McDojo

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McDojo is an example of McWords applied to martial arts and a pejorative term used by some Western martial artists to describe a martial arts school where image or profit is of a higher importance than technical standards. A McDojo of Korean martial arts is usually called a McDojang. A McDojo (used as a noun) is a martial arts school of any style that uses specific business practices or principles for the purpose of generating revenue for the school. McDojo as an adjective is applied to indicate that a particular action or practice by a school is motivated primarily by financial gain. While using the term McDojo primarily indicates judgment of a school’s financial or marketing practices, it also implies that the teaching standards of such school cater towards the lowest common denominator and may be fraudulent.

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[edit] Examples of McDojo practices

Currently, there are no official standards for identifying a McDojo. However, there are guidelines.

[edit] Qualifications

Most frequently the individual that runs a McDojo will have inflated or self-awarded black belt rankings or will belong to a certifying organization that cannot be traced to a known legitimate school or organization of recognized good standing. Frequently these people will be much younger than other instructors that hold similar or higher rank, and will hold rankings in a large variety of styles or arts.

It is common for such fraudulent instructors to "cross-certify" each other. Additionally, they will frequently take titles that imply very high levels of skill and several decades of experience, such as soke or grandmaster, without having been granted them by any accrediting body. Some even create their own "school" and declare themselves grandmaster of it.

Another frequent tactic is to claim to have been trained in some non-specific place by an unknown "master". Any claims of having journeyed to Asia to train with secretive monks/ninjas/fighting masters must be generally assumed to be false, particularly if they claim to have learned secret arts that are superior to all other forms. Some instructors will also advertise claims that they are former members of the special forces (e.g., U.S. Navy SEALs).

[edit] Contracts

One commonly seen McDojo practice in martial arts schools is the use of long-term contracts (6 months or longer in length) to lock students into a monthly payment, usually by direct debit/deposit from a bank account. These contracts are generally structured so that a student would have to die, be seriously injured, or move a minimum distance away from their current place of residence in order to be released from the terms of the deal. Students who are dissatisfied with their training or are unable to continue participating for reasons beyond these can find themselves forced to continue paying for unwanted lessons.

School owners and instructors usually justify this type of payment plan by asserting that such plans are a greater guarantee of revenue for the school than a “pay as you go” approach, and can enable them to offer students standardized fees for training. Some schools with contracts will also accommodate students' individual circumstances; in the case of a student with a minor injury that prevents training for two months, the school may "bank" the time for that student. Although the student will still pay during the time they aren't training, that two months will be available for them when their contract expires.

People against contracts typically reply that if the school's quality was high enough, they wouldn't need to require a contract or monthly payments; that students would want to keep paying of their own accord. The prospect of someone being forced to pay for unused training, even if it's being "banked" by the school, is also objectionable for some.

Some schools use contracts and direct debit/credit card payments as an attempt to keep the school a place of learning instead of a place of business. Since the financial component is automatic, the exchange of cash or checks in the school is less frequent, and generally frowned upon.

[edit] Belt testing/ranking fees

Another frequently seen McDojo practice is charging a fee per belt test or per actual advancement in rank within a particular school. This is frequently combined with creating additional levels of rank within a school, making a school known as a “Belt Factory.” While traditionally there are ten belt ranks (kyu) before black belt (dan), depending on the type of martial art and the attitudes of the school owner, the number of ranks from a white belt to a black belt can be anywhere from 5 (BJJ – White, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black) to upwards of 16 ranks (ex. White, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, Brown, and Black) with intermediate ranks in between: White, Advanced White; Orange, Advanced Orange; etc. Some schools also use a system of "stripes" to create more ranks/levels, or have even invented new belt colors, such as a "camouflage belt."[1]) Given the multiplicity of colored belts in this system, another term for this is “Revenue Rainbow.” Most Japanese and Korean martial arts charge for gradings - the key is to watch out for grade inflation. A higher fee for black belt gradings is only justified if it involves the attendance of more examiners than usual, a larger certificate and a better quality belt.

Schools may also charge fees that are proportionately greater in amount as a student advances in rank. Belt fees for White, Orange, and Green belts may only be $20, but testing for a brown belt or a black may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Depending on how a school evaluates students for assigning rank, this can turn into a "bullshido" practice if the advancement comes from an ability to pay rather than an ability to perform at the appropriate standard. Some feel these fees are justified, however, as testing for a black belt may require as many as ten people to gather from around the region, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles.

[edit] Cardio and children's classes

Many schools use the popularity of martial arts to run “cardio kickboxing” classes that are devoted to giving adult participants an intense workout based on martial arts training. Schools may also host martial arts classes for children that generally run as an after-school activity. These types of programs vary greatly in terms of their emphasis on learning martial arts, as opposed to giving kids a healthy, fun activity outside of the school system. Although most cardio kickboxing is advertised as exercise-only, some instructors and schools claim it can also teach martial proficiency. [2] [3]

While some may deride schools for having these non-martial classes, current trends in running a martial arts school almost always means that schools have to offer a wide variety of classes that appeal to a greater market in order to have enough students to pay the bills. Offering children's and cardio classes means that students who are interested in more martial offerings will not have to pay an exorbitant fee, as the less martial classes help subsidize those costs.

[edit] Equipment requirements/embargos

Some schools have a requirement that all students must have training equipment from a particular manufacturer and/or must be purchased through the school itself. Additionally, schools may forbid students from using their own gear that may be of a different style or manufacturer. These schools may receive profits from selling equipment by marking it up from the wholesale price at which they originally purchased it.

This is a less-likely sign of a McDojo practice, as some sound reasons exist for these requirements/embargos. Insurance companies may limit schools to using certain brands in order to guarantee coverage in the event of injury. School owners/instructors may also have a specific preference based on experience with various brands and deciding that a particular brand is the one best suited for the school's needs. Also, except for individual wear-and-tear, there is a guaranteed uniformity of equipment among all students in a school. Finally, one way a school can remain in business is by selling equipment to students.

Opponents of this practice complain that embargos can require them to purchase completely new training gear when they may already have high-quality gear from prior study in other schools. Further, even when new gear is needed, the cost of the gear either through the school or suppliers can be excessive for those on a limited budget. To address this latter complaint of high cost, some schools will purchase the gear for the student and allow the student to make payments on it at their own pace so that they can train immediately.

[edit] See also

[edit] Examples

[edit] External links

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