Does Size Matter?

[rabid hamster]

Does the size of the dojo and the materials in it matter? A dojo I'm planning on going to is smaller then the size of a school classroom, and doesn't have many things to train with. There's a lot of mirrors, and there about a few kicking things... whatever you call em. But that's really it. Does this matter?

 

 

[spinninggumby]

What matters most is the quality of the instructor. Actually, it's funny that you mention it because I always feel that the more run-down a school, the less chance it is of being a commercialized McDojo type place. A lot of the best boxers trained underground in dim lighting, punching and blasting away at a worn-out heavy bag. These are not high-tech facilities we are talking about here LOL.

 

Then again, that doesn't mean that you should go around looking for schools that would make the middle ages seem sanitary. There is something to be said for a clean looking training area and a professional staff.

 

Just two ways to look at the situation. Once again, the instructor is who you should focus on. Try to make an intelligent decision based upon his/her credibility as a teacher. Would you enjoy learning from this person, does he/she seem like a guy/gal who could or would really motivate you, do they seem down-to-earth or seem to have a way with identifying with beginners or other students/learners, do they seem like they are serious practitioners and refiners of their craft, and also, of course, whether or not their craft best suits your primary purposes for taking a martial art. :smile:

 

 

[Bon]

My last dojo was small and had very few students, me being the only committed one.

 

I felt I learnt a lot quicker with less people and more one-on-one attention than I would have in a big dojo with lots of people.

 

Saying that, I had my own source of motivation. It's good to have people a higher rank than you so you don't lose motivation and you have someone better to train with/against so you get better. I did leave my last dojo because there was no one better than me, and I wasn't getting as much out of training compared to when there were people better than me.

 

 

[rabid hamster]

Oh, okay, so size doesn't nesscarily matter. Thanks for replying everyone.

 

 

[YODA]

Yes - size matters. Smaller is better

 

 

[Joecooke007]

Smaller is not always better yoda. I train in a o.k. never mind. I train in a small dojo. Smaller is better.

 

 

[YODA]

Hey Joe

 

I didn't say smaller is always better.

 

I said smaller is better.

 

Do you see the difference? It has to do with the word "IS" as opposed to "IS ALWAYS". One speaks of present fact, the other speaks of assumptions about the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[three60roundhouse]

My dojang is pretty large - there is one large room and one smaller room. I like training in the big room with a large class as opposed to being in a smaller environment. This is probably becasue I like haveing the energy of a large class. I think size definitely can affect how one trains, and I seem to be straying from everyone else's thoughts.

[Phantasmatic]

The number of people in the dojo matters because if there are many people in the school then the relationship between you and the instructor will not become strong.

 

 

[three60roundhouse]

On 2002-03-03 11:12, Phantasmatic wrote:

 

The number of people in the dojo matters because if there are many people in the school then the relationship between you and the instructor will not become strong.

 

I totally disagree. I have very strong relationships with many of the instructors at my dojang. If you are respectful and give 110%, any instructor will enjoy having you in their class, whether it has 5 students or 50.