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Old 06-26-2006, 04:10 PM   #17
"can't say"
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Anonymous User
Post Re: Changing Dojo b/c Slow Progress, Loyalty

I recently left a dojo I had been training at for several years. I will try to give you the best advice I can from my own perspective


"What if I have decided that I like a different sensei's aikido better; i.e., I want my aikido to be more like his, should I leave my dojo?"

-Sometimes a dojo is for you and sometimes it is not. Why don't you visit other places and see what suites you best.


"What about not liking the aikido that the other students in my dojo are doing; is that a reason to leave?"

-Remember everyone is different just because another student does aikido a certain way doesn't necessarily mean you have to do the same. If you are having problems with just an individual talk to Sensei about it.


"What about loyalty issues, in that we are talking about changing sensei within the same organization so we are liable to run into each other again?"

-In my opinion you have to be honest with yourself & your Sensei. Make sure to be respectful no matter what your decision is. Burning bridges could end up biting you in the ass later on down the road. If you decide to leave and do it on positive terms, there is no reason to worry about running into them. Really search your soul and make sure you are leaving for the right reasons not the wrong ones.


"I believe that a lot of my aikido is self-motivated by what I want to work on, but some things I can't learn on my own, like paired weapons."

-It is not a teachers job to give you what you want all the time.
Sometimes there are things we need to work on that we don't realize we need to work on. I don't know your experience level with aikido so it is hard to know where you are coming from on this...I'll just put it this way aikido is a process, if you think you are going to learn everything in a year your are mistaken. Take into account they might not be teaching you certain things because they don't feel you have the foundation to do them properly, in other words you are not ready for it yet. Again I don't know your experience level so all I can do is guess and try to respond.


"Well, I am just a little frustrated. Sometimes I feel as if I could have progressed farther in my aikido if I was training with more talented sempai and/or sensei. Any thoughts?"

-What exactly do you mean by progress? Are you speaking in terms of rank, skill, or experience. Let me play devil's advocate here for a moment... what makes you think you would progress further with someone else? I get the feeling there are some details you are leaving out. Regardless I wish you the best and really think about your decision before you make it.
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