ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY

HOW TO BUILD YOUR DOJO
ON WHO YOU REALLY ARE

   Being on vacation at the beach gives one time to think. If you are a martial artist, a lot of your thinking probably goes in that direction. Most of my thinking involves worry. Worry that I am not doing enough on behalf of the dojo and the organizations I represent. I fear complacency like I fear old age, as they are one in the same to me. You don’t have to be old in years to be old in deeds. Why live to be eighty if you are emotionally dead at fifty. The fire must burn, the passion must continue. I believe this is where we all must be perfectly honest with ourselves as to where we are going and who may be following. If I didn’t have people who are depending on me, I guess it wouldn’t matter much. My big fear in the ring was not losing. It was being made to look bad. That fear drove me relentlessly when I competed.  It drives me now. It drives me in the dojo training, it drives me at meetings, it drives me at tournaments, it drives me in everything I do. As a leader, I don’t want to look bad. As they say in advertising, ”it doesn’t just have to be right; it also has to look right.” I’ve never been one to much care what others though of me. Even close friends can be a little self righteous at times. I have done things at tournaments and in meetings, ect., that you could say may make one look bad. So here is the answer for those of you who were dying for me to admit to that. Any where I go, I care about the outcome or I wouldn’t go. If I attend, I am a believer in what is going on. When I can no longer believe in what is going on, I am not keeping it to myself, getting on the phone later, and complaining to disinterested friends about it. When some of these perennial non contributors who attend for what ever reason apologize to me for wasting my time and space, then I will apologize to them. Here is my truth like it or not. What ever I am a part of, I will make friends, enemies and progress.  That kind of comment drives my enemy’s nuts. So just show me your list of accomplishments and I’ll show you mine. Then decide who talks and who listens. It is about results. That is all anything that matters is about.  So who do you listen to? You listen to results and how you are producing them. If it is at the cost of too much then you need to count the cost. But if it is a necessary byproduct of getting results, then so be it. In martial arts, results are preset for you. It comes in the form of personal rank, (if the promotions have been based on results not longevity), production of good students, and the accumulation of colleagues of whom you share a mutual respect. It doesn’t consist of winning a popularity contest by being more concerned as to what people think, than you are your own students. In my time, I have developed two successful fighting dojo’s, complete with present and future leaders. I never did any of that playing to the crowd or watching my people get screwed at the price of my own popularity. Some of the reasoning of this article is due to the numerous times I have been asked how did I develop so many outstanding students. There is no formula or strategy for this other than sticking to who you are and only changing when that doesn’t work.  In all fairness, some people are good second men or better followers than leaders. It is when these followers become leaders, not through acclimation but by default, that progress ends. I use to be sent in to businesses that were failing in order to try and revamp them. I found two types of managers. One didn’t know what he was doing and knew it. The other didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know it. I can teach open ears but not open mouths. If I had to pick out some of the best advice I could on result based leading, it would be the following:

1) Be yourself:  Don’t try to copy anyone else’s style or persona if it is too much unlike your own. Lots of different types of personalities succeed in this world by being true to themselves. Don’t be a second hand rose.

 

2) Have a strategy: What do you want your dojo to be. Is it a competition dojo, is it an art driven dojo, it is traditional, is it integrated arts, is it kid or adult driven? You may not even want to go to tournaments or any competition. In truth they are bad for business.  What is you dojo’s identity. You have to decide, then own that decision. How successful you are monetarily and performance wise will depend on it. The tougher the dojo, the more difficult the dollar. The easier the dojo, the poorer the students. There is an identity for us all. Just don’t go in every night to kick butt and attract students at the same time.

  You have to decide at the end of the day who you are and what it takes to make you happy. I’ve always known and it will never change for me.

3)  Take your time: Be sure young dan before you rush out and open that dojo, that you have enough to teach past one year.  It looks easy when you are not the man, but you are now the man and you’d better know your stuff. If all you do is kata, charts, kumite and then change the order, you might be boring people after awhile. Be creative with it. In all fairness, some people were born to lead and teach. Their charisma and dynamics see them through less knowledge than their more methodical counterparts. But be advised, even Mr. Dynamic doesn’t hold forth forever without a lot of substance to draw from. Poor students come to a tournament, death march their kata, and get their butts kicked in kumite. Some schools are over here celebrating with buku of trophies, while other dojo’s have already left earlier in the day. Who’s fault is that?

4)  Missing ni-dans: One of the signals that a school is stagnant or too repetitive in its training, is that everyone disappears at ni-dan. If you don’t keep it fresh and offer new ideas and concepts you are going to always have a dojo that burns people out at ni-dan. Keep you dan’s close and united. They need to feel a sense of belonging and obligation to you, the dojo and the students. If possible have an informal training night for just you and them. Organize it but enjoy it. It is the real future of your school. Talk to them often about your goals and dreams for the dojo. Ask them about theirs…. And listen closely. Become a family. And for heaven sakes, don’t ever use any one of them as your personal assistant. I’ve heard of students cutting grass washing cars and doing menial task for the sensei. Hope you know how unfair this is. Preach loyalty and know that I cuts both ways. Never treat them as an equal or a man servant either. Don’t have favorites. The same rules apply equally to everyone. No exceptions. That also applies to you. If you can look them in the eye and say ”I’ll never ask you to do anything, that I don’t do myself,” and live it; then you have 75% of the leadership done.

5)  Keep yourself fresh: I don’t care how long you have been around. When growth stops, decay begins.  I know many of us are not getting any younger and it is very hard at times. But do all you can do. Manage your own activity as you manage theirs. Don’t get fat and lazy. Go to seminars and participate at more than just teaching. Keep the old juices flowing. Don’t pretend you already know everything and they don’t need anyone but you….Bull Hockey..El Toro Po-po.

   There is more, but these are my every day mantra. Remember; you are observed by students and colleagues alike year after year. Staying real is like telling the truth opposed to telling a lie. When you tell the truth it comes out the same every time. Being who you are not, is like living a lie. So stay the course you have set for yourself. Hang around successful people, not slugs. You are who you train and associate with.

   Below is a quick rundown of my class schedule, pricing ect., as I have been asked about that also.

   Monday is advance night for black belts and qualified kyu’s only. It’s a great night and we make the most of it. Tuesday night is Dragon Sen-I striking/Isshin-ryu kata, and clinch stand up. I have an exact time schedule and get it all done in an hour and a half.  Thursday is Dragon Sen-I grappling and mixed fighting. You must attend both to have complete street combat training. You also must attend both to get belts in both Isshin-ryu and Dragon Sen-I Jutsu. It is working great. Yes, I skew the workload and intensity level to the individuals attending. I develop partners for them to train with so I can group up the tough guys from the not so tough. Even at that, it is the toughest contact school in town and will stay that way.

   I have belt test on Saturdays given by my dans. The test range from 25.00 to 100.00 based on the rank. The money is given to the dans for doing the testing. I get the belt and certificate money 15.00. My black belts pay 60.00 per month to me. All others pay from 60.00 to 90.00 per month on automatic check draft. I charge 60.00 for gi and tee shirt combined.  100.00 for full safe-t equipment or 30.00 for each piece separately. I always get the first months payment in advance. We have about 30 students. 90% adult. I plan to keep it that way. ICA dues are only semi optional for students below the rank of green belt. Yellow belts are urged to attend and participate in the jams. So are the kids and ladies. What is good for the group has to be good for the individual too. So it is an all for one thing.  Only my senior students know or even care what rank I am. They care about theirs so stay on top of it and have some sort of test to give them. Don’t promote for a great tournament win. That is the wrong thing to reward someone for in the first place.

   Please call or write if I can ever help you in any way.

 DON’T FORGET THE JAM THIS OCTOBER 24^TH AT THE STEEL HAND DOJO, IN KNOXVILLE.

 Kids from 10:00 til 12:00. Adults from 12:00 til 5:00. Kids can stay the day if they wish. 25.00 for the jam, 6 months enrollment, two patches and a membership card. Pay 50.00 for the full year and receive an ICA tee shirt, FREE WHILE THEY LAST. See the ICA page on this site.