ninjanurse

Great stuff!!

Great article!

But, let me just add, that while you can learn technique from watching a video you can't learn the other things that come from from training in a dojo with many partners and perspectives.

Good points! Online training can be a great adjunct to anyones training and a valuable resource for instructors who have limited time due to their teaching schedules. While it is not for everyone, and you must be discerning when choosing a program, it can be an option.

Great article! Parents can make or break a kids training as can a coach!

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. In too many businesses, the idea that "the end justifies the means" is often the battle cry of marketing execs, who only care about getting ahead and making a profit, not about taking care of their customers or the fall out and the damage left in their path. Canned websites, high pressure sales and bait-and-switch tactics often leave the consumer confused and duped into handing over their cash for promises that will never materialize. Greed often overpowers even the most sincere business owner and eventually this desire to win at all costs permeates every aspect of their business, relationships and, eventually, their lives. The damage to their sphere of influence creates a negative image for the product and, ultimately, reflects on other businesses in the same industry. Regardless of their individual business ethics, some of these businesses are susceptible to caving in to the pressure and adapt the same tactics in order to compete. The martial arts industry is no stranger to this ethical business dilemma and, in fact, there are entire companies out there that specialize in teaching martial arts school owners how to use these questionable tactics to capitalize on consumer ignorance and increase their profits. The martial concepts of "the way" - frugality, loyalty, sincerity, respect, courage, benevolence and righteousness - and the more common "tenets of taekwondo" (often adopted by many Korean and non-Korean arts) - which include modesty, integrity, courtesy and self control - are used as a hook for parents looking to help their children learn these virtues via martial arts training. But they are often only given lip service as is evidenced by the sharp contrast between the marketing materials and the realities of the student experience and the management of a dojo. It saddens me that in an age where information is at your fingertips, people still fall for these sales pitch tactics and think that if you pay more per month for martial arts classes, you are getting better quality instruction than the school that charges less or that they have some "ancient secrets" that make you invincible if you train with them. These cult-like associations dupe honest, hardworking people into thinking they are paying for something special, when in reality all they are paying for is the owner's new house and lavish vacations. In return, they get a watered down curriculum and a false sense of security when it comes to actually defending themselves, being competitive or achieving a high level of competence in the art. Websites full of stock photos and canned "testimonies" from people who are not even students at the school, promises of a black belt in 2-3 years, accelerated instructor courses (for a higher fee, of course), frequent and outrageous testing fees, and nickel-and-dime retention tactics are sucking the innocent consumer in and creating poor quality students who are often more dangerous than safe. People then discover they have been lied to and manipulated into signing expensive 3 year contracts and are getting a less than adequate martial arts education to boot. The bad taste these schools leave in the consumer's mouth creates a bad name for the industry - McDojo comes to mind here - and ultimately affects the market as a whole because styles are stereotyped based on these negative and deceitful situations. Another recent trend these rip-off artists are using is hijacking competitors' school names to drive internet traffic to these fallacious internet sites and striking a double blow by mere association with their questionable claims. Small dojos, who have worked hard for years to build good reputations in their communities, are having their names used and associated with bad business and the loss of potential income can make the difference in keeping the doors open. Obviously, this new marketing tactic in itself points to a lack of integrity and respect for the business community as a whole and ventures even farther from any semblance of the martial virtues that they claim to teach! In my many years of experience in the martial arts, as a student, staff member and school owner, I have seen the damage that these kinds of tactics cause in our industry. I choose to stand by the principles I was taught - integrity and respect to name two of them. These virtues ("the way" or -do) are the hallmark of many martial arts programs and character development. Mushotoku is a state of mind where the spirit does not seek to obtain anything, does not get attached to objects that seeks no personal profit. Simply stated, it is to "give without remembering, receive without forgetting." This is a concept of living that my teachers strove to practice and instill in me, and my classmates, by their actions both in and out of the dojo. Simply valuing relationships for what we can give to them, not take from them, holds many important lessons that, if kept at the forefront of our practice, will make us effective teachers and business owners. Schools that do not teach their students this art of gratitude, either through complete omission or leadership behavior that is contrary, are at risk of developing a lack of concern for those who seek training but who are not capable of meeting the financial demand. These people can eventually be led down this path to insincerity and greed, falling into the trap and succumbing to the pressure to exclude anyone not willing or able to pay for the privilege they so arrogantly claim to offer. Taking care of your community on the other hand (through Mushotoku and "the way"), by making training an opportunity for everyone rather than a privilege for a few, is a practice far more rewarding, personally and professionally. When consumers see the evidence of what you practice in the actions you and your students take to help others achieve their goals, they will market for you. I have had the honor of seeing this practice in action in dojos with 10 students and dojos with over 600 students, equally as profitable and equal in their longevity. The old adage applies here: You really do get what you pay for and, in martial arts, less is often more.

While it is easier to teach the same thing to everyone in attendance it's just not practical when you have new mixed ranks, and besides, I am a traditionalist and it doesn't sit right with me to teach advanced kata to a yellow belt-LOL! I prefer to teach by age group (all ranks together) so they newer students see the progression and work with higher ranks to gain from their experience. I tailor my teaching style to the age group (physical and cognitive development) and alter the language and/or intent based on the maturity of the group. I use a pseudo "rotating curriculum" that serves everyone and allows for some variety. I teach the following curriculum areas: kata, step sparring, escapes, kicking combinations, basics, boxing/striking, sparring tactics, arnis, and jiujitsu. I divide these areas into A or B and assign a day of the week as an A day or a B day. There are certain areas that we cover every class and an area that we rotate on a 4 week basis, for example: On A days we always cover Forms, Basics, Escapes, and Step Sparring and each week rotate through Jiujitsu, Boxing, Arnis, and Instructors Choice over the 4 week cycle. B days are set up the same way. This is the way that I found works well with my teaching style. Teaching a multi-level class takes planning, good time management, and class discipline....learning to be creative in delivery takes time and some trial and error.

Welcome to KF!

I use an online dojo managment sytem that automatically bills and/or collects via EFT or credit card. I do carry a few cash accounts but I prefer online when possible. Students pay monthly based on the day they start-I do not prorate when they enroll. All my programs are based on mat time. You want more mat time then you pay more tuition. This allows for those who can only train one day a week to only pay for that time rather than feel like they are paying for classes they cant attend. My programs are 1 class/week, 2 classes/week, 3 classes/week, and unlimited classes/week.

With the technology boom I think most of them are online now...and I can't think of any others than what you already mentioned here.

Good article and insight! THANKS!

Congratulations!

Instructors should be held to the standards that you teach. I have personally dealt with such a situation-a lapse in integrity of one of my instructors-and I asked him to leave while he got his life together. Sadlyhis actions caught up with him but thankfully he was not associated with me or my dojo anymore so I escaped any collateral damage. If you dont want to address him personally take it to the board for them to deal with as they see fit.

In my experience most Leadership Programs are just another revenue generating scheme-teaching "special skills" and giving "special privledges" to students who join. To me, a leadership should be taught to all students (its part of budo)and those who are interested in becoming instructors in the future or just want to assist in classes should be given the opportunity. I don't charge extra, I give them free training, and in exchange for their assistance they get extra classes.

My karate Sensei was fond of saying, "Don't worry, it's all in there."

Again great detail. I have used the first option on occasion-the second is new! THanks!

Excellent detail! Thanks for the grip tip-I will use it!

NEVER!

Welcome to KF!

Congrats!

I agree. I'm out of town from time to time and it's nothing for a purple or brown belt student to teach. Think about it, a purple belt for us is 4-5 years on the mat. That should be more than enough time to understand the fundamentals and teach them. Plus, it's good experience. I think that having lower ranked students begin to fill in some teaching roles can be a boon to their learning curve when it comes to teaching. Especially higher ranked students, like those of the brown/red belt levels in some of the more traditional styles. If they wait until black belt and have no experience teaching, its really tough to throw them into the fire with no teaching experience. Knowing the material and teaching the material are two different things entirely. Senior colored belts can benefit from putting classes through the basics and warm-ups, and an adult senior rank assisting in teaching kids classes (especially lower ranks) are great teaching experiences, too. Doing this also helps the instructors to figure out who look like good teaching candidates, and who might need some more polishing. Exactly. Our "requirement" to teach and grow is to build confidence and strengthen skills, not to force them into teaching. With rank comes responsibility for those below you and warming up class and being asked to help a lower rank from time-to-time gives them the opportunity to get a taste and decide of they want to join the Leadership Team as student instructor.

Congratulations!

Cool!

Welcome!

Welcome!