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Old 08-28-2015, 11:16 AM   #17
G Sinclair
 
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Dojo: Bushikan Aikido
Location: New England
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 28
United_States
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Re: Instructors first impressions turning away prospective students

Quote:
Anonymous User wrote: View Post
Keeping students interested, bringing new things to the table, most importantly evolving without ever forgetting the basics. If you teach dancing and it fails them they will blame you. Don't portray it as a martial art if you don't teach it that way.

What is the demographic profile of your community, and where do you expect new students to come from?

If I left and hadn't push for a immediate change the school would have been closed after 50+ years. I was fortunate when I first started aikido from day 1 back east. The chief instructor and his sempai didn't bullshit me or taught me dance-kido. Its was because of this I immediately joined. There were serious and safe about training. The current dojo where I eventually made my way to became a joke dance studio by the 2nd year. When people see this they will run for the hills and that is what happened. The leadership failed and had to be removed. I have been practicing for 13+ years ( still a newbie) and had exposure (not ranking) to other styles of Aikido. (Iwama, nishio, tenshin ex.) I try to attend at least 2 seminars a year (regardless of style) locally so I don't get stuck in the "aikido box". There is always something new to learn. What you have been doing there always might be a better way of doing it. Take in everything and discard the nonsense bullsh*** without forgetting the basics because that is the foundation. I make sure to tell my students there is NO MAGIC or no "no touch throws" in aikido but there is hard work and a little pain to make it become a part of you.
Respect. I like your approach to Aikido and the dojo. Congrats on keeping them open. Hope to meet you at a Tenshin seminar someday.

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