Sensei is turning sloppy

[cici118]

I'm one of the first students of my sensei, he is young(29) and when he came to my town to work in a gym the gym opened a karate class for kids(less than 10) and one for adults. With time the adults one extinguished because there weren't enough people because of the timetable but the kids continued. I've been practised karate for almost 6 years and I'm a brown belt(17 years old). In the beginning my sensei was very strict both in training and behaviour. We need to have our belts well tied with both ends with the same length and if someone played during class he would make them sit in a corner watching the class. I always finished class very tired and with my gi wet, it was amazing! 2 years ago he decided to work in another field and now we train in a gym room that he rents. His training quality is decreasing in a drastic way. Now he have more than 15 students in the class and I'm the eldest. Most of the kids are like 5,6 or 7 but the are older ones but not much. Now, when I leave the class I feel like I've done nothing. Most of the time the sensei is telling the kids to shut up or to concentrate but the kids don't care and he doesn't punish them. He usually arrives 15 minutes late(once 20) and our classes are 1h(he is his own boss so no one calls his attention). we usually do the warm-up, 2 kihon techniques and a bit of combat and that's it! Although the kids do nothing before the class ends sensei says that they worked well so we play a game! I'm feeling like I'm in a macDojo! The kids don't know the katas, the are two green/blue belts that don't know how to do the 5 Heian but he already taught them tekki shodan for the last grading and now they will be learning bassai dai! What is that?

I need help to decide what to do. There aren't any more karate clubs in my town but on september I'm going to university so I'm moving to a bigger town. My mom says that I should quit because I'm not learning anything but I don't know because I want to continue but not like this! I'm afraid that if I quit now and wait till september to join another club they won't recognize my belt because I'm not training with a sensei. If I quit I would go to a gym or try jiujitsu but I won't stop karate.

Another thing, in the beginning my sensei usually went to another town to train but now he doesn't. I've been wearing the brown belt for two years and he never speaks with me about the shodan exam(when it is, where it is or even what is needed). I think I will never do the shodan exam with him.

Can you help me please? And sorry for the long post

[Wastelander]

Well, cici118, you are certainly in a tough situation. You are at an age and experience level where you should not be in a class for children. You have outgrown them, and it sounds like your Sensei may have reached a point where he is burnt out. If you want to keep training with him, I would say you will need to ask him for private lessons instead of attending the regular classes.

If you decide to quit, and just keep practicing your karate at home until you move somewhere that has a dojo you can join, that can work for you. At brown belt, you should really be starting to train more on your own, anyway. As far as your rank goes, and what will happen to it if you stop training with your Sensei or go to a new dojo, try not to worry about it. In all likelihood, a dojo that does the same style and is in the same organization as your instructor will probably recognize your rank, regardless. Any other dojo will probably have you start at white belt, though, and that's perfectly fine! If you focus on the training and the learning, the rank will come with time.

[JohnASE]

I pretty much agree with what Wastelander says, including it sounding like your sensei is burnt out. Maybe he's just not into it anymore. Going to another town to train when you're teaching your own classes and have another job is tough. I'm not surprised your sensei doesn't want to do it.

Time shortages aren't just for senseis. I've heard of some shodan who spend much of their time teaching junior students and having little class time devoted to their learning. Is that happening in your case, too?

If I were you, I'd talk to your sensei about your training. Be straight with him, but you don't have to tell him everything. Tell him you're planning on going away to school, and you want to learn as much from him as you can before leaving. That might be a nice way to let him know that you don't feel like you're advancing quickly enough. If you're uncomfortable asking about the exam, maybe you shouldn't.

Good luck!

[Mark B]

An awkward scenario.

1:1 might be the way to go if you feel that your instructor can take you to the level you wish to achieve. However , maybe your instructor feels unable to take you to the level, both in rank and competence that you desire.

What's his rank and level of competence?

It needs to be said that at brown belt you are gaining competence , but practicing by yourself should be done with eyes open. At brown belt (and Shodan certainly ) much is still unknown or still to learn. These are the subtleties , the nuances if you like that make karate what it is. "Doing" Naihanchi Shodan is not understanding, that comes later. Is your instructor working to that level , if not you might get your belt through 1:1 but that's simply a piece of material.

Maybe as you train you might want to pay close attention to "what" is being taught , and whether it ticks the boxes for you.

If you do decide to change instructor in future I wish you well , as you seem to have a strong desire to practice your karate and that's a commendable attitude

All the best

[cici118]

If you want to keep training with him, I would say you will need to ask him for private lessons instead of attending the regular classes.

The problem is that he works too much and that's one of the reasons he is always late. He always has appointments with people till the hour to start the lesson but since people not always arrives on time and some problems take longer to resolve he always arrives late(he practises an alternative medicine).

At brown belt, you should really be starting to train more on your own, anyway. As far as your rank goes, and what will happen to it if you stop training with your Sensei or go to a new dojo, try not to worry about it. In all likelihood, a dojo that does the same style and is in the same organization as your instructor will probably recognize your rank, regardless. Any other dojo will probably have you start at white belt, though, and that's perfectly fine! If you focus on the training and the learning, the rank will come with time.

I usually train by myself at home speacialy when I'm on holidays or not during tests season.

I'm pretty sure that we are not filliated to an organization, when we started practising in the rented gym room he was always saying that he would filliate to one and that he was going to ask his sensei(when he started to say that he wasn't trainning anymore). Very dark situation I know.

Time shortages aren't just for senseis. I've heard of some shodan who spend much of their time teaching junior students and having little class time devoted to their learning. Is that happening in your case, too?

First he works a lot but I think that if he really liked karate and took it seriously he would find the time to go practise right? And let's not forget that in his job, apart from the karate classes, he is his own boss.

What's his rank and level of competence?

He is a nidan by RFEK but he was going to do the exam for sandan a long time ago but then he stopped trainning.

[Wastelander]

It does certainly sound like your Sensei's job simply doesn't leave him with enough time to really teach, which leaves him too stressed out and rushed when he does teach. If you aren't learning anything and improving, then there isn't much sense in you continuing to go to classes. If your Sensei doesn't have the time or knowledge to train you privately, then it doesn't make sense to keep training with him. Practice at home as much as you can, research as much as you can, try to find other martial artists to meet up with and learn from. When you move for school, find a good dojo and get started with them.

With your instructor being a nidan, he probably can't promote you to shodan--usually, you can only promote people up to 2 or 3 ranks below your own. That may be why he's never brought it up. Since you aren't affiliated with an organization, your rank probably won't be recognized anywhere else, so you'll probably have to start at white belt. Try to see that as an opportunity, rather than a setback.

[DWx]

If you're going to university in September I personally wouldn't be too worried. I would agree it sounds like your sensei's job is impacting on how well he can teach and it may be that he is not able to grade you to shodan or send you to someone who can. It may mean you will never get to shodan under him so I think you need to make a decision to either see it out until September and keep training under him to maintain your skills or to part ways for the time being and just practice at home.

If it were me, I wouldn't be in a rush to find a new dojo as you won't be there for long; the great thing about university is that it is a great place to pick up new skills and hobbies. Most likely there will be numerous martial arts schools you can join to further broaden your skills as a martial artist. You may even luck out and find a Shotokan club to train with.

So is there anything keeping you at his school?

If you do decide to just train at home, if you need any support or want to discuss technique and training, there are quite a few Shotokan karateka on this forum who I'm sure would be able to advise.

That said, have you raised these issues with your sensei directly? He may not be fully aware of how things have changed or how you feel. If you don't tell him he might not know there is a problem.

Could always offer to help out too. I very much doubt you will be compensated for it but if you have an interest in teaching you could offer to conduct warm up and basics on the days he is late? It's a delicate situation though as he may take advantage so you would need to make sure it's not a regular thing.

[sensei8]

Wastelander has surely given you some great advice.

You've got a very important decision to make, one that will question yourself over and over. You're either going to stick it out with your current Sensei, or you're going to find another dojo.

If it was me, I'd sit down with him and have a heart to heart talk; either he'll be accountable to ALL of his students or he won't. But I believe you deserve an answer, and not excuses.

Good luck!!

[cici118]

If it were me, I wouldn't be in a rush to find a new dojo as you won't be there for long; the great thing about university is that it is a great place to pick up new skills and hobbies. Most likely there will be numerous martial arts schools you can join to further broaden your skills as a martial artist. You may even luck out and find a Shotokan club to train with.

So is there anything keeping you at his school?

Here in my town it's the only karate club. Then there is a jiujitsu club and that's it.

[Nidan Melbourne]

That is a difficult choice. Maybe have a word with him in regards to the black belt exam and to find out why he is turning up late. Because you and the students have the right to know.

It is weird that he rocks up late. Because students (in this case Parents) pay good money to learn something.

Maybe just be patient till you go to university, as there will most likely be multiple dojos that you can go to. Then you will be able to work hard again and grade to shodan then. If you quit before you go and then sign up at a new dojo if it is the same style of karate they will most likely accept your grade anyway, but they may just grade to see where you are at and adjust you to their grading system. As we have done that a lot at my dojo when we have people who come from other dojos we will test them at our next grading just to make sure that they know the syllabus.

But we do have students that have moved over at say brown belt, and they have done the same style. Yet they may have not done all the kata or bunkai or whatever they are missing that we require for our students of the same rank to be promoted, so we keep them at that rank until they catch up.