Calling Somebody's Dojo A McDojo Is Offensive

[Tigerwarrior]

I think the way I speak of my trainingis why no one has told me that my training and kung fu is garbage. But over all I wouldn't care if they say such things. They are of no importance. They aren't the ones I seek advice from.

Even as tough as this forum was in the past. I don't remember seeing anyone claim that my school was a McDojo. I'm down to earth about my martial arts training. I try not to make it sound mystical.

Most people don't know what Jow Ga Kung fu is so that helps too. The most important thing is that people who do the same thing have similar experiences. People who have sparred and fought will catch on quickly to someone who hasn't.

I've never seen jow ga style in person but from what I've seen in videos it looks very effective. Alot of kung fu styles don't get the respect they deserve for their effectiveness, I blame mma fan boys. Karate and tkd go through this too.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Honestly I think most people who have been training for a while will know if they are in a mcdojo or not. If you take your art seriously and someone calls your dojo a mcdojo tell them to come in and try it out, put them with a intermediate student in sparring or a black belt someone with control so they don't hurt them too bad but get the message across that this is not a mcdojo.

I don't think somebody would come over to my dojo just to try it out and see whether or not they think its a good dojo, particularly if they live far away, but the main reason why I didn't like my dojo being criticized at the time was because the person criticizing it was missing the point of the thread and getting off track.

 

[Tigerwarrior]

I don't think somebody would come over to my dojo just to try it out and see whether or not they think its a good dojo, particularly if they live far away, but the main reason why I didn't like my dojo being criticized at the time was because the person criticizing it was missing the point of the thread and getting off track.

I don't think your dojo is a mcdojo at all from what you've said about it. I've been to mcdojos , some were bad but some weren't that bad. Like I trained at a place that normally gave out black belts in 3 years, but you still had to earn it and put in the hard work, the training and art wasn't what made them a mcdojo it was the business model. Your school still makes you work for it and earn it so not a mcdojo. Some people still have an old school mentality about belts like you're never allowed to ask how long until you can test for a belt or what more you need to learn to be eligible. I made one of my old instructors pissed once asking when I could test like how much longer, what did I need to know etc just to give Me a road map but it pissed him off just asking about it. Also I was training for 2 years and that was the regular amount of time most people in the school took to get the next belt, but just getting some advice set him off. My new instructor chooses when you can test but he has no problem telling you the requirements for the next belt so you have a roadmap

 

[JowGaWolf]

I don't think your dojo is a mcdojo at all from what you've said about it. I've been to mcdojos

ha ha ha. You just made his day. Can we officially declare this thread dead horse. Or are we going to keep trying to ride it lol

 

[Taiji Rebel]

Closed-circles and backyard training sessions are the best. Commercial dojos are prone to following trends and often lower their standards to cater to the majority. It's the same with gyms too - nowadays they are called health centers and fitness suites. Fortunately, boxing clubs are still great places to train. It's difficult to sugar-coat a solid punch in the face🥊

 

[PhotonGuy]

I don't think your dojo is a mcdojo at all from what you've said about it. I've been to mcdojos , some were bad but some weren't that bad. Like I trained at a place that normally gave out black belts in 3 years, but you still had to earn it and put in the hard work, the training and art wasn't what made them a mcdojo it was the business model.

Well let's say you're training 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. In that case I could see it feasible to be a black belt in 3 years or less.

Your school still makes you work for it and earn it so not a mcdojo. Some people still have an old school mentality about belts like you're never allowed to ask how long until you can test for a belt or what more you need to learn to be eligible.

What if it's been a long time since you've been promoted, and by that I mean much longer than what you hope or expect? Wouldn't it make sense to at least ask or say something about it at that point?

And why shouldn't you ask what you need to learn to be eligible for your next belt if you have a goal of getting the next belt? After all, when you have a goal it's crucial to know what you need to do to reach it. And that's true not just with martial arts but with life in general.

I made one of my old instructors pissed once asking when I could test like how much longer, what did I need to know etc just to give Me a road map but it pissed him off just asking about it. Also I was training for 2 years and that was the regular amount of time most people in the school took to get the next belt, but just getting some advice set him off.

So why was he pissed off? It was not unreasonable for you to ask what you asked in the situation you were in. Did he not have his morning coffee?

My new instructor chooses when you can test but he has no problem telling you the requirements for the next belt so you have a roadmap

Well that's good. My current Goju Ryu instructor operates much the same way.

 

[PhotonGuy]

ha ha ha. You just made his day. Can we officially declare this thread dead horse. Or are we going to keep trying to ride it lol

I am going to keep beating it until I've made my point(s).

 

[PhotonGuy]

Closed-circles and backyard training sessions are the best. Commercial dojos are prone to following trends and often lower their standards to cater to the majority. It's the same with gyms too - nowadays they are called health centers and fitness suites. Fortunately, boxing clubs are still great places to train. It's difficult to sugar-coat a solid punch in the face🥊

Catering to the majority by lowering the standards isn't going to work in the long run. When a dojo caters to the majority by lowering its standards, sooner or later people are going to realize that they're producing students who can't fight and as a result they won't go there.

 

[Hot Lunch]

Well let's say you're training 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. In that case I could see it feasible to be a black belt in 3 years or less.

I don't know why people scoff at "black belt in 3 years." If you look at the major organizations like JKA and Gojukai (that no one will question the legitimacy of), you can make black belt in 3 years without having to do bunch of extra stuff.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I am going to keep beating it until I've made my point(s).

You've made them at least 20 times over. That people don't agree with you doesn't mean they don't understand you.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

I don't know why people scoff at "black belt in 3 years." If you look at the major organizations like JKA and Gojukai (that no one will question the legitimacy of), you can make black belt in 3 years without having to do bunch of extra stuff.

Belts are not so important. Nor is the speed in acquiring them. The fighting skills and techniques exist in the mind and body, not the color of the belt wrapped around your waist.

 

[Hot Lunch]

Belts are not so important. Nor is the speed in acquiring them. The fighting skills and techniques exist in the mind and body, not the color of the belt wrapped around your waist.

Not my point, but I appreciate the input.

 

[Steve]

You've made them at least 20 times over. That people don't agree with you doesn't mean they don't understand you.

A wise point I wish more people around here understood.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I don't know why people scoff at "black belt in 3 years." If you look at the major organizations like JKA and Gojukai (that no one will question the legitimacy of), you can make black belt in 3 years without having to do bunch of extra stuff.

Well those people who do earn black belts in 3 years at such organizations, do you know how much they train on average? (how many hours per week.)

 

[PhotonGuy]

You've made them at least 20 times over. That people don't agree with you doesn't mean they don't understand you.

Not until Im satisfied I've made my points and no, the way I see it not everybody has understood me and I know the difference between when people agree or disagree with me and when they've understood me or not in the first place.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Belts are not so important. Nor is the speed in acquiring them. The fighting skills and techniques exist in the mind and body, not the color of the belt wrapped around your waist.

So are you saying a black belt is no big deal?

 

[Hot Lunch]

Well those people who do earn black belts in 3 years at such organizations, do you know how much they train on average? (how many hours per week.)

Two to three. One particular Gojukai dojo website even mentioned that, all other requirements being met, two classes a week will get black belt in three and a half years.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Two to three. One particular Gojukai dojo website even mentioned that, all other requirements being met, two classes a week will get black belt in three and a half years.

So they take two to three classes a week and each class is an hour long, but they might also train outside of class so that is also something that has to be taken into account.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

So are you saying a black belt is no big deal?

To some people it is a big deal. Others are not so concerned. To a member of the general public it holds a different meaning than it does to a martial artist. When it comes to the crunch, it's just a colored piece of material. The experience gained and skills learned are more important. In a number of dojos, I trained alongside highly skilled martial artists who had never taken a single grading. And, before Jigaro Kano came along nobody even wore a gi, let alone a belt.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Not until Im satisfied I've made my points and no, the way I see it not everybody has understood me and I know the difference between when people agree or disagree with me and when they've understood me or not in the first place.

I’m not sure about this…