Obligation Doesn't Trump Fun

Sailor Sindbad · Yellow Belt

One of the benefits of the move to my current dojo. The last one tracked attendance, as there were minimum hours requirements for promotion to each rank. Didn't have the hours to test for the upcoming cycle? You'll have to wait for the next.

This means that students are showing up when they don't want to be there, or even when they really shouldn't be there (i.e., sickness, injuries, etc).

I even had to schedule family time around my attendance, which was causing problems with my wife at home.

Doesn't really leave much room for "wanting" to show up.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that anymore where I currently train. Every time I go, it's because I want to be there.

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

You make a lot of good points there. It's important to remember, as instructors, that most people take up MA activities to have fun. If becomes unfun, then they are likely to stop showing up.

Now, there is a caveat here; I don't feel inclined to change what I teach in order for students to enjoy themselves more. I won't be stepping out of my circle of knowledge unless I am confident enough I won't mess it up, or I can bring in an expert to relay it for me. But if there gets to be too many requirements, it can become unfun.

I am not against time in rank requirements. But I am against forcing someone to take more time away from important day to day activities in order to achieve it.
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sensei8 · KF Sensei

There's a funny thing about obligations. Who to give it to or who to take it away from or keeping itself to oneself or even to the style itself. But here's what matters...once decided, and only the individual can decide, it requires serious dedication and thoroughness.

Fun? Sure? Of course. Who wants to learn and train and whatever else if it's not fun. Nonetheless, obligation and fun have to be entwined with each other for the betterment of the practitioner.

Imho.

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Sailor Sindbad · Yellow Belt

sensei8 · KF Sensei

aurik · KF Sempai

Our CI has very lenient training time requirements for rank advancement. Generally you're expected to attend two classes per week each week. As you get up into the brown belt ranks, he gets pretty strict about those, but honestly if you can't commit to two training sessions per week, it's REALLY hard to progress.

For those who intend to test for black belt ranks, there is a 3 month "test prep" cycle, where you have an additional required class each week that focuses on the test material. Fortunately he will poll the students and pick one or two days/times in the week that work for all of the students. But if you're planning on a dan grading, he does expect a certain degree of commitment from you.

On the flip side, he does also trust dan-graded students to train on their own. For example, we have several (black belt) students who live a fair distance away that makes it infeasible to train multiple times per week. As long as they check in with him and show that they are progressing (ie, show that they have been training at home), he'll let them grade at the usual pace.
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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

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