What is proper etiquette for bringing in a high level black belt and their price?
* Do they have a flat fee and you make the rest?
* Do they have a minimum and they take anything over the minimum dollar amount
* Lodging, air fair, and possible rental fee for a large gym.
Basically lets say your bring in Rickson... he says i need 5k but the seminar brought in 20K.
(just an example, i don't know his fee lol)
thanks
Those variables are all different from person to person
when I do one, I do at flat fee. They need to pay airfare and hotel room. I don't stay in people's homes. Too much drama
Any money over and above my expenses and fee, they keep
^ Thats fair.... but, what if you ask for 3K but they bring in 20K.
Don't you feel like you should make some more?
What does someone like Marcelo or Rickson do?
checkuroil -If we have you in for a seminar, you can crash at my place. The spare bed is all covered in stuff so I'll have to sleep on the couch while you can bunk with my wife. NO HANKY PANKY OR THERE'LL BE DRAMA!Those variables are all different from person to person
when I do one, I do at flat fee. They need to pay airfare and hotel room. I don't stay in people's homes. Too much drama
Any money over and above my expenses and fee, they keep
Be careful who you pick. RESEARCH before you pick someone or you can get burned. Don't assume a famous name is automatically gonna be great.
Gracie family members are the highest risk, IME. Not all of them, but a few of the laziest seminar I have been to were by Gracies (Royce & Royler). Also went to an equally terrible & expensive Murilo seminar many years ago.
While some are great, some "top guys" are completely disinterested seminar instructors.
I heard about a school owner/ affiliate who brought in one of the current TOP names in BJJ. The owner spent a fortune. The owner promoted the seminar like crazy. The day of the seminar the school is packed. Famous BJJ guy never shows up.
Famous BJJ guy is appologetic. They reschedule. The school owner promotes the seminar all over again.
The day before the seminar, the famous BJJ guy says he needs to re-schedule. They get into an argument. Famous BJJ guy actually punches the school owner (his affiliate) in the face.
***
There's also a well know 7th Degree BB who is the "George Jones of BJJ". Heno shows at about 1 out of every 3 or 4 seminars he does. No exaggeration. He just... doesn't make it. I was hanging out with 3 of his own BBs and they had story after story about him simiply not making it to seminars promotions, classes. He's legendary for it.
So, again, research don't just go on a name.
Most high level black belts I know charge a flat fee ranging from $4,000 to $10,000 for domestic seminars and quite a bit more for international travel. Sometimes annual seminars for affiliates are included in the affiliation fee.
I'll do seminars at any of your schools for airfare and a place to crash. Plus 50% of the door.
Im no one that you'd want to take seminars from so thats why my deal is so damn cheap.
Hit me up if interested. I show up 69% of the time.
shen -
Be careful who you pick. RESEARCH before you pick someone or you can get burned. Don't assume a famous name is automatically gonna be great.
Gracie family members are the highest risk, IME. Not all of them, but a few of the laziest seminar I have been to were by Gracies (Royce & Royler). Also went to an equally terrible & expensive Murilo seminar many years ago.
While some are great, some "top guys" are completely disinterested seminar instructors.
I heard about a school owner/ affiliate who brought in one of the current TOP names in BJJ. The owner spent a fortune. The owner promoted the seminar like crazy. The day of the seminar the school is packed. Famous BJJ guy never shows up.
Famous BJJ guy is appologetic. They reschedule. The school owner promotes the seminar all over again.
The day before the seminar, the famous BJJ guy says he needs to re-schedule. They get into an argument. Famous BJJ guy actually punches the school owner (his affiliate) in the face.
***
There's also a well know 7th Degree BB who is the "George Jones of BJJ". Heno shows at about 1 out of every 3 or 4 seminars he does. No exaggeration. He just... doesn't make it. I was hanging out with 3 of his own BBs and they had story after story about him simiply not making it to seminars promotions, classes. He's legendary for it.
So, again, research don't just go on a name.
Thanks...
so bottom line is: instructors have a fee, anything over that goes to the host.
travel and lodging is included as well.
and don't get Royler, Judge Mental or Billy Bob Gracie
I think splitting the take (after travel, food and lodging) is fair.
If you beliebe your name is so valuable, then it should sell tickets. If not, not.
But if you yourself won't risk your time on your reputation, why should I guarantee you money for it?
Also, BJJ seminar aren't what they used to be. They used to used to be rare "special occasions". Now seminars are constant EVERYONE is teaching seminars, too; all the old schools guys still teaching and a never ending crop of young new guys coming up. There's lots of competition from all sorts of teachers. So DON'T put up with too much primadonna nonsense from anyone, there is always a better teacher right around the corner.
There can also be some "seminar fatgue " in the BJJ community, certainly here in Southern California. There are always great seminars going on. I get hit up all the time by people who want me to host them for seminars. Problem is, you can only promote so many seminars to your students, after a while they become a lot less interested.They realize another seminar is around the corner, they feel a lot less pressure to sign up.
jkd4200 - ^ Thats fair.... but, what if you ask for 3K but they bring in 20K.
Don't you feel like you should make some more?
What does someone like Marcelo or Rickson do?
You took the risk of promoting the thing. You should get the reward. I ask for my flat fee whether one or one hundred guys show up.
The seminar instructor should get travel/food/hotel and the fee. Any money after that is the host's money. Having said that most seminar hosts sometimes lose money on a seminar. They are not what they used to be. I remember someone hosting a Marcelo Garcia seminar and only like 25 people there. The host lost quite a bit of money. People do not value seminars as much since there are so many schools now and so much information online. I personally only got to seminars where:
1) I know the structure of teaching and learning is top notch;
or
2) I know it's a photo op and I want the chance just to train with that person.
Great feedback!
Last questions:
Any info on what the price is for someones level?
Such as: Rickson, Marcelo, Maia, a top Muay Thai guy, or a run of the mill black belt under someone famous.
Thanks again.
shen -
Also, BJJ seminar aren't what they used to be. They used to used to be rare "special occasions". Now seminars are constant EVERYONE is teaching seminars, too; all the old schools guys still teaching and a never ending crop of young new guys coming up. There's lots of competition from all sorts of teachers. So DON'T put up with too much primadonna nonsense from anyone, there is always a better teacher right around the corner.
There can also be some "seminar fatgue " in the BJJ community, certainly here in Southern California. There are always great seminars going on. I get hit up all the time by people who want me to host them for seminars. Problem is, you can only promote so many seminars to your students, after a while they become a lot less interested.They realize another seminar is around the corner, they feel a lot less pressure to sign up.
When I see someone doing a seminar who is just an instructor from another school who never won anything of notoriety, it bums me out.
I understand just because they aren't a world champ you can't learn anything but paying $100 plus I think most people expect premium quality and not the insturctor from the next town over.
Jake95 -shen -
Also, BJJ seminar aren't what they used to be. They used to used to be rare "special occasions". Now seminars are constant EVERYONE is teaching seminars, too; all the old schools guys still teaching and a never ending crop of young new guys coming up. There's lots of competition from all sorts of teachers. So DON'T put up with too much primadonna nonsense from anyone, there is always a better teacher right around the corner.
There can also be some "seminar fatgue " in the BJJ community, certainly here in Southern California. There are always great seminars going on. I get hit up all the time by people who want me to host them for seminars. Problem is, you can only promote so many seminars to your students, after a while they become a lot less interested.They realize another seminar is around the corner, they feel a lot less pressure to sign up.
When I see someone doing a seminar who is just an instructor from another school who never won anything of notoriety, it bums me out.
I understand just because they aren't a world champ you can't learn anything but paying $100 plus I think most people expect premium quality and not the insturctor from the next town over.
The best seminars i have ever been to were from "no names".
HotSteppa -Jake95 -shen -
Also, BJJ seminar aren't what they used to be. They used to used to be rare "special occasions". Now seminars are constant EVERYONE is teaching seminars, too; all the old schools guys still teaching and a never ending crop of young new guys coming up. There's lots of competition from all sorts of teachers. So DON'T put up with too much primadonna nonsense from anyone, there is always a better teacher right around the corner.
There can also be some "seminar fatgue " in the BJJ community, certainly here in Southern California. There are always great seminars going on. I get hit up all the time by people who want me to host them for seminars. Problem is, you can only promote so many seminars to your students, after a while they become a lot less interested.They realize another seminar is around the corner, they feel a lot less pressure to sign up.
When I see someone doing a seminar who is just an instructor from another school who never won anything of notoriety, it bums me out.
I understand just because they aren't a world champ you can't learn anything but paying $100 plus I think most people expect premium quality and not the insturctor from the next town over.
The best seminars i have ever been to were from "no names".
Hence why I said it doesn't mean you can't learn anything. Im sure they were, but for me to drop the money I need someone to move my needle.
Whose seminar are you going to, Tom Brady or Johnny Manziel for approximately the same price?
Jake95 -shen -Also, BJJ seminar aren't what they used to be. They used to used to be rare "special occasions". Now seminars are constant EVERYONE is teaching seminars, too; all the old schools guys still teaching and a never ending crop of young new guys coming up. There's lots of competition from all sorts of teachers. So DON'T put up with too much primadonna nonsense from anyone, there is always a better teacher right around the corner.
There can also be some "seminar fatgue " in the BJJ community, certainly here in Southern California. There are always great seminars going on. I get hit up all the time by people who want me to host them for seminars. Problem is, you can only promote so many seminars to your students, after a while they become a lot less interested.They realize another seminar is around the corner, they feel a lot less pressure to sign up.
When I see someone doing a seminar who is just an instructor from another school who never won anything of notoriety, it bums me out.
I understand just because they aren't a world champ you can't learn anything but paying $100 plus I think most people expect premium quality and not the insturctor from the next town over.
I've been to all sorts of seminars that are $30, $40, $50. I don't really tend to see "non-famous" instructors charging $100.
And I agree with what was stated above: some of the best seminar instruction I've ever gotten was from people who are not especially well known, while the 3-4 worst seminars I have ever been to happened to be from "ultra big" names in the BJJ world. They were the most expensive ones too.
Having skill&knowledge is one thing. Giving a f@ck is another, completely. Where a lot of big names fail is they don't really care to put effort into teaching a bunch of saps at a seminar. They just don't care and don'tmake much of an effort. --and why should they? No matter how lame their seminar is, peope are still going to line up to give them money, wherever they go.
A lot of BJJ students are sheeple. They chase the "latest" guy, when they should be casing the best instructors & coaches. Look at who taught a lot of great players and odds are you will probably be in better hands at his seminar than you would be at a seminar from the most recent phenom.
Most of the seminars I've hosted were flat fee plus travel. Some instructors crashed at my place, and some required hotels. Most booked their own flights and sent me the receipt for reimbursement. Some required all meals to be covered, and others didn't.
One gent - who is AWESOME - sent me a PM and told me "Here is what we are charging each participant. Your job as host is to make sure we have at least 20 people. I will also help and do some networking and advertising to make sure we get there. When we do, the seminar is ON. We are splitting the gate 50/50." He was also kind enough to crash at my place. We both did well.
I've followed his model and offered that arrangement a few times when teaching workshops. As long as the host gets the butts in seats, everyone is always very happy with that arrangement.
My instructor tends to only bring in guys that are really good but also affordable for his students. He has the option of world class BB's but his students might be paying a lot for a few hours. He also likes to keep them 3 hours long, although I think we occasionally get two 3 hour seminars on occasion.