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Devon Natario wrote:
Americans need to be motivated to do something.
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I think everybody needs that.
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Devon Natario wrote:
What is the point of someone searching for knowledge when they will get nothing for it.
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What is the point of searching anything if we all finally die? What you can get from doing any art except some satisfaction from what you are doing?
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Devon Natario wrote:
No offense to Aikido, but it's one of the slowest arts for promotion that I have ever been in. ...
But had I been a student with no experience. I would have been bored of this art already because there's no goal. 7 months without a promotion would be pretty boring to me as a beginner.
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What would you say about my previous karate school where first promotion happens after about 4 years whey you really don't care about ranks and promotions? And guess what, almost all students I started with, were still there when school was closed. Actually what amazed me in America was how easy you are getting promoted here.
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Devon Natario wrote:
I just dont see a point, except for self growth, which I am sorry is far less important to Americans than self gratification is.
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Right! For all 290 millions of Americans!
I think more travel could show you that there are places where people more interested in their daily food than in self growth.
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Devon Natario wrote:
Maybe if these "so called" great instructors allowed photographs, autographs, a certificate of attendance, etc for students they would be more hungry to attend.
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I personally don't think so.
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Devon Natario wrote:
We as instructors need to make people hungry to seek us out, not expect them to seek us out.
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That's a great idea, but how do you propose to make people "hungry"? People's nature is so that you can't just make a person hungry. They become hungry when their stomachs tell them so. I believe the same is true about hunger for knowledge. Something inside the person should drive him into dojo. I don't think autographs or free coffie can help.
On the other hand probably some more information about the art (TV, magazines), demonstrations (which I would prefer more since TV shows mostly are too merchandized in their nature), etc could catch people's interest and bring them into dojo. But to keep them in there... I believe there need to be more than just interest.
How to develop that "something" that keeps people interested even after years of practice, I don't know. But from my experience that can't be developed from outside.
I don't like confrontations overall and sorry if my post is too offensive, but that was my original reaction which I wanted to share.