im sure more than one of you have come upon the situation i would like to discuss. a situation that is currently taking place for me in my Aikido-life.
i have only been studying aikido for about 2 years now. but, i love it to death. i try to live by the 4 basic principles, i try to be mindful of others, i try to be at class every chance i can(in my case only on tusedays and thursdays). but unfortunatly i have been having to work one or the other of my Aikido nights almost every week. but that isnt the main problem or topic of this post.
i can work around my work/ Aikido schedule.
What has mainly been bothering me is the growing lack of interest among my fellow Aikidoka at my Dojo. Just yesterday i was in class with me, my father(started several months ago), and the instructor for the evening(not of dan rank). my Sensei can only be there every-other-week due to family issues; and i am in no way complaining about that. but, it seems that every other week only a few of my fellow students choose to come to class, and even the weeks that my Sensei is there, the numbers only slightly increase. But i am most concerned that if the numbers stay so low, that my school might shut down
that my Sensei might stop instructing. im not sure what to do, it doesnt seem as though the greater population of the students at my school believe and have such a love of aikido as i do. and i dont know what to do about it. i dont think talking to them would help. nothing i can say can change there feelings about something they believe. and (i think i should mention that i am only 17 years old) i cant seem to find many friends or fellow students at my high school to come try a class. and even if i could, how would i get them to stay with so few students ever in class?
im just not sure what to do.
any advice from any senior/ non-senior aikido out there? any would be much appreciated.
-morgan