Just saw a comment in an old thread, and it's a great one. I had previously mentioned that in my dojo, we have a very high attrition rate. New students just don't stick around. The students I started with when I was 46 years old are all gone now, and I'm 62.
I used to think that in terms of running a business, this was a bad thing. I knew our dojo was run as a labor of love by our sensei, but I still had the idea that one of the goals was to attract and keep students.
But as time goes by, I realize it's not. At least not for the adult students.
90% or more, I'd guess, quit within a month. Most don't come back after the first couple of classes.
We don't beat them up or work them to death or terrify them. We're welcoming and friendly. Literally anyone can join and be part of our dojo. We've waived fees, given away uniforms, even bought one young man a bicycle when his was stolen so he could keep coming. We're traditional, but mostly informal. We have no contracts, and our monthly fees are very low. We don't charge for testing. We dont have mandatory attendance at seminars or tournaments. It doesn't matter, most still leave.
But now I begin to see, I think, that it was never about 'keeping students.' It's about teaching karate. The choice to learn isn't ours to make, it's the student's. If they choose to stay, we'll teach them.
And we're good. Our higher dan ranks (I exclude myself) are legit bad@sses. All of our blackbelts, even me, can bloody well fight. If that's the goal, we're the genuine article.
We're a tight-knit family, with an adult long-term core of about 20 or so. We do get new long-term adult students, maybe every couple of years a new one joins. A few have gotten old and infirm such that they no longer train, but they're still part of the family. Young, middle-aged, older, every race, culture and religion, we're a motley assortment of characters.
Running a business can't work like this. It's not sustainable. But this isn't a business. It's a Dojo. The goal is karate, but students have to choose to receive it. The choices to stay or go are equally good, there's no judgment.
One thing I know. Whether a new student walks through the door or not, we will be there, training. Come in, we'll teach you. Don't come in, that's OK too.
I used to think that in terms of running a business, this was a bad thing. I knew our dojo was run as a labor of love by our sensei, but I still had the idea that one of the goals was to attract and keep students.
But as time goes by, I realize it's not. At least not for the adult students.
90% or more, I'd guess, quit within a month. Most don't come back after the first couple of classes.
We don't beat them up or work them to death or terrify them. We're welcoming and friendly. Literally anyone can join and be part of our dojo. We've waived fees, given away uniforms, even bought one young man a bicycle when his was stolen so he could keep coming. We're traditional, but mostly informal. We have no contracts, and our monthly fees are very low. We don't charge for testing. We dont have mandatory attendance at seminars or tournaments. It doesn't matter, most still leave.
But now I begin to see, I think, that it was never about 'keeping students.' It's about teaching karate. The choice to learn isn't ours to make, it's the student's. If they choose to stay, we'll teach them.
And we're good. Our higher dan ranks (I exclude myself) are legit bad@sses. All of our blackbelts, even me, can bloody well fight. If that's the goal, we're the genuine article.
We're a tight-knit family, with an adult long-term core of about 20 or so. We do get new long-term adult students, maybe every couple of years a new one joins. A few have gotten old and infirm such that they no longer train, but they're still part of the family. Young, middle-aged, older, every race, culture and religion, we're a motley assortment of characters.
Running a business can't work like this. It's not sustainable. But this isn't a business. It's a Dojo. The goal is karate, but students have to choose to receive it. The choices to stay or go are equally good, there's no judgment.
One thing I know. Whether a new student walks through the door or not, we will be there, training. Come in, we'll teach you. Don't come in, that's OK too.
