Putting McDojos out of Business

[y2_sub]

Putting Mcdojos out of business is an impossible mission

[yamesu]

OK now I'm posting this because it made me laugh, and I hope you'all find some humor in it as well.

The top 10 reasons you might be in a McDojo:

10. You instructor has a Grandmasters Certificate. In Crayon.

9. The Senior Assistant Instructor is a 4 year old black belt.

8. The sign in the window says the school trains in more than

10 martial arts.

7. Its a Korean art. {g}

[MasterH Note: HEY!!]

6. Your instructor tries to sell you Amway products.

5. While examining the schools tournament trophies, you find

3 for spelling bees.

4. Reading the contract for the school is considered a kata

(and a long one at that).

3. No one sweats.

2. While at a tournament, your opponent finds out who your

teacher is and high-fives his teacher.

1. When paying for your belt examinations, the instructor asks:

"Do you want fries with that?"

Hehehe

[SenseiMike]

typically, anyone who uses the words "useless beliefs" is part of a mcdojo. Philosophy is the heart of martial arts, You may not of meant it to sound the way I intrupreted it, but I think that phrase sounds pretty bad.

[tkdBill]

Who's with me??? If I ever become rich or famous (I will actually work very hard towards it), I want to put out all of those crappy McDojos, watered-down, useless beliefs and crap out of business, one by one.

They are truly a disgrace to real Martial Arts.

Never happen. They have the money, they have the political drive. All you have is your moral stand. You loose.

Me? I'll take care of my own little corner of the world and try and get allong with everyone.

That's not true. Just like any other profession, a truly talented instructor with business savy can become wealthy. It's not the norm, but it happens, and not by accident.

There are wealthy world class chefs who make more than McDonalds owners. In any profession there are those who work hard and work smart and can achieve much. Of course every successful person has critics, often those who are jealous of his success. In martial arts, some just apply the label "McDojo" to any large successful school.

Some large, successful schools are McDojos, but many are not. Martial arts instructors are not in a lesser profession than any other professional. If you have an excellent program and some business acumen, you can go as far as you want.

--

[Steve_K]

I don't know about consciously trying to put them out of business, but I agree they are a problem. They create too wide a spectrum for the standard of what a good martial artist is. A black belt at a crappy school may only have the skill of a 5th kup/kyu at a good school. It makes it so that simply the title of "black belt" isn't enough to know that someone is a fine martial artist.

[White Warlock]

Before, there were no belts. These modern-day attempts to 'quantify' our abilities is the problem.

[tkdBill]

Belts are not the problem, it is people who misuse belts that are the problem.

There will always be a full range of quality in MA training, just like anything else. Some people will buy a Kia and some will buy a Cadillac. Some will pay too much for what they get. Their is no reason to get rid of all McDojos any more than we should get rid of all Kia's (or Cadillacs).

The only thing that we need to worry about is whether or not we are happy with the quality and price of our own training.

--

[Jay]

Belts are not the problem, it is people who misuse belts that are the problem.

There will always be a full range of quality in MA training, just like anything else. Some people will buy a Kia and some will buy a Cadillac. Some will pay too much for what they get. Their is no reason to get rid of all McDojos any more than we should get rid of all Kia's (or Cadillacs).

The only thing that we need to worry about is whether or not we are happy with the quality and price of our own training.

--

belts really mean nothing but they arnt the problem as you said

[White Warlock]

Belts are not the problem, it is people who misuse belts that are the problem.

Aye, but there is an issue here, in that it has presented a societal measuring tool. A means to 'gauge' whether someone is 'qualified' to teach or not. This is where the problem lies, for it also presents an 'accepted' norm by which persons can shop. And this falls well into the lap of the unscrupulous. In a way it adds one more avenue for the 'problem people,' as you put it, to exploit.

I agree that it is the persons, and that these issues have been plaguing the arts for ages. As the martial arts becomes more commercialized, and the opportunities for networking services/products becomes more readily available, far more unscrupulous sorts will weed their way through the cracks.

But, the belt system is more than merely a crack...

[ovine king]

in general, McDojos are not always a bad thing.

the thing we should try to stamp out, is bad teaching, irresponsible teaching and frauds. whether or not they make money (a often cited McDojo sign) is not always relevent.