For me, probably the greatest challenge over the long term has been balancing genuine personal development with the responsibility that comes with running a dojo.

Travelling to Okinawa has always been important to me because there are things you simply don't get by bringing a teacher to you. Being in their dojo, following their training rhythm, being around their other students and seeing the broader context in which they teach is part of the education. You're also there as a student—not the host, organiser or person responsible for everyone else.

At the same time, bringing teachers to Australia has enormous value because it exposes more of our students to them and allows that relationship to extend beyond just me. But hosting is a very different experience. You're inevitably organising seminars, accommodation, transport, meals and looking after everyone, so your own training can sometimes become secondary.

The biggest challenge is probably time and consistency. A relationship with a teacher overseas can't just be something you engage with occasionally when it's convenient. It takes years of returning, training, asking questions, making corrections, going home and working on them, and then returning again.

I've increasingly come to see those trips less as collecting new material and more as continuing to foster a strong relationship.

For me, that's probably the real value of maintaining the connection.

On 7/20/2026 at 8:51 PM, Spartacus Maximus said:

This isn’t really karate-specific as it could apply to other martial arts with a long-standing lineage/tradition…

If you maintain ties and regularly train(ie: with the head of your style/lineage in its native region(Okinawan karate in Okinawa for example) ; what has been the most or challenging part of doing this long term over several years?

It is easier for you to travel to the main school in Japan(or wherever else) OR easier to do the opposite(invite/send for the Chief to come to you?

Doing either would seem easier if one runs a school within a GvBody/association. Does anyone out there train like this individually for themselves instead ?As private training without intending to own/run a school(yet)?

I do multiple different arts and styles, so this is my experience...

With Tang Soo Do - we maintain our lineage via our old head instructor to one of the largest TSD unions in Korea and via me with another TSD association in Korea (albeit a smaller group) as I've taken our association over. Our instructors used to go over to the US, as the higher ranking instructors from Korea would travel to the US for gradings and training camps - however as we're a non-profit school, it because too expensive for us.

With Shotokan - I don't maintain any formal ties with any other Shotokan groups now a days, although I am looking at renewing that link in the upcoming year. However informally, I do train at a mate's club who is part of the JKA. While Shotokan is not my main art anymore, I do still train personally and teach it to the odd student that wishes to learn it.

With Shorin-Ryu, I still have links - mainly because I've only been training in that for a year now.

With Iaido, like Shorin-Ryu I've only been training in that for about 1.5 years, we have links to our Sensei and his Sensei, however they broke away from their group. So we have links back to the founder of our style of Iaido.

Like many who have had the same teacher for years, loyalty has value. However that loyalty only makes sense when it is to the instructor rather than the association.

It also depends on whether or not said instructor is and remains an honourable, ethical and moral example of character. It has its limits and must not become blind unquestioned following lest loyalty loses all worth.

My own instructor cut off ties with one who had taught him for decades because that instructor did things that were dishonest, unethical and unlawful.

The pursuit of defensive skills, strong health and internal self-cultivation ceased to be the focus, so my instructor cut ties and those who were likeminded followed him.