What annoys you most about some MA Schools?

[Nidan Melbourne]

As the header says what annoys you personally the most when it comes to the type of people in your dojo that they don't do what their meant to. Or even schools that you have seen but don't train at?

And on the other hand what do you love most about your school or other schools that you have seen?

[chiliphil1]

Personally I find that I am annoyed by schools that advance students quickly and have lax standards for people of higher grades.

I have seen many times that someone will be a high rank but have zero knowledge of what they are doing, almost like they are just reciting a dance.

I also have a pet peeve about belts being tied properly, I know all schools are not the same but in my school we used standard double wrap belts and you were always supposed to have it tied so that it looks like a single wrap, then the knot should be even with the strands coming out horizontally and hanging evenly. I have seen so many people, kids and adults whose belts are overlapped in an x pattern, belt ends 90* vertically, stuff like that. It's just my pet peeve though.

[Harkon72]

I hate and love many aspects of a few schools in my area, but I'll pick one of each;

I asked a junior Dan grade of a local school "What style of karate do you practice?" His answer blew me away; "Karate! What do you mean style of karate?" I have no words.

There is a Shotokan club local to us, their reputation is for hard, fair and authentic karate. They don't need to advertise their club.

[Spartacus Maximus]

At present I have nothing to complain about for my dojo. Compared to most dojo our numbers are few. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed with equal time for group and individual practise. Everyone trains seriously and each session is slightly different in content and focus. Students are encouraged and welcome to ask about any details in kata or techniques at almost anytime.

In previously attended dojo the most annoying and disruptive people were often those who would be watching. Nothing is worse than guests who cannot or will not follow basic rules. As for students, the worst annoyance were the following types in no specific order:

1. Students who spend dojo time socializing

2. Students who expect results for efforts they did not make

3. Students who ask or insist to be graded

4. Students who show up but make no effort to train

5. Students who do nothing until the instructor is looking and stop trying when he is elsewhere.

6. Students who see grade or rank as an excuse for inappropriate actions or unfair treatment.

[bushido_man96]

My main complaint for my school is that we are very tied to curriculum. Basic, forms, one-steps. This is well and good, but being tied to the curriculum for the sake of putting off other things, like extra work in sparring, extra self-defense work, time to work the bags, and things like that.

Another issue that I wish would change, but is more just a function of the area I live in, is that we don't have a lot of active adult students. When I first started, it seemed like we had more, but as the years have gone by, its tapered off.

The other schools around I don't have much of an issue with. There is one of them that I wonder a bit about the instructor, because he teaches what he calls a blend of TKD, Hapkido, and BJJ, but I'm curious as to what his ranks in each are, and where they came from.

Another is a BJJ club ran through our local university. I don't believe any of the students that teach have any kind of rank in BJJ, but they use some online sources to help them train, and a few of them have been to some competitions and had some success. But, I don't know enough about their ranks, either, to know if any have gained anything yet. But, they are trying to do some good work, and I just need to check up with them to see where they are at.

[Kanku65]

This one time, sensei had us doing basics. He had us execute geidan barrai, and then stay in position while he explained a lot of stuff to us. During this time we were expected to push ourselves and remain in stance. I glanced over and noticed that one of our blue belts of about 13 years of age was standing up almost entirely out of stance, and biting his nails and spitting the debris on the training floor. It was a huge class and sensei was off fixing white belt stances, there was no way he could have noticed.

This is by far the most disrespectful action I've ever witnessed during training. I imagined myself side-thrust kicking him through the wall nearest to him.

Disrespectful actions by those who know better make me shudder. If it had been a junior belt or a younger child, I probably would have spoken up and said "Hey. Focus." But disrespect from this one is no news and sensei is already aware of his behaviour before and during class. so I allowed the student to cheat himself.

I also dislike the way other schools advertise. We came to class one day and had several posters from another dojo posted on our club door... We train inside of a church, so we understand that it was probably somebody who is a church member that may have had no idea that we train there. Sensei left the posters up, but stuck up a poster with our dojo information and pricing on beside it the next class.

Advertisements for example... "KARATE for kids. A great place for FUN!" irritate me. This gives me no information, it looks to me like a daycare. For those who don't know better, it could be a shiny hook.

And those who do not warm up, stretch, practice basics, kata, or kumite before class. I feel like they are cheating themselves if they make it to class early and do not make an effort to warm up prior to training. With the exception of those who are reading or cramming homework before class begins. That I understand.

[Melau]

- Showing disrespect to fellow students.

Punching / kicking a fellow student in a way he / she cannot handle, just to prove how strong you are for example. Inducing fear. Calling names. Disrespecting people that are less skilled / weaker.

- Showing clear lack of motivation.

If you do not want to train, do not come to the dojo.

- Showing disrespect to students that do know what they are doing.

Most advanced students know what they are doing, and how to train with a lower grade in a way that is benificial for the lower grade. This is not a free card to go ballistic on the higher grade. Just because he does not hand your butt to you, does not mean he is not able to.

- Shodan or higher grades that are clearly ignorant / unskilled.

Obtaining your black belt is just a first step in a long journey. But it should at least indicate that you know the basics of the physical, mental en etiquette part of your (budo)sport. Often this is not the case.

Most of the time these points are of no problem. I train with skilled / fun / respectful individuals that are motivated when they stand on the tatami!

[Lupin1]

Annoyances:

-- Putting down other schools, especially in front of children. When I was in 2nd grade, I still remember being very upset when I excitedly told my friend who went to one of the big, expensive local schools that I had started karate at the Boys and Girls Club, only to be shot down with "that's not REAL karate". Likewise, my instructor is constantly putting down the commercial schools in the area saying THEY'RE not "real karate". I know it's a competitive market and there's always been school rivalries, but I don't think those things need to be addressed with the kids beyond "they do things a little differently than we do".

-- Pressure tactics with potential students. Not all schools do this, but it has me almost afraid to visit other local dojos. I want to be able to go in, see what you're all about, and see if I'd benefit from training there without getting the high-pressure sales pitch in the back office after. Likewise, I'd like to be able to get some basic information about the program without getting permanently put on your mailing and call list.

-- Using nothing but stock photos on websites. I go to your website to learn more about YOUR school. I want to see what your training space looks like, hear about your values, and see your schedule. Possibly even get a glimpse into a class or tournament (though I understand why some schools don't like posting pictures of their students). When I go to an expensive-looking website and see nothing but stock photos, and catch phrases, it feels a bit dishonest to me. Sort of like how I wouldn't trust a sales posting online that has the stock picture of the product new rather than a picture of what I'm actually getting.

Things I like--

-- How places around here seem involved in the community. I know some of it is to get free advertising, but I still like seeing a bunch of kids in karate uniforms running around giving demonstrations at our town's yearly festival or in our parades and I like how the places will sponsor events and volunteer for community initiatives. It's positive exposure for the martial arts.

-- Setting standards for kids (and adults) and making them work for them. We don't have any terrible McDojos around here (that I know of), and every school has at least some standards they make their students meet before they advance. It's a good lesson in a world where the general attitude seems to be shifting towards everything being given away for nothing and everyone expecting something for nothing. It teaches people to work hard to meet goals.

[chiliphil1]

-- Using nothing but stock photos on websites. I go to your website to learn more about YOUR school. I want to see what your training space looks like, hear about your values, and see your schedule. Possibly even get a glimpse into a class or tournament (though I understand why some schools don't like posting pictures of their students). When I go to an expensive-looking website and see nothing but stock photos, and catch phrases, it feels a bit dishonest to me. Sort of like how I wouldn't trust a sales posting online that has the stock picture of the product new rather than a picture of what I'm actually getting.

This times a bazillion.. I hate trying to look at a dojo website and all I see is how much weight I will loose by doing "karate" or how much better my kids grades will be! I already know all of that, I just want to know about your style, I want to know if you have a nice dojo with equipment or if you're in a boom closet somewhere. Both of the local schools to me do this, the websites look like a gold's gym commercial. I also put karate in quotations above because it seems 90% of the schools within my area are TKD, only 2 are actually karate.

[mal103]

I echo a lot of the above. Add these experiences...

A certain type of Dojo that I went to see had "watered" it down they said, some had sweatshirts over their Gi's and a couple had black belts on but were no faster or better skilled than the average 5th Kyu.

Another Dojo where I trained used to make you sit and watch too often, I paid to do Karate and learn, not watch!

The normal standards moans, wanting to grade, no effort, moaning they feel tired....

As I don't make a lot of money then my satisfaction is in seeing good students learn and progress, I get a real buzz when they come in and practice Kata before lesson and have corrected what I helped them with last time.

Also when they put in full effort and train regularly. Not everyone is like this though...

It's great when you get a lot of students in and they are all enthusiastic - a teachers dream!