Why people are losing interest in Karate?

[Sho-ju]

McDojo's, it's not apart of pop culture like it use to be and mixed martial arts events.

[aes]

I would agree about the push for imediate results. Few make it through the 6 or so years to get to black belt in our school. I think the statistic I heard was one in 1500 students.

 

The dojo I go to tends to do very well at tournaments IMO because of the traditional yet slow building on skills. I personally cannot imagine getting to a black belt in under 5 years with the attention to small details that we are expected to know.

 

I think to stay with it in a real dojo it takes a special type of person. Sometimes it is a kind of addiction. It certainly is not for everyone but I would rather be doing this than pumping iron and running on a tread mill in gym like I used to.

[G95champ]

The Media

 

Hollywood

 

The internet

 

Video Games

 

Mass transportation

 

mini mall

 

sports (little league, AAU, and high school)

 

Bottome line there is a lot more to do today than there was 20 years ago. We can go futher in shorter amounts of time. We see more in a day than we used to see in a year as far as world events. Its a fast paced socitiety with more things for people to do. Karate clubs like dance, or gymanstice used to be the only year long game in town but now you can go to other places and do things. Add to that the net and playstation have kept a lot home.

 

No ones fault just the price of becomming advanced.

[Guest]

those that lose interest don't know what karate is. they are whimps.

 

That is the most ignorant thing I've ever heard... well, read.

 

So you're saying that if you try karate and don't like it, then you're a wimp who's meak little mind can't understand the "true" meaning of karate.

 

How about not having the time? How about not having the money? What if they didn't like the teacher? Some teachers can be real pricks. Perhaps there were some pushy, bossy students who think that because they wear a coloured belt they get to boss you around.

 

There are hundreds of reasons why somebody might not like karate. Only a few of them make him wimps. I only need one reason to call you a biggot, and your quote was it.

[Jade]

I agree smr......certain persons don't have time, money or have more important thing to do....but my question was another...i personally heard people that they would rather do nothing that wasting their time doing karate.....they don't say that because they don't like it but there's a certain lazyness these days that if you try to say karate need sacrifice and patience they immediately think its not for them.

[italian_guy]

I think there are some expectation from a karate (or MA in general) school that are often frustrated. Basically some beginners have a 'learn to kick * in 10 easy lessons' mentality. I tell you this because every time I contact a MA instructor wanting to join his school (and I did it twice during this year) sooner or later he tells me that it is not like in the movies. So I think they have meet many people that have this mentality and leave soon, and the instructors do not want to waste their time any more with those people. Another aspect of this fact is the increasing popularity of kickboxing compared to TMA. Kickboxing is more oriented to fighting and has no traditional elements that people interested only in learning how to fight do not like. Since I'm not only interested in the actual fighting experience but also on the other aspects of a MA I did exactly the opposite (started with kickboxing now doing karate) but some people I meet when I was doing kickboxing that had previous karate experience they all told me that with kickboxing you learn how to fight faster.

[karatekid1975]

MA clubs are really popular in my region too, but unfortunately it is mostly wall-to-wall McDojo's. Martial arts are popular, but generally the public want results NOW and think that they're gonna be able to be like Bruce Lee within 3 weeks. That's probably why a lot of people try karate and martial arts & drop out after a while - they haven't been given their black belt within a month so they're not gonna stick at it. I believe that's why McDojo's are on the rise - they cater to the "I want it now" culture that is prevalent within Western society. Plus, McDojo's breen McDojo's - someone gets a blackbelt with a McDojo and then believed that they can now competently teach, so they set up their own club.

 

I agree here. MA is popular here, but sadly there aren't many good schools. I came from a school in NJ that was strict, traditional, good old fashion hard work gets you to BB, not how much money you can give out. Then I moved to upstate NY. I haven't found a good school yet (well, except one, but it's too expensive). Most of them cater to the above people. It's really sad.

[Jiyn]

Hmm most familys around here in liverpool are pretty rough and they do things like boxing or just plain throwing digs.Its only the so called "geeks" like me that do proper martial arts,but i dont let them get to me as its my decision if i do karate or not.

[kenpo4life]

A mixture of both ignorance and mcdojoism. most people ask you if you can kick somones *. Then the others talk about how little johhny has a black belt in TKD. Too bad that he is only 10. The masters of the variou styles are rollin g in their graves I am sure.

[aefibird]

The masters of the variou styles are rolling in their graves I am sure.

 

With how hard some MA masters must be spinning in their graves, it's a wonder the rotation of the earth hasn't been altered! lol

 

Seriously, though, I believe that the majority of deceased MA masters wouldn't recognise much of the current world of martial arts, because of the increase in 'belt-factory' schools and also the breaking awayin some schools from traditional values of martial arts, such as dedication, respect, hard work and perseverence.