09/06/2026
The journey isn’t easy but worth it for those who are finding themselves as a Martial Artist.
Did you know that the majority of people involved in Martial practice that has a ranking system, (Belt system) have not had to truly meet up to these requirements?
Most systems here in the states have been degraded by newer practices because these values were lost a long time ago.
Most studios have been forced to prioritize the student as a customer instead of the other way around which when you consider sales, “the customer is always right” they don’t really have a choice.
Most instructors have to make the process as comfortable as possible with little to no resistance to get a positive response from the student to feed student retention.
There’s a Dojo or training facility readily available everywhere you look so when a student isn’t getting things there way or it gets too challenging it’s easy to find another place to go that will be more than happy to accommodate the student’s perspective because of the financial aspect.
Most studios have learned that to grow their company they can no longer try to convince the student to do things in a way that will actually help them grow because discipline isn’t what most people are willing to subscribe to so to stay in business adjustments had to be made.
More and more studios are promoting many Black-Belts with their being no real standard needed and the same people who are being promoted under these poor standards are opening training facilities and teaching from that very same standard and even worse.
This is the trickle down effect within the Martial Arts community that has become the norm where people are not encouraged to be: strong, practical, and competent in their craft, but to chase certificates that have no real value due to the nature of their process of achievement.
No real progress is ever made in comfort and walking into a training facility where the student is in control will never produce real results.
Sometimes it can be difficult to willingly place ourselves in an environment where we have to make sacrifices and be told what to do especially when it’s a difficult task, but this part of the journey from day one is the most crucial part of being receptive enough to actually become a well rounded practitioner.
The instructor that pushes you isn’t a bad instructor. That instructor cares enough about you to want you to succeed and not become a victim to false confidence just in case you find yourself in a situation where you’re training may be the only weapon you have while your survival is on the line.
Martial Arts is like car insurance, you might not think you need it until you get in an unexpected accident and wish you had it. 🥋
