Michael J. Bray** · 02-08-2009, 15:27

Well, I made a full time stab at martial arts way back in the 70's and got pretty hungry at it. I only teach part time presently. Actually, I intended only to be a student myself but, things happen. I'm in Law Enforcement and am a wage slave. And WAY dedicated to my trainig and teaching. Some make a living at martial arts and to others it is hobby, supplemental income, personal satisfaction. None of those things are bad if it is the martial arts one loves. I do not know of ANYBODY getting rich teaching, personally!

Come to think of it, I don't know anybody getting rich being a cop either

**Aldiel** · 03-30-2009, 22:22

Only source of income, but not full time job. I teach Monday - Thursday.

**RickMatz** · 04-01-2009, 20:37

I knew an aikido black belt who wanted to teach full time, but also wanted an economically stable life. He ended up becoming a fire fighter.

He has a lot of time off, so he has plenty of time for his school. He has a living wage, benefits, retirement, etc from the fire department. His school only needs to break even.

On days he has to work, he has his senior students supervise everyone working on testing techniques.

**Scott Bolinger** · 06-10-2009, 09:13

well, i'm busy all the time

I teach monday, wednesday and fridays from 5 pm to 7:30 pm

I work one job on the night shift on fridays to sunday, then I work another night shift job Monday through thursday.

then I do field inspections 2 or 3 times out of the month, And I also have rental property that I own and take care of. then on the side I wrote and published two books, so in my spair time I am making copies of that and distributing that and making a few extra bucks of those sales. and with that , I try and help other coaches with creating there own training manuals and give them a pretty good deal on per page pricing.

So , i'm usually on a 7 day work day, and anywere from 12 to 18 hour days. Once in a while I actually sleep. But as my personal business expands, then I can slack off the work I do for other companies.

**1slorunner** · 06-11-2009, 05:58

Work Full Time but teach Tuesday and Thursday on my lunch hour. Currently working a contract with new fitness center to teach on Monday and Wednesday evening.

**Jeff Burger** · 06-11-2009, 08:33

I teach full time but it is pretty much part time hours so I pick up other jobs here and there. I do private lessons, perosnal training, CDL truck driver, electrical work, apartment renovations....currently picking up some morning hours at a gym I teach at while someone is off on maturnity.

**poetic misjustice** · 02-01-2010, 14:25

I teach part time as an assistant instructor and i'm a full time advertising student. i would love to teach full time but i'm not experienced enough to comfortably teach full time, and i wouldn't even know where to begin to do it as a profession

**kmtsd** · 02-01-2010, 15:59

Originally Posted by Underdog

Interesting replies.

I was just wondering how many people out there dedicate their proffession to the martial arts. I can imagine it would be greatly difficult in todays world though. So for everyone who posted, how do you feel your day job relates to your *night job*, if at all? Do you feel like it is together part of who you are, part of what you do? Or is one a hobby and the other a career?

I started teaching when I was in medical school -I was a red belt and wanted my black belt and figured teaching was the best way to make sure I kept on training... 13? years later I am a doctor by day and Tang Soo Do teacher by night. Medicine can gobble up your identity, but it was just last week I realized how much I identified myself through the martial arts. It is probably as much or even more a part of me than medicine- A small incident in one of my classes bothered me for days. Many of my friends wouldnt have thought twice about it, but to me it was a big deal -and I realized how important it was to me to be the best instructor I could -how much this is a part of my life. In retrospect, I think the values and self-confidence from martial arts has influenced my career more than vice-versa.