big school misconceptions

[usatkdwtf]

Hey,

There seems to be this belief among small school owners that a large school, where the instrctor dives a mercedes benz, has to be a mcdojo.

I understand the thought, but you can still teach good martial arts weather there is 5 or 30 kids in a class and just because a school has 100 students or more does not mean its a mcdojo.

Personally I see it just as life depicts it. In any job the most productive is recognized for their efforts and moves up in status by pay or title.

Compare the two lifstyles.I know that MA owners of large schools continually train in seminars, aggressivley advertise, and purse excellence in thier school. Its a type A personality. So, of course it will most likely flow onto the floor.

Most small school owners I know, just want to do what they want. heir success is not their life blood. They tend to be close minded and unwilling to see new ideas. Its just all about how long you can take this or that, and how "tough" their students are, and not necessairly how "good" they are. Ive seen a lot of unqualified instructors that are out of shape and everything else in small schools too.

To be honest I have yet to see students come from a small school that are miles above those at a GOOD large one, like they like to claim.

My point is this, to each his own right? But its not, beause as soon as you say your from a large school

(TKD espically), the small school people want to tell you how much better their school is than yours. Has anybody else experieced this?

So its not to each his own coming from small school students and owners.

Just because its a large school does not mean its a mcdojo. There are bad apples in every basket. You can get big, and be wealthy in the MA, and not be in it for the money, and not run a mcdojo. Ive seen it done, and I plan on doing the same.

Hasent anybody else seen it done?

[Jane The Obscure]

I think the idea that small schools are a result of closed-minded practicioners is sort of a generalization.

My Master's class and my class are both small, but we don't do it to make money. I teach for a community parks and recreation program as my master had also done before obtaining the use of a small facility in conjunction with another style. We teach out of enjoyment in sharing the art with others, not as a means for financial gain. I don't consider a large class roster and a fat bankroll to be the "litmus test" on which to base the concept of a successful dojo. As for skill and technique, I've seen high levels of proficiency in both kinds of class settings.

Also, an advantage to smaller classes is a more personalized training opportunity than some people have in a franchised facility. Both sides of the coin have their advantages. Because I work out of a gym in an elementary school, we can only have class for two hours twice a week. The larger schools with full-time employed instructors are able to provide several classes each day of the week.

Either way you look at it there are positives and negatives.

[taiji fajin]

I've seen a large school not be a mcdojo (though the instructor wasn't driving around in a benz). The way he pulled it off was this:

Sunday: no classes

Monday: Open practice for anyone who wanted to come

Tuesday-Thursday: Three one our classes (you only go to one class, unless you are registered for more than one), each with 10-15 students.

Friday: no classes

Saturday: starts out as open to all, then splits up between an open practice for anyone who wants to come, and an advanced practice of about 15-20 students.

This way his school has over 100 students, but when he is teaching it is to a small enough group that he can make sure each student get proper instruction.

[Grenadier]

Having a large dojo with loads of students, and still maintaining a high level of quality instruction is certainly possible. It will require, though, that the chief instructor make sure that he have excellent underlings (instructors), and that they be very well organized. After all, with that many students, he would have to offer several different classes, and he certainly can't teach all of them.

Sometimes this will mean opening up additional dojo locations in nearby cities, which makes the importance of having good instructors working under him even moreso.

Many times, it can also require that the chief instructor hire someone to take care of the business matters.

[usatkdwtf]

Im really impressed. I didnt think I would get that kind of respose from this forum, or any other for that matter, unless it was a NAPMA or MApro forum...which by the way are empty.

I guess I got the impression from people,forums,etc. of small school operations, that a large school is bad and they sold out and are mcdojos. I came from a GOOD large school and have taughtin a few....good to know Im not the only one who has seen this.

Im glad to have met people who respect both sides of the coin, because I do also. I dont understand it, but I respect it.

Why wouldnt you want to make your school = your life, If you love to teach and practic MA? Why would you choose to work for someone else and keep that job, when you could be doing what you love and probably adventually be getting paid more?

How could you be content with only part of your life being MA, when you know it could be the majority?

[Jane The Obscure]

Martial Arts IS my whole life. I strive to live the martial way 24/7 regardless of whether I am wearing a gi or not.

Besides, I have to pay my mortgage. To start up a full-time dojo requires too much collateral. I used to work in the management office of a shopping mall and it's crazy what businesses pay out in leasing and CAM charges. It would take something like 5 years to determine if the business was successful enough to cover operating costs AND supply income to any employees. My mortgage company wouldn't be so lenient as to let me off the hook for five years if I wasn't making any money. I'd rather have my house to live in and teach somewhere that I don't have to pay through the nose for an insurance policy and operating expenses.

Anyhow, I love my day job as well. I work with older adults and, because we have a variety of exercise classes at the activity center, I am able to incorporate martial arts into some of the programming. I been able to create an exercise program for seniors that incorporates flexibility/range of motion, strength building and low impact maneuvers in order to suit their level and promote good health. Additionally, the vast patience I have tempered through self-discipline in karate helps me in so many ways when dealing with some of the difficult personalities here.

My master told me once that karate was 90% mental and 10% physical. The 10% is pretty hardcore, but you can't even accomplish that without a healthy spirit and a sound mind. So, during my day job, I try to maintain the mental mindfulness and humble spirit I have learned from studying martial arts and it is in this way that I am able to live it every day.

[usatkdwtf]

Thats good you know. I think the part where you sad you "get to work with other adults" is funny.

Sometimes I miss that, its all kids all day for me.Didnt really realize I missed it until you mentioned it.

Thanks for your answers to my questions, I was just trying to see

if small school owners made the choice to stay small,or just didnt know how to get big without spending a lot.

And if it was A CHOICE to stay small, why would you make that choice?

Hopefully I didnt offend you Jane in trying to understand that question.

[Jane The Obscure]

Thats good you know. I think the part where you sad you "get to work with other adults" is funny.

Sometimes I miss that, its all kids all day for me.Didnt really realize I missed it until you mentioned it.

Thanks for your answers to my questions, I was just trying to see

if small school owners made the choice to stay small,or just didnt know how to get big without spending a lot.

And if it was A CHOICE to stay small, why would you make that choice?

Hopefully I didnt offend you Jane in trying to understand that question.

Oh no, no you didn't offend me at all! One of the things I really enjoy about the Martial Arts is the sheer diversity of it all.

The funny thing about working with seniors is how sometimes it CAN be like working with children! They'll admit it, too! It's hilarious!

I don't know that it's a conscious descision to remain small as much as it is circumstance. One of the downfalls of my class is that it occurs on Monday and Friday nights so a lot of families prefer to reserve Fridays for other things. The class I teach is also in a rural area. Baseball, Soccer, Cub Scouts, church activities and Football take top priority when it comes to extracurricular activities. So participation has this ebb and flow depending on what activities are off-season. As I mentioned before, we can only have class there twice a week (plus, it's a 160 mile roundtrip commute for me, so it is quite a drive), so despite my constant encouragement to practice outside of class as I also do on my own, the commitment from students to stay on top of training isn't the ideal (or at least my idea of ideal ). Things slow down over the summer and fewer people sign up for the classes (they run in six week sessions for $30) because many people go on vacation. In the fall when public schools open back up we will have a huge influx of beginners. But for the most part we average about 15 people. I have two assistant instructors, so it's great because we can really make sure every student gets individual attention throughout each class.

As far as my income from class goes, it pays for my gas to drive up to the class where I teach. Sometimes I take a loss and am paying out of pocket to teach because the cost of the class is really low. Especially with the way the gas prices are going now! I guess the only personal gain I am seeking out of all of this is to better myself (training with other people/ teaching other people motivates me to work harder on my own technique), learn from my students and cherish the opportunity to share with other people all of the wonderful things I have had the privelege of learning from my Master. I feel an obligation to pass on what he has given me- and it's way more than just the karate itself. I have an extended family because of him, I feel as though I have an extra set of parents in him and his wife! I never could have done so much of what I have accomplished with the rest of my life without karate. So I have this compulsion to share it with other people.

Because the area where I teach is so rural, there isn't as much to do in the way of "fun" or "constructive" things out in the country. The closest shopping mall is at least 45 minutes away, there are two grocery stores in the whole county, only a handful of restaurants and no real public parks other than the areas around the schools. So many of the people there don't have a lot of disposable income either. By teaching martial arts at a very low cost I can provide a service to the community that is otherwise lacking. People have an opportunity for recreation, frustrated and overworked parents can have help instilling discipline in children, someone who is being bullied in school or who lacks confidence can grow emotionally and achieve a more positive and assertive outlook on things, kids who live spread out in contrast to normal suburban neighborhoods have a chance to socialize with others and it promotes a healthy active lifestyle in the community.

The part I play in the martial arts as a whole is focused on success through enriching lives of others without really worrying about the money side of it, because I'm not really into money. Each MA practitioner is a piece of a never ending jigsaw puzzle, so there are countless motivations for becoming involved and every piece has a place to fit in the overall image. Every reason and every motivation is correct for that individual, IMO.

[Jane The Obscure]

I guess it is part circumstance and part preferance. What I'd ultimately like to do is set up a non-profit organization to teach martial arts to at risk kids and troubled teens in the late afternoon. At my old job I was able to work a split shift, so I would use the middle of the day to go teach karate at this alternative high school where a lot of troubled and at risk youth went. They received a P.E. credit for it and it was a graded class. After two years my schedule changed and I wasn't able to continue, but it was great and that's what kind of gave me the idea for this other thing.

People have different reasons for both teaching and studying the martial arts. It's not that anybody's really right or wrong, it's just the methodology that's different.

I figure the people running what has been described here as a McDojo have something to offer as well. Those schools seem to take younger children than other places and I've seen them offer after school pick ups, a nutritious snack, and even homework assistance. I'm sure the parents paying for those contracts think those services, in addition to the actual karate sessions, are worth the money they have committed. They feature specific awareness and educational classes on stranger danger and other safety issues for families and the kids from those schools seem to be very motivated, positive and exhibit good sportsmanship for the most part.

Now i have always had reservations about places that promote 7 and 8 year olds to black belt, but at least the parents are proud of their achievements. It may not mean as much in the martial arts community at large, but it means something to those families.

[UpTheIrons]

I don't see a problem with an Instructor having many students. It depends on WHY he has many students. If he happens to be a great Instructor with a known reputation, more power to him. Obviously, people have recommended him to their friends and families.

However, if he has many students because his primary motivation is making money, I have a problem with that. It is perfectly alright to make money from martial arts, but that's not why you should teach. I truly believe that Instructors who teach merely to make money cheapen the martial arts. That's where a lot of the McDojangs come from-Instructors whose primary goal is making money.

That's also one of the reasons why I couldn't teach full time. I just don't want to have to spend my time constantly trying to get students in the door to keep the cash flow coming.