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[andrewkyokushin]

I wanted to talk about something other than mainstream dojo fighting/training talk, and have come up with this....

What do you do in your dojo, apart from the traditional training to make your dojo appealing and involved in the community?

I know that we are all busy people, with lives of our own...work, wives and children etc...but do we self reflect enough? Are we standing still? Is your Dojo where you want it to be? What can you do to get back on track, move it forward, go a different direction?

These are some of the questions you may need to or are indeed asking yourself now! Is the Dojo a talking point of the community (positive), do children train with you, are there difficulties bringing in adults to train?

I intend to open my own dojo one day, and have the idea of Introducing fun days, dojo parties, kicking kids sessions... etc, making Kyokushin more accessible to the public, when the sight of people hitting lumps out of each other in a good old fashion 'dojo fight' may be off putting to the average Joe!

Dont get me wrong, I have no intention of a dojo full of wild fun which will never stop - on the contrary, I believe in tradition, with the basis being good old hard Kyokushin training to develop people. But every now and again...introduce an open day, a fun day, sponsored runs/walks, charity events, birthday 'mini' sessions, even fancy dress sessions on days like April fools (1st April) etc.

In a time when competitors are thinking of ways of taking members for their own (and not necessarily karate - but sports and life activities), are we doing everything we can to not only bring in fresh blood, but are we contributing to our communities effectively, helping people throough the discipline of Kyokushin karate (Read the dojo kun).

I hope this kick starts your thinking and even motivates you do strive for something better!!

Osu

[ashiharakaicho]

Osu,

With our dojo we do many things outside the dojo - whenever its a student or parent's birthday, we get together. We do regular hikes, we visit the sick ones, we "gate-crash" whenever there is a function, support fund-raisers of members, help students study and so on. In fact, wherever there is a opportunity to socialise, our members are raring.

Our students must write essays on camps, tournaments, travels; they must bring their school reports and if there is no improvement - no grading or tournament participation - and then we usually help to get them to improve and so on.

Our dojo is not just about training, but being there for one another and having fun in the process.

I've written on other posts before about all the things we do, so check them out.

[andrewkyokushin]

Osu ashiharakaicho!!

Thats great, and not only because you are so active in the community...but to also help and develop your members in other aspects of their lives outside to the traditional 'training'. it must be home from home for the kids...just when they thought they left their parents behind and the questions of "have you done your homework", they get it on their break too haha.

Great stuff - My ambition is to follow your lead in opening a dojo with that sort of support network!!

Osu!!!

[ashiharakaicho]

Originally Posted by andrewkyokushin

Osu ashiharakaicho!! Thats great, and not only because you are so active in the community...but to also help and develop your members in other aspects of their lives outside to the traditional 'training'. it must be home from home for the kids...just when they thought they left their parents behind and the questions of "have you done your homework", they get it on their break too haha. Great stuff - My ambition is to follow your lead in opening a dojo with that sort of support network!! Osu!!!

Their parents love me - my first circular for the year states ...
Since its inception, we, at Ashihara Karate, have viewed ourselves not only a sporting organisation, but primarily as an educational institution. Over the years we have developed into a community based organisation actively stressing the importance of scholastic performance. Children and adults are not only taught, but in most cases are shown by the example of their instructor the true meaning of decency in personal conduct and respect for all life and property in all ways.

Many parents do not realise the depth and scope of good karate training. It offers a lot more than just surface value. Along with proper guidance from Parents, the study of Ashihara Karate is an invaluable aid in creating a well adjusted human being.

" ... the early years of life are most critical in forming a child's opinion of him/herself. The self is formed from the experience woven in everyday life, concealed in everyday occurrences, hidden in the deep the way he/she is treated."

W. Somerset Maughan expressed it beautifully in the Razors Edge.
"For men and women are not only themselves; they are
also the region in which they were born, the city
apartment or farm in which they learned to walk, the
games they played as children, the old wive's tale
they overheard, the food they ate, the schools they
attended, the sports they followed, the poems they
read, and the God they believed in."

William W. Purkey

So all I can do is to keep on trying and to live up to the above ... knowing that in my communities, we do make a difference!!! Perhaps too that is why we have such good parental involvement.

[andrewkyokushin]

Well, I think we all should read and reflect on that...do we pursue own needs or try to influence and improve people on a bigger scale. You are an inspiration to many ashiharakaicho

Osu