Karate-Business-Ethics, living well and not losing your soul

[Aunty Ichigeki]

I have a question that I think ties into this thread. What is your branch chief, country representative & international org doing for bums on seats in your dojo? I'm not being political here. In fact it's comparing Kyokushin orgs to other sports not to each other that make me ask.

I went along to a Sports Governance seminar & heard a lot of sports have problems getting members to pay their national org annual subs. In most sports, especially in Olympics year, the perception is the members are paying for the high performers to have the trip of a life time!

So what do our Kyokushin orgs do for us and what would they do in a perfect world? We really value the history & the technical guidance & the international connections but in a country where nobody ever heard of Kyokushin, they don't see it on TV or in sports mags, what can a branch chief or country representative do for a dojo? This is a big, strategic question that I think Kyokushin don't answer very well. If getting bums on seats is something we should do collectively what do dojo operators & members want? Collective advertising? Coaching? Business coaching? NAPMA type services? Or do dojo operators want to be left alone to do it their own way?

[Spirit]

Originally Posted by Aunty Ichigeki

I have a question that I think ties into this thread. What is your branch chief, country representative & international org doing for bums on seats in your dojo? I'm not being political here. In fact it's comparing Kyokushin orgs to other sports not to each other that make me ask.

So what do our Kyokushin orgs do for us and what would they do in a perfect world? We really value the history & the technical guidance & the international connections but in a country where nobody ever heard of Kyokushin, they don't see it on TV or in sports mags, what can a branch chief or country representative do for a dojo? This is a big, strategic question that I think Kyokushin don't answer very well. If getting bums on seats is something we should do collectively what do dojo operators & members want? Collective advertising? Coaching? Business coaching? NAPMA type services? Or do dojo operators want to be left alone to do it their own way?

Graet question...

I can say this form my experience with the IKO [original} and one of the spin off IKO's.

Our small dojo was in driving range [2-4 hours] of 3 very big name B/C's and each one of them came to our dojo once.
They did not do anything for our dojo nor did any B/C, but 2, that came to our dojo. In all I have seen 11 different B/C come to our dojo from 3 different countries.
The only 2 that did offer more than a class was Dave Cook and John Farrell.
Sensei Cook spent a week with us and really worked with the student that had talent and drive.

As for Sensei Farrell he came back over and over again, even when it cost him money out of his pocket to return to teach us kata, techniques etc that our B/C sensei did not know.
He came back for years to make sure the yudansha was excelling to the level Sosai asked him to make sure we where.

He impressed me so much that I have been his student since the mid 80's leaving my original Sensei do to his lack of knowledge and abilities.

I have been at a training when one of the heads of an IKO came and all he did was sign belts of the kids and stand their and watch a few things not teaching or talk or anything...

As for putting "butts in the seat" I don't think that any of the B/C's think of that for others dojo's since they to have their own.
Though one would think that that is what they should be doing, I really do not think that is the true job of an B/C. More on the sales side to bring in more dojo's to the IKO rather than building them once in.
Also scouting for fighters to represent the country at the 2 tourneys is more on their mind.
Since the top B/C gets to lead the fighters of said country.

I can say that most orgs; that I'm failure with [shotokan, goju etc] also are about the same.
Overall growth not individual dojo growth.

As well as a B/C the IKO did not give me incentives nor direction to help bring in or grow the dojo's in my zone.

So being a B/C really [to me] means nothing other than paying $300.00 for a cert saying I'm a B/C.
My personal suggestion for you would be wishful thinking dojo's to become a B/C put the money into your dojo not the IKO's pocket.

Now I know this has happened to several of my yudansha friends and Senpai's who join other IKO's when they open their dojo's.
I also know of a few who enjoy their association with the IKO do to the training they have received.
So if you put it in a figure scale 1 in 10 happy to not be part of an IKO or Org.

Even our Org that I chair, has a hard time helping each dojo to put students in the door. Though we do have an open ability to talk and pass on info that has and has not worked for each other.
Kancho Farrell told me [when I told him I needed $6,000 for a floor] he would run a seminar in my area to raise money for the dojo's floor without any cost to me. As well the board members would travel in to help open the dojo and one member asked if his son could come and be an Uchi Deshi of mine...

Though our group is small and struggling to grow, members do help the best they can. I think this is the best way a group can help others. Ive them backing through knowledge, being their to support and working together to help through wisdom.

Lastly our group only charges $3.00 for Kyu certs, $100.00 for any Dan grade cert and $25.00 for dojo reg;
Keeping cost down for the dojo is a big help too.