McDojos

[Rich Parsons]

Again in response to his statement after my apology.

definitely shows that you have a lack of true understanding of the martial arts. This one is in response to him concerning his like statement to me. I respond in kind.

I believe the martial arts can build character and a strong frame of mind. As I stated previously, I will take your sensitivity into consideration with my future post."

This one is in response to his statement about me not having a clue about what forms are for. I stated that I did not believe in the mysticism associated with The forms. It was simply letting him know what, I believed, concerning forms.

I practice karate...I read a lot about what the man who established forms in karate stated about karate.

I wasn't stating that his belief doesn't build a strong mind. I was agreeing with his perception that it does....But without the religious tone. He had stated that I did not know what forms are intended for.

But with all of that...he invited me to one of his seminars...I asked where he was located.

Which lead me to believe that we are ok. Apparently I misunderstood that as Well?

I got Nothing against Rich...I do not even know him.

But I do respond in kind...

If he feels insulted...tell him I am sorry...this whole thread is a cluster of misunderstanding

DUDE!

You posted, I was typing and your post was not there when I started, and then I posted and it showed up after yours.
Like I stated it was a cross post.
This shows your total lack of understanding or the internet and forums.

And guess what I respond in kind, and you posted poorly, as you admitted later. You edited it later, but not before I read it. You apologized as I was responding your follow up snarkiness.

So , I went away and taught martial arts for a while and got paid for it.

So , take some advice you are trying to give me, and go back and look at my posts, and your posts as originally written and time frame, and see that one crossed the other.

To be honest, my opinion of you is not good. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe over time, it might change. Just my opinion. You come out shooting and calling people out and say hey no mental just physical and martial arts is fantasy. Maybe yours is, so ask your questions better such as in my limited experience I have seen this and this. Is this common?
The tone and content gives different responses, while the former might look like a troll and the later like a concerned person looking to grow and learn.

Was I insulted and or hurt by your comments? No.
Do I remember them and how you tried to insult me? Yes.
Do I think you either knee jerked and did not read, or was truly looking to troll? Yes and Yes.

This is my perception of you. And yes my first response was as you put it in kind to your posts. Mirroring is the term I use.

So enjoy your stay here. I truly hope it is productive. I truly hope you can bring something here and contribute, even if no more than asking questions. for that is good in itself.

Good Luck

 

[Kwon Bup]

DUDE!

You posted, I was typing and your post was not there when I started, and then I posted and it showed up after yours.
Like I stated it was a cross post.
This shows your total lack of understanding or the internet and forums.

And guess what I respond in kind, and you posted poorly, as you admitted later. You edited it later, but not before I read it. You apologized as I was responding your follow up snarkiness.

So , I went away and taught martial arts for a while and got paid for it.

So , take some advice you are trying to give me, and go back and look at my posts, and your posts as originally written and time frame, and see that one crossed the other.

To be honest, my opinion of you is not good. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe over time, it might change. Just my opinion. You come out shooting and calling people out and say hey no mental just physical and martial arts is fantasy. Maybe yours is, so ask your questions better such as in my limited experience I have seen this and this. Is this common?
The tone and content gives different responses, while the former might look like a troll and the later like a concerned person looking to grow and learn.

Was I insulted and or hurt by your comments? No.
Do I remember them and how you tried to insult me? Yes.
Do I think you either knee jerked and did not read, or was truly looking to troll? Yes and Yes.

This is my perception of you. And yes my first response was as you put it in kind to your posts. Mirroring is the term I use.

So enjoy your stay here. I truly hope it is productive. I truly hope you can bring something here and contribute, even if no more than asking questions. for that is good in itself.

Good Luck

 

[Kwon Bup]

DUDE!

You posted, I was typing and your post was not there when I started, and then I posted and it showed up after yours.
Like I stated it was a cross post.
This shows your total lack of understanding or the internet and forums.

And guess what I respond in kind, and you posted poorly, as you admitted later. You edited it later, but not before I read it. You apologized as I was responding your follow up snarkiness.

So , I went away and taught martial arts for a while and got paid for it.

So , take some advice you are trying to give me, and go back and look at my posts, and your posts as originally written and time frame, and see that one crossed the other.

To be honest, my opinion of you is not good. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe over time, it might change. Just my opinion. You come out shooting and calling people out and say hey no mental just physical and martial arts is fantasy. Maybe yours is, so ask your questions better such as in my limited experience I have seen this and this. Is this common?
The tone and content gives different responses, while the former might look like a troll and the later like a concerned person looking to grow and learn.

Was I insulted and or hurt by your comments? No.
Do I remember them and how you tried to insult me? Yes.
Do I think you either knee jerked and did not read, or was truly looking to troll? Yes and Yes.

This is my perception of you. And yes my first response was as you put it in kind to your posts. Mirroring is the term I use.

So enjoy your stay here. I truly hope it is productive. I truly hope you can bring something here and contribute, even if no more than asking questions. for that is good in itself.

Good Luck

That's excellent....have a great workout.

 

[WaterGal]

Why should they? One person is actually training in MA. The other is in daycare with a ninja picture on the wall.

Well, yes.... but what I'm wondering is why does the aftercare model seem to always be that? You can teach something worthwhile and also make money. There's got to be a way to create a program that picks kids up after school and turns them into quality taekwondoin or karateka for their age. I guess it's just easier and cheaper not to bother and just run it as a daycare center, since it's not like most parents know any better.

 

[mograph]

I guess it's just easier and cheaper not to bother and just run it as a daycare center, since it's not like most parents know any better.

There's a sweet spot, where you give the kids good education without challenging them too much, right? If the studio really went into the discipline, focus and drilling to be good at martial arts, the studio would lose customers, possibly to the point where the business wouldn't be viable. Remember, we're talking about kids here: kids who want to have fun and be stimulated, while the kind of stimulation and fun offered by martial arts isn't, we have to admit, for everyone.

 

[JR 137]

What I'm about to say may sound like I'm supporting McDojos, but I'm not. I have my daughter come with my where I train, and my other one will too when she's old enough...

Kids need to have fun. They learn best when things are fun and aren't overly serious and rigid. No matter how hard you train a kid, 99% of them aren't going to be MA machines. Many of them are going to be kids who are there because they'd probably sit the bench in team sports.

The younger they are, the most important thing is that you teach them to love the MA. This will more easily keep them interested in it when they're older and it becomes harder and more serious. The harder you push them, the harder they'll push back. Push too hard, and they'll be done with the MA.

I'm not saying get them to love the MA and have fun for the purpose of retaining students to keep collecting tuition. I'm not an MA teacher. But if they're pushed too hard too early and end up hating it, you'll lose some kids who could've grown to become great martial artists.

IMO the younger they are, the more emphasis should be on having fun with the MA and teaching a foundation of basics. Let them wear gis with patches of their achievements in and out of the dojo. Let them do kata to music with smoke machines and glowing weapons. Let them have fun. But IMO that stuff should gradually end, and be completely over by the time they're in high school.

I'm a strict TMA guy. Those things have no place FOR ME as an adult in karate. But I'm not 5-10 years old anymore either. I've never done that stuff, but if my daughters wanted to, and that's what'll keep them interested in the MA so that they'll be serious students when they're older, then I'd be more than fine with it.

Live and let live. The McDojos aren't for me, but who am I to say because they're not for me then no one else is allowed to enjoy them? I'm don't get the allure to guns (among other things, but that doesn't mean I think Uncle Sam should take yours away because I don't relate.

 

[WaterGal]

There's a sweet spot, where you give the kids good education without challenging them too much, right? If the studio really went into the discipline, focus and drilling to be good at martial arts, the studio would lose customers, possibly to the point where the business wouldn't be viable. Remember, we're talking about kids here: kids who want to have fun and be stimulated, while the kind of stimulation and fun offered by martial arts isn't, we have to admit, for everyone.

There is a balance to be found, but... I think you need to challenge the students, and a lot of kids enjoy being challenged, it keep them interested. It just also has to be fun and stimulating, and the kids have to have a good rapport with the instructor. You need to make them work hard without being a hard***, you know?

And I think you need to consider the age of the kids when it comes to developing lesson plans and standards - what activities, expectations, forms of discipline, ways of explaining things, etc are developmentally appropriate at that age? That doesn't mean don't bother to expect younger kids to be any good, though, it just means taking a different approach.

 

[mograph]

And I think you need to consider the age of the kids when it comes to developing lesson plans and standards - what activities, expectations, forms of discipline, ways of explaining things, etc are developmentally appropriate at that age?

Yes, this is key.
Teaching Children Martial Arts: A Winning Approach

 

[PhotonGuy]

So people here are talking about having the right balance between being fun and being challenging when it comes to martial arts training. Also, lots of the talk here has been about children who take martial arts classes but adults take classes too and I would say the same principles apply. With both children and adults there are some who want to really push themselves and get the most out of it and then there are those who want to just do it for fun and aside from that they don't care to get much more out of it and then there are lots of people who fall somewhere in between. For children, if the classes are little more than babysitting services where the children are hardly challenged at all than that is what I consider a McDojo. I think its important for children to have some challenges, but by the same token you don't want martial arts classes to be like the military, do you?

 

[Balrog]

Where I live, after school daycare (2-6ish, including pick-up) is about $400 a month. I teach at my kids' school, so I don't have that bill. A lot of people I know do. Charging people $200 a month for after school MA is a good deal compared to the alternative.

They're really sticking it to you.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

I dunno. 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month....that's 80 hours. Works out to 5 clams an hour.

I charge a minimum of $150 a month. 3 classes a week, 4 weeks a month....that's 12 hours. Works out to $12.50 an hour or more.

But I'm worth it!

 

[RTKDCMB]

Works out to $12.50 an hour or more.

But I'm worth it!

Try getting a professional anything for $12.50 an hour. Martial arts instruction is a bargain.

 

[mograph]

Try getting a professional anything for $12.50 an hour. Martial arts instruction is a bargain.

At one point, I saw a pattern where one-on-one personal coaching (music lessons or personal training) went for about $60 per hour. IMO, for a group class, the teacher should be earning more for the class (it's more work), but charging less per student (less individual attention per student).

 

[Balrog]

Try getting a professional anything for $12.50 an hour. Martial arts instruction is a bargain.

Yes. I should have said in relation to child care.