Putting McDojos out of Business

[UpTheIrons]

The best way to put a McDojang out of business is to be a viable alternative. Make it so that students would rather train with you than with them. If they come, great. If they don't, it was not meant to be. Keep in mind, McDojangs are meant for the masses. It takes someone special to train at a traditional school where the practice is HARD.

[usatkdwtf]

I dont think so.

I think McDojos just advertise to the masses. So, thats where the masses go.

[Sam]

YEah people just want quick results something you cnat promise them without compromising on skill....

[usatkdwtf]

I dont think people want quick results...thats just what they get, because thats the schools that advertise effectivly.

Thats what they get because thats all they know.

See my post on pg.3

That kind of thinking that "only special people will last at a good school" or "they want quick results" , is whats going to keep small schools small and keep mcdojos in business.

The masses cant come to you, and you cant expose the mcdojos as frauds to them, if they dont know you exsist.

[UpTheIrons]

But that's EXACTLY why McDojangs are successful: They cater to the masses to keep bodies coming in the door. Think about it. For every one small intimate place that serves the best food you could imagine because they don't mass market or compromise you have 10,000 McDonalds that do.

By extensive marketing and trying to reach the masses on a huge scale you become what you are trying to beat. McDojangs do this because their primary concern is money. Once you allow money to become your motivating force you become a McDojo.

Traditional schools are not concerned with money. By definition, that means they will not compromise their standards and will remain smaller. Quality over quantity.

[usatkdwtf]

You actually think that just because you advertise big, that means you have to be "only caring about money" or teach like a mcdojo?

Advertising is one thing, masses is another, and teaching quality is another. They dont have to directly affect each other. Ive seen very large schools that had excellent students. It can be done, Im doing it now.

I hope "traditional" doesnt always mean "small" and "broke".

Because Ive seen "traditional" be large and rich. It doesnt ean he nly cares about money, It just means he know you dont have to be poor to be a "real school".

You know what Im saying? Please believe it can be done, otherwise your limiting yourself, and pigeonholing your mind into thinking "only poor schools can be good, so Ill be poor".

"If I care about money AT ALL, Im selling out and am a McDojo"

Mcdojo, and poor quality have nothing to do with how many students you have. I gurantee mcdojos were mcdojos when they first started and had 20 students.

[UpTheIrons]

It goes back to your motivation for teaching. There is nothing wrong with being able to make money from teaching. You have a marketable skill that is worth paying to learn, as well as expenses (facilities usage, utilities, rent etc.). In fact, I'm always suspicious of people who don't charge money for teaching.

The problem is when you are teaching to make money. Making money is no longer a nice by-product of something you love doing, it becomes the reason why you do it. It is no different than a school teacher who teaches simply to make a buck. How enthusiastic is she going to be? You teach because you love passing your knowledge on to students and seeing them use that knowledge to better themselves.

Martial arts is no different. Not to say you can't make some income off it, but I like to think that true traditional teachers are guided by principles other than money. I apparently am wrong.

You know, my teacher years ago used to tell us to be careful of three things in life-money, women (it was all guys), and alcohol. Being driven by a desire for any of them is only trouble. McDojangs tend to be driven bya desire for money and publicity.

[Sam]

I agree - but if people are constantly rewarded for "progress" and attain """""Mastery""""" (heavy use of quotation marks) quicker - or feel they are advancing quicker - tehy are more likely to wnat ot continue.

But i do agree -a could marketing plan can put you on even footing with a McDojo - and then all its down to is knowing that you provide a better service...lol.

[Menjo]

All good points but really i think it would take A VERY LONG TIME and well i dont think those places will ever go out of buiseness anytime soon.

[elbows_and_knees]

I haven't read this thread yet, so it may have been said, but you can't put the mcschools out of business. Why? because there is a market for them. There are more people who want that than there are who want real training. Not only that, but there are people at these places who think they ARE getting real training and don't know the difference... there are probably some on this forum.

A good marketing strategy wouldn't put the good schools on even ground either - there aren't enough people interested in good training to equal their numbers.