Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
"It is a pity that it happens that people can become interested in Aikido, yet end up joining the wrong dojo and having a bad experience and moving away from Aikido as a result. Like any martial arts training, there are both good and poor quality dojos out there. Figuring how how to make a commitment to one of them can be difficult at the best of times. I hope this article will give you some guidelines on what you might look for initially when looking into training Aikido".
https://dontmakemeangrymrmcgee.wordp...t-aikido-dojo/ |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
Ben
You raise some good points - Personally I like to feel the atmosphere as I walk in to a dojo, If a visitor comes to my dojo, we first offer them a seat and ask if the have any questions, mostly people like to watch for a while, we later approach them and ask if they have any further questions and try to make them feel welcome. I was in Perth Australia some years ago for six weeks - I visited a local dojo, I respectfully bowed as I entered, no one looked in my direction so I took a seat and watched the class, as the evening wore on I was still invisible to the instructors who spent much of the class chatting to each other, except for two high kyu grades who appeared to be doing a display for me personally as they looked over for approval every time they did a technique. I decided to sit the class out and see what would happen, as the class ended and the mats were put away I realised that I was still invisible, I left as respectfully as I had arrived. If I had been a beginner I would not be choosing that dojo, that's for sure. Henry Ellis Co-author ` Positive Aikido `. http://kazuo-chiba-sensei.blogspot.com/ http://britishaikido.blogspot.com/ http://rik-ellis.blogspot.com/ |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
When I think back at the time when I was a beginner the only think that I was interested in was to practice and learn the art of aikido. Credentials, diplomas and affiliations seemed like the most boring thing to think about, I just wanted to practice and have good, effective technique.
When I first met my sensei I was intrigued by his passion of the art and by his choice to be independent. When I saw and felt his technique I realised that lack of affiliation could be an...advantage. Now, after almost 20 years I can see all of these officially recognized and affiliated aikidoists with their tons of ranks and credentials that they wave like a flag, struggling with their same, lame, pathetic technique as they were alway doing, a sad repetition of themselves and each other, with no sign or enthusiasm for any progress, hiding their incompetence behind their number of Dan ranks and taking advantage of all those people that would do what the OP's article advices. Choose a dojo by its front window. I would need a whole...encyclopedia to refer to all those things that consist a good dojo, so this is neither the time, nor the place. Yet, I can say this: Beware of superficial credentials and...neon light dojos, sometimes the commonly accepted recognition can be the most misleading thing on the Way of the martial arts. Aikido is a practical martial art and the dojos and senseis cannot be judged by a beginner... Instead the beginner should be thinking what he is ready to try or do in order to learn the art and develop himself into a better person... |
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So...now credentials reflect ability and skill...? Since when? Last time I checked YouTube was still around and was full of aikidoists with credentials but no skill at all!
There are potential students out there that need dojos but most dojos are not looking for students but for...customers! That is why the art is fading out into an "easy", non effective from of practice suited for...old farts, like Tai-Chi has become. The easier it is, the more people can keep on doing it, the more customers for the officially affiliated, recognized mc dojo shops! And the story goes on, generation after generation, and we keep on crippling the art by handing out ranks, credentials and diplomas that reflect nothing at all of the essence of the art. No mention of following the most all-around teacher that has an effective technique, knows about nutrition and has something to say about all aspects ofeveryday life through the prism of the aikido warrior. Just "follow the one whose neon lights shine brighter" even though they may blind you! A beginner should be willing and able to commit his life into the art in order to learn, that's the onlything he is in position to know. He has no filter to judge a teacher or a school and that's why he can get lost by being...impressed for the wrong superficial reasons... Who is the beginner to demand the "right aikido dojo" and what has he done to deserve it? The only thing that counts is the effort he is ready to make in order to become something better. If that is nothis motive then he needs not to worry about the "right dojo"! |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
Cracked has come along way. While written as a joke, their comments on Martial Arts Instructors and the links that are embedded in the text are very much spot on.
http://www.cracked.com/article_19577...ied-to-do.html |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
In my state you cannot paint a house as a tradesperson if you are not qualified and registered with the master painters association. This is for the protection of the general public from people that are unskilled. The same goes for the Building industry as a whole along with various other trades. I have no issue at all with there being accountability from an Aikido organization for the people that represent it for exactly the same reason.
If someone wishes go out out and get an internet diploma for a set fee that means nothing and hang that on their dojo wall, prospective students have every right to be made well aware that is the case and that this so called qualification is actually fraudulent and should be treated as such. I have no problems of the same standards of recognition that exist in workplaces being maintained in a Dojo setting. There are more than just one parallel between doing a 4 year apprenticeship in a trade and earning a black belt in Aikido or any other recognised Martial Art. |
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When I first stepped into the aikido dojo, I did not have any understanding of aikido at all, and I did not try to. I had studied karate for about six years (guessing, I honestly did not keep track) and shindo muso ryu jodo for maybe five years, but I had moved and was not training in either at the time (and had not for a few years). Aikido had no particular attraction to me; I was simply looking for a good dojo in any style near my new home. I walked into the dojo during a Saturday morning class and was greeted by one of the senior students, who talked to me briefly about the dojo and answered some questions about schedule and so on. As we talked, I was observing the practice. "Would you like to sit down and watch the class?" the student said. "No thanks, I've seen what I want. I'll be back," I said. I came back the next Saturday and started training. I knew nothing about aikido, and could not judge whether this was a "good aikido dojo"...but I did have enough knowledge to judge that for me, this was a good dojo. I didn't "commit my life"; I didn't understand this stuff; I didn't try to understand it. All I committed to was to train; if it started to make sense, great; if it started to feel wrong, I'd leave. I've been there ever since. |
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As for teachers with recognition but no ability...I am not talking about a fraud internet recognition. I am talking about a legitimate (in paper) recognition that reflects no skill... Can it get any more "fraud" than that? Who is gonna protect the potential students by these dojos? Well I got my answer in this thread... Nobody! Instead, the majority will keep on advising and pushing them deeper and deeper into this "officially recognized" lie, breeding more generations of "officially recognized" incompetent teachers and then spend the rest of their time wondering what happened to the effectiveness of aikido and if it works or not, in this very forrum... Pretty, bloody lame...! |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
Yannis, you're indulging in pointless ranting generalizations. As I said before, this is no basis for a discussion. If you know some way of forcing every human being on earth to be scrupulously honest, by all means, produce it. If you know some method of training every human being on earth to recognize deception, by all means, tell us. But you don't.
You sound to me like someone who came to aikido with stars in his eyes after watching too many bad martial arts movies, ready to drink any koolade offered to you -- and if none is offered, you simply make your own. I have seen more than a few students like this. You know what happens to them? They come in the door with their agenda, and they refuse to accept anything that does not conform to their silly fantasy. I have seen the most honest, scrupulous senseis you can imagine try to disabuse these individuals of their foolishness. The truth falls on deaf ears; these people are willfully self-deceived. Eventually they realize they got it all wrong, and then they blame the world, or the art, or anyone or anything but themselves. And then they become soapboxing crusaders like you who rant around the internet screaming, "IT'S ALL LIES!" So, bullshit exists, and perhaps your bullshit meter is broken or needs recalibration. But to project your issues onto all aikido students is silly. Not everybody abandons common sense when they walk into an aikido dojo, and not everybody is foolishly dazzled by rank in a system that they've never heard of. If you want to call out frauds, by all means do so, but have the courage and the integrity to get specific and name names. Your pointless generalized ranting about "there are teachers out there" is just absurd and a complete waste of time. |
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We have a dojo. We welcome students. We love to train. We welcome dues. Money is not the issue... training is. Your post was a tad general. I am sorry if you had bad experiences. |
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Cheers, Garth |
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Who said that every legitimate, officially recognized dojo is incompetent? I certainly didn't and you should read more carefully before getting to anxious to defend your schools or yourselves and by the way I had no bad experiences a careful read as I said should clear that too...
What I said is simply that we cannot advice a beginner to choose a dojo based on credentials because if he happens to get to the wrong people he can be easily manipulated into believing that their dojo is something that is not! And since, as I believe I already said, a beginner is not in position to judge due to lack of experience, he can pick a dojo, train, see what the sensei and sempai are capable or incapable of doing, see what other people are capable or incapable of doing and eventually he will develop a personal filter to choose the right dojo for him. But in order for this to work, he should keep an open mind, not be blinded by recognition that may or may not reflect one's skill. A martial art is a practical technical thing, one should be judged by what he can actually do and not some framed papers on his wall... Many times I have seen two teachers of the same rank, one being thunder and lightning and the other being a fat, lame joke of an aikidoist. Same rank, same organization! So what the hell does official recognition mean aftet all...? |
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All your assumptions about me are completely in the wrong direction and show a superficial reading of my posts and a lot of...fantasy. I was never fond of martial arts movies, I am a kind of a, let's say "specialist" of some sort in cinema and music because that happens to be my job. I am a classic cinema fan (even silent era) and generally I know a good movie when I see one whether I like it or not. I had no bad dojo experiences if you read my posts it will be made clear. I chose aikido because I wanted to learn a martial art and I stayed with my teacher for so many years because he is the best I have ever seen at least for me. He never tried to impress me with rank or recognition but that doesn't mean that he is not officially recognized. On the contrary he is, but he is not enthusiastic about that ranking system and my years with him have proven to me that it's his technique and knowledge that make him special for me at least! So, don't get rude and personally insult me with a huge hypothetical assumption about me based in complete lack of knowledge about me and my life. I didn't use any personal insults, I never said that everybody is a fraud. I merely said that in a system were people can hold a rank that many times does not reflect their actual skills, we cannot advice a student to choose a dojo based on such criteria. Even the simple fact that people that hold the same rank obviously do not possess the same technical ability should make us think twice what in fact recognition and affiliation reflects. We can't keep on playing the game of "whose daddy is bigger than whose" because it's childish! We need to get closer to the essence of things... |
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I don't see anyone in this discussion or elsewhere suggesting that beginners should make their choices based on credentials in a system whose merits they do not know. To some degree, you are tilting at windmills and fighting an enemy that does not exist. At the same time, if my prior comments about beginner agendas don't apply to you, well, they sure do apply to some beginners -- and when a beginner has such an agenda, what do you propose to do about it? Will you personally reform all ranks in all aikido organizations such that they "reflect their actual skill"? You know that you can't do that. So what is your proposed solution to achieve this perfect state of affairs? You know that there is no such solution. It's always going to be caveat emptor: beginners, with no knowledge of aikido, will simply have to apply their own common sense and calibrate their own bullshit meters. If you think that aikido is somehow unique in this, you are simply wrong. Humans have been making foolish decisions throughout all of human history -- there's a sucker born every minute. |
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Before a student can choose the "right dojo" he has to understand to at least some degree what he is seeking. Does he want to achieve a black belt? Learn to fight on the street? Prepare for a career in MMA? Improve his fitness and conditioning? Practice a martial art simply for the sake of practicing a martial art?
There are plenty of martial arts schools that will guarantee a black belt in a specific time. There are plenty who will promise almost anything. Personally I think assessing the atmosphere of the dojo is critically important. It may be intangible and hard to describe, but does the place just feel right? Watching a few classes, the interaction between instructor and students, the interaction between students, how fast students leave the mat after class can provide valuable insight even for a beginner. A place where courtesy, dignity and respect are obvious may well signify the right dojo for a student. Credentials and ranking aren't foolproof by any means, but they may give some indication. I personally know two rokudan instructors; one is independent and the other belongs to a large association. The former is an incredible teacher, practitioner and person. The latter - not so much. A five minute visit with either would suffice to make the determination I just described. I recently visited a dojo in another state while on business. I don't know if the Dojo Cho actually holds any rank from any organization. But his classes were darned good and fun. I will visit again if I am in the area. When all is said and done, ranking and credentials really aren't the best calculus to determine the quality of a school, but they are a good starting point. If the instructors are ranked by an organization, that is a start. I knew a little aikido (but not by that name) from the basic police academy. I knew I wanted to train in aikido. I visited several dojo in my region and most were really good places. I walked into our dojo and immediately knew it was the best dojo - the best dojo for me. Intuition? Guesswork? Good luck? I dunno, I prefer to call it atmosphere. Years later it remains the best dojo - the best dojo for me. |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
Maybe I am the only one who understood what Yannis was trying to say, but I do and I tend to agree with what he is saying. Having said that, the paper hanging, while not important in the scheme of things (lets be honest, skill on the mat is what counts) is a general starting point for MOST prospective and even some seasoned martial artists.
Anyone who comes to my dojo is free to ask any questions they want, watch and/or participate in class and I explain everything upfront to them so there is nothing "hidden". But that is just me, I let my "skills" speak for themselves, good or bad to someone looking at joining. |
Re: Choosing the right Aikido Dojo.
Absolutely agree with Mr Hackett. The article I posted above, the one link was to an article with information on how to verify a lineage and rank - but the most telling point for me was when the author pointed out to be a student of any martial art (or just about anything) means time invested with that particular room, with those particular people. Joining a dojo means that is where you hope to spend at least hours every week and closely, intimately interacting with the people inside for years and maybe decades; doing what they are doing for hours every week for years and maybe decades.
If you don't want to be there from the very beginning, if you feel uncomfortable just meeting the teacher, if you see their practice and say to yourself, "God, I never want to do that" - walk. You aren't ready to be there and you may never be. That's okay. For the rank issues - I like what Peter Boylen had to say in his blog recently. Rank is given for political reasons, or for ability in the particular art, but never really for training as an educator. Whether or not the person in front of the room can do or cannot do, or whatever their rank and allegiance, still not really a statement on if they can teach. Definitely not a statement on whether or not you want to spend your free time and miss hanging out with friends or your family or children or partner or try to further your education or your career; or sacrifice other things you want your disposable income to go on - just so you can spend time with this instructor and this dojo. |
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And after all that, you use your little...sense of an irony saying "water is wet, is this news?" Well, unfortunately it is news for some people since, not only I have to state the bleeding obvious but also also I have to defend the bleeding obvious because you disagree and fight against the bleeding obvious!! There was an article with an opinion about the criteria for choosing the right dojo. I happened to disagree with thse specific criteria. I stated my reasons for my disagreement. I can't be clearer than that, open your eyes when you read what I have written and also open your mind. Agree or disagree but use your sense when you do that and not your fantasy to make a model of me in order to validate your personal attack against me. It will make any discussion much more useful in the future... |
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Thoughts...
1. A paper on a wall does not an excellent, or even competent, instructor make. 2. However, if the paper on the wall was delivered to the individual instructor from a reputable group, certifying a certain level of proficiency at a level as described therein, then such a certificate does carry some weight with me as I know and understand that such things are not just handed out or Lord forbid, simply sold. 3. Rank may or may not mean anything as it compares/correlates to skil in teaching, and that is a discussion for a different day (or thread...) but rank and/or instructor certification, again from a reputable group who holds itself and its members to proficiency standards, does mean something (to me, at least). Meaning, if... say, Howard Popkin/Joe Brogna give a student a certain rank in the Daito-ryu they practice, I can be assured that, knowing Howard & joe personally, that student-person can do (because they actually had to do them in front of the said Howard/Joe to get the rank certificate) the things that rank represents. |
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