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ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY
This is a re-run. When I first wrote this we were around a lot of people who were not doing much. Since then, we have further developed the concept of cross training, as well as meeting a lot of new people, by changing our playground. With this in mind, I hope it will mean more to the latter, than the former.
BEING A LEADER First let me say that, I have been asked several times to put these thoughts down by students, former students and friends. I am flattered by their interest of maybe just curiosity. I believe there is a lot of good senior (master) leadership out there, to mentor the young up and comers, who will hopefully be better than we ever thought about being. It is to these “up and comers” that carry our hopes for the future, that I submit these opinions for successful leadership. For those who know me, I am not exactly a conventional guy, or one who easily fits in with just everyone. I am fiery, unpredictable, hard on others and especially myself. I demand and expect the best from both. For those who don’t know me and will read this article due to browsing, it is fair that I should mention what may qualify me to write it. Or at least have what I believe to be, qualified opinions. Aside from the martial arts accomplishments (see below), I resurrected three floundering companies (Cosmopolitan, Spa South, Holiday Fitness) plus, later creating my own (Ladies First Fitness, Bellevue and Holiday Health and Fitness). I put all the companies I took over in the black and did it from scratch. I designed each and every reporting and processing form used. I personally trained every employee in sales and management and ran each location before turning it over. I had 16 locations that involved over five hundred employees. After creating my own chain of fitness centers, I sold them and retired at age 53. I had a very successful military hitch. I won’t go on about this as I don’t like to hear others do it. I’ll just say, that I made sergeant in under two years and was the youngest acting staff sergeant in the sixth army My style??? I am the sum total of the leaders I have worked, trained, and served under and how I was raised. I learned how to lead and how not to lead from these people, and I learned not to be a quitter very early on from my parents. I also am a student of sports coaching, business and military leaders. I played and also coached almost every sport. I believe in the teachings of Vince Lombardi, Bobby Knight, Gen. Patton, Harold Long, Attila the Hun, Eric Hoffer, and others of the same ilk. They all seemed to be the same idea sort. I don’t question how they led their personal lives, or at times their miss deeds. Yes, they made mistakes but you always do when you are moving ahead. They didn’t sit on their butts wondering what people would think of their decisions. Quote from General Patton: “A good plan violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan two years from now.” They were men of action. Not people who made decisions from the cheap seats. My promise to myself is; I’m not going to worry about making mistakes, because I know I will. I’ll just learn from them and work twice as hard to correct them if I can. If I can’t, then move on fast! All this self promoting information is for a purpose. It illustrates that as a leader, I am not a one trick pony and have succeeded in different venues. If I’m going to give advice you should know that. I have been in the martial arts for 41 years. In this time, I have built two very successful schools in two different places. That is not exactly unique to the martial arts. What does make it unique is the success both schools have enjoyed has been in two different era’s. When people say you can’t teach like you use to, you can. If, you are doing it right!! That’s the only real guideline. Are you doing it right? It would not be over simplification to say that leadership produces results. If you want to grade leadership don’t analyze the style, for there are many. Look at the score board. What students did, and still does, this leader produce. Did these students produce anything, or did the linage stop years ago. It’s just cold hard facts. Talk is cheap and obviously so are some promotions. For specifics of my linage refer to “Shihans History” on my web page; http://www.shaffersdragons.com/ My first dojo in Nashville produced six Isshin-ryu hall of famer’s. Not bad for a little dojo in a Nashville suburb. The guys were not only great competitors but great students and teachers in their own right. The Nashville thumbprint is all over Isshin-ryu, as many are Masters, and serve on boards in a leadership capacity. My second dojo came along after I took a seven year hiatus from Isshin-ryu. This is my group in Anderson SC; The Red Dragons. What has made this unique, was reinventing myself at age fifty-three. I not only had a lot of personal training and catching up to do, I had to develop my students as I went. This meant a lot of physical drudgery and help from my former students. Suffice it to say that the Red Dragons have made a real name for themselves. It has also enabled me to develop a system of street fighting called, Dragon Sen-I Jutsu. It has in practical application and competition proved its worth. There are as many methods of leading as there are leaders. Mine is certainly not the only method, or one I would even recommend to you in total. We are natured a bit different and have to lead as our authentic selves. I would recommend the fundamental aspects of it, as I know it works. So here is my leadership style in as few words as I can muster in order to fairly describe it. This will all be random and in no particular order of importance. I don’t have time or the brain power to make sure they are in the correct sequence. First, I have said this over and over. You can’t teach a concept without a philosophy. To be a good teacher you have to be a good salesman. People have to buy in to your ideas and methods. So be damn sure of what you believe before you start talking it. Obviously, it helps to know what you are talking about. Hitler had people marching and shouting but look what happened to them. The beliefs may change as time and circumstances dictate. However, do not change these beliefs just because people don’t agree with them. Good leaders are innovators and are sometimes out ahead of their peer group. So it stands to reason that you may be criticized or second guessed for decisions you make. Give your ideas time to work. Don’t be wishy washy. Criticism is often the byproduct of jealousy, ignorance, or just negative thinkers. If you are creative and don’t always run with the pack, you are going to be criticized. You only have three debts to pay. One to the guy(s) who trained you, yourself, and the people you are training. The rest can kiss off. You have to be willing to go out on a limb. Often you have to be the same but different. In order to instill unity and a team attitude in an individual endeavor, I came up with all black gi’s with “TEAM NASHVILLE” across the back in 1966. I also had the guys wear team tee shirts to the tournaments. This was also a first. At least the first in our area. There were dojo t-shirts, but not worn by all students to a tournament. We also had a chant, TEAM, TEAM, TEAM, when one of us was competing. There were many rituals and rights of entry onto the tournament team, as well as membership in the dojo. In my Anderson dojo I decided on an identity that would appeal to a younger group. It also related back to an inner circle of students I had in Nashville called, ”The Red Dragon Club”. I had the Anderson Red Dragon put on everything we wore, then built our competitive and training culture around it Our tops were red with an assortment of bottoms. I have recently changed to white tops with red pants. We wear black also. Each tournament requires a decision on the color of our uniform. Also developed were some spirit chants to galvanize the unity. The most recognizable is our, WHOO WHAA yell that acknowledges fighting spirit and unity. All this is fun, motivating and unity building, but it doesn’t mean squat without good people inside these uniforms. There is only one common denominator to start with. And that is discipline. Most of all, I made sure that there were rules that applied to everyone with no one exempt. We lost some good people over these rules, but not good Isshin-ryu people. This is an important distinction when counting the cost of your dojo turnover. I was determined not to infect the bloodlines of our dojo with losers, and pretenders. I also developed a strong color code. The only color that matters in our dojo, is the color belt around your waist. We are an equal opportunity dojo. Everyone has the same opportunity to get their a-- kicked. This equality is the basis for everything we do. Everyone knows and trusts the system because of it. If everyone is who they say they are, it will show. If not, under our system, that shows too. This strict honor code and expected commitment to excellence, has kept us from being financially secure. I imagine most Isshin-ryu dojo’s answer that financial description. I know a couple of people who are making money and have good students, but I never could pull it off. A few times I allowed someone to stay to pay the rent. It didn’t last long, as I was a little harder on them later because of that concession. My own personal style is to train as hard as my students and not ask them to do anything that I don’t do myself. Now don’t get me wrong. This is a relative thing. I train as hard as my body and years allow. I do however push myself. I can’t train as hard as my young students, but as I said, relatively speaking, I do. I remember Cass Cox telling me that Mr. Long came in and did his kata every day. This is what he was capable of doing and he demonstrated the discipline and effort applied to do it. I didn’t care that he wasn’t sparring or doing something more physical than that. I just appreciated his dedication to the things he could do. This is called leadership by example. This is the area I consider the most important. I never want to be some slug holding new student’s hostage with my tired worn out approach to training. When the day comes that my students see me less and less and then in a non training and teaching mode, I hope I have enough sense to hang it up. At some point at the right time, I will turn the dojo over to the students like I did in Nashville. I would then like to visit dojo’s of my friends and do classes or seminars. I plan to be careful here also. I hope my ego doesn’t have me wasting their time with outmoded information or tired war stories. That seems to me to be beneath anyone’s dignity and the greatest of all imposition on a friend’s dojo. Below are my, “Ten Commandments” of leadership. See how you fall in and agree or disagree with the ten.
1) PASSION: You have to lead with emotion that will attract people to you. It is better to be overly emotional that drab. People will forgive you for showing too much fire, but not for boring them to death. Showing emotion is difficult for some leaders and it makes it harder on them to inspire their students. People must be inspired. It is energy they need for the long haul. If you are low key select an assistant that will produce some fire. You may have to tone them down but I’d rather have to tone some one down than fire them up. It will be a good problem. If you are fiery, pick a low key assistant. Two you’s, are too much. 2) DRIVE: You have to be a go getter. If you don’t want to excel and have the best dojo you won’t. You have to be the beacon light, and driving force behind the dream. Of coarse if you don’t have a dream you have nothing to drive. If you are young, your dreams are just beginning. So your drive should be; over-drive. As the years go by and inertia sets in, you must call upon your inner drive to lead. It may have to be jump started at times, but if you loose it, you are in neutral. You can only coast down hill in neutral!!! 3) COURAGE: A leader must never show doubt or discouragement. You are the, “go to guy”. You will become angry at low enrollment, poor attendance, parents, distracting students, and all the crap leading people brings. Just remember: the dojo is operating on your rules, class plans, and leadership. If it is not working start at the top. Have the courage to admit that you need to reevaluate things and blame only your own lack of structure. You can have it your way. Just make sure you know what that is and everyone else does too. Then stay the course. I decided that I wanted to just train dedicated people. So I closed my dojo, left people behind, and move into a fitness center. We have enrolled practically no one in the last year or so. We have also lost practically no one, and I’m loving it. That was my answer to my problem. Yours is out there too. Go find it. You must also train with pain like everyone else. Don’t exalt everyone else to a great pain threshold, then fall out with a sprained little finger. When leading people you must have the courage of your convictions as they will become the gold standard of the dojo. Often, the courage of your convictions, speak louder than the logic of your decisions. 4) UNSELFISHNESS: Do you care about your students? Never use a student or ask them for favors. They don’t owe you any more than you owe them. Somewhere, we were told that if someone was teaching us karate, that we owed them something more than our max effort and loyalty. We/They don’t. It is great when people think enough of you to want to do something for you, but don’t let it become a habit. No cutting your yard, washing your car, or anything that reaches out beyond dojo relations. If I have seen one repeated abuse, it is sensei’s using and making butt boys out of their students. I have also seen these users, loose good people, and wind up with nothing but yes men and women, who can’t get out of their own way. This also means never lie or manipulate your students. When a sensei uses vague carrots by mentioning rank, plays favorites, or has a whipping boy, it can only mean this person is solely out for themselves. Also don’t make it personal and it won’t feel so personal. I take the approach that everyone sooner or later is going to quit anyhow. So when someone does, it serves no purpose to lie awake at night wondering what you could have done differently and feeling guilty. If you are guilty call and tell them so. If not. let them go and move on. I know we all teach with our hearts a lot of times and it make us good. It also can make us vulnerable and steals our joy of teaching. People get divorce’s, quit college, and quit jobs. People are just people. You are not a miracle worker. 5) VISION: this is one of the most important attributes of a leader. You must develop an instinct for moving in the right direction. You are their compass. You should have some real life experiences of your own to help them see around the corners of life. Maturity is a real asset in leading. This is why so many young dans who start schools fail. It is babies leading babies. If you are a young dan, hitch yourself to a seasoned master and ask a million questions. Showing you new techniques are insignificant to the business and personal advice you can receive. If you are not a visionary in business, you perish. If you can not recognize and go with trends, you perish. If you are not flexible and open for new things and ideas, you perish. I watched people in business refuse to change and they didn’t make it. They were brilliant for years, then out of business when they lost their vision for change. Dojo’s do the same thing only a little different. You stay in business but have no students to show for it. After twenty or thirty years some guys come to tournaments with no students that can compete or carry on for them when the time comes. 6) CHARISMA: This is not something you learn to have. You either have it or you don’t. It is the ability to be authentic and allow people to gravitate to you. You don’t have to be Mr. or Mrs. Personality to be charismatic. You don’t have to be a great orator. You do have to have a style. But what ever it is it has to be the authentic you. Work on your public speaking if you are weak in this department. Talking like something off Hee Haw or Soul Train, is not recommended. You can develop a style if you try. If you are not good at improvising, plan what you are going to say. Then shut up. If I ask you what time it is, don’t tell me how to make a watch. When speaking there are three rules: Stand up where you can be seen, speak out where you can be heard, then sit down and shut up, where you can be appreciated. Watch your appearance. Are you fat??? That ain’t charisma unless you are a sumo teacher. Is your gi the oldest and seediest in the dojo? Who cares when training, but spiff it up a bit at tournaments and traditional seminars. I have seen some pretty interesting get ups lately. The ball cap with a tee shirt when lined up for the bow in, is the worst. Turn around you’ll probably have a school full of goobers if you keep that up. 7) CREATIVITY: Teaching martial arts requires repetition. Repetition creates boredom. This is the battle we fight to keep students attention daily. How to keep them focused on the ever critical basics and fundamentals and how to keep them running the same kata over and over. It is a real challenge. Those who have a lot of knowledge and experience teaching, are in a far better place than the young dans. The young dans who break from their sensei, and open their own dojo, run out of things to teach in about a year. Then it is nothing but repetition. Even the experienced master if he or she doesn’t continue to expand their knowledge, wind up teaching the same things to their mid-dans forever. Either the mid dans don’t care or don’t know that their growth has stopped. Either way, you are talking about a dojo in decline. There is a saying; “when growth stops decay begins.” This is never so evident than in a dojo teaching all 1954 material in 2008. Am I wrong? Don’t give me history, give me results. Dare to be different and creativity will follow. Is that the whole answer to a dormant dojo? No, but is a hell of a good start. 8) PRESENCE: Do you conduct yourself as a leader, or do you just want to be one of the boys? You can’t have it both ways, so stop trying. You can be only so popular with anyone when you are aggressively leading. Your students will come and go with how they feel about you and other sensei’s will be just a bit uncomfortable around you. You will never completely fit in once you establish presence. The good news is, there are some kindred souls out there for you and some students that will stay with you long enough to fit your mold. But, they are few. I developed a” RED DRAGON TAB CLUB” to surround myself and my students, with like minded people. This doesn’t indicate who are friends or non friends. It is a group who have training and philosophic practices in common. Leadership can be lonely, but so can failure. I’d rather be disliked due to envy than accepted as a loser. It is a long journey either way. When my day is done, let it be that I have made a difference, have been a true friend, and have stepped aside for no one.” I would rather have your respect, than you affection;” Vince Lombardi. I couldn’t agree more. When I put a student in a ring, he’d better be thinking, “thy will be done.” Meaning my will. I need to make him more afraid of me than losing. I don’t bring people to tournaments, then play kiss up, pretending it’s not all that important for my students to win. The hell it isn’t!!! That’s what we came for. When my students fight, their opponent is fighting them and me at the same time. They are fighting the whole dojo. It’s war… I’ve killed myself in preparation for their matches training them. Their gratitude is to be shown in the ring. I’m conducting myself better now but I make no apologies for past or future conduct. I can’t get past watching people judge my students who have no dojo, or no students, are not training, or doing anything productive. I’m not letting my students be victimized by your retirement. Just be fair. If you are out of touch, don’t judge any one’s students especially mine. You can still judge kata, but be honest about your eyesight, reflexes, and judgment in the kumite ring. If you don’t have a dojo and want to be active, go to someone else’s and do some seminars. At least four a year. Attend and participate in some seminars. Show some signs of activity beyond event attendance. Working masters and sensei’s are becoming less and less patient with this type of thing. This accounts for the majority of the bad judging we are experiencing. Let the young ones in there to get experience. Right now we have a lot of older people who can’t hang and young people who don’t know what they are doing. It is like a NASCAR driver coming to the race without a car, and just running around the track on foot. But seriously folks, back to the Dragons mental state before a match: we make great friends before and after the fight, but not during. Nothing personal, competition preparation. One guy complained to me that my guy Leon, won’t talk to him before their fights. HUH?? I told my guys to focus on the combat not the friendship. The sensitive complainer is good, but never wins anything except an occasional third place. If he would concentrate on winning, rather than networking for most popular, he’d do a lot better. Being this way hasn’t hurt my students popularity and it won’t hurt yours. They are also friendly and courteous. Just don’t expect them to be Uncle Rowel before the match. 9) A SENSE OF HUMOR: Brothers and Sisters, are you going to need this one. Sometimes at the end of the day, all you have left is your sense of humor. Keep it as your first and last line of defense. I’m not talking about telling a good joke or one of those corny forwards. I’m talking about being able to see the humor in almost everything that reason can’t explain. Humor disarms tense situations, relaxes people, and lowers your blood pressure. I was fortunate to be born with a quirky sense of humor that has kept me out of prison. My patience is virtually non existent and I have been known to be slow to forgive. I am presently working on my forgiveness, as I believe I have a few students that would return if they were assured that I have forgiven them. A couple of years back, I said I had forgiven someone then proceed to beat him to the floor, yank my glove off and ask him if he wanted to go for real. He said I thought you already were. I laughed…..one more amen for a sense of humor….good medicine. Also realize that what we are doing isn’t curing cancer. It pays to lighten up. I’m improving here also. 10) THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE: For me this is key. It keeps me from becoming bored or boring my students with the same stuff. There is always a better way to do something, even if it is just enjoying what you are doing. When was the last time you left the dojo and said man, what a great class? Chances are you did something different. When I go to visit, or are visited by one of my working Master friends, or attend a jam seminar, I can’t wait to get back to the dojo to teach and work on, what I’ve learned. This keeps the juices flowing and energizes the whole dojo. Most of my closest master friends have people in and out of their dojo’s regularly, teaching a class, or seminar. Don’t be afraid to expose your students to many ideas and approaches to the martial arts. If they don’t like the concept, at least they will be more familiar with what could be thrown at them in the street. They also will not be disappointed that you don’t know everything. If you do know everything you should charge them a lot more than you are. Plus I’d pay to study under you. I’ve never studied under anyone that knew everything. You are never too old to learn, as the old saying goes. So get off your a--, keep your Advil handy, and go back to school occasionally. It’s good for you, your students, and especially your waistline. This does not tell the whole story, but since I am talking to mostly leaders or leadership types, I’m sure you get the idea and have many of your own. There has been a great job done by a lot of people to put Isshin-ryu where it is. It was a lot harder for the first generation who had to sell it to the skeptics than for we, the second generation. We were mostly able to carry a proven product to the market. It wasn’t a joy ride for us, just not as hard. As time has gone by, we have lost most of our first generation and have an ageing second and third. We have to catch fire to start a fire. Dojo’s are almost devoid of students 18 to 35. Why? That is for us to correct, not just isolate the answer. The answer lies in each dojo. Leadership will be the common denominator for all. Let’s stick together, exchange idea’s, students, and create a martial arts college for the future leaders. It is almost graduation time and we have a lot of new leaders to develop.
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