I have been thinking about this lately a lot. Lineage still is no guarantee that your teacher is good either. I have been in dojo and trained with people who had all the lineage but did not know how to teach or were jerks. I have also trained in back alleys with teachers who had no political affiliations but had incredible techniques and a very good understanding how fighting works.
Our teacher's teacher just joined such a group as your USSD. I do not agree with it and the way it makes money but I already have been with the school for 8 years, have really good friends in the school, I like my teacher but I don't like my teacher's teacher which is really irrelevant to my training. I had to take a really good look at my training. You know what? It hasn't changed that much. My teacher is still the same, my class mates are still the same and I am getting out of the classes what I came for in the first place. Bottom line you might have to look into supplementing your training down the road when you run out of things to learn at your school but until you do, if you are happy with it, I would not worry.
You may be getting more out of your dojo than you expected - something different than what you intended. If you are learning and like the environment, there's no reason to leave. If your training is appropriate for YOU then I think you haven't given us a reason why you should leave. As pointed out, every school has some attribute that others might raise a flag and scream "McDojo!". No school is perfect. That is why I can't stand the lists out there - the recipes - that "define" what a McDojo is.
If your training is appropriate, then that's your value. If not, then you should find a place that does provide appropriate training. It's a simple rule, really. The gray areas, really, is the money.
Are you being charged high rates even though the training is appropriate? Maybe. Then you have to decide - for financial, not technical, reasons - that you should leave.
Are the students and/or instructors there jerks even though the training is appropriate? Maybe. Then you have to decide - for social, not technical, reasons - that you should leave.
It seems to me that you are going solely by what others said about your school and not by your actual experience. Talk is cheap and if you ask a million people their opinions you will get a million different opinions. A McDojo is purely about making money and if your school is failing people during rank testing AND returning their money I do not see how it is a McDojo. It may or may not teach good self-defense, but that is more a matter of the quality and qualification of the instructor.
In the end, the "trouble" is that you have not asked yourself WHY you are studying martial art. If this school fulfills your goal, then that is all there is to it.
You gotta keep the two separate. You do martial arts to learn martial arts, not to socialize. I understand that they're your friends and it's hard to leave them, but continuing to train there after learning that it's a McDojo would be silly.
Keep them as friends but switch schools. Explain to your parents the concept of McDojo's. I'm sure they won't want to shell out money to a place that's basically swindling you. Look into other schools on google. If you'd like help finding a place near you, feel free to email me.
paying for tests does not make it a mcdojo. why do you feel ts a mcdojo?
the way you train, how much they charge children black belts thats what makes it a mcdojo.
if your place is a mcdojo then you should leave and find a better place to train.
read this link to weed out the mcdojo's, the link is a guide just because they have a few signs does not make them a mcdojo
http://www.karatebyjesse.com/93-signs-of...
In reality anyone else could pick out an aspect out of anybodys Dojo and call them a McD, what works for one might not work for the other, For me Dojo is family, in the end you said it's help you , you have made friends and you feel like it is true to you, its obvious from you comments its been beneficial for you been there just on that aspect more so than self defense side of it, so why go? .
If it has helped you that much and you get your money back if you fail it is NOT a McDojo. I think you should stay.
Okay so I've been studying martial arts at USSD (united studios of self defense) and iIve been there for almost a year now. So I had not done any research on the place until today which on my part was a dumb thing to do, but found out they are a McDojo. The thing is I dont want to just up and leave after finding this out. I really love all of the people ive meet amd gotten to know. Honestly if it wernt for them id probably be dead or in a psych ward. I have a very good relationship with everyone there and theyve seen me at my worst and helped me get through a whole lot of ****.
Other then just the people I feel like what im learning is true and how it should be. I dont feel like im being ripped off. And at my lovation when we do testing ,yes,we do have to pay but our masters do fail people and return there money from the test which from what ive heard most other places dont do.
So what should i do because I still want to learn martial arts its basically become my favortie thing in life. (Im 15) If i do decide I want to change to a diffrent school how can I convince my parents? Lastly how can I choose a good dojo if I switch?
