eeek!!! is my school a mcdojo???

[bushido_man96]

Quote from aefibird: Many students doesn't automatically equal bad school. People are happy to pay high prices to join a gym or have tennis lessons or pay to see a sports match but often feel that an instructor which charges for lessons is a "rip off" and a McDojo". People will happily pay £70, £80, £90 or more a month to be a member of a gym or a health club but moan at paying half that price for karate lessons, even if the instructor is Funakoshi himself!!

You are right on here. Very well said.

[Scott James]

If you have to ask that question that's a sign right there.

Go look at other schools and compare the skills of the advanced belts.

Unfortunately, you could live in a McDojo only market. Then it's a matter of picking the best McDojo.

[DragonMike]

It sounds like you are asfe. Its really up to you to decide. If you think that your training is good, and you are being charged a fair price-then it is not a McDojo.

[patusai]

McDojo is a new term to me that I learned while here at KF. There are schools that "give" belts away all the way to BB and perhaps beyond (remembering that Shodan or whatever the term is in TKD...I'n not sure) and then there are schools that require, fopr all practical purposes, a lifetime to reach Shodan. I would think that a good school is somewhere in the middle of all of this. Other things to ask youself:

is the training difficult but achievable, has anyone not been given a promotion after a test for performance reasons.

Perhaps bring a friend or two who takes MA elsewhere and have them help compare their training to your school's training.

You should train, train hard and get results relative to your goals (not belt related goals).

[dortiz]

I have just become totally frustrated with my Mcdojo. I have trained on and off for years (15). Due to moving I can never get threw a style or BB. I have had and re earned my Bo Black belt for the last 10 of those 15.

I joined what seemed like a good school at first. The teacher suggested it may be better to start over and relearn the sytem so I agreed. Then I realized they test every 2 months. As I looked closer I saw a lot of passing but no skill being accomplished. During the test he has you do random kicks up and back. At this point I did some jump kicks, spin kicks and cool combinations, all BBelt level. Everyone commented, especially since I am an old guy at 41. Well, I earned my white belt. Next test same thing. We were also required to do basic forms Ki Bon 1-3 (white,yellow and orange.) At this point I had re learned the first 5 forms from my old book. Passed and got yellow. At orange I was so bored it hurt. At this point some of the Black Belts would ask me about side kicks or spin kicks. Everyone knew I was not a low belt.

I finnaly realized he just wants my $50 a belt every 2 months.

[bushido_man96]

I have just become totally frustrated with my Mcdojo. I have trained on and off for years (15). Due to moving I can never get threw a style or BB. I have had and re earned my Bo Black belt for the last 10 of those 15.

I joined what seemed like a good school at first. The teacher suggested it may be better to start over and relearn the sytem so I agreed. Then I realized they test every 2 months. As I looked closer I saw a lot of passing but no skill being accomplished. During the test he has you do random kicks up and back. At this point I did some jump kicks, spin kicks and cool combinations, all BBelt level. Everyone commented, especially since I am an old guy at 41. Well, I earned my white belt. Next test same thing. We were also required to do basic forms Ki Bon 1-3 (white,yellow and orange.) At this point I had re learned the first 5 forms from my old book. Passed and got yellow. At orange I was so bored it hurt. At this point some of the Black Belts would ask me about side kicks or spin kicks. Everyone knew I was not a low belt.

I finnaly realized he just wants my $50 a belt every 2 months.

It sounds like you have a legitimate beef there. I had to start over at the new school I was attending, but I skipped a few ranks here and there. If I were you, I would maybe find another school. Especially when high ranks start asking questions about technique, that should raise some flags.

[dortiz]

Sure enough, I went and found a school I trained at 6 years ago. I left due to work and when I came back they were gone. Since I was unhappy I looked around and here was a new school (turned out old school relocated).

Teacher has me do some stuff and then said lets move on. No charge for being evaluated as my Bo Black. He of course will now kick my a#$ to BB.

The funny thing is I met a Bbelt who said she too was at the old school. When she came here she was blue belt but voluntarily went back to yellow after realizing what real training was.

Mcdojos bad.