The Value We Place on Ourselves: A Martial Artist’s Stand on Professional Worth

Friends,

​What you’re about to read comes from years of frustration—and it’s not from critics or outsiders. It’s from people in our own community who’ve helped undervalue what we do.


The World’s View of Martial Arts: A Story
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Not long ago, a friend who works at a local country club invited me to speak with their Fitness Director. They were looking for someone to teach a self-defense seminar for mothers and daughters in the community—spurred by a string of recent attacks, including one near their greenway.

I arrived on time, dressed professionally, and shared my background:
- 30+ years teaching martial arts
- Owner of a successful school for over a decade
- 8th Degree Black Belt, former kickboxing champion
- National and international martial arts titles
- Member of the U.S. Air Force Taekwondo Team
- 20-year Air Force veteran, military policeman, and defensive tactics instructor

The Fitness Director listened, then outlined their expectations:
- A 45 minute to 1 hour seminar (my standard runs 2+ hours)
- A Monday or Wednesday evening (high-traffic times for my academy)
- Payment options: either a flat fee (undisclosed), or $75 per person split 50/50 with the facility

I thanked them for their time, said I’d consider it, and walked out.

But as I left, I noticed something: luxury cars, manicured grounds, a child’s birthday party in progress (at noon on a Friday), designer clothes and accessories… and it hit me:

They’re not negotiating because they can’t pay.
​They’re negotiating because they don’t value what we do.

Today, I Stop Settling

I’ve agreed to terms like this before—cutting content, cutting time, and cutting price—to “get in the door.”

Not Anymore.

I’ve spent my life building this expertise. What I teach isn’t a demo—it’s a life skill that can save lives. And I won’t let anyone—club, client, or colleague—set the value of my services without respecting the investment behind them.

Martial arts instructors, especially those of us who come from humble, service-minded roots, tend to give more than we charge. We do it for love. We do it for impact. But if we don’t respect our value, no one else will.

The Bigger Point (Beyond Martial Arts)

This isn’t just about martial arts. It’s about anyone in any profession who has spent years developing expertise in a field others take for granted:

- If you’re a creative professional expected to “volunteer your vision”…
- If you’re a coach, educator, or healer undervalued by a results-now world…
- If you’ve ever been asked to “do it for exposure” while others profit…

This message is for you too.

You don’t have to be arrogant.
You don’t have to be confrontational.
But you do have to decides:

Do you value what you bring? Or are you letting others define it for you?

A Final Word

People pay without question for manicures, massages, hair color, and golf lessons—often tipping 20% on top. Yet somehow, a seminar that teaches women and girls or anyone, how to protect themselves draws hesitation.

That’s not a pricing issue. That’s a perspective issue.

So from now on, I teach on my terms. If you value what I offer, you’ll pay the fee I ask. If not, I’ll respectfully pass.

Stand firm in your worth. The right people will meet you there.

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