13/09/2026
Ordet Karateka kan ersättas med Shuriteka eller för all del Budoka.
There are 3 types of people in every karate dojo
- Customers
- Students
- Karateka
People sometimes move from one category to the next or as the case may be back to a category from where they came ….
Customers pay for a product with money, they expect that to be delivered with minimal effort or sacrifice on their behalf. Their payment should be sufficient. Customers seldom show loyalty and they are always right (just ask them). Customers are very important to the running of a business. Customers come and go as they please. They rarely progress and don’t stay.
Students want to learn. They attend classes in an attempt to achieve a personal goal. Students need instructions, encouragement and motivation to put in the effort and sacrifice that is required to develop. Students are somewhat loyal to their pursuit but more so to themselves. Students seldom learn beyond the superficial, thrive on short term achievements and cease training if adversity increases. Students are drones that are prone to Instructor worship and often denigrate anything other than what or how they train. They often see a dan grade as the end goal or an indication of how good they think they are.
Karateka walk in as customers, become students and evolve into something very different. Karateka train even when no one is watching. They study every aspect of the art. They do not covet acknowledgments of their performance in the short term. Karateka genuinely care about the development of those who follow the same path. Karateka routinely sacrifice and put in extra effort to see their dojo thrive. Karateka do not necessarily need to be told what to do, they are self motivated. Karateka attempt to what is right both in and outside the dojo. Karateka do not boast about their skills and always see themselves as students. Karateka appreciate all forms of Budo but acknowledge they are on their own chosen path. When things get tough a karateka keeps training and caring for others. They know that not turning up to scheduled training can have a detrimental effect on the development of others. Karateka know when it’s time to train and when it’s time to relax. They are capable of independent thought and make karate their own. Karateka keep their training alive for their whole life. Karateka would happily train with a white belt on. Genuine karateka are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
What proportion of these people exist in the dojo where you train?
Which category are you in?
