From the Wayback Machine: Another NY Times Article

This one is from 17 years ago, when David Dinkins was the mayor. Apparently martial arts schools make a ton of money! Listen to this:

Nicholas Cokinos, chairman of the Educational Funding Company, a Bethesda, Md.-based management and billing company that handles the finances of 500 martial arts clubs in the United States and Canada, estimates that the martial arts industry produces annual revenues -- mostly from monthly fees for instruction -- of between $720 million and $900 million.

But Fred Villari, president of Fred Villari Studios in Dedham, Mass., the country's largest chain with 123 franchise studios, estimates that the market is much larger. "The market for equipment alone is $2 billion," Mr. Villari said. He said the industry earns about $2 billion a year from lessons, though there is no way to verify his calculations.

Those are some big numbers (for more info on EFC, see Thursday's post. Here is a link to Villari's website). But that's the industry as a whole. How about individual schools?

Even small studios can turn a tidy sum. According to Mr. Cokinos, the schools generate an average of $15,000 in revenues monthly from student fees that range from $55 to $65. Children's fees are generally $40 to $45 per month. The schools often sell equipment; uniforms sell for about $18, while head, hand and foot gear can cost as much as $40.

Martial arts schools also charge testing fees of up to $25 each time a student tries to qualify for a higher belt. While students in Japan, Korea or Taiwan are usually classified as white or black belts (novice or expert), in the United States each belt comes with a testing fee, and, not surprisingly, there are a range of hues, from white to yellow to purple to black.

$15,000 a month??? Wow.

I don't know about you, but when I was growing up, martial arts was a labor of love. There were no professional instructors, just dedicated men and women who came to the school after they got off work to pass on what they knew. At the end of every class my teacher would always lead a meditation and give a short talk. One day, after a particularly grueling class (physically and emotionally) he told us: Martial arts isn't for everyone. It's a hard path. But the rewards are great. We felt like we were part of a special tribe, doing the important work of self-examination and self-mastery through focused movement.

That's why I'm always taken aback when I see the bright shiny ads and big grins that promise that martial arts is for everyone, that it's easy and anyone can do it. I don't pretend to know whether this approach is better or worse - it's just different. It's certainly more successful financially. My teacher once said to another martial arts instructor, a contemporary: We've both been teaching for about the same amount of time. My school is still so small, but you have three studios and hundreds of students! What's your secret? The teacher smiled and said: Easy! I don't teach them anything. Classes aren't hard. Everyone comes back.

Read the NY Times article here.