Jeez, this thread sure is confusing... I'd really like to know this as well (read Daryl's quote).

Anyway, welcome to the forums, apple. ;)

That IS an interesting question.
Should I move this over the Philosophy and Theories section or do you want to answer it here illusionist?

And more than that, how good should a person be before he/she is qualified to teach magic? Since you are teaching magic illusionist, maybe you can tell us what you think is the qualifying factor?

Usually i will teach a little if i think i am right, but eventually i would ask them to double confrim/check with Solomon or much more experienced magicians, it's still better to know where you stand. It's better to let the expert like Vjay and solomon do their job. Haha~

Oh...not just teaching someone a trick.....but charging money for it as well....
hmm....do a lot of people do that?

Well, i will if the effect itself cost me $$$ too. Cause teaching someone a free effect = leakage of the effect cause not many people will appericate free stuff.

How about if a close friends ask you to teach them magic? Will you charge them money?

I think I will teach them how to cut a deck with 1 hands first. If they can do it well, it means they had spent time practising then I might consider teaching them for free.

Currently, I don't think I will teach anyone. Must wait till I know enough tricks and have the street experiance. Know how to handle tough cookie etc...

To me don't mean you know a lot of tricks you can be a good teacher.. even you know a few good trick you can be a good teacher.. Firstly you must have some expereincen in perfroming to people.. And of course you must know the method well before teaching someone and not inputing them the wrong technic and handleing.. Charging for the teaching is very natural as no matter wat you learn you have to pay for it.. If they are interest they are willing to pay for the teaching and expereince you going to give them.. I normally teach wat I know and learn and just pass on and I also give them idea on how to present simple tricks to make it more intresting.. I may not be the best as apple has say there are better magician like solemen and vjay. I love to call myself newbie as I am not into magic long 1 year is not very long and I still have much thing to learn.. But all I can say is the teaching is everything I know and I can do it right and not something which I can't do and teach it to other people.. I know how it feels to learn incorrect stuff and handling.. I have declicate time and effort in magic and I will never teach the wrong handling and stuff to people. If I am not sure of anything and stuff I will frankly say I don't know and not act if I know everything...I will try to look up where they can get to know the stuff better and learn it correctly and not wrongly.. I always stress to people who learn magic from me that I only teach to those who love this art and not to some show off.. Money can't buy everything so show off that wan to learn magic is out of my list... I don't know wat I can say as I like have created a big crime here.... All I can say if I did anything wrong I am sorry -_-

Ya... To me as long as you are good in a particular trick, you can teach it.

I believe there are magicians out there who are specialise in Spoon Bending, Card, Coin etc... And they teach only their specialise trick

Its just like if you learn Algebra when you were sec 1. Don't tell me you have to wait till you graduate from university before you can teach people. Yes... probaly you can become a profesional teacher.

But if you know your Algebra well when you were in sec 1, you can teach those people who are weak.

Or when you are in Secondary 2, I'm pretty sure you are able to teach people from Sec 1 as you have studied before.

Well, of course if you are unable to teach well, then I believe your student/friend won't want to approach you anymore.

Always do your research on the effect and have your own thoughts about it. No one has to explain anything about teaching magic because his conscience will be clear if he is doing the right thing. It is all based on how much dedication you put into the effect; how much you practice, and how similar(or different if its BETTER) it is compared to who you originally learnt it from.

Lets face it guys. We can never stop every magician from teaching magic wrongly. Look at the magic makers and how much money they are making( money makers :D ). All we can do is be responsible as individuals. Can you teach someone with full confidence that he is getting the best out of the effect? Can he learn the effect well enough to do the same magic to others? When we teach magic, we are responsible for the SPECTATORS of the ones we pass the knowledge to as well, if not more importantly so than the magician.

Think about it ;)

Wow... Very very philosophical stuff...

Well, you have to practice the effect again and again to see if it would really work and there is such a saying "There is no good or bad effect, just bad magician" It's the magician which put in the work, so no matter which magician you guys teaching, teach him the correct way to perform.

I don't dare to perform in front of magicians -_-, they know my sleight of hand technique -_-. LOL

For close friends, i do teach them. But the principle is still there, no one would appericate stuff which is free, so you might have to charge them. But not too low and not too unreasonable.

But for shuffling, cuts, and very simple self working (those that i started with -_-). I wouldn't mind teaching my friends for free.

Anyone been in any situation that a group of magician asking you to show them something, and they want to learn it in the first place. When you actually pay $$$ for it ?

here are my thoughts on the issue.

sometimes it's really hard to keep secrets from your close friends, cos you've known them for a long time. i wouldn't ask my friends to pay me to teach them something, cos that would feel funny to me. lol

if my friends wanted to KNOW how a trick was done, i'd simply tell them, "you wouldn't want to know the secret, cos you'll lose that feeling of astonishment forever." most of the time they'd understand.

if they really want to LEARN, they'll have to start from basics. i only teach coin stuff, because that's all the stuff i do nowadays. but i've only taught a few - those few who seem really interested to learn and keep on coming back for more.

i guess it's ok to get paid for teaching magic. it's like private tuition right? you don't really need a certificate. but a teacher should be good at the particular effects he does, that's all.