The price you pay for something does not
ensure the quality of what you have purchased, it mearly satisfies your
desire to purchase quality.
A clever businessman realises this desire
and panders to it, and by way of doing so creates a market where the
consumer believes he/she are buying into a quality or exclusive product
and feels satisfaction in doing so.
I am no different from the next man, I
like my toys and gadgets and the things that make me feel a little special
at times, but when it comes to martial arts, it's a different story.
I have been training the martial arts since te early
70's and have been honoured to be certified as a master of Wing Chun
Kung Fu. I have years of teaching experience and have over those years
produced some fine martial artists that I am proud to put my name to.
Naturally one would think that my time was expensive, however, my charges
are a fraction of many less qualified and experienced teachers of Wing
Chun.
I've been nagged by my family and even by some
of my senior students to put my prices up as they feel I am selling
myself cheap and in some way belittling my ability as a teacher.
I suppose to understand my reasons you have to understand
the man.
Sure, these days when I stand up in front of a class,
demonstrate a technique or two and crack a joke people may see me as
being an extremely confident individual who you would not want to mess
with. Ok, we all have a dark side and I’m no exception, but truth
be known, when I was at school my life was made miserable by bullies.
This caused my father great concern as he grew up in
the East End of London where your fists did the talking and was considered
by many to be a very talented boxer in his day.
One day at secondary school I got into a fight with
the bully of my year, unfortunately for him, I lost my temper. They
told me that I lifted him over my head three times and threw him to
the ground. Though I remembered little of what went on that day, I do
recall a feeling of remorse as they carted him off to hospital. However,
from that day onward my life changed, those who taunted me wanted to
be my friend and I realised that my father was right, bullies were little
more than cowards.
So….. getting back to the plot, I have a dislike
for bullies, racists or any individual or group of people who feel they
have the right to intimidate others for pleasure or personal gain.
The greatest buzz I get from teaching the martial arts
is witnessing the change in new students, that moment when they start
to walk taller, enjoying the new confidence that fills their life and
realise that they have the ability to look someone straight in the eye
and no longer be a victim of intimidation.
The fee's I charge are more of a token of respect
than a business transaction and many of my students will vouch that
I have let them train free when times have been hard.
Wing Chun is my passion and my gift to any who wish
to train at my school and put up with my terrible jokes. When money
becomes more important than the art, then for me, it's time to
find something else.
