Are you training in a McDojo?

[Deleted member 34973]

I'll say it's been a while since you commented. Good to read you again, hope your well, bro.

Doing great bud, thank you. I hope all is well with you?

 

[skribs]

I guess I assumed that this self-evaluation phase was a given.

Sometimes a pushy parent simply needs to be shown the door.

Never assume anything is a given.

 

[Flying Crane]

Never assume anything is a given.

Well, I would think that if a parent is being shown the door it would be because the policy of the school is felt to be reasonable, and the parent is not being reasonable.

 

[Xue Sheng]

You know, I am rather proud of myself, I can't believe I resisted doing this as long as I did.... but...as with every McDojo type thread....I eventually weaken and I MUST post this....

If this is your Sensei

You're in a McDojos​

 

[wab25]

You know, I am rather proud of myself, I can't believe I resisted doing this as long as I did.... but...as with every McDojo type thread....I eventually weaken and I MUST post this....

If this is your Sensei

You're in a McDojos​

I don't recall giving you permission to use my photo... Besides, I needed a hair cut that day...

 

[dvcochran]

One thing to keep in mind, is that in most academic schools, a D is a passing grade. You can get 60% on a test and pass. Lots of people consider a D to be a sort of a "fail lite" and as long as they get a C- (70%) it's a pass. So the question becomes what level of standard do you hold students to? Do you hold them to 60% and as long as they show progress you reward it? Do you say 70% and they must meet the minimum standard on a few things in order to proceed? Or 80% and have a specific benchmark they need to meet? How about 90% where they must be almost perfect, or 100% with absolutely no mistakes or flaws?

This leads to two questions:

1. What is the point where you either start losing people because they'll never reach your standard, or you start losing people because they burn out trying to get there?
2. What is the point where you have to implement stricter standards, or risk having future instructors and the next generation who don't know what they are doing?

I believe it is impractical to try do give an absolute grade in MA's as is done with a written test. Can you check gross boxes and say a certain skill set is attained? I suppose. What is most important is to find each persons absolute best. That requires them to fully understand every required skill. Will each person perform each skill the same or at the same level of effectiveness? No. Never. Should an instructor be able to see measurable improvement over time? Yes.
I know you go to a school with a large enrollment. How do you keep up with a persons improvement? Especially someone who is "on the fringe" of skill level.
Our GM has a doctorate in psychology and Divinity. He can definitely play with someone's mind. I love it when I get to see him push someone to the edge of mentally breaking. He does through perceived physical exertion. Without exception, when a person gets to their breaking point he shows them that they are capable of more. He does this with children and adults.
I think most of the parents who complain early on were going to leave no matter what the instructor/school does. Most of the time if they will hang around long enough to get a real idea of what is going on they stick around.

 

[skribs]

I believe it is impractical to try do give an absolute grade in MA's as is done with a written test. Can you check gross boxes and say a certain skill set is attained? I suppose. What is most important is to find each persons absolute best. That requires them to fully understand every required skill. Will each person perform each skill the same or at the same level of effectiveness? No. Never. Should an instructor be able to see measurable improvement over time? Yes.
I know you go to a school with a large enrollment. How do you keep up with a persons improvement? Especially someone who is "on the fringe" of skill level.
Our GM has a doctorate in psychology and Divinity. He can definitely play with someone's mind. I love it when I get to see him push someone to the edge of mentally breaking. He does through perceived physical exertion. Without exception, when a person gets to their breaking point he shows them that they are capable of more. He does this with children and adults.
I think most of the parents who complain early on were going to leave no matter what the instructor/school does. Most of the time if they will hang around long enough to get a real idea of what is going on they stick around.

How do I keep up? I see them every class. Or if I don't teach that class, I see the progress they've made every test.

How much understanding is required? How much should a 4 year old know about the techniques to be promoted?

 

[dvcochran]

How do I keep up? I see them every class. Or if I don't teach that class, I see the progress they've made every test.

How much understanding is required? How much should a 4 year old know about the techniques to be promoted?

I think yours is the best and most personal way to do it. Do you have a paper or computer system to aid you in tracking?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

One thing to keep in mind, is that in most academic schools, a D is a passing grade. You can get 60% on a test and pass. Lots of people consider a D to be a sort of a "fail lite" and as long as they get a C- (70%) it's a pass. So the question becomes what level of standard do you hold students to? Do you hold them to 60% and as long as they show progress you reward it? Do you say 70% and they must meet the minimum standard on a few things in order to proceed? Or 80% and have a specific benchmark they need to meet? How about 90% where they must be almost perfect, or 100% with absolutely no mistakes or flaws?

This leads to two questions:

1. What is the point where you either start losing people because they'll never reach your standard, or you start losing people because they burn out trying to get there?
2. What is the point where you have to implement stricter standards, or risk having future instructors and the next generation who don't know what they are doing?

My approach is that there's a minimum standard for everything at each level. Excepting exceptional exceptions, they must meet minimum on everything. But just meeting minimum on everything isn't enough - they have to meet enough expectations. In other words, the minimum standard is just to keep me from advancing someone who doesn't have a foundation. If someone's a quite good grappler, I'm okay if they're just meeting my minimum standard on striking - and vice versa. If someone's technically very good, I'm okay if only meet minimum standard at live play - and vice versa.

All that said, I never really cared how long it took to get to a next rank, so my curriculum is laid out with that expectation from students. If someone pushes hard to get to the next rank, they're likely to get frustrated - it's simply not designed to make that feasible. It's a grind, and the rank just recognizes how far they've progressed at the grind.

 

[skribs]

I think yours is the best and most personal way to do it. Do you have a paper or computer system to aid you in tracking?

We don't. The closest thing is close to testing time they jot down a list of people who are ready or close to ready to test.

 

[WaterGal]

I guess I assumed that this self-evaluation phase was a given.

I don't think it is. Lots of people do things because "we've always done it that way", and if it's not getting them the results they want, well, that must be the fault of kids these days being lazy, or parents being entitled, or Americans taking it less seriously than Asian people, or some other reason.

 

[dvcochran]

The parents are entitled?

 

[Buka]

Doing great bud, thank you. I hope all is well with you?

It is, brother, thanks.

 

[Flying Crane]

I don't think it is. Lots of people do things because "we've always done it that way", and if it's not getting them the results they want, well, that must be the fault of kids these days being lazy, or parents being entitled, or Americans taking it less seriously than Asian people, or some other reason.

Fair enough. But there comes a time when a parent needs to be shown the door.

 

[PhotonGuy]

I would like to point out that calling somebody's school a McDojo can be offensive.