Behind The Scenes In Martial Arts

It took me a while to lose my naivete with modern martial arts schools and the so called PC atmosphere they try to promote. I’ve been teaching for a long time and in a lot of different places (thanks to the military) and most martial arts schools are a lot alike. They are territorial and don’t admit their short-comings very well. Almost all are always trying to promote two things to the public:

1. They teach character and have a character development program.
2. They respect other martial arts because they are all the same and we should all get along like one big happy family.

I found out these same schools lie, knowingly or out of ignorance, to people when talking about other schools and instructors. They put down other schools and instructors saying that they are no good but these "scavenger" schools will use anything that they find of value from those same instructors and use it for their own. I teach certain things that are totally unique to me and my arts. I have had people/instructors from other schools either come by to watch classes or participate in a regular class or seminar and learn some unique skills for the first time. I tell them explicitly that they are only learning the “surface-level” technique (for obvious reasons) and don’t understand the entire environment of how or why it works. It is dangerous to teach something that they don’t understand completely and have only practiced marginally or not at all. I am also known for giving out A LOT of information. Usually more than what other martial artists or fitness trainers can absorb. I also have them all sign a clause that states they will not teach what they learn or see from me without my express permission. Anyway, I find out later they have taken the small amount of material they have learned from me and used it to create a whole new part of their own curriculum and are now teaching it for a profit. When you inquire about it, they deny that they are teaching that material. So much for character and respect.

Some of these schools also have their students and instructors tear down flyers of other martial arts schools that are displayed throughout the community. They will be the first ones to publicly say that there are enough potential students for all martial arts schools but they are also the first ones to prevent people from even looking or finding information about anyone else since they only see the public as dollar $ign$. This is just another example of character and respect going out the window. Maybe my values are just too old-fashioned.

Their students come to us after training with them for a while because they are not happy with how the other club or gym did business or that they only taught water-down martial arts while trying to make everyone feel pumped about what they were learning. These other instructors were just trying to make a purse out of a sow’s ear. They use high-fives instead of high standards to produce self-esteem and a sense of belonging. Techniques that are taught are easily seen as ineffective by others with some experience and know-how but these charlatans tell their students that they will be able to protect themselves. Then they ask for more money. Some of these guys really believe in what they are teaching because they were told by their teachers that it would work or that it was “demonstrated” as an effective method in a non-realistic, but convincing, manner. It is just another aspect of the martial arts “salesperson.” When these students come to me and I show them how to train the techniques in a more effective manner, the light goes on and they realize that they finally found what they had been looking for all this time. I like it when these folks say they will never go back.

Our students and fitness clients like to keep in touch with us after they move on. It was pointed out to me the other day that none have started training at another gym or dojo unless they moved out of town or out of state. They tried to find something similar or they didn't train at all. It gives me a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling when they tell us how much they miss training at our dojo. That tells me that we are doing something right.

We push our students to check out other schools and see what they do. We tell prospects to check out others and then to come see us. I also warn them to watch out for the sales pitch from sales people or “program directors” at these other places and inform them of the tactics that will be thrown at them.

It is hard for an outsider to understand. Martial artists used to be honorable. Now they are profit driven and pure business. There are two types of schools:

1. Traditional ethic – we want to promote the art that was passed down to us. If we make a little money along the way, that is fine.

2. Wealth ethic – this is what we do to make money and I want to make as much as possible while giving as little as possible.

Each ethic is propagated by students of instructors that usually have the same ethic. It doesn’t mean that traditional instructors have to run themselves into the Poor House while teaching martial arts. They can still make money but they weigh every business decision not by “how much will I make with this” but by “is this better for the students, for the school, and the art.” That is the ethic that is sadly losing ground to the “Wal-Mart” mentality that is now so deeply ingrained in the martial arts and fitness industries. It is passed down from teacher to student and a lot of the old values are being lost.