Is this thing on?

Been a long day today.. up at 9 after a top night catching up with the crew in Frome and then all day officiating at a grading examination at my school.

Pretty important exam too, as in addition to the group of regular students, I was testing two for their first degree Black Belt and three more (including Kelly) for their final coloured belt, which indicates their status as official Black Belt Candidates.

I was sat at the grading table from 10:30 this morning until 6:30 this evening and boy did I know it! Worth it though as all the candidates were up to scratch and hence I now have two more Black Belts in my school, making a total of 10 so far. Not bad for a small school eh…

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, grading, students

Earlier this week I decided to send a couple of emails to see if any of the instructors that I know around the UK were interested in having me over for a day to do a seminar at their school, primarily in my main area of interest which is the practical self-defence stuff including the pressure points and related topics.

I sent three emails on Monday, and as of today I have two confirmed bookings for seminars and another which will be confirmed when he has checked the availablility of the venue.

Putting that into perspective, those three emails have already secured me £900 for the two confirmed dates, plus another one for £400 to be confirmed this weekend. i.e. those three emails will have net me £1300 plus expenses. I would expect each seminar to be about three hours so that is £1300 for 9 hours worth of teaching.

Those were just the first three tentative enquiries which I made, I have a bunch more to check out too and if these go well there is a real possibility of repeat bookings too.

Hee hee - see, if you don’t ask you don’t get!

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, seminar

Felt decidely crap earlier… had a banging headache all afternoon, undoubltedly caused by the fact I’ve not been drinking enough water…. slapped wrists for Dr RiK, must learn to practice what I preach. Got a litre of H2O and a couple of neurofen inside me and I feel right as rain now

School was good tonight, kids classes were buzzing, loads of energy… It’s interesting to note that some of the new students that have joined recently have really taken to the training like a duck to water which is great. There are however a couple of the existing students that are really not up to scratch, nor are they putting in anything like the effort that they need to which will only show itself next time they come to take a grading… To be honest if they aren’t going to pull their weight then I will probably kick them out as I dont need dead weight dragging down the energy of the school. The kids classes are always full and we frequently end up with a waiting list so I can afford to be selective with the students that I enrol.

I was speaking to a friend (another professional instructor) earlier and explaining my thoughts on screening students, like the principle of a gardener who has to know when to cut away the dead wood to let the good wood grow… Although I have a business to run, it is important to the long-term success that the school is based on quality first rather than quantity. I am damned sure that my school has more to offer than any other in a 15 mile radius and as a school we are committed to constant improvement. I have a certain set of criteria that I expect of my students, starting with dedication, focus and a consistent attitude. Technical standards develop in time, but I expect a student to work for their progress. If they are not prepared to do this then as far as I am concerned then they fell at the first hurdle and failed the entrance exam.

It’s not just about whether we perform as a school, it is whether the student meets our criteria for membership as well… time for a wake-up call for a few I think…

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, students

And it was rather pleasing too…

First night back at the school tonight, and everyone seemed on good form which was nice. I was particularly pleased at the attendance, especially from a few of the students who are usually a little shaky in that respect.

It’s a good feeling when you see (the majority) of your students working so well and seeming to be pretty well focused. It is a shame that some of the more senior ones don’t set the example they could, or should be setting. Hopefully the fact that they will soon find themselves with a significant number of the lower grades snapping at their heels, and even overtaking them might make them sit up and take notice. If it doesn’t and they fall by the wayside it will be a real shame, but c’est la vie.

A skilled gardner knows that you need to cut away the dead wood to allow your plant to grow.

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, students

Last night in Wales tonight…

Still it’s been bloody nice to get away for a few days. I’m heading home at some point tomorrow, start teaching again on Monday. It’s weird actually, seems like ages since our xmas party, be nice to get back to it

As I want to start the new year on the right track I’m going to have a blast for a couple of weeks and try to ‘clear the decks’ a bit. I need a major sort out in my office for one thing, and I seem to have collected loads of little bitty things that need doing so I really want to nail them as soon as possible. It’s more a case of clearing some mental space than anything.

I need to work out a few more ’systems’ for the school, the idea being to lay down some set procedures for all the key admin jobs that I *love* so much so that (a) anyone could do them, or (b) I can do them as efficiently as possible without having to get bogged down in it. That’s the problem with being a professional Martial Arts instructor.. to be a professional means (obviously) that you have to run the school as a business, which means advertising, recruiting, enroling and retaining students. All of which is a pain the the arse when all you want to do is train and teach the Martial Arts…

Still, beats a 9-5 any day…

written by RiK \\ tags: academy, Friends, new year, Parties, Party