Hard decision, switching schools

[Iskrax]

Hey

I need your help, this decision is going to have a huge impact on my life.

I been training in karate for 4-5 years. I am brown belt and huge fan of this sport.

I am thinking about switching dojo. It sounds simple but it is not. Here is why

This year a lot of my friends, who are same age as me (I am 19), switched to other dojos. So today I do not have any good martial artists who are the same age as me. I mostly train with veterans, who are much older than me. I feel like I can't progress with older people. Any karateka will understand me When you train with older people it is not the same when training with your age partners. Elderly are not that flexible, fast and etc. so you can't really progress. Younger people in my dojo are not my level of karate (it sounds silly, but it is a fact.)

Another reason is what there is not much kumite work. In my opinion, we do not train kumite as much as we need to do. I love kumite and the fact that I can't put my mitts kills me!

Also I need more trainings.

On the other hand, the sensei is really good dude. He has 5 DAN and he is about 35. He is my first sensei and he sees a lot of potential in me.

I train in a traditional dojo. Twice a week.

If i go to another dojo, I will be training with WKF 3rd dan Sensei (woman). 3 times a week.

I really want to improve myself, meet other karatekas, but the fact that I will need to leave my sensei, who has put a lot of work into me.

Help me !

Thanks

[sensei8]

Am still at loss as to why you need/want to change dojo's, other than your alone in your age group. Are you there for yourself, in that you're in that dojo...with that Sensei [Godan]...in that style [shotokan] for your MA betterment?

I doubt that you're in that particular dojo for it to fulfill your needs, as only a social club can with back slaps and the like.

I do understand that you're seeking other students that are around your age, and that is important, but to me, it pales to improving ones MA betterment. That MA betterment training is provided to you by your Sensei [Godan], and not by your MA peers.

Sure, students your same age provide that needed support, however, students of all ages can also provide that needed support, even though there might be nothing in common outside of the dojo.

Stay or go; that will be your decision to make. The grass isn't always greener on the other side...it just might look that way, for the time being. Your Sensei [Godan] has invested quite a lot of time in you, as you've done so with him, and separations might seem quite inviting, but in the long run, going to another dojo might not be the thing to do. However, and then again, it might be just the thing to do.

Either way, you'll have my support across the board. I don't have to like the decision you make, if you do leave your current dojo or not, but I will support you wholeheartedly!! That's coming from someone who's 59 years old, yet still quite mobile and quite fast and quite powerful...still, and who's been in the MA for 52 years thus far.

I don't envy your decision, but you'll make it once you've weighed everything pro and con!!

[Nidan Melbourne]

I can understand your wanting to move dojos because you want to be training with people closer to your age, however the question is would moving dojos really be better?

If moving dojos means you get more sessions in and that is your motive then thats ok. But is it really worth it for one additional session?

In relation to a lack of kumite, have you considered speaking to your sensei about it? But just as a friendly reminder not every instructor will see the value of kumite in class as they may choose impart their knowledge and abilities to their students.

At the end of the day its your choice as a karateka and a consumer. I moved dojos several years ago because it was partially my instructor left but mainly because of incompatible personalities between myself and the chief instructor (and owner) of the school.

If it was me wanting more sessions i would go 1 of 2 routes; either make private bookings with sensei OR train at a second dojo if they trained on different days.

I train with several people who are older and are surprisingly fast and flexible. Also it depends on how long they have trained for and their approach to training.

[Iskrax]

I want to improve myself. I do not see dojo as a social club where I can talk to people. I do understand that there are many seniors who are fast, strong and have a lot of educations. Sadly, they are not in my dojo.

I forgot to say. I do not like my current style (Goju-Ryu). We often focus on KATA and self defense. I understand that it is really important part of karate but I want to train under WKF. I want to try another style, new dynamics and experience.

[lowereastside]

Sensei8 and Nidan Melbourne have said it best. My only imput would be are you there to learn or socialize. Look at the Teacher and the Seniors - their experience can be of great value. That being said do what makes you Happy. Good Luck.

[Wastelander]

Well, personally, I would say to stay with your current dojo and ALSO go train kumite at the other dojo, if that's what you want. Of course, you also seem to be taking the opposite approach to my own, when it comes to karate. If you are not happy with training in Goju-Ryu, and you are wanting to develop skills that are not developed in your current dojo, then you should switch to a school that fits your needs.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I want to improve myself. I do not see dojo as a social club where I can talk to people. I do understand that there are many seniors who are fast, strong and have a lot of educations. Sadly, they are not in my dojo.

I forgot to say. I do not like my current style (Goju-Ryu). We often focus on KATA and self defense. I understand that it is really important part of karate but I want to train under WKF. I want to try another style, new dynamics and experience.

I feel like if you said in your OP that you didnt feel like you were compatible with your current style then IMHO responses would be different. Also each individual school has a choice to be a part of international organisations like the WKF and your countries Represantive National Federation.

Also moving schools to try a different art is also a good reason to move, usually either to cross train OR in your decision to make the transition completely.

I strongly suggest if you want to move school that does kumite is to go to several schools and watch + speak to the CI about how they approach things and what their curriculum is like. Because if you move there is a strong possibility that they might not permit new students (even with prior experience) to undertake kumite, but then there are schools with different views on kumite and they start earlier.

[MatsuShinshii]

You address a few reasons you feel like you need to leave your current Dojo. However I can not tell you if they are good reasons or bad.

You point out that all of your friends have left to join another Dojo. This sounds to me like you want to join your friends. I can understand this but you also need to realize that friends go their separate ways. It sounds like your Sensei has spent a lot of time training you and it seems that you like your Sensei.

You state that you can not train or do not feel like you get the same training with your older peers. I take it that these older peers are lower grades? I can tell you that up until the age of 45 I could hang (Speed, power, mobility, flexibility) with anyone of my students. Age has slowed me but knowledge and skill take it's place. Ask your Sensei to practice Kumite with you. I'm sure you will find that this will challenge you more so than your peers.

Make sure you are leaving for the right reasons. Ask yourself if you will get better training in the long run and learn more from your current Sensei or if you will benefit from this other Sensei. Ask yourself if the allure of joining your friends out weighs your years with your current Sensei and his knowledge base, and your future in the art.

What if your friends decide to leave this new school and your in the same position again. My point is you have to do what is right for you, because in the end it's your journey and no one else can take that journey for you.

Good luck and give it some thought before you leap.

[Iskrax]

Thanks for replies.

You did not understand right. I would go to the dojo where I have zero friends, i would be meeting new people. I do not see dojo or martial arts as a social club.

Yes, the seniors at my dojo are lower grade(9-6 KYU), and some of them are not even worth this rank.

My reasons to leave current dojo

1) NEW experiences, dynamics (Shotokan WKF)

2) More trainings

3) training with my age people, who are better than me. I actually would improve myself.

My reasons to stay in current dojo

1) Very good sensei

[P.A.L]

if you like competing while you can , then you should move on to that direction. keep in mind that Shotokan has over 20 katas that you have to learn besides the Kumite that you are interested in. I think you should talk to your sensei and tell him you wanna compete in kumite and ask for his help. you don't have to change the style or dojo . go to local tournaments and try. you will learn a lot and you meet the younger and the stronger without going through 26 more katas.