Premier Martial Arts

**prob** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 3:59pm

Personally I don`t know the man ,but that article is taken from a business maghazine and that is why it talks about business.
Also he certainly isnt the person behind PMA.
Also not blowing your own trumpet about champions and high ranks is actually a nice change. When your talking about the business of Martial arts, business skills are all that really matter.
You wouldn`t be a rival school owner by any chance.

**emboesso** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 4:11pm

Originally Posted by prob

Personally I don`t know the man ,but that article is taken from a business maghazine and that is why it talks about business.

Go through all his websites. Most of it is about making money in the martial arts.

Also he certainly isnt the person behind PMA.

Maybe not. But he is advertising an instructors' certification course for Premier to be run in Manhattan. You can get your reservations now for $299.

Also not blowing your own trumpet about champions and high ranks is actually a nice change. When your talking about the business of Martial arts, business skills are all that really matter.

The "master instructor" of a school simply saying he's a "4th dan" in TKD is not exactly blowing your own trumpet. Just providing credentials. He won't even say if he's a black belt.

You wouldn`t be a rival school owner by any chance.

No. But even more important, I'm not a wanker by association.

**emboesso** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 4:17pm

His websites are all tangled up with different names and same content. Go to this one, it seems to have different material:

http://www.4blackbelt.com

The reason I thought he was behind Premier was because of this:

To Learn more about Premier Licensing Opportunities
Call 212-957-4045 and ask for Mario Guerrero
or email tkd@4blackbelt.com

If he's not behind why does he advertise for it? Is it some kind of multi-level marketing thing that he gets commissions on? Like a martial arts version of Amway?

I also like this too:

Careers With Us

Are you interested in a career in the martial arts?

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of people every day?

Premier Martial Arts offers exciting careers for motivated individuals
in our Manhattan locations. Applicants without martial arts experience
are encouraged to participate in our Teacher Training Program.

Please emailus your resume and we will contact you.

Current Open Positions:

Instructor - Part-time (1)

Outgoing, friendy, energetic, and self-starting. Instructors must

be dependable. Evening and weekend classes. Must
have prior teaching experience. Hourly pay.

**prob** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 5:03pm

From what I understand he can run Instructor courses for his school and the candidates have to go to the external PMA colleges to learn the curriculem from the official Trainers When they have been all through them they will be tested, but not by the owner to be a certified PMA Instructor.
They could be an instructor at New York PMA but they would only be a PMA instructor after doing the external colleges and testing
It takes 2 years to introduce the curricullum to your school and the very first schools are only just reaching the end of that period.
So non of his instructors will be full PMA Instructors yet.
As for the licencing opportunities, he may be reffering to opening schools in his area,other than that owners get the licences through PMA not him

**datdamnmachine** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 5:12pm

Originally Posted by prob

From what I understand he can run Instructor courses for his school and the candidates have to go to the external PMA colleges to learn the curriculem from the official Trainers When they have been all through them they will be tested, but not by the owner to be a certified PMA Instructor.
They could be an instructor at New York PMA but they would only be a PMA instructor after doing the external colleges and testing
It takes 2 years to introduce the curricullum to your school and the very first schools are only just reaching the end of that period.
So non of his instructors will be full PMA Instructors yet.
As for the licencing opportunities, he may be reffering to opening schools in his area,other than that owners get the licences through PMA not him

The problem is quaility control. Two years is not enough to be good enough to be an instructor unless you are teaching garbage or you are training like it's a full time job...i.e. 8 freakin hours a day.

**emboesso** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 5:13pm

Originally Posted by prob

From what I understand he can run Instructor courses for his school and the candidates have to go to the external PMA colleges to learn the curriculem from the official Trainers When they have been all through them they will be tested, but not by the owner to be a certified PMA Instructor.
They could be an instructor at New York PMA but they would only be a PMA instructor after doing the external colleges and testing
It takes 2 years to introduce the curricullum to your school and the very first schools are only just reaching the end of that period.
So non of his instructors will be full PMA Instructors yet.
As for the licencing opportunities, he may be reffering to opening schools in his area,other than that owners get the licences through PMA not him

None of which explains what his credentials are for teaching, or what the credentials are for most of his instructors either.

Doesn't this look the least bit disturbing to you?

**prob** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 5:16pm

Its 2 years to fully introduce to an existing school and as an instructor as well as your training you will be constantly teaching the material and it will be your full time job

**emboesso** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 5:18pm

Originally Posted by prob

Its 2 years to fully introduce to an existing school and as an instructor as well as your training you will be constantly teaching the material and it will be your full time job

So why is he advertising for instructors without any experience?

**Severe** · Posted On: 9/21/2006 8:03pm

Marketing. chessy and suspect. Great for business, but sounds like McDojo's in the making.

I applied for a job that wanted experienced MA'ists to teach. I went along and it was some Australian Karate oputfit that wanted to come to New Zealand and set up shop. They would teach me their style as long I went door to door selling it. and I would get commission on all fees claimed.

BS big time.

See they wanted people who had some understandning so that it supported their stuff. lame.

As for wanting fresh meat, who knows. It would be easier to teach the virgin your way of doing it, but not so much the whore, who would always go with what they felt worked best.

**buu** · Posted On: 9/22/2006 1:37am

You guys bring up a lot of good points. In your opinion what is a "qualified" teacher, and a "qualified" black belt? What do you feel is the purpose of martial arts? What do you consider an expert in the field?

From reading these forums, it seems these answers are extremely subjective.
I know the term "McDojo" has been explained, but what I keep reading appears to be any school that wants to provide for its owners and instructors is a Mcdojo. Certainly the Gracie Academies fall into this category. I can remember all the videos that sold for hundreds of dollars and gave you five half ass moves.

They charge astronomical fees and for the most part their teaching and retention sucks. It takes ten years to get a black belt so they can keep you on the hook for more money (and because until recently there is no set standardized curriculum).
Looks and smells like McDojo to me.

Now that I pissed off all the gracie fans. Let's look at something. Not all schools are there to produce world champions. Not all martial arts training is combative in nature. As a matter of fact most classical or traditional martial arts are systems of personal development. Some are strictly combative, some are sport oriented.

There is a difference between martial sport, martial science, and martial art. Most would not consider farming, agriculture, literature, mathematics, or philosphy to be martial art. Martial arts or millitary arts requires all these things. It requires leadership, discipline, and respect, not just armbars and uppercuts.

I agree a school or instructor should not claim to be something it is not. We should not label an instructor or school because it serves a different purpose other than fighting.

Probalbly none of our teachers that taught us to read ever wrote a book.

That's my two cents.

J. Epps