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Old 11-14-2008, 10:16 AM   #14
Marie Noelle Fequiere
 
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Dojo: Atibon Aikido, Port Au Prince, Haiti
Location: Port au Prince
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 295
Haiti
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Wink Re: Spirit and loyalty

Everywhere I ever enrolled - fitness club, dance school, Karate, and finally, Aikido - I had to fill up a form that included the following question: why do you want to do.....? This is a very important information. It gives you an idea of what the student is looking for. He/she often finds something different from what they wanted. At this point, they either quit or be interested in a perspective that they had not expected. Those who stick around stay for a reason. There is one student a my dojo who apparently comes just for the fun and the socializing. As a result he does not improve much, but what can we do? He's a nice guy and he often makes himself useful in other ways. We take him as he is.
The thing is that you cannot force commitment one someone.
Try to find out what most people want upon enrolling, and start working from there. You will not always be able to please them. But those who stay just might suddenly be hit by the light one fine day. You plant the seed, you water it, and, having done your best, you wait.
This is one of the many humbling aspects of the martial arts.
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