sensei8

Changing a 20 year muscle memory is doable, but it won't be an easy fix. The problem to overcome will be the nagging desire to do it as you've been doing it for so long. How something might "feel" can only be corrected to how it's "suppose" to feel with, as others here have already mentioned, the aide of mirrors and/or by your Sensei, however, this will take time to retrain your muscle memory to where it needs to be. Better late than never!! Imagine how you'd be if this had never been noticed...ever!?!?!?!

It's a senior/advanced Kyu rank, therefore, my opinion about brown belt (Sankyu - Ikkyu) is that it's an affable rank. It is, within the Kyu system!! Your friends aren't impressed by a brown belt ranking because they're not MAist!! If they're MAist, then they'd be more supportive of you. Don't become derailed over opinions; they just get in the way of the training. Top notch; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!! After all, me being their Sensei, I tend to be very bias towards them. Their advanced in one regards, but they're beginners in other regards!! It's before the Dan system!! It's an advanced Kyu rank!! After all, imho, the most important rank of them all is...White (9th or 10th Kyu)!! Without the white belt, no other rank is attainable, imho!!

Why do you feel like you are not worthy? Is it lack of technique or a physical prowess? Neither!! It's a personal feeling, brought on through personal as well as professional loss!! I cant say I know what you mean, but from reading your posts, you seem like a pragmatic person that takes a logical approach towards things. Anyway, the reason I brought up technique and physical prowess was because, in some martial arts gyms/dojo/organizations, you have to prove yourself to the headmaster or the headmaster may just teach advance classes. To the bold type above... Currently, I'm the "headmaster"; I'm the Kaicho of the SKKA. Now I am even more confused as to why you feel like you are not worthy but I wont press the matter. That being said, I discovered an obscure kung fu master who played in 90s martial arts action movie. His name is Chin Kar-lok and in a movie called the scorpion king (1992) he showed AMAZING kung fu movement that left me speechless. I tried to find information but his peak was from the early to mid 90s and not too much information, though I did find an interview about his training which he was an all around kung fu guy, though he favored the southern style. I would post a link but I remember few rules in regards to posting videos which I have to check again when I have time. To the bold type above... Our Soke passed away in 2008 of natural causes. Our Dai-Soke passed away in 2010 from two separate strokes. Our Kancho and the 5 members of our Board of Regents passed away in 2016 from a head-on crash/accident. These personal as well as professional losses have taken it's toll on me across the board. In that, I don't expect many to understand as to why I feel unworthy, and what I do feel is the furthest thing from self-pity, but it's more of a huge void embraces me daily.

Why do you feel like you are not worthy? Is it lack of technique or a physical prowess? Neither!! It's a personal feeling, brought on through personal as well as professional loss!! I cant say I know what you mean, but from reading your posts, you seem like a pragmatic person that takes a logical approach towards things. Anyway, the reason I brought up technique and physical prowess was because, in some martial arts gyms/dojo/organizations, you have to prove yourself to the headmaster or the headmaster may just teach advance classes. To the bold type above... Currently, I'm the "headmaster"; I'm the Kaicho of the SKKA.

Welcome to KF, Spsosicmcise; glad that you're here!!

Like a game of chess; press and cut off escape. Those who run or retreat will find themselves out of bounds, in a tournament setting, for the most part. Pressing them and cutting off any escape can work for your benefit. However, be careful of being drawn into a surprise attack. TKD, especially TKD has that evil turn around roundhouse kick. That kick will draw you in, and if you're not paying attention...WHAM; kick to the sie of your head...POINT!! TKD has some effective, and oftentimes, sneaky kicks that will draw you into THEIR GAME, and if you're not aware of this, as I wasn't when I was a JBB, you'll get tagged and bagged at their will. Yet, when I learned to press them without mercy, I'd stop their kicking game because their kicks weren't always able to continue; I jammed them as often as I could. Those who like to dart here and there, and those that do that so much, they're game is over before it starts. Patterns are quickly revealed because patterns, to them, become a false security of comfort. Alas, as in chess, that surprise attack can be thwarted by properly studying the board, and by looking many moves ahead. There's one thing that we all have in common...we're creatures of habits, and in that, we have a handful of techniques that we depend on, and we depend on them way too much. In chess, you have to have a very strong beginning, middle, and end game, and not just one or another, but all of them. The old adage... Adapt or die!! or... Change is inevitable!! Train for all possibilities, and if one can't, then... Study your opponent Study yourself Make a plan Carry that plan out In Shindokan, we never backup, UNLESS it benefits us over our opponent. Backing up negates pressing an opponent without mercy. Let them dart about like a jumping bean because there's nothing more satisfying than defending oneself against an exhausted opponent.

Why do you feel like you are not worthy? Is it lack of technique or a physical prowess? Neither!! It's a personal feeling, brought on through personal as well as professional loss!!

In our case, they always have the floor. Even if I'm around and they are teaching it's their class. Yeppers!! If said person is in control of the floor, even when the CI is around, then that person is teaching. Delegating skills are important for the CI, otherwise, CI's can run the risk of burnout prematurely. And if burnout rears its ugly head, than the student body suffers the most. Imho!

Let me add one more thought, if I may... There's nothing to trivial and nothing to unimportant when it comes to documentation; without documentation, there's no reason to keep the doors open. Time consuming? For the sake of your business, you shouldn't ever think about that; just do it and be consistent!!

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful replies; they mean the world to me!! I will say that over the many years in business, I've learned quite a lot through the seeming endless trials and tribulations that any business owner encounters. Some lessons required more than one brick to hit me square in my head for me to start paying attention to every detail. Biggest lesson learned was to WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN for documentations. Names, dates, and decisions made. In every conversation, I wrote down the who, when, where, why, what, and how so that anything a representative told me, I had documentation. Any email, I'd copy them down with the time stamp and the like!! No, I'm thick headed at times, and from time to time, I made those rookie errors, and any error is a costly error, for sure!! And while I'm thick headed, I'm nobodies fool!! The old adage that says... "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" Document everything!! Then, save everything per the statues!!

For certain, these two styles differ in their methodologies concerning the back stance; one being long, while the other being short, knee outward, while the other more forward. In Shindokan, our back stance is much more upright than that of Shotokan, and our ideology is that the short gate of our stance provides us a much more easier transition, no matter the angle/path sought after. Our knee is similar to that of Shotokan's outwardly position, and that's for a much more stable base. Nah, differing methodologies are, well, different for their own resolution.

Here's my 2 cents... Safety, nowadays, is paramount because insurance companies have some strict regulations whenever the MA is the product/brand!! Things done on the floor are carefully watched over by the CI to ensure that unnecessary injuries occur; however, accidents should be expected from time to time. A school of the MA can be closed whenever safety isn't more important than money!! Many schools of the MA are so afraid of teaching and training and challenging their students, as they ought to be. Why? A school of the MA ceases to be a school of the MA whenever there's no more students, and in that, a school of MA without students is a very long and lonely walk for the CI. Therefore, when students no longer darken the doors of said MA school, there's no need for instructors, alas, no need for a school. What was, is no longer!! That saddens me because that which was has been replaced, and that with what it was replaced by, is the unfortunate tone of ineffectiveness. So much so, that students are taught a dire false sense of security. Has the foregone conclusions of yesterdays been all but forgotten?? The answer might never be told with any certainties. That which was taught by the masters of old, are slowly being swept under the tattered rug as though it never existed. For those of us who have been lucky enough to find themselves under the forever watchful eye of a CI that kept the fire burning brightly on the floor, as they were once taught, and having the fortitude to pass that same torch, as well as accepting that same torch for generations to follow. That which was once treasured, can still be so. All it takes is heart and desire to breath that air back into its once dead future. So, stop being afraid, and teach your style of MA as your art once wasl with that unquenchable vigor. Imho!!

Curiosity question - how do you collect payment? By that I mean everyone hands you, say, a $10 bill every time they walk in, or can they pay in advance? My former Sensei taught a cardio kickboxing class that was strictly pay as you go. He issued cards that were bought for a certain amount. Every class, he hole punched everyone's card. Once there were no classes left on the card, they bought a new card. A dojo I was looking into before I joined my current one did the same thing as a pay as you go option (you could also pay a monthly membership instead). At the moment they just pay cash when they turn up, although I am thinking about offering the chance to pay in advanced similar to the method your explained. I've seen an organization that collected fees per class. They charged $4.00 per lesson, and they paid that whenever they came to class. That organization utilized "parents" to collect fees while sitting at one of the many tables. Name of the student would then be checked off on a roster to show that that student had indeed been at that particular class. It was either cash or check; those funds would be then placed inside of a large manila envelope for safe keeping. At the end of the night, the instructor would collect the envelopes, one envelope per class, and they did up to 4 classes, once per week, as well as the roster sheets, stuffing it all in their gym bag.

It's a hard thing to endure, across the board. Thing about being judged is that no one can't control how others will judge you; it'll happen whether you like it or not. If you can put your head on a pillow in soundness that you've not violated your integrity and the like, then what others think about you is meaningless. For me, the only opinion I want is from my wife and kids. Everyone else isn't that important!!

Gi's are a dime a dozen. So, I throw them away if they need to be. Belts, well, that's different. How so? Well, it's, for me, about the blood, sweat, and tears. A belt is a reminder of what it took to earn that particular belt; look down memory lane, a way to jog the fond memories of said belt. Rank means nothing to me, but the memories of what it took to earn each and everyone are important to me. So, the belts are neatly tucked away in a box with some moth balls. I use to hang them up in the house until one day Dai-Soke came to visit my family and I, and he saw them. He said in front of my family..."Take down, rank not you. Why put trash on wall??" Trash? OUCH!! He later told me that my priorities were askew, at best...so...I took them down and stored them in that box.

Are any rules, and the like, posted?? Do said rules clarify your concerns?? If Sensei is busy with other students, the best thing to do is not interrupt...ever!! Wait, train, and when he approaches you, ask for his help. Or, and this is a sensitive one, stop training and raise your hand, and when he approaches you, ask him for his help. The sensitive part is that you might be ignored, or worse, he'll ask you why you're just standing there....train, not stand still!! Waiting for the "Romans" to tell you anything can get you in the lions den; and that's not a good place to be. Nothing ventured is nothing earned. What's the worse that can happen?!? You need to, imho, approach him and find out exactly what is and what isn't the etiquette/protocol of the dojo. Being silent and waiting to stumble upon the proper etiquette/protocol is a waste of time, imho. Why? You're there to learn and to train!! Mizu No Kokoro and Tsuki No Kokoro: Mind like the water and mind like the moon!! Can't give your 100% if you're not totally focused on learning and training. SO FIND OUT ASAP FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND!!

I have never heard of Tegumi! See this is what I am talking about. It seems like there are many different sub-styles within a style. I was referring to the fact that, there maybe a Karate style that uses tons of judo techniques. Tegumi is a mixture of Okinawan grappling and Sumo. Some feel that Jujutsu techniques were incorporated as some of the throws, sweeps and take downs are similar in application. The argument for this is that Matsumura Sokon (In our art), while training in Kenjutsu under the Satsuma clan during their occupation of the Ryukyu kingdom,could have easily learned Jujutsu from his teacher or another and incorporated these techniques into the Tegumi curriculum. Considering the Tegumi pre-dates Matsumura, most feel that this is not the case. The truth is no one actually knows since there was very few documents kept from this or earlier time periods about Karate or its influences. There is nothing to base this on nor any proof whatsoever to support this. However you can somewhat make a distinction between the Okinawan grappling/sumo techniques and what are thought to be jujutsu based. There is no correlation to Judo other than Judo was inspired by Jujutsu, which is why they look as if they may be from Judo, but they are not. Karate is generations older than Judo and thus could not contain Judo applications unless a more modern day instructor added them to the curriculum. Unfortunately this happens in today's Dojo's all to often. Because an instructor does not understand or was never taught Torite, Tegumi and Kyusho through the Bunkai of the Kata they tend to add to their art and often pull from other arts not associated with their base art as a means of "improving" the art. As if they know better than generations of time tested applications in actual combat situations. If one where to bother researching their art, as the founders passed it down, they would discover that Karate is the original MMA and has the answers to almost every question in the context of combat and defense. IMHO. What MatsuShinshii excellently speaks towards is a pretty close description of Shindokan, the Okinawan style of Karate-do that I've been training in as well as teaching for 52 years, albeit, with a strong emphasis on Tuite.

Excellent OP, Kyonovice!! I believe, wholeheartedly, that there are indeed "Masters" like the one's in your OP's title. Sure, not all "Masters" of their calibers are known, yet, I believe that they still exist, and are known to only their students. The unknown "Masters" exist, for sure, and this is my believe, one I'm holding onto for one reason or another. My own Sensei/Dai-Soke, was, imho, of their calibers, in his own right, and I'd like to think that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm not saying that I'm of their calibers, but neither am I a lackadaisical MAist. Those "Masters" that you list in your OP have one thing in common...they have students!! I've seen, and possibly, many here at KF have seen those students of those "Masters" on the floor in one venue or another, and that these students are of the highest quality/caliber of a MAist. The student IS the representative of said "Master/Sensei/Etc.", and I believe that these students meet the expectations of their Master/Sensei/Etc., in such a degree, that any negative reflection wouldn't set well with their Master/Sensei/Etc for a single second. Seeing that we're that very representative of our "Master/Sensei/Etc.", we're no slouches either. Imagine, any MAist that you've witnessed, famous or not, and you thought to yourself..."Man, this MAist is awesome across the board!!", well, that awesome MAist has/had an exceptionally "Master/Sensei/Etc. to teach and mentor and mold them. I could list quite a lot of MAist's that would fit in the previous paragraph, albeit, these exceptional MAist's surely had one fantastic "Master/Sensei/Etc at their disposal. The apple that doesn't fall far from the tree is WORLDWIDE, and not regional or the like!! Lineage's can be that window to what type of the MAist that person is; especially if a well known "Master" is in that lineage. Sure, it's very possible that the lineage can be watered down from "Master" to student/Sensei to student/Sensei to student/Sensei. However, that lineage chain, with the overseeing of said "Master", remains unbroken and untarnished and solid for many years to come. Yes, bad apples ruin the whole bunch IF unchecked by the "Master", and even then, not every student of the "Master" is a good reflective representative of that "Master"!! In short, no matter the "Master" and/or the student, proof is on the floor!!

Than, Monday it is!! Meanwhile...keep training!!

I wholeheartedly concur with Patrick!! Relax, and have fun; you'll be fine. Remember, you don't have to get a 100% on the test, so allow the testing cycle to take care of itself.

CONGRATS, skullsplitter; well deserved!! Feels great, huh?!

1 hour isn't much, but I'd take it at the drop of a hat to train just one more time from my Sensei!!

I don't believe that I've never refused to share things of Shindokan!! As Soke taught us..."Shindokan belongs to everyone, not just the few!!" Secrets? What are those? Afraid that the other schools of the MA will discover a means to close your school down? Share and share alike, with a joyful heart, I say!!

Teaching styles are what they are, in that, no two teaching styles will, or should be, the same, and for me, I'm quite thankful for that. Both our Soke and Dai-Soke were born, raised, and trained in Okinawa. Their teaching styles were different, yet they reached the student body, and they therefor reached the same goals for the student body: To learn Shindokan. Having said that, the one thing they had in common with teaching styles is that they both had quite a lot of difficulty with English, and while they both improved in English somewhat by the time they both passed away, their English was rough and difficult to understand. In short, they both sounded like a grunting cave man! Both of them, Soke and Dai-Soke, would say very little, due to them not ever mastering the English language, directed the student body with a compassionate Shinai, and a ton of demonstrations...as they both were found of saying..."You have to experience Shindokan to appreciate it!!", and that's were the tons of demonstrations/examples accompanied by their grunting cave man broken English. Like your Sensei, neither Soke or Dai-Soke, ever raised their voices in anger toward the student body, they were compassionate in their teachings, and they were not tolerant with many protocols and the like violations. However, if you do feel uncomfortable, and as many that have already touched on this, find somewhere/someone else to train under/with; can't learn much in a hostile environment because it's not conducive to learning. If your Sensei has a "close door" mindset, and this makes it difficult to approach him with questions and/or concerns and/or anything else, then that too is grounds for seeking out better learning grounds. Both Soke and Dai-Soke were open to questions and/or concerns and/or anything else, which, for me, is great because I always asked questions, and I was that doubting Thomas both on and off the floor. Sure, I had to obey etiquette/protocol, otherwise, we'd be invisible to them, especially if done on the floor. I suppose, listen to your gut and/or the raising of the tiny hairs on your arms, might be some good advice...maybe.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. There were two issues that I faced when I started my Kyuodan dojo back in 1977. My dojo was located at the corners of Sherman Way and White Oak in Van Nuys, California, just north of Hollywood, within the San Fernando Valley. Both of these issues were, and still are, monumentally important to the continued viability that seemed to constantly ebb on the edge of mortality and immortality; the war torn battle of juggling one responsibility after another, wondering if it'll all just topple over, to never be seen again. Business knowledgeMoney managementThese two hovering vultures can rob one of much needed, restful sleep; worrying about a multitude of delicate decisions that might've been made in haste or made in one last desperate lunge for that proverbial brass ring. Business Knowledge It's one thing to be a black belt, but it's another thing to have secured the knowledge about how one should manage and operate a business. And not just a business, but a successful business. Understand this: I'm a big proponent that a dojo is, now and forever, a business. Why? Unless you've no overhead of any type, than you're not managing and operating a business. A business, like a dojo, needs that constant care. It can't take care of itself, can't clean up after itself, can't pay its own bills, can't negotiate for itself, can't bank for itself, can't buy supplies for itself, can't market for itself, and it can't do the most simplest task for itself. It's dependant! In 1977, I was a fledging new sandan. I had been assisting my sensei, as an assistant instructor (one of many), ever since I was a thirteen year old junior black belt in 1970. When I opened for business in July of 1977, I figured that I had acquired enough business knowledge, during those 7 years, to flawlessly manage and operate the Kyuodan dojo. I figured dead wrong! Observing and doing are two different things altogether. Having hands-on experience in the daily operations, outside of performing assisting teaching duties, would've had a prodigious effect on me. Being a cogent black belt isn't the same thing as being a cohesive business owner; nor is it a guarantee. Yes, sensei taught me how to teach effectively, as did soke, but I had little, or no clue at all how to be both that solid black belt and that solvent business owner. I was that ingenuous sandan on the floor, sure of himself, though quite naive. But off the floor, I only possessed a basic idea of the business world, that I'd not fully garnered from sensei and soke! In hindsight, that business world was a vast, horrific, dark and desperately somber entity, and it overshadowed me unmercifully. However, truth being told, the possession of a black belt isn't pertinent to the business world. Being a sandan, while important to teaching the martial arts, doesn't hold the same meaning in the business world. No, my friend, I learned quickly that owning and operating a dojo, a.k.a. a small business, takes more than knowing how to teach kihon, kata and kumite. My student body numbers were scarce my first six months, so much so that I was living in my dojo, sleeping on one of the couches in my office. When I say scarce, I'm talking about only having twenty-five students at the end of those first six months. I was reaching DEFCON 1, in a business sense, and I wasn't sure what my next move should be in order to remain in business. I kept the smile on, as to not worry my tiny band of students. Teaching wasn't the problem. That's never been the problem. I'm gifted and blessed in that area. I can teach! No, the problem, as I slowly began to learn through those bleak opening months, was me! My perceived notions about business were being quickly dashed. My solution seemed simple enough. I needed to expediently learn business 101. I enrolled at Los Angeles Valley College, a stone's throw away from the front door of my Kyuodan dojo. College classes in the day, teaching Shindokan at night. I put in a major academic load of 12 units, with a major of business administration. College is fine. One can learn a plethora of subjects of interest. However, there's nothing like attending the college of trials and tribulations, a.k.a. the school of hard knocks. That'll put gristle on your business meat quite fast, and it'll take no prisoners. I learnt a valuable lesson about needs and wants. In both business and in life, one has needs and wants in order to exist fruitfully. However, these are separate desires that must be kept separate, respected and understood. The lines between the two should never be crossed. I need to pay rent! I need to pay utilities! I need to pay for supplies! Rest and relaxation is a necessary part of balancing the sane with the insanity of the business world. However, the recharging of one's batteries should never cause one to shrug off their responsibilities as a business owner. Pay your bills, all of your bills and when they're due! Then, and only then, can you afford that richly deserved vacation. Anything that doesn't sustain the dojo's existence is a want. One could overflow a lake with tangible wants. That's part of life. Nonetheless, a business owner needs to learn how to balance their spreadsheet so as to avoid potential potholes, and placing wants over needs isn't anything short of a huge sinkhole. Business knowledge wasn't my forte, but I knew I was going to learn it, even if it literally killed me to do so. Every idea requires a plan, or at least a list to follow. This might include: BookkeepingBusiness plan Managing people Sales and marketing Standard operating procedures (SOP) What else?With this general battle plan, I've one small problem: how am I going to pay for all of this? Money Management Back in 1977, martial arts schools weren't a ubiquitous feature of the American landscape, unlike they are in today's America. Having enough cash to cover the bills is a must for any business, but it is also a must for every individual. Whether it is your business or your life, one will likely emerge as a capital drain that puts pressure on the other. In order to head off this problem, small business owners must either be heavily capitalized or be able to pick up extra income to shore up cash reserves when needed. This is why many small businesses start out with the founders working a job and building a business simultaneously. While this split focus can make it difficult to grow a business, running out of cash makes growing a business impossible. I didn't have any other employment, nor did I want any other employment, other than the Kyuodan dojo! The Kyuodan dojo was my realized dream, and I wasn't going to let it become my realized nightmare, not if I could prevent it. Many times, dojo owners earn no reportable income because their cash reserves are tied up with operational costs. But that's a good thing. Dojo taken care of? Check! Family taken care of? Check! Student body taken care of? Check! Then the owner, as well as the chief instructor, which normally are the same person, are taken care of, too. Against the pleas of my family, friends and students, at the end of my first year of college, I terminated my continuing education. Even though the dojo was desperate for more cash reserves, I plugged through that first year with my integrity and passion still intact. Despite the naysayers, I was still in the black, and my student body was slowly creeping upwards. After saying my farewells to college life, I put my plan in motion to ever increasing my depleting cash revenue. I went full-time, and that meant that the Kyuodan dojo would be open from 10am to 10pm, Monday through Friday and 10am – 5pm on Saturday. My first year, I only taught during the evening hours when the majority of potential students were at home. Schools let out at 3pm, and most business ended their daily operations at 5pm. My Kyuodan dojo had been birthed on that notion, missing out on an untapped well of opportunities. That was about to change! I literally blanketed the entire San Fernando Valley in colorful flyers with the help of family, students, and to my surprise, the Hombu's chipped in to help as well. We covered vehicle windshields, telephone poles and the occasional business bulletin board. Tournament participation remained quite lucrative to me in more ways than one. Not only did I compete and win my share of events, I also gave demonstrations. This was the bread and butter for my soke promoting Shindokan in the early years of the Hombu. Any time a tournament promoter would allow a demonstration, per a rotating schedule that was shared with many other styles of the martial arts in the San Fernando Valley, I gave my all. Those who were permitted to conduct a demonstration were also allowed, by the tournament promoter, to have a sign-up table in the foyer of the lobby. This created an opportunity to speak with the potential student at the dojo. I gave out free lessons like candy because I knew that once a potential student had been on the floor with me, I'd earn them as my student. As the cash reserves were increasing, I had to remain true to the lessons of the needs and the wants. Addressing one's business responsibilities, first and foremost, over any petty want, without any ambiguity and/or reservations, is critically important. I'm quite proud that I've never ever had a late payment notice ever discovered inside of my mail box. The lessons, as hard as they were, were rewarding and worth it. Executing the Plan With a better understanding of business and how to manage the money-side of the operation, here is how I went about accomplishing the plan mentioned above: Bookkeeping: I had to hire a bookkeeper, but I couldn't budget it into my annual budget. Thankfully, and to the Hombu's credit, I had a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), paid for by the Hombu. Business plan: This is one of the most important documents a business should have because it frames the foundation either on muddy ground or on solid ground. I had to assess my skills and expertise outside of the martial arts. If I'm not qualified or willing to handle all that's going to be required, and which aspects will necessitate either more learning on my part or calling in the cavalry for help, then I've no business being in business, at all. Managing people: I believe that this skill set requires one to be a great listener over being an affable speaker. Acquire delegation skills as well, unless you want to do it all Most business owners want to do it all because they're afraid! For me, managing people has always been an easy thing to learn and to apply. It's not personal, it's business. That's a hard pill to swallow, depending on which side of the conversation you're on. Sales and marketing: I had to learn about my competitors: the other martial arts schools, which are slowly becoming sprinkled like a fine dust throughout the Valley. What are they offering? What are their prices? Standard operating procedures (SOP): What are my processes for handling tasks that are recurring? For example, filling out orders for uniforms, belts, patches, supplies, etc. Do I understand the basic principles and practices of controlling inventory? What's my refund policy? Who do I call when I need something repaired? The SOP is the playbook for situations that might arise from time to time, or quite often. What else?: Problems occur, and I need to solve them. Owning and operating a business is akin to being a firefighter. You have to fight one fire at a time. Trust me, each and every situation is a fire, and it needs to be identified and addressed in a timely manner. My biggest fire was, and still is, customer service. If not handled properly, it can become a raging fire, burning out of control, consuming everything in its path. My dojo wasn't an exception, and if I didn't properly conduct my affairs, then my dojo will eventually deserve to be closed. These six areas of business knowledge certainly have a lot to do with money management, as well. No money, no business. Conclusion I have fond memories of my first year as the owner and chief instructor of the Kyuodan dojo. I was quickly concerned with many issues that weren't related to karate-do, but were tied to the management and operation of the dojo itself. As you grow your business knowledge and your understanding of money management, you will increase the hopes that your own dojo can survive the haunting truth will define your own business sensibility: the final bottom line on your dojo's profit and loss statement.