In the old days the way to become a martial arts student was to be chosen by a sensei and then work hard to learn what they had to teach. If you gave up and quit, it said something about your character and your motivation. That is NOT how it works most of the time nowadays. Today, martial arts instruction is big business and is more about keeping the customers happy. There is nothing wrong with having a business and working to make the money you need to keep the doors open but there are trade-offs to this kind of endeavor when it comes to the teaching of martial arts.
Have you ever heard of the MAIA? I hadn't either but the karate school that my son attended for almost 2 years has taken a decisively commercial turn of late and now I have been introduced to what the MAIA is all about. In my estimation it is about entertainment more than discipline. Why tell a kid that he won't be getting his next belt because he didn't work hard enough if all that might happen is that he leaves your school. So now, they give kids belts for showing up and if your parents can afford the higher priced classes then you can learn more. Pay to play is how I see it.
MAIA is the Martial Arts Industry Association and is the consulting division of the largest martial arts supplier in the world. This association might be a bit self-serving don't you think? The purpose of the MAIA is very clearly stated on their website, they exist to "grow the martial arts industry, one school at a time". They can provide marketing support, curriculum, suppies and a way for small martial arts schools to increase their student base and thus revenue. One member commented on the MAIA site that in 2 months they had increase their revenue by $7000 a month. But is this what my family wanted, a shiny commercialized dojo with pricey graduations every 3 months and the constant push to get our son into the elite classes which cost a lot more money? No not really.
So here was our dilemma, we use to agree with the way things were done in the karate school that Max attended. The sensei appeared to think about our son and what would be beneficial for him AND his character, but now it is all very much about the money and not so much about the karate. My son has slowly become a wallet that the school is always trying to get into. The karate they teach is all about winning tournaments and trophies and is not about learning to protect yourself in the real world or about the discipline it takes to move from belt to belt. I attended one of my son's 30 minutes classes recently and, other than the fact that they were in their karate garb, there was no karate that day. They ran around having fun and were certainly active but we are paying for karate and there was none to be seen.
In contrast, not good or bad really just a personal choice, we are now attending what I would call a more traditional martial arts school. It is run by a sensei who asks for little monetary reward, just enough to cover his church basement expenses, and who runs the dojo when his work schedule allows. He talks about the heritage of the dojo and the customs of the martial arts practice in general; respect, discipline, hard work and giving back to the dojo and the community. The students are of all ages and work out together in their various belt rank classes, but if a student wants to learn more they are welcome to join in on any class they want to at no additional cost. The students will do the stretching and warm-up exercises and the personal investment that the students, and parents for that matter, have in the dojo is much deeper. Walk in the dojo and what you are hit with immediately is the mission and philosophy that accompanies the martial arts training itself. On one Saturday morning my son spent 3 hours, voluntarily practicing the katas and self-defense moves that got him interested in this art to begin with. Along side the training were lessons in history and customs. My son told me on the drive home one day after being at the new dojo, "Mom, I think that I am just going to start over from a white belt." I was stunned because he was always proud of the next color belt that he got. When I asked why he was thinking this, his response was "because I don't really know what I did to get to an orange belt at my other school." Did I mention that my son is 7 years old? In a way, I think that the lesson he is learning now will be one that will inform the rest of his life. It is a little sad that he has discovered that sometimes getting something easily does not make it more rewarding than working hard for it and knowing why you earned it. |
| Halloween karate, zombie defense practice |
Now, we go every Saturday to the more traditional dojo and my son revels in the abundance of martial arts and creative ways to practice the skills. He strives to do well and works hard at learning all of the new moves that he is being exposed to, as well as trying to practice being a good representative of the martial arts and HIS dojo. I am proud and so happy that, in a time where money makes the world go around, there are still people who go where their hearts lead them and reach out to children to give them the tools to succeed in martial arts, as well as in life.
Thank you to all of you out there who do what you do, just because.
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