Hard & Fast Vs. Slow & Soft

Sat, 2 May 2009 22:32:32 -0700

Blog to be Published Soon.

Training Groups & Commercial Dojos – The Pros and the Cons

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:54:43 -0700

I am sometimes asked why I take on the responsibility of running a Dojo that’s of a commercial nature. There are many reasons why I choose to take this challenge on, and they involve a comparison between my school and what are often referred to as Training Groups.

One definition of a Training Group would be “a small, dedicated group of martial arts practitioners who train together on a regular basis”. Training Groups have kept these arts alive for hundreds of years, and will probably continue to do so to a certain extent for years to come. Training Groups serve a valuable purpose in that they allow like-minded people to train together in a martial art, and at the same time often require less of a financial and time outlay than their commercial counterparts do. There is also usually a tremendous dedication to training on the part of those who belong to the training group. Working together with the same practitioners on a regular basis also means that the members of a group can grow as a unit and practice aggressively – often without injury.

Furthermore, Training Groups are often willing to make due with the bare essentials required as far as a training space and training equipment go, in order to accomplish the goals of their training. Training Groups also fill a niche in geographic areas where the population may not support a commercial school.

A commercial Dojo can also be difficult to define. The bottom line as far as a commercial school goes, is that anytime there is a possibility of taking a personal financial loss on operating a school, a club, or a group – then it should be run like a business. There are many challenges in operating a school as a business, some of which involve outside Bujinkan members hurling abuse toward the owner, chiding them for what they believe to be turning an art into a business.

I believe that to grow as a martial artist, the challenges one faces should never end. This means challenging yourself to grow by taking on the challenge of being a teacher. To do this properly, one needs to open the doors of their school and take in every type of student possible. From those who are ideal students, to those who need extreme guidance in life. Training Groups do not always allow one the challenges of training new practitioners and can sometimes result in a phenomenon known as “Dojo Familiarity”, where everything tends to work much of the time. You have to be careful of this trend, as nothing will work in real-life like it did in the Dojo – especially how it did with the other members of your group who you train with often. Even in a school with over a hundred students, I find predictability after some time.

Taking on the task of helping others down the road you have travelled is also the duty of any teacher. This is what the Kanji Characters of ‘Sensei’ signify. My team and I have a duty to empower others to succeed in their lives and persevere through their own barriers – whether they be financial, psychological, or physical – or whether real or imagined. A person who has rage or violence issues needs a guide and a role-model as well, just as someone who lives life in fear does.

My Dojos have always offered my Training Team and me the chance to challenge ourselves, learn, and make a positive difference in the world about us and in the lives of others. To do this properly, we have always needed to support the growth of our schools. A properly designed commercial school can accept more students, have more flexible classes and training levels available, offer more affordable tuitions, offer student counseling, be properly equipped for all levels of training and injury prevention, design proper training programs, and give all of the students and instructors the experience they need with all types of personalities and body types.

All successful Bujinkan Dojos run on a business model of some nature. The Bujinkan organization itself is Hatsumi Sensei’s business, as well as his passion. If it is not, then why do we pay for supplies, ranks, licenses, and training? There is nothing wrong with this in my eyes, yet many people out there have a double standard with respect to a martial arts business.

The bottom line is that you need to run both a Commercial Dojo and a Training Group as a business or it will fail. Running anything as a business will also teach your staff and your students valuable lessons in responsibility and life-skills in general.

There is a place for all types of training in this world. My team and I don’t have time to worry about what others think of us, as we are out there fighting the good fight, spreading our skills and knowledge, helping others find success, and challenging ourselves to never ending growth.

Thank you my Martial Friends...

Donald.

The MAU Black Belt Blog

Hard & Fast Vs. Slow & Soft

Training Groups & Commercial Dojos – The Pros and the Cons