How to Receive Traditional Martial Arts Training

[Bill Mattocks]

You might think that as a student, your obligation is to pay and attend training. From a certain perspective, that is correct. We pay for goods and services, and we receive them. Other than our money, there is no obligation placed upon us when we purchase things.

You pay tuition for college, and you are allowed to attend classes. You can go or not go. That is entirely your choice. You can learn or not learn. Also your choice. Your payment allows you to attend and be graded on how well you have learned the material.

Some think of martial arts training in a similar way. Perhaps it is for some schools or some styles of martial arts. But not all. As a student, it's a good idea to figure out which type of school you are planning to attend.

I saw this post on Facebook recently:

The Martial Way - Zōkin gake - Cleaning the floors "A... | Facebook

It reminded me that in my dojo, the students are expected to clean the dojo after class. Not to scrub and sanitize and make it spotless, but to do basic upkeep. To vacuum, mop, empty the trash. From time to time, students will grab the glass cleaner and clean the mirrors. When required, some student will clean the bathroom. Sensei is not above doing these things; in fact if the students fail to do them, Sensei will do them, and cheerfully, without a word of complaint on his part. From time to time, he will physically take a mop or broom or vacuum cleaner from the hands of a student and cheerfully order them to go home, and he does the rest. This is, of course, at his discretion.

However, the post I linked to reminded me that students are never taught or lectured or told to do these things. They learn by example; by watching the other students pitch in and tidy up after class. Most do...some do not. No one is ever told they must do these things, no one is ordered to participate or even chastised for not doing them. Voluntary means just that; no one has to do anything except pay their fees if they wish to attend training.

But this 'paying back' goes much further than just cleaning the floors and mirrors and emptying trash. And it might be worth a moment of a new student's time to consider the following.

I am only a student. But it appears to me that students who do not pick up a broom or mop are noticed. It is understood that not everyone has the ability to do so, due to scheduling and other personal issues. But those who perpetually avoid putting in any effort are noted.

This does not just include cleaning the dojo. It includes being enthusiastic, being dedicated, showing perseverance, and doing one's best to follow the instruction given. Everyone advances at their own pace; there is never any negative judgment attached to learning slowly or having difficulty with a given technique or movement. What is noticed are negative traits such as a bad attitude, laziness, slovenliness, and lack of respect for the instructors, instruction, fellow students, equipment, and the dojo itself as an institution.

Every class, Sensei comes in and gives his all to the instruction. That is the respect he shows to his students. The students have an obligation to return that respect by giving their all to their training. Nothing superhuman is required; simply to do one's best.

Everyone has an off day. Everyone has times of injury or personal situations which can keep one from giving 100%. That is understood. What is not understood is a perpetual attitude of not caring enough to return the respect that is shown to each student. I am not talking about students who have issues that prevent them from learning in a traditional way. It is understood that people have different abilities, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Traditional karate begins and ends with 'rei'. Rei is a Japanese word that means 'respect'. We use it to mean to bow to someone or something, but when we bow, it is a physical manifestation of the respect we should be feeling. In this, it is similar to the military salute. I have met some people in my life who said they would hate the military because they would not want to salute officers. What they fail to realize is that although the enlisted person is obligated to salute officers, the officer is equally obliged to return it; and all salute the flag of our nation. Respect works both ways, or it does not exist at all.

Think about that when you train. Many eyes are upon you, and everything is noticed, not just your martial arts abilities. A person may fail to advance, not because they are physically incapable of learning, but because they do not possess the correct attitude to be taught.

Unless a student's behavior is very disruptive, they probably will never be told that they are not being taught beyond the basics because they do not exhibit the attitude of a willing student. So I leave this at your door, new student. I would urge you to consider it. One of the best attributes a student can possess is a willing and eager spirit to learn; and to give back as a sign of respect.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

You might think that as a student, your obligation is to pay and attend training. From a certain perspective, that is correct. We pay for goods and services, and we receive them. Other than our money, there is no obligation placed upon us when we purchase things.

You pay tuition for college, and you are allowed to attend classes. You can go or not go. That is entirely your choice. You can learn or not learn. Also your choice. Your payment allows you to attend and be graded on how well you have learned the material.

Some think of martial arts training in a similar way. Perhaps it is for some schools or some styles of martial arts. But not all. As a student, it's a good idea to figure out which type of school you are planning to attend.

I saw this post on Facebook recently:

The Martial Way - Zōkin gake - Cleaning the floors "A... | Facebook

It reminded me that in my dojo, the students are expected to clean the dojo after class. Not to scrub and sanitize and make it spotless, but to do basic upkeep. To vacuum, mop, empty the trash. From time to time, students will grab the glass cleaner and clean the mirrors. When required, some student will clean the bathroom. Sensei is not above doing these things; in fact if the students fail to do them, Sensei will do them, and cheerfully, without a word of complaint on his part. From time to time, he will physically take a mop or broom or vacuum cleaner from the hands of a student and cheerfully order them to go home, and he does the rest. This is, of course, at his discretion.

However, the post I linked to reminded me that students are never taught or lectured or told to do these things. They learn by example; by watching the other students pitch in and tidy up after class. Most do...some do not. No one is ever told they must do these things, no one is ordered to participate or even chastised for not doing them. Voluntary means just that; no one has to do anything except pay their fees if they wish to attend training.

But this 'paying back' goes much further than just cleaning the floors and mirrors and emptying trash. And it might be worth a moment of a new student's time to consider the following.

I am only a student. But it appears to me that students who do not pick up a broom or mop are noticed. It is understood that not everyone has the ability to do so, due to scheduling and other personal issues. But those who perpetually avoid putting in any effort are noted.

This does not just include cleaning the dojo. It includes being enthusiastic, being dedicated, showing perseverance, and doing one's best to follow the instruction given. Everyone advances at their own pace; there is never any negative judgment attached to learning slowly or having difficulty with a given technique or movement. What is noticed are negative traits such as a bad attitude, laziness, slovenliness, and lack of respect for the instructors, instruction, fellow students, equipment, and the dojo itself as an institution.

Every class, Sensei comes in and gives his all to the instruction. That is the respect he shows to his students. The students have an obligation to return that respect by giving their all to their training. Nothing superhuman is required; simply to do one's best.

Everyone has an off day. Everyone has times of injury or personal situations which can keep one from giving 100%. That is understood. What is not understood is a perpetual attitude of not caring enough to return the respect that is shown to each student. I am not talking about students who have issues that prevent them from learning in a traditional way. It is understood that people have different abilities, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Traditional karate begins and ends with 'rei'. Rei is a Japanese word that means 'respect'. We use it to mean to bow to someone or something, but when we bow, it is a physical manifestation of the respect we should be feeling. In this, it is similar to the military salute. I have met some people in my life who said they would hate the military because they would not want to salute officers. What they fail to realize is that although the enlisted person is obligated to salute officers, the officer is equally obliged to return it; and all salute the flag of our nation. Respect works both ways, or it does not exist at all.

Think about that when you train. Many eyes are upon you, and everything is noticed, not just your martial arts abilities. A person may fail to advance, not because they are physically incapable of learning, but because they do not possess the correct attitude to be taught.

Unless a student's behavior is very disruptive, they probably will never be told that they are not being taught beyond the basics because they do not exhibit the attitude of a willing student. So I leave this at your door, new student. I would urge you to consider it. One of the best attributes a student can possess is a willing and eager spirit to learn; and to give back as a sign of respect.

Once again, well spoken, Bill!

As I was training my way up through the ranks at my primary instructor's dojo, I remember seeing the senior students doing some of the cleaning. It took a while for me to feel "at home" enough to start helping. I noticed where they'd get the glass cleaner for the mirrors, where they found the dust broom for sweeping the mats between classes, etc. And I started helping, because they were that model you spoke of. One day, a senior students (probably one of the brown belts) asked me if I had written down the dusting I just did.

"Write it down?"

"Yes, on the clipboard. Come on, I'll show you."

And that's when I learned there was actually a list of cleaning tasks that folks could sign off on. It wasn't used to track people, rather to make sure 20 people didn't dust the dojo in one week, leaving the mopping undone. I had been doing some of those chores for a couple of years before I found out about the clipboard. When I got to brown belt, I found out why that student had helped me out - keeping up with what needed to be done was assigned to the brown belts as a group. Nobody was required to help clean up, but if that cleaning up wasn't done, brown belts didn't make it to black. So, it was in their best interest to let us see them doing that work and to make sure we signed off what we did, so the work got done on a regular basis.

Some folks seemed to feel put-upon for being asked by other students to help with the cleaning (I never heard the instructor mention it to anyone except the senior brown belt, whose role it was to make sure the brown belts understood the situation). I always figured it was part of the deal. I got so much out of the school, and this was a way to give back to my instructor and the other students. Little did I know until years later that it was also part of the training.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Some have asked questions on MT about testing, promotions, advancement, and receiving advanced training.

When do you test?

The question isn't when do you test. The question is, when are you not being tested? I feel the eyes upon me every time I step into the dojo.

It's not a mystical 'inscrutable martial arts' thing. It's a character thing. It's a psychology thing. Instructors have limited resources. They can't be all things to all students, try as they might, as much as they might like to be. So who gets the most advanced training? Those that the instructor believes are most likely to be able to learn it. And who is most likely to be able to absorb it? Those who demonstrate perseverance, patience with themselves and others, respect of themselves and others, and a willingness to demonstrate humility and sacrifice. It is not often that a stone supports crops. So fertile soil gets watered, and stone does not.

 

[hoshin1600]

In the aikido dojo I attended we cleaned before class. As the sempai, yeah I noticed who never showed up early enough to help out.
There is also the story of Suzuki Roshi who would yell at his senior students for certain things, even tho they did nothing wrong. He didn't want to admonish a lower student so he would yell at the seniors while the guilty party was around.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Some have asked questions on MT about testing, promotions, advancement, and receiving advanced training.

When do you test?

The question isn't when do you test. The question is, when are you not being tested? I feel the eyes upon me every time I step into the dojo.

It's not a mystical 'inscrutable martial arts' thing. It's a character thing. It's a psychology thing. Instructors have limited resources. They can't be all things to all students, try as they might, as much as they might like to be. So who gets the most advanced training? Those that the instructor believes are most likely to be able to learn it. And who is most likely to be able to absorb it? Those who demonstrate perseverance, patience with themselves and others, respect of themselves and others, and a willingness to demonstrate humility and sacrifice. It is not often that a stone supports crops. So fertile soil gets watered, and stone does not.

I agree entirely. When I was a kyu-rank student, I looked at the testing as periodic and episodic. Now that I am an instructor, I see that I'm always evaluating students. I've considered actually doing away with formal tests, because they don't really provide me much useful data for determining promotions. I've kept them for two reasons: tradition within the art, and the stress it puts the student through (which is valuable for self-development and self-defense).

When I see a student doing a technique improperly (misunderstanding a principle, perhaps), my mind goes two places. First, I start figuring how to help them fix it. Second, I mentally calculate about how long it's probably going to be before I will consider them ready for the next rank.

 

[jks9199]

Excellent post and important points, Bill. I'm feeling lazy, so I'm just linking to this for my take:
Piedmont Bando of Northern Virginia: How have you paid for your training?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Excellent post and important points, Bill. I'm feeling lazy, so I'm just linking to this for my take:
Piedmont Bando of Northern Virginia: How have you paid for your training?

Another well-stated take on the concept.

 

[Paul_D]

Paying to train, and then helping to clean the dojo as well, is a like paying for a meal in a restaurant and then going into the kitchen to help wash the pots.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Paying to train, and then helping to clean the dojo as well, is a like paying for a meal in a restaurant and then going into the kitchen to help wash the pots.

No, it's like paying the rent, and also cleaning your apartment.

 

[drop bear]

I don't like getting staph. So I mop.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Paying to train, and then helping to clean the dojo as well, is a like paying for a meal in a restaurant and then going into the kitchen to help wash the pots.

No, it's like paying the rent, and also cleaning your apartment.

I think a lot depends on how the dojo is operated.

If the dojo is operated as a commercial business and the owner is making a living from it, then pushing tasks necessary for running that business onto paying students is kind of cheesy.

If the dojo is operated as more of a club with student dues just going to cover expenses, then it makes sense for students who want to help keep the club afloat to help out with such supplemental labor as they can provide.

Realistically, a lot of schools fall into a gray area between those two possibilities. They aren't officially set up to be non-profit, but they aren't pulling in enough money for the head instructor to make much of a full-time living. In that case, it comes down to the relationship between the instructor and the students and the level of community that has developed in the school.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think a lot depends on how the dojo is operated.

If the dojo is operated as a commercial business and the owner is making a living from it, then pushing tasks necessary for running that business onto paying students is kind of cheesy.

If the dojo is operated as more of a club with student dues just going to cover expenses, then it makes sense for students who want to help keep the club afloat to help out with such supplemental labor as they can provide.

Realistically, a lot of schools fall into a gray area between those two possibilities. They aren't officially set up to be non-profit, but they aren't pulling in enough money for the head instructor to make much of a full-time living. In that case, it comes down to the relationship between the instructor and the students and the level of community that has developed in the school.

I've always looked at it this way, Tony: you either pay more for cleaning, or you help with cleaning. Every student I've ever trained with wanted costs kept down. That's why I look at it like renting an apartment and cleaning up, too. You can pay for someone to clean your apartment (in fact, luxury apartments sometimes include that service), or you can do it yourself and save money. All the training benefits aside, if the instructor has to clean everything himself, he should expect to make more money (and, thus, should charge more). Since most of the instructors I know have a "day job", every bit of cleaning they do takes away from the rest of life.

I'm a proponent of the training benefits of having students help with the cleaning (the humility it breeds, the sense of responsibility and community, etc.). But that's not everyone's goal, so I have no problem with schools/programs that choose not to have students participate in the upkeep. It's a different approach, is all.

Now, if the school is a commercial program that is fully staffed (paid associate instructors, paid cleaning staff, etc.), then there's no reason other than the training purposes I mentioned why students should be expected to help out. But none of the schools I've ever even visited fit that definition. In most, the associate instructors' only payment was free training (and in some cases, not even that).

 

[Tony Dismukes]

In most, the associate instructors' only payment was free training (and in some cases, not even that).

I do believe that if a student is teaching at the school, then they should at least get their own training for free. Anything less feels exploitive to me.

 

[Paul_D]

No, it's like paying the rent, and also cleaning your apartment.

Would a swimming teacher expect the pupils to bring their own chlorine to clean the pool with?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I do believe that if a student is teaching at the school, then they should at least get their own training for free. Anything less feels exploitive to me.

I tend to agree with that. If they are only teaching sporadically, some sort of discount should be available. I will say that I saw uncompensated instructors in a school where the chief instructor was (on his own decision, without any request from his instructor) still paying his monthly dues to his instructor, who was two states away. I think the lack of payment to the associate instructors was simply an extension of his mindset that had him voluntarily paying monthly dues to a school he wasn't training at.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Would a swimming teacher expect the pupils to bring their own chlorine to clean the pool with?

No, but if he might expect them to skim the pool before swimming classes if it's an outdoor pool. Or he might expect them to put the floats away at the end of the class if it's new swimmers (that was an actual thing in my swimming classes as a child).

That said, swimming classes tend to be short-term, so won't often have much time to focus on building as sense of responsibility and community.

 

[Paul_D]

No, but if he might expect them to skim the pool before swimming classes if it's an outdoor pool. Or he might expect them to put the floats away at the end of the class if it's new swimmers (that was an actual thing in my swimming classes as a child).

That said, swimming classes tend to be short-term, so won't often have much time to focus on building as sense of responsibility and community.

He can expect all he wants, but he isn't going to get

 

[Gerry Seymour]

He can expect all he wants, but he isn't going to get

I'm not sure why you find that so objectionable. It's an easy way to help kids develop a sense of responsibility. Many people who teach anything to kids try to contribute a bit to their larger development.

 

[Paul_D]

No, it's like paying the rent, and also cleaning your apartment.

I would say it's more like paying to rent your apartment, and then going round and cleaning your landlords for free as well.

If I pay to rent an apartment I get to live there and do what I want when I want, if I pay to train at a dojo it doesn’t become my dojo in which I get to do what I want whenever I want.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I would say it's more like paying to rent your apartment, and then going round and cleaning your landlords for free as well.

If I pay to rent an apartment I get to live there and do what I want when I want, if I pay to train at a dojo it doesn’t become my dojo in which I get to do what I want whenever I want.

In no way do you get to do "what I want whenever I want" at any dojo I've ever seen.