Karate and lack of public interest...

[Fat Cobra]

I personally don't think there is a lack of interest, and in fact, I think we are seeing a rise in adults wanting to practice traditional martial arts for both their physical and mental benefits.

What I am seeing though, is more mainstream sports and BJJ/MMA schools putting time and effort into creating professional studios with consistent marketing.

This is something traditional schools aren't doing, and in today's age, being a 'good school, good style, good teacher' is simply not enough and it is something new students don't appreciate as they don't understand the value of it yet, either.

I agree 100%. I think there is a lot of interest in traditional martial arts. I live in a small town (< 30,000 people), though a large military base is nearby. We have 4 other traditional martial arts schools here, besides my own, plus a MMA gym and a Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu school...and the Army also has its own combatives program. However, there is still enough interest for these traditional schools to remain open (one has been here since the early 1970s!).

And I agree, marketing is key. I used to teach for free, then for a very reduced cost. However, now that I am setting up my own place, I have to invest in marketing otherwise nobody will know what we are doing. As many MMA gyms are set up like more modern workout facilities, I think they follow a better business model than many traditional dojos, plus they get a lot of free publicity from the UFC and other sports promotions...but so do we from things like Karate Combat and the recent Cobra Kai series, which I have seen first hand reinstill motivation for the traditional arts.

[sensei8]

The crux of it all is that the MA is a want and not a need, and in that, prospective students will join, or they won't no matter the amount of marketing and the like. Perhaps the masses have no interest in the MA for their own personal reasons.

People lose their interests, or they've never had any interest in a thing for one reason or another. Students come and students go and that's the way things are. I shrug my shoulders in such a way that I have accepted a long time ago that change is inevitable one way or another.

I speak as someone who once had a very successful dojo and MA supply store, of which, was closed due to health reasons, and the only marketing I ever did was word of mouth, a hung-up shingle, passing out flyers, and my integrity. Marketing is a very important tool to any business, this I sincerely believe in, each MA school has their own ideas of how they'll approach their marketing; to each their own.

[Luther unleashed]

The crux of it all is that the MA is a want and not a need, and in that, prospective students will join, or they won't no matter the amount of marketing and the like. Perhaps the masses have no interest in the MA for their own personal reasons.

People lose their interests, or they've never had any interest in a thing for one reason or another. Students come and students go and that's the way things are. I shrug my shoulders in such a way that I have accepted a long time ago that change is inevitable one way or another.

I speak as someone who once had a very successful dojo and MA supply store, of which, was closed due to health reasons, and the only marketing I ever did was word of mouth, a hung-up shingle, passing out flyers, and my integrity. Marketing is a very important tool to any business, this I sincerely believe in, each MA school has their own ideas of how they'll approach their marketing; to each their own.

Very good points. To build on the idea that people get bored. I think most of us understand that the greater portion of those that train will never make black belt let alone become a teacher. Most of us are true karate nerds (in the words of Jesse enkamp)! You are definitely correct. Also, for those that teach. You will hear many say that they are committed only to find gem missing one day. Again, most aren’t nerds like most of us lol.

I believe that the prize in teaching is in fact the few that will truly make you proud through commitment.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

It isn't any wonder that the average person will get bored and lose interest. Let’s not forget that in addition to this, the average person has a long list of obligations and responsibilities that, with good reason, are more important and take up more time than doing martial arts.

[sensei8]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

It isn't any wonder that the average person will get bored and lose interest. Let’s not forget that in addition to this, the average person has a long list of obligations and responsibilities that, with good reason, are more important and take up more time than doing martial arts.

Solid post!!

[DarthPenguin]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

It isn't any wonder that the average person will get bored and lose interest. Let’s not forget that in addition to this, the average person has a long list of obligations and responsibilities that, with good reason, are more important and take up more time than doing martial arts.

All very true - life (and aging!) do somewhat get in the way! Being older now and with kids i can no longer devote 5-6 days a week to training - it might hurt over much and the family need time too! Can workaround it a little by the kids training too of course!

[Sailor Sindbad]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

Some dojos more or less than others. I simply found another dojo that suited me better, when others have simply gave up on karate altogether.

[KarateKen]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

It isn't any wonder that the average person will get bored and lose interest. Let’s not forget that in addition to this, the average person has a long list of obligations and responsibilities that, with good reason, are more important and take up more time than doing martial arts.

I've definitely seen it where students quit because they get tired of the repetition. Also, many want instant results and when they realize it takes years of practice they move on. Some have shown up and thought they knew everything on the first day and we never see them again.

[aurik]

The reason for loss of interest has always been the same: martial arts training is HARD and BORING. Most people quit when they realize training seriously is tiring and often painful. Getting good enough to successfully apply martial arts takes thousands of repetitions and an almost obsessive dedication.

It isn't any wonder that the average person will get bored and lose interest. Let’s not forget that in addition to this, the average person has a long list of obligations and responsibilities that, with good reason, are more important and take up more time than doing martial arts.

I agree. I've been involved in two very successful traditional MA schools, and they both had the following things in common:

- Had a lot of kids' classes, with a few dedicated adults classes and some all-ages classes.

- Made a point to "mix things up" on a regular basis. For example, they both had a set curriculum that would be tested on, but every so often, they'd have a class on "cool stuff that isn't going to be tested on, but it's fun and useful"

- Made a point of retaining a fair number of advanced students

- Hosted seminars with outside instructors to bring in a fresh perspective from time to time.

Yes, Martial Arts is hard. If it were easy, everyone would walk in the door and be guaranteed a black belt in X months. Advancement in the MA is predicated on practicing the same techniques over and over again, and not only practicing them, but practicing them with the focused intent on improving something with every repetition. So yes, it's boring. But that doesn't mean you can't (and shouldn't) sprinkle in some new material now and then to keep things interesting. Also, by having advanced students in the class that can be role models for new students, it gives them something visible and attainable to strive for. A brand new white belt might not be able to see himself as good as his CI someday, but they can easily see themselves being as good as the yellow belt, or green belt that they are training next to, and the green belt can see themselves as being as good as the brown belt or new black belt.

[Sailor Sindbad]

- Made a point to "mix things up" on a regular basis. For example, they both had a set curriculum that would be tested on, but every so often, they'd have a class on "cool stuff that isn't going to be tested on, but it's fun and useful"

As long as this is done correctly, because this being done incorrectly is one the main reason I quit my last dojo and moved on to another.

My last dojo had an hours requirement for eligibility to test. And they made it a point to spread everything - especially katas - over all of the hours, instead of giving them to you up front and then you polish it up from there. That said, when I had classes that were focused on things that were not testable, I was livid. We were doing that "extra" stuff, when we didn't have everything we needed for the test. Eventually that, along with other things, is why I packed up and moved on to another dojo.