What annoys you most about some MA Schools?

[sensei8]

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.

Solid post, and I, too wholeheartedly concur with your list, and then some!! The longer a student has been on the floor, the less tolerable I am with that student/practitioner with anything and everything that happens on the floor!!

Expectations; all MAists should be held accountable!!

I've shakened my head in disapproval and disbelief more than I care to remember; some of this is within the Shindokan circle, and some of it from outside of same said circle!! People make mistakes, but when they don't make an effort across the board to improve and take responsibility of thier MA expectations, especially their own MA betterment, I'm even less tolerable!!

Imho!!

[ps1]

People who don't want to commit to training annoy me.

They show up, go through the motions, and never really take on the responsibility of getting good at the art.

[Archimoto]

Schools that position themselves to milk the $$$ out of their students annoy me the most. I appreciate that every school must make money but the pushy ones I find most aggravating.

Other than that, arrogance annoys me the most. There are some schools that foster a culture of arrogance which I feel is out of place in the martial arts. All to often, even with some replies to this thread, I find martial artists complaining about each other, either not training enough, not having enough respect, whatever. In my opinion it's best to focus on your art, your classmates, and your personal betterment. Everyone else is simply everyone else and that's ok. Each martial artist will follow a unique and equally significant path. Martial arts is in fact about building something (or others) up instead of breaking it (or others) down.

[cheesefrysamurai]

Any school that promises anything!!!!!!

It should all be up to the student, amount of dedication, hard work, effort and practice.

Any place that promises rank or progress based on anything besides those things gets my goat.

[Wado Ryu Karate Student]

My class is held on a Monday and Wednesday evening. The main class adults/children is on a Monday night. My only moan is when some of the kids mess around and be disrespectful. For example one child yellow belt was meant to stand in fighting stance while the sensei helped out another student. Instead the yellow belt came out of fighting stance and began inching his way to the front row. Of course he was told off but then the focus was directed at him. The class lasts for an hour and I've paid to learn karate not wait for a disrespectful student to be told off.

[Lupin1]

My class is held on a Monday and Wednesday evening. The main class adults/children is on a Monday night. My only moan is when some of the kids mess around and be disrespectful. For example one child yellow belt was meant to stand in fighting stance while the sensei helped out another student. Instead the yellow belt came out of fighting stance and began inching his way to the front row. Of course he was told off but then the focus was directed at him. The class lasts for an hour and I've paid to learn karate not wait for a disrespectful student to be told off.

If you're near him and see him doing that-- feel free to just be like "hey!" quietly enough for him to hear you but not so loud as to disrupt the class and hopefully he'll take the hint and get back in position before the instructor has to stop class to speak to him. Regardless of ranks, you're still an adult and can help keep your younger classmates focused when needed to prevent the class from needing to get interrupted. Should you have to do that? No. But such is life and it'll end up saving instruction time in the end.

[sensei8]

My class is held on a Monday and Wednesday evening. The main class adults/children is on a Monday night. My only moan is when some of the kids mess around and be disrespectful. For example one child yellow belt was meant to stand in fighting stance while the sensei helped out another student. Instead the yellow belt came out of fighting stance and began inching his way to the front row. Of course he was told off but then the focus was directed at him. The class lasts for an hour and I've paid to learn karate not wait for a disrespectful student to be told off.

If you're near him and see him doing that-- feel free to just be like "hey!" quietly enough for him to hear you but not so loud as to disrupt the class and hopefully he'll take the hint and get back in position before the instructor has to stop class to speak to him. Regardless of ranks, you're still an adult and can help keep your younger classmates focused when needed to prevent the class from needing to get interrupted. Should you have to do that? No. But such is life and it'll end up saving instruction time in the end.

That's where having a Sempai/Assistant Instructor or two in each class is helpful. And yes, if the school you're training in doesn't utilize the Sempai/Assistant teaching module, then by all means, say something to that student immediately without disrupting class.

[moriniuk]

Dislikes:

Anywhere called xxxx's Black Belt Academy

Anywhere that has classes for lil' dragons. ninjas or tigers. Or anything else preceded by lil'.

Anywhere that has a 'program' that has to be 'signed up' for.

Anywhere you have to pay more than a few £/$ for a grading.

Anywhere they wear more than one patch on their gi. (maybe 2)

Anywhere that tells you not to wash your belt.

Stupid kiai's (eesaaaaaaaaaaah)

Screaming out the name of the kata so that nobody can actually understand it.

Extremely dramatic walk outs onto the mat for kata competition.

Team kata displays.

[Harkon72]

Oh wow! A person after my own heart. Do you know what's worse than Pseudo Japanese clubs who chant and do stuff they know nothing about? The American model martial arts clubs in the UK. They are hilarious! Great for a laugh! Aggressive Creed screaming. Whoops and High Fives. Bowing to some guy in a historical picture of some lucrative Hall of Fame. The lessons for life, the silk pants, the wooden wing chun dummy that no-one knows what to do with. The calls form the heavies if your payments are late. Do you want fries with that?

[Nidan Melbourne]

Dislikes:

Anywhere called xxxx's Black Belt Academy

Anywhere that has classes for lil' dragons. ninjas or tigers. Or anything else preceded by lil'.

Anywhere that has a 'program' that has to be 'signed up' for.

Anywhere you have to pay more than a few £/$ for a grading.

Anywhere they wear more than one patch on their gi. (maybe 2)

Anywhere that tells you not to wash your belt.

Stupid kiai's (eesaaaaaaaaaaah)

Screaming out the name of the kata so that nobody can actually understand it.

Extremely dramatic walk outs onto the mat for kata competition.

Team kata displays.

I don't mind it so much when schools call their classes "dragons" or whatever but they don't need to put the term "lil" or anything before it.

Our Gradings are a part of our fees that we charge. But don't cost anything extra.

In terms of the patches my school has 1 patch (our Club patch), but we also allow patches that are worn by either the State or National Squads. But at my old Dojo we were given a patch that was a sign of the long term membership "Black Belt Club" which i thought was weird.

In terms of not washing your belt most brands tell you not to wash it because it can damage the belt itself. Unless the manufacturer has states that it can be washing. But Majority of people won't wash their belt, instead of letting it air dry because of what it symbolizes to them.

I have had my black belt since 2008 and have not washed it once.

I do hate seeing it when people scream out a kata that you can't understand it. It should be understandable whilst loud.

I hate seeing the dramatic walk out of competitions. Can't they be nice and simple?

I don't mind the team kata displays, but there are some bad ones