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Old 12-05-2004, 05:05 PM   #19
"Anonymous User"
IP Hash: ccaadb8b
Anonymous User
Re: Dojo loyalty or personal gain?

I was in a similar situation to this however I was one of the senior sempai who left the dojo. I didn't make a big issue about me leaving becuase it wasn't my place to "rock the boat" and affect the dojo and students. It was my sensei's dojo so for me to make it public as to why I was leaving seemed inappropriate to me. I told those I was close to (the other high dan ranks) and then just disappeared. Unfortunately, it was in a situation very similar to this one in which other sempai quit and others left to start their own schools. Err...I hope we're not talking about the same dojo. If so, sorry!

I agree with the above post that when someone starts they are similar to a child and "grow and mature" in the art. It can become difficult when the student becomes an "adult" in the art to stay with their instructor, who had acted likk a parent. Not to mention it is very easy for some instructors to fall into that "parent" role, they feed off it, and to try and keep it even when the dynamics of the relationship are no longer the same.

One thing I don't agree with is that students always have to go off and start their own schools. That always seems to come up in Aikido, moreso than any other martial art. There is always this push to start your own school, start your own school! No thank you, I just want to train please. I don't mind helping out, even teaching and running a class here and there, but don't act like it is a forgone conclusion that I desire to have my own dojo.
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