Whats the Point

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Not everyone is into the martial arts to become hardened fighters, or disciples of an ancient method of warrior training. A lot are there for the social aspects and the fitness benefits. Because they have fun. And it's not the same fun had by those of us who don't mind the bruising and the battering our bodies take.

Yes, it is quite obvious that the MAs IS a business. You will have those students who don't care and those who do care. It is important to teach those who do care properly. The rest of them get whatever they want, minimum requirements minimum effort, just as long as they follow the rules and pay the rent it doesn't matter. It's the serious ones that should be taught correctly and properly.

I've trained without AC on the second floor of a metal roofed building in the head of August and in a small one floor with almost no heat in the dead of winter. I've trained in the middle of summer with the HEAT on before. I've trained outdoors in the heat and cold too. I am not the average student. Heck, I don't think I'm even the average dedicated student. Just because I've done those things doesn't mean I think others should have to do them to be "real" karateka. Both sets of training conditions can lead to health issues and be detrimental to training.

Yea sure, health conditions. I've never seen anybody drop myself, but i've come through the ranks with some very hardened individuals, but if you are doing all that are you not doing this because you are willing to become the best karateka? Each person knows their limits. Each person knows what he/she is getting into, especially now-a-days you choose to go old school on your own, there's an option today...train hard or train harder.

Have them sign all the waviers you want. Waviers only really keep those who don't want to sue you from thinking it's easy. A decient lawyer can walk through anything that wasn't professionally prepaired in short order. Those professionally prepaired, he'll just show how you were intentionally putting someone at a higher degree of risk.

If major school owner's don't have something "professionally prepared" then shame on them. If you create your waiver on your own, you are asking for it. Waivers are set in place for one reason...if done right, they work. Just like many other things in MAs...if not they would have been thrown out by now. Can some people make up crappy last minute waivers? absolutely. But if you know better you will take time and seek legal advice. Doing MAs IS a high degree is risk whether you incorporate old school or not, so good luck to that lawyer because he's missing a leg to stand on.Martial arts, is and always has been...a risk.

I'm not here to debate the sense of doing some things with old school methods, and I'm not here to pick waivers apart either, I could care less.

This is about what quality you want your true students to be, not the here today gone tomorrow students...your die hard, going to take over your school someday students. Do both methods work, yes but they get you different results. Starkly different? No, not hugely. Culture and tradition remain very important. It’s about one’s own willingness and what you want your students to be. Should you trade this to keep students? No. Should you alter things to here-today-gone-tomorrow students, disabled students, and fair weather students because after all…MAs are a business…yes.

It comes down to what you want to establish as an Instructor, the question of how it reflects on you and what you want your reflection to be is a different topic.

[unknownstyle]

yes in some ways i do mean not telling them the full explanation of a technique as old school. this doesnt mean i wont give them an explanation though. i leave alot of it to them to figure out. they must learn how to percieve the technique in a different manner than i explained to them. thats the only way they will truly advance to a higher level than i could dream of

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I said this on a previous post...

yesterday my instructor said to a yound black belt..."so when are YOU gonna teach ME something huh?" and the kid looked at him and laughed that nervous laugh people do when they really don't get something. every now and then students should come to their instructors with revalations, thigns they've realized on their own or else you're just memorizing material. If you want to memorize material and not just think for yourself study the dictionary your whole life.

[bushido_man96]

I feel that as an instructor, it is my job to teach what I can as thoroughly as I can. I don't want to see a student get hurt when it counts, in self-defense, because I chose to hold something back from them. Even if they aren't one of the die-hard, go-for-broke students. They still deserve the best product that I can give them. I give what I can, and they do what they choose with it, as far as how hard they work on it on their own.

As far as the old-school argument goes, it will go on forever. However, there are only some things that people are willing to do "old-school," and some things that they are not. Not many of us drive the old covered wagon any more. Not many of us write as many letters as we used to, with email available. I am not saying that old school is a thing of the past. What I am saying is that we don't have to wallow in how instructors did things 100 years ago in order to receive quality training.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

No need to wallow but one MUST remember.

[bushido_man96]

That's why we study history, I guess.

[Tiger1962]

why is it that so many now days are so worried about losing students that they decide to water down everything that they teach? being a true martial artists i want to pass my art onto people that want to learn it the way it was meant to be taught, people that believe in order to be a black belt it takes more than paying an instructor once a month.

as an instructor i would rather have 10 students that wanted to learn karate the way i have been taught. than have 1000 that just want to flash a rank at people.

I agree 100% with you and if I had my own school, I too would rather have the 10 dedicated students than 1000 that just want to flash their rank.

Unfortunately, renting space for a m.a. school is really expensive - I'm sure it is all over - and some instructors teach as a full time job, not a part time job, and need all the $$$ they can get to keep it running. I can understand that, but it does have its drawbacks. So they are kind of in a rough spot between recruiting as many students as they can and keeping the school going & staying true to their style. If you're independently wealthy and money is not an issue, then I guess it doesn't matter.