"Trials" and training tribulations OR Is commitment-phobia in karate a problem?

I'll preface this by saying, I offer no answers to the problem. I have plenty of thoughts. I have tons of examples and stories. I have some suggestions and ideas. But I do not know how to solve the problem, if it can even be solved at all. This may be a bit of a ramble, so buckle up.

Trial classes are a curious thing. I get it. I really do. In today's world, you have to give folks a sample of what you do. A taste. A try-on. Just like in the stores. A sampling of budo wares, as it were.

Yoga does it. Gyms do it. All fitness ventures seem to buy into to. Woe actually to those that do not, really. 

My problem is not exactly with the freebies. Freebies are the symptom of the greater disease. 

We've all seen it and experienced it. It has been happening for at least 30 years, but it has steadily worsened over time. The perpetual come-and-go of students. Time of departure varies.

Does not matter the quality of the school or the nature of the training. Some students do not stick around very long. But this is not about the why of students leaving. There's a perpetual laundry list of whys for people leaving: bored, no time, no money, overbooked, too much contact, not enough contact. Etc etc.

I think it largely has to do with differences in our societies. We approach things in a very different way now than we did even 20 or 30 years ago. We are less likely to commit. Our reasons are stated above. But even in the "good old days," we were always given stats about what it took to succeed, to reach that coveted pinnacle: black belt.

We heard about the green belt exodus, the blue belt blues. Those that left at brown belt were considered to be the ones that did not have the motivation or the self-confidence to make black belt. Of 100 students who started, only one would reach black belt, we were told. So, in some ways, was it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Or maybe just really weird student management.

Today, though, things are different. And the difference is not simply visible in karate. For further study, check out any fitness centre after January 1. Check back about 4-6 weeks later. See who is still around. That will tell you a lot about our "resolve." That's just our society/ our culture now. 

And I get it that as smart consumers, people want to try to stuff out. We try on clothes and footwear for style and fit with no commitment to buy. We maybe get samples of food or drink before we order to make sure they are to our tastes. I am always wary of people who want to come and try a class first.  Why? Because in my mind, you do not really get a sense of the journey you are going to undertake from a one hour class.

It would be like taking a Porsche or Lamborghini for a 100 metre test drive. Hardly enough time to get a sense, a feeling for the journey on which you are embarking.

There are some things that have time limits - some sports like football, hockey, baseball. They are seasonal. Teams members come and go. Or maybe you only run a session like Zumba or Pilates for 10 weeks. People in and people out. But karate is different. All martial arts are, presumably. Or at least they should be.

I typically tell people who demonstrate some hesitancy that they should stick it out until they get their yellow belt. Y'know, at least accomplish something. Many do not. It's just not for them, they say. I typically tell people who let me know that they are leaving that they are always welcome back in the dojo. I don't need students. But I do think that people need karate. OK, maybe not karate but maybe something like it. So why not karate? 

Now, to be fair, I've quit my fair share of martial arts in my time. I did Hapkido for a while in grade 12. I did Aikido for a while when I was in university in Winnipeg in the 90s. Before that, I did Japanese Ju-jitsu in university in Québec City. Tae Kwon Do from the late 80s to about '93. Motobu ryu when I lived in Japan.
Reasons for leaving? Typically because I was moving ( Japan), the class times changed and did not fit my schedule (university) or I found myself at odds with the instructor or the content (again university and high school). But the difference was that I had a base. I had already studied and received my black belt before I started other styles.

Obviously, I got my black belt in Tae Kwon Do (I mean, who hasn't?😋). I got my yellow belt in Ju-jitsu and the new class would have conflicted with my work commitments. I was not actually seeking to grade in Motobu-ryu - it was purely for the experience. And Hapkido? Well, I wanted Billy Jack stuff, but I got lotsa stuff that looked like Tae Kwon Do. Where I was able and willing to accomplish my learning objective, I did. Where I couldn't, I cut my losses and did something else.

So my experiences are not the same. I've stuck it out. I've hung in there. And I think that is part of it. It's that consistency, that dedication that is largely missing. That commitment to something.

Breaking up is hard to do. I used to take it personally. I mean in the sense that it hurt that someone from the community, the family of practitioners, was leaving. I still feel a sense of loss. But it is not as strong anymore. It was and perhaps still is because I know what awaits people. I know of the ups and downs of training. I know the rewards and benefits that karate offers the longterm practitioner.

But it's just that. It's exactly that. Most people do not see themselves as long term practitioners when they start. They see themselves as consuming a product. They are paying money to take up a pastime, a hobby. And it's up to us as instructors to provide them with the information and knowledge they need to learn, to succeed. It's up to them to decide whether they will adhere to practice and growth and development within karate - that's the part that is out of our control.

You can lead the budo horse to water...

Occasionally, you will find the odd parent (or even the odd adult student) who will have a "no quit" rule. Those folks are encouraging. They get the commitment required within the art. They know there will be ups and downs in the journey. Others still are willing to go the distance, but they need a more concrete hook, a tie-in: the contract. But should we really put a price and time on someone's learning as an incentive to keep them around. I'd say that is a question of the instructor's motivation, and that is a conversation for another time.

So what do we do? Do we make it easier to learn and obtain belts?

Nope, then those who want to be challenged will leave.

Do we make it harder and weed out the fence-sitting crowd faster?

Bad idea, unless you know how many fence sitters you have exactly.

Like I said, I do not have any burning bush solutions. So here comes the blinding flashes of the obvious: motivation is one way to keep students engaged. Encouragement. Praise for hard work, when the praise is earned. Give people a taste of something new and something different. A hook. A bit deeper plunge into the well of knowledge. Observe the students individually to determine which ones are struggling, which ones are needing to be pushed more, which ones need to be brought into line a little more. Discipline is also a great motivator for some people (professional doms would agree with this😉).

In other words, it is my belief that ever single student needs their own reason to maintain or extend their commitment. It's up to the instructor to use whatever tools are in the toolbox to motivate the various people on the floor. No need to be all things to all people - that is damn near impossible. But being some things to most people is certainly in our ballpark.

They need not be big and crazy things. Maybe switch up the drills and skills. Perhaps a new kata? Or break out some mats or some weapons and make some new synaptic maps for the information you give them. Maybe get a good sweat on for the ones that want a good intensity hit. Pair people up of different sizes, ages and skill sets for partner drills of varying intensity and speed. Or hey, set up informal socialization events. It's a great way for people to feel connected to something. Chatting and learning about people around creates a bond. And bonds are hard to break. Now we're no just fellow students and instructors - we've shared beer and wings. We're people. We have names and everything... that makes it harder to leave.

That being said, some may come into with an intent that they will try it out for X weeks or months. But it is rare that these folks stick around longer than that period of time. They've already decided how long they'll stay. They are limiting their field of commitment.

Imagine getting married and the vow being "til two years from tomorrow do us part." Yikes!

Til dojo do us part?
This guy shows commitment
I can really appreciate!

Unlike the marriage, it would probably still be a good idea to provide that student with everything they needed while they were there.

In any case, one could drive themselves crazy worrying about whether or not students will leave. Obviously, there's a greater level of concern - and a broader set of issues to be worried - if you run a commercial school. But there's creative some solutions around that as well - hello long term contracts! 

No matter the size of the dojo, probably the biggest thing we need to keep doing is learning. Learning and teaching. Modelling the way is also going to benefit your students. Being the person they can emulate will also go a long way to keeping people following you on the road. If you stop learning, stop exploring, stop studying, the ground truth says students will take their cues from the demonstrated lack of curiosity and exploration.

So that's what I've got. Maybe you are nodding your head. Or shaking it. Maybe you have more ideas. Or maybe you were inspired by something I said here.

Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

As always - good training!