Everybody Knows Your Name

[sensei8]

Rank has it's privileges. In your dojo, this goes beyond the obi wrapped around your students waists.

You experience this every day in your personal and professional life. If you've eaten at the same restaurant for years, the staff will recognize you as a repeat customer and will give you better service. If you bought your car/truck at the local dealership, they will often be more accommodating when you bring it in for service or repairs then if you bought it a a competitor's location.

If you travel frequently and you use loyalty programs at hotels, rental car facilities and airlines. When you reach the SuperTraveler status you'll be offered first class upgrades and a special phone line for customer service.

It pays to be loyal to any business to show your support and obtain a higher status as a customer. Your dojo is no exception.

The longer your students have been at your dojo, the more valuable they become. Longevity in your dojo should be greatly respected and greatly rewarded.

First of all, you students should be more appreciated as a long time students because they understand the nuts and bolts of your dojo. They can be quite helpful to new students' first time on the floor. They'll know where to line up before class; they;ll know the system quite well.

Secondly, these loyal students have proven themselves over the many years. They work through every aching pain, trail and tribulation that a student goes through willingly day after day, and class after class. These students understand that things happen, and in that, they champion through every negative situation.

Thirdly, these loyal students have spent a lot of money in your dojo. It goes far more than financials, it's about the time and resources they've spent on your floor.

These loyal students don't want to leave you. Regardless of the length of time they've spent in your dojo, they are already an asset to you and your dojo. You should want to ensure them that they and your dojo both benefit from the partnership.

That's why rank is important. If you've proven to them that your dojo is going to stay and work through the good times as well as the difficult times, they will reward you by remaining at your dojo, and in that, you should develop a commitment to your loyal students by rewarding them some special way.

Maybe the privilege in the form of better equipment. A better locker for them. A place up front for them to park their car/truck for the month or forever. If you charge testing fees, maybe you can lower their testing fees or eliminate them altogether. Even, lowering their monthly tuition would mean everything to that loyal student. Just do something and make it mean something that is special because your student is special to you and your dojo.

The MA industry is similar to the military when it comes to rewarding their service by recognizing a higher level of privilege to those who have reached a higher rank.

Remember, longevity, experience and loyalty will provide your dojo with a higher status with your students, and vice-versa.

Rank does have its privileges, especially where everybody knows your name.

[ps1]

I agree. I have a young lady who helps me with my kid's class. It's not a big class, I just like to always have a back up to teach if something goes wrong and I can't be there. She's been training with me for over a year now. So the other day I ordered her a new gi (I know she needed one but is in college and doesn't have the money). It's expensive for her and a write off for me. So I got it for her. She was super appreciative!

[yamesu]

Very, very well said!

OSU

[Kevin Wilson]

Couldn't agree more

[Kodakmint]

Well written, and I have noticed it in my dojo.

[DWx]

Great post sensei8

Should look after your loyal students.

On the flip-side those same students also have a duty to set a good example as everyone will look to them for cues since they're the ones who have the most experience.

[Ueshirokarate]

Thought provoking. Thanks for posting this.

[shadowspawn]

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name dananananana

LOL just had to do it In any case, in our dojo (or rather our specific dojo since I don't think our sister schools practice the same), rank is a direct reflection of longevity and loyalty. The more times you come, the higher your rank will be. Simple as that. Our dojo's head sensei promotes based on whether he can remember your name and face. He uses his somewhat lacking memory to his advantage LOL I personally don't practice the same, or at least not to a T. Longevity is a big part, but getting the basics down is of vital importance to me and if they get their basics down quickly, it just shows that they're going the extra mile to work on their technique at home which, in a sense, also reflects loyalty and longevity in itself.