I Survived a Kenpo McDojo (and why that's GOOD!)

[@CanOfMinus]

I was the biggest Villari Kempo McDojo franchise in the states. They org knew how to market the style, knew to stay away from contracts, and knew they had to value the adult students' tuition just as much as the kids even though the kids' tuition dwarfed the adults, and knew how to run a tight ship in uniformity between schools. All that made it really hard to recognize them as a McDojo because on the surface, everything had value. However, the teaching business model was built to cater to the average 20 month student retention: All thriller, and no killer. As you pointed out in your experience, techniques & kata were to be performed but going through bunkai of forms or principals of techniques was a once in a blue moon event. The end result of that is Bullshido. I did teach for them, going through their instructor program and we were taught we were salesman first to be able to survive that 20-month average student turnaround while meeting franchise agreements. For me, the biggest test of if you are in a McDojo is watching their blackbelts. If their blackbelts are just flopping through basics, techniques, and forms, then they have a blackbelt in paying tuition. Run.

[@miah1571]

Someone still training in shaolin kempo till this day, seeing how it's dwindled down to what it is now, some villarie schools still around and Steve demasco schools thriving after the USSD split. I can't imagine teaching and loving the role of an instructor in that atmosphere. Respects for teaching kempo.

[@Jason-E-M]

You got personal and opened yourself up for real criticism...and I respect that. You made great points and I admire your attitude Thanks, Dan!

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I try to make it a habit of always self-assessing my efforts. I can't learn if I'm not willing to accept criticism from myself and others :)

[@camiloiribarren1450]

So glad to learn more about what makes a McDojo and what’s Bullshito. Dan is a brave man for sharing his own experience

[@danm8004]

The term is "bullshido" but the sentiment was presented well.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I've heard both used. Bullshido is the more common one but I like "Bullshito" better. :D

[@danm8004]

@@ArtofOneDojo it's a little more on the nose, I'll give you that.

[@McDojoLife]

In order to fix anything you have to be able to define it. This definition is a term I’ve been working hard to fix because it’s opinion based and not facts based. Happy to discuss anytime. Hit me up Background checks are way more important than style or lineage. First aid/CPR certification is also important.

[@Kendastylemotion]

That leg shuffle at the end of the kata had me 😂

[@garykrasinski820]

Also my favorite part!

[@strikingmachine2975]

@@garykrasinski820 I actually did that in my last street fight when I was age 15. I did the Ali shuffle, to make him think I was about to do some fancy boxing. then I took him to, the ground, mounted him, ground and pound for about 10 seconds, which broke his nose. This was before I or anyone else in this country even knew what MMA or BJJ was..

[@danm8004]

​@@strikingmachine2975then you kissed, right?

[@psychedashell]

It’s how he got the final submission. The other guy’s broken nose was full of blood so he covered his mouth - with his own.

[@drumsticknuggets5123]

I like hearing your perspective. Additionally if like to add that mcdojos also allow one an option when there are no others. A good starting point that serves to spark a passion for lifelong learning.

[@Grodd70]

Great video and informative. I agree with many of the points made. I started at a fantastic school over 30 years ago. At that time the head instructor was about sparing, pressure testing techniques and physical fitness. It was a hybrid Kenpo system where he took it upon himself to "shrink" the system down to techniques that had a better chance of being successful when applied. (Less flash more punch). Kids were not encouraged and the ones that we had were held at blue belt till they were an adult. I recall as every white belt does asking "How long does it take?" His reply was " well work really hard, and every person is different, but about nine to ten years average to black. Black belts were required to know how to use (qualify and clean) a handgun, rifle and shotgun. Why? because we live in a world of firearms. As I got older I went to other schools and found that most just ran it as a business. More like an after school day care where there were 10 year old kids who were black belts. Sparring wasn't allowed. Don't get me wrong I think for kids its still a great way to learn dedication and discipline, but my suggestion is find a school that meets your goals.

[@Priestbokmei1]

You’re a very balanced and honest commentator. I really enjoy your videos.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Thank you, I appreciate that :)

[@williamw1332]

“Lord of the Flies” McDojo was my first dojo. It was a run down juvenile detention center ran by a warden…kinda looked like a mix between the giant rat from TMNT 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐀 and the Kingpin from Spider-Man 🤑.

[@jordanpenman6167]

Another great video! I have enjoyed a lot of your videos, and from what I can tell we have roughly equal amounts of time put in. I’m a 5th degree owner/operator of a Shao-Lin Kempo school. (Cerio lineage) But what I am constantly impressed by is how well you articulate the points you make, and that you offer solid reasoning that even haters can’t rebut. I’m stoked you give Kenpo/Kempo such a solid role model. Keep ‘em coming!

[@corvuscorvanes]

I can't agree with this more. I was incredibly lucky that my Kenpo school was a weird mix of both. To be clear, if you came in and wanted to learn to fight, you would. He also kept his doors open to those that wanted general exercise and the social environment. No contracts and the Jr black belts rolled straight into the adult program as well. A week after joining Kenpo I was flipping through the satellite channels and off the cuff searched for Kenpo. Low and behold, The Perfect Weapon came on in 30 minutes. I never looked back after that.

[@blockmasterscott]

I trained in Kenpo for 15 years because of that movie LOL!!!!!!!! I've got the power! 👍💪

[@richardthemagician8991]

I had a taste of that same mcdojo! LOL. I'm glad we both found our paths. The one thing I'm grateful for is that I developed my love for martial arts at that school. So much so that I realized I deserve better. Keep up the good work!

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I remember! You know all too well a lot of the things I'm referring to. There were good things in the school too, but there were definitely issues...especially much worse ones that came later :(

[@jedijudoka]

I started my journey in an Ed Parker mcdojo. Was a green belt teaching kids while head instructor was playing solitaire lol, had hidden fees, he never paid the kids that helped him out. Stuck around long enough to get a black belt(which was less than 3 years, another red flag), but left to train at an mma gym because he never allowed any sort of real contact in sparring, only practiced forms and ideal phase of the techniques, and I wanted to learn grappling. He ended up abandoning his position as VP of a large Kenpo association to start his own, which failed, now he’s a larry Tatum affiliate I believe.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Wow, that's not too far off from what we went through. We worked for him for minimum wage, which at the time was $3.75 an hour. Teaching Karate classes all day for minimum wage sucked. But, it was my first job so I didn't complain. We NEVER got raises. When the minimum wage went up by law to $4.15, he told us he was giving us a raise, but we all knew it was because he HAD to. I was dumb...but not THAT dumb lol.

[@Scorch1028]

Sensei Dan, one trend that I have noticed among some McDojos in my town is combining 3 distinct martial arts like Aikido, Judo, and Shotokan karate into a "single style", and then awarding students a black belt in under 5 years. Aikido, Judo, and Shotokan each require many years to master "individually". So, lumping all 3 arts together and promoting a student's rank to black belt in all 3 styles means that they have probably not even achieved black belt mastery in any 1 of these systems.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Yeah, that is the risk of some hybrids. If they are just combined there is often a give of quality. Not always the case, but I know what you mean and I agree.

[@hur1kane]

Those are 3 recognized arts of the JKA, Japanese Karate Association, the only government funded martial arts organization as they are heritage based arts. Kinda criminal to do hybrid of the big 3. It would be impossible to do them justice in such an environment.

[@rcarfang2]

I thought Original karate had wrist locks (aikido), punches/kicks (Shotokan) and throws(Judo)?

[@tablab165]

Great episode! I volunteer at a school where one of ED Parker's black belts still teaches and I gotta say, they're extra conscious of being viewed as a McDojo. Not as proactive about making sure the kids have practical combat skills as I'd like, but that kind of thing is hard to instill in such a reward-oriented, afterschool, litigious culture we have to deal with. I almost wish martial arts were subsidized in some way that could take this pressure off of instructors so they could focus on quality over quantity.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Subsidized as long as they met a certain level of quality, I would agree. But then that opens the door to..."who" gets to determine that quality.

[@glo-brain]

I wonder who you’re talking about, as there aren’t many E.P. students left. I went to a well known E.P. guy for years, and he was quite the dickhead. His wife had the same nasty temperament, too.

[@kuji-in-deed369]

We’re all glad that you were wise enough to recognize and grow beyond the BS. You’ve taught us everything that has traditionally been hidden away in most dojos. You’re our Sensei of truth. Much respect.

[@HussarPlays]

I survived a JKD McDojo. Towards the end the instructor focused more on his social media presence than this class presence. The payment provider was harder to cut than the Comcast. It did introduce me to Kail and super barebones BJJ. Years later I am fully committed to BJJ and Japanese JuJitsu

[@zabicka0766]

I met with Schwarzeneger once because of my dojo :D

[@KurtAngle89]

You meant Kali* Yes, seems super interesting and useful

[@errolthomas9426]

You should've trained in real Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do under either Daniel Inosanto or those who trained under him

[@HussarPlays]

@@errolthomas9426 I did under some guest instructors. But our instructor rather lost his way. In did have a chance to do a 3-day Kali seminal with Dan Inosanto once, and that was incredible.

[@Herowebcomics]

I am so glad you figured out what makes a place a Mcdojo! It is important to know!

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

Your description of "tournament forms" and then showing us a clip of yours, reminded me of the one time I went to a martial arts tournament and I competed in kata. I came from a very traditional karate school and so my "best" kata at the time was Taikyoku III, and you can imagine even a perfectly done Taikyoku kata is never going to have a chance against a dance routine. Even today, knowing more advance katas, I think I would face the same problem. I never competed again.

[@robertharte4]

I started kenpo training at a BA dojo with a canvas mat nailed to the floor and black belters with banged up knuckles. Training was hard and, in hindsight after getting into real life or death struggles on the street, real as possible without sky high ER bills. I watched as the school grew, changed locations, and started catering to soccer moms and their crotch fruit for that sweet sweet dollar. Made it to just before my brown belt test before quiting because I felt my advancement was being slow walked for money. Sucks being so close to a bucket list goal only to have it unrealised, but I think I made the right call.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

If you feel something is off and not right, your gut feeling is usually correct.

[@andrewcrane5105]

No you dident lmao 🤣

[@robertharte4]

@@andrewcrane5105 I was LE, so yes I did. Try again, sport

[@periklispappas775]

Sensei Dan, completely irrelevant to the topic of this video but please do A History of Aikido or Japanese Jujitsu absolutely love your content!!!

[@NextGenKenpo]

Its good to hear my studio isnt a McDojo 😅 We have a black belt club but for extra stuff like sparring, grappling, weapons and gymnastics. We have 0 kid black belts at the moment but sometimes a really dedicated kid get their adult black belt pretty fast, me being one of them. But from experience and a 16 hour test, I can say the ones that survive definitely deserve it.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Sparring and grappling? Is that not part of the regular training? Please tell me you don't have to pay extra so you can spar/

[@NextGenKenpo]

@@ArtofOneDojo The paying is for more rigorous training in those areas. The kids spar and grapple once a month each in regular classes, but the adults do both every week in regular classes.

[@Takemydough]

Yessir, ask about accreditation. Who do they answer to, and if the belts, which they bestow will be recognised by a reputable organisation. Then, research the stuffing out of that organisation. Greatly needed video Mr. Dan. Thank you.

[@jlotus100]

When I was a teenager I went to a TSD school that was a franchise with a black belt club and I never considered them a Mcdojo because despite the limitations that come with a Shotokan-based karate art, there was a heavy emphasis on doing techniques correctly with real world application, and they didn't just hand you a belt (I failed my first black belt test). One actual defense of a Mcdojo I can give is due to my experience with my eight year old daughter. I took my kids to a few different martial arts schools but eventually my daughter wanted to go back to the mcdojo because she thought the instructor was nice (I left after my oldest hated the school and I got tired of taking a class with grade schoolers). I could have forced her to go to a hardcore MMA school where she'd be molded into the perfect weapon, but she would have hated it (and did hate the MMA school we eventually left). If having her at a Mcdojo is what's going to get her to develop a strong interest in martial arts, then I'm going to suck it up and pay the tuition for her to go and enjoy herself. I'd rather she go to a Mcdojo and develop a love for the martial arts than take her to a school to be a murder machine that she'll end up dropping out of at the first opportunity. Besides that, her school is a TSD school so I can help her with her techniques and I will not let her take a belt test until she can show proficiency. Even if the school will let you buy a belt, I'm going to make sure that she earns hers.

[@kenirawadi4689]

Exactly correct. People eat Mc Burgers, so what? I have been trying to teach my 7 years old daugther to punch strait to the middle from hips with very little success. If a Mc Dojo can do better than me, then why not? Not every body want to be a killing machine. Many send their children to a matrial arts school for dicipline, self confident, sport, etc. If a Mc Dojo can provide them, so why not. Once they are older, they can chose a more fighting oriented gym.

[@EdwardDudley]

Very very good video. I was very lucky, my first school was a TKD school that did have a long term contract, but that was it. Two main patches, once we were able to join the competition team at the blue belt level we were given a choice of red or blue uniform for demonstrations. It was so much fun! I feel very lucky.

[@ralfhtg1056]

Thank you for sharing your experiences! I was fortunate enough to never make this experience myself.

[@alcosmic]

I laughed out loud a few times, great episode!

[@1888swordsman]

Good for you showing your past, warts and all approach. That should provide you a lot of respect from others who won't show their past. I have been through TKD, non classical and traditional styles of Gung Fu. For myself it's a journey of learning and self perfection. I gave up being the next Bruce Lee years ago. Now I just want skills and knowledge. Please continue with your inspiring content and I hope we can one day drink tea together. Respect

[@BradYaeger]

I attended what is pretty much the original Kenpo McDojo system. We all know which one so I'll leave the name out . I got as far as 2nd dan over a 4 year period . I was absolutely dedicated and hardcore . I trained every day they were open as well as my private lesson. They made me a teacher at green belt and gave me keys so I trained on weekends and holidays and even during power outages . When I was up for Ist dan I was in insane shape . Eventually I crossed paths with other martial artists that really opened my eyes to a different approach . In short, I had to start all over from scratch . The content I had been learning quite simply wasn't good quality . BUT, I don't regret a thing because I couldn't have tried harder if I wanted to. I really earned those belts and I am proud of them , and down the road I still break out some of the techniques and do them in the way I think is most effective . I opened my own very small club , taught a handful of students in the way I wanted too and took them as far as I could. AS for the concept of McDojo's I'll just say this: If you can't keep the lights on and the doors open, it doesn't matter what you are teaching . There are valuable business lessons to take away from them

[@KIngaiune]

I always described kenpo as Karate but older. I liked a lot of it, looking back there was a bit of what you experienced where I was taking a private class and instead of getting the 1v1 teaching I was told to teach a 5 year olds private class. Teaching that kid actually really helped me get a deeper understanding of the material but Im sure that my instructor just didnt want to teach a kid. One of the other guys in my current school Taekwando (a good one not wtf foot tag) came from a kenpo background too he is fun to spar as you can see some of the blocking and stances from kenpo that arnt as common in Taekwando come through.

[@mizukarate]

Very balanced and honest video Mr.Dan.

[@atheist-karate-guy]

I also remember what Master Richard Kim said, he said that nobody under a 4th degree should teach, I think it’s a good idea.

[@scarred10]

Thats nonsense,grades are a joke in almost every art but at least a black belt is needed if thats your goal and the art has a set syllabus.

[@atheist-karate-guy]

@@scarred10 “grades are a joke”… sure thing… good luck with that

[@Ron-fx2bp]

Hi great conversation regarding Kenpo My foundation in training at 13 years old was kickboxing and boxing and a little bit of karate which is kenpo, I didn't know at the time 'because I was very young, anyway I settled with kenpo and that was the right choice, I trained every day, then I became a teacher under the head instructor of the organization in Vancouver then in time I became the area supervisor and started building more studios , that gave me the opportunity to meet many excellent martial art instructors in different styles. I received my 7th degree in Kenpo in 1990 I left the organization in 92 open my own school and immediately started training in the white tiger system which is called (Bak Fu pai), I was introduced to the white tiger system in Spokane 1988 by one of traces chief instructors. Tracy’s where deeply involved with the WT system. Kenpo has movements from many different martial arts, and I see kenpo as a method. It's excellent you develop speed coordination. Health and much more. So, I guess in short it depends on what are looking, Kenpo is great it works really well for self defence, and you get in excellent shape I would always tell my brothers that when you go train in the martial arts it's for health and meeting people and so on the byproduct to that training is the self defence, aspect, your Sifu should always explain the difference between the artist side the realistic side. side note two of my chief instructors ended up moving to California to teach under Sifu Larry Tatum, I meet Sifu Tatum at a seminar at one of teacher’s school and he was excellent , My website explains everything, go to FB type in my name I post a lot of videos. Sifu Shergold.

[@christophervelez1561]

I’ve never trained at a McDojo however I easily could have. I was pretty blind walking in and had a distorted view of what my instructors were. Yes they were good guys but they had flaws like anyone else it just took me a bit to realize. It’s cool to see honest people in the martial art KZbin space.

[@carolgomeztempo22]

Great job cousin, I see every video you post! :)

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Thank you! That means a lot. I didn't know you watched :)

[@ThePatience404]

I love that you clarify the red flags because many schools on the surface can seem to be a red flag, but actually, they are on the level. What advice could you give to your younger self or even own child that would give them the benefits of your having experienced the mcdojo without having gone to see for yourself? Or would you still support your younger self in going?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I would still support my younger self in going, because even though there wasn't as much substance as my current self would like, I think it was still the right school for me at that time. I reaped a ton of other benefits. It was constant exercise (you see how skinny I was then lol), but I was a SUPER shy kid and this school helped me come out of my shell a LOT. I learned a LOT of valuable teaching skills here and I learned how to work and interact with children. It was my first part time job, which I cherish, and I made a lot of great friends. I enjoyed the material enough that it forged me love of martial arts, and when the school eventually closed I was heartbroken but continued forward in independent study for a while. That experience opened me eyes to what I had been missing, but if I had not gone through that path then I may not know to pursue the knowledge I'm actively pursuing. If I were to give my younger self advice, I'd tell myself to ask "why" more often, and then also encourage a focus on the science of what we're doing, versus just repeating the "cool moves".

[@vladimirputindreadlockrast812]

Ha! Similar starting point here. Smaller school, but boy did our "sensei" (who would later require us to call him "sifu") like to sell lots of patches for our uniforms. Have you ever seen those old videos of Elvis Presley practicing karate? Immensely entertaining.

[@dees.daniel7]

You move awesome in your early days, great kicking. Sure, it is not deep performance of concepts and such, but you looked great in my opinion. Glad you moved onto something where greater depths were available to you. I found that a lot when I trained with Skip Hancock's people, really went into some nitty gritty.

[@RickyIcecubes]

The OG McDojos are the Taekwondo ones. They've been around since the 1960's. Karate was almost unheard of in the US until The Karate Kid blew up in 1984, and it then became a household name and an umbrella term for all Asian style martial arts. Kempo was the style the McDojos embraced the most.

[@MYHIVES12]

My school has the 12 year old black belts and the crazy tournament forms but what I do is that I learn moves than try to learn more traditional kata on my own with also learning the applications. Sure my school is just a flashy karate place but I’ve been here since I was 4 and also there’s no where else. I train more martial arts like bjj but the kenpo school I go to has a strong place in my heart

[@franklynpatterson3265]

I LOVE how the school responded to the situation! This is the exact opposite of how Antak handled things.

[@deathspawn54]

I have been extremely lucky to have 2 great dojo's, the first I did when I was very young, but it was a great place and the Sensei was amazing, my newest dojo, is absolutely great too, very low tuition (only for rental of place to train and cover regular costs of running, all the Sensei are volunteers and really care about you learning properly

[@jeebusyaweirdo3733]

I also want to say; just because it isn’t a gym that is bullshido or McDojo doesn’t mean it will also be a good environment to train in and I think that is a very missed topic in martial arts. Imo, any instructor expecting loyalty to their program/gym/style is a major red flag

[@jeffreyfigueiredo1740]

Personally Mr. Dan. I know what you mean. When I started at my club many years ago we were not well known to the public so we had some sales pitches to attract new students but as time went on we stopped using those and let the quality of our school and it's instructors speak for itself. We have some stripes within the early Kyu ranks like white, yellow orange and green which were not there when I went through those ranks but I suppose it's to make the students feel like they're getting somewhere. All in all our philosophy is for you to train hard and to earn your rank. Especially for Black belt. Anything less and you will not pass. Your video in your younger days was great! You have a sick spin hook hook sir!👍🏽

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Thank you, but "had" one lol. I was 18 in that video, and while I can still throw it, I wish I could move as well as I could back then :P

[@jeffreyfigueiredo1740]

@@ArtofOneDojo Mr. Dan you still look pretty fast till this day. Osu

[@awedwards08]

I started out martial arts at a regional franchise chain that called itself Taekwondo on the sign, but really was more generalized self defense. I had a lot of mixed feelings. The ability to go around to several different schools in the area was nice. There were some great instructors with a lot of different backgrounds and experience, including veterans and police officers. And there was a great sense of community. But I also frequently had classes taught by teenagers. They nickel-and-dimed the hell out of you with fees for every little thing. And the owner of the overall business was kind of a douche whose "grandmaster" titles seemed to be mostly self-appointed. Don't really regret my time there because it at least got me started and was great exercise if nothing else. But now that I've seen other places, the traditional TKD was not great there, and neither was the self defense. I guess moral of the story is it's great to start somewhere, but eventually it's a good idea to shop around.

[@fighting.words.ma.library]

LOL @ "Mai Wei Academy. I think you've articulated your points well. Good vid.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

FINALLY someone got the joke! lol. We used that before in a previous episode and no one commented on that. Good eye :) And thank you for the kind words.

[@seadawg93]

I spent a lot of time in a kenpo McDojo as a teen. I was lucky because our teacher, Mr. Guzman, actually knew a lot and could really fight; we still working with (what I later found to be) essentially a made up kenpo style, but at least saw how it could be used effectively. . When we went to other schools, and when the franchise sent a new teacher, we were like “wth is even going here?”

[@chrislynn7316]

interesting. I have found (rare) comments about how ultimately doesn't matter so much as to the style or school you're attending as much as it does the quality of the instructor

[@Dan.50]

When I was a kid, self defense was all that mattered to me when I began my journey at ten years old. I tried karate, kungfu and Taekwondo and the useless and unrealistic movements blocks and katas were more of a hinderance than a help. When MMA started happening I was lucky enough to find a school in my mid 20's and that was the first time that I actually learned how to throw a proper punch. We did boxing, kicking, grappling and never even thought of a kata or a horse stance and did all this in tee shirts and shorts. Take it from a 50+ year old former police officer, bodyguard and contractor and steer clear of what is sold as "traditional martial arts."

[@mizukarate]

I had a few bad instances of training gone wrong. I have also had bad situations dealing with schools and edict. Fact is nothing is perfect. The main thing you must do is to observe a class and speak to the instructors. Even then you can get burned.

[@fourscorpio]

I really liked this episode. Good points, and you know, it is possible to survive a McDojo experience. If you're dedicated to being a good martial artist, your work ethic will shine through and you'll start to challenge yourself even more, even if your sensei doesn't. Clearly that was the case with your own training. Looking at your old videos, I could see you had a nice flow, even if the urgency wasn't there. All it took was re-focus on intention and you leveled up! And I liked your spelling "Bullshito" -- I'm more familiar with the term "Bullshido" as it relates more to a parody on the samurai code, but "Bullshito" sounds like its own martial art! 😆

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Thanks! And I've seen both spellings of "Bullshido/Bullshito" but I like this one. It's a little more on the nose lol.

[@kajukine]

After 57 years in the martial arts and40 years teaching I straddled the line, yes I made it fun for the kids, challenging for the teens, and hard for the adults. It took an average of 7-14 years to get a black belt with me, I had incredible retention because I made it a family Jr BB 13-16 but all those started at 3-6 yrs old. Student BB 16-18. Never gave a degree before 18. 40 years I have 45 BB many of whom are still with me. Testing once a year (free). Or in class as needed. Lower ranks. I was your typical strip mall “karate” guy that shaped thousands of lives My point is it can be done. 🙏

[@FuriousMetal1968]

So, I've been training in martial arts on and off since I was 18, mostly Taekwondo. I became an instructor in 2018 but left only a couple of years after. My Grand Master is very regarded in the Taekwondo community without mentioning names and this school is still open to this day since 1978. Reason I left first and for most, Black belts were starting to be handed out to certain people without even testing. The last straw for me after watching an older guy gets handed a 4th Dan without even testing for it!? I got my 2nd Dan from the same school but I worked my ass off for it. I just saw recently that this same person got a 5th Dan promotion!? Now there are kids walking around with 2nd and 3rd Dan belts at the same school now that used to be pretty hard core back in the day when I first started training. Any idea why so many schools are becoming like this?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Sometimes it can be burnout. Sometimes it's money. Sometimes people get wrapped up running a business or lose interest overtime. There can be a lot of things. My second instructor was all about testing and making sure people earned their rank, and criticized other schools who just gave them away. The last year he ran his school, he became the very thing he would complain about. He was burning himself out...teaching all the classes... CrossFit classes at 5am, then running the gym side of the school all day, then kids Kenpo classes at 3 until adults Kenpo classes at 7, then MMA classes at 8:30-9, and after that he'd train his fighters. He did this every day. The school suffered for it, he burned the candle at both ends and he watered down the curriculum A LOT. Like...we went from 16-24 techniques a belt to 3. He was giving ranks away. Thankfully I was working in the old curriculum still, I was 4th degree at the time but there was a Dad and two teens what went from white belt to brown belt within 1 year. That should have been 3 years MINIMUM. But he got burned out. He ended up closing the school and moving away and he hasn't taught since then.

[@FuriousMetal1968]

@@ArtofOneDojo This particular school had a reputation in the 80's and early 90's when I joined in 1993 for being very hardcore and taught traditional Tae Kwon Do. You earned everything the hard way. We sparred in class almost every day I was there. I went to tournaments all over back then in my early 20's. Life happened so I left for almost 15 years but came back to the same school but Damn did things get watered down. No more sparring unless you were part of the "Sport Club"! There was nothing like that before and they really loosened up on the students so things got sloppy. Forms lost power, speed and focus with people just going through the motions now. Long story short, I went back to my old Shito - Ryu school about 14 months ago so at 55 years old I'm back where I started at 18. Different instructor but we spar, weapons and you earn your belts, the way it should be. I'm a second Dan in Taekwondo but only a yellow belt in Shito - Ryu and loving training again!

[@George-ri6vg]

Hello sensei love your channel . I watch your videos every now and then. Not sure if you ever done a video about master of kung fu from Marvel comics. It was a very popular comic book from early 70s to mid 80s.

[@sivi2188]

At 16 years of age I'm one of the only two underage black belts at my taekwondo school. The other one is a friend of mine who's 15 and we both have been training for over 10 years now:)

[@dr.danosullivan9269]

No contracts in our dojo. Come to train or not. Bunkai is a huge component of our style (Isshinryu), and the "why" of kata is just as important as the "how." Took me five years to make it to first dan, and that was me starting out with a brown belt in another style. Keep up the good work, Dan!

[@martinkuliza]

There's actually nothing wrong with contracts. it's not unreasonable of a Martial Arts business to ask you to sign a commitment , After all, the idea is, You're going from White to Black and you'll likely spend 3 years there doing it. Now, You should be given a 3 month no contract period to see if it's for you and if you drop out, then you drop out, no harm , no foul but it's reasonable to ask people to sign up SO LONG AS THE TERMS AND FEE'S ARE REASONABLE A Contract should not be taken as a red flag or negative sign. But one should know WHY THEY ARE STARTING TO TRAIN is it.... Fitness Lose weight Focus Discipline Keeping the kids occupied Competition Actual Self Defense As all these things need to be approached differently

[@joeblogs-vx4ep]

We live and learn 👍 I survived a KARATE mcdojo but i feel i definitely took some valuable lessons from it ..

[@aquaticlibrary]

Happens to be the case for a lot of American Kenpo and other Hybrid Karate Styles

[@Tondor50]

i've trained in a number of schools from about 72 - 93. One was clearly a franchise McDojo and the other was a more old school experience. I got value from both, the reason I quit the McDojo after getting my black belt was that it discouraged cross training, which the other school encouraged and got me into McDojo in the first place. Unless you need to seriously train for high level competition or you live a life needing constant self-defense, the only real criteria I apply is are you enjoying it? If you like going to class, you'll get better. If you're taking your kids, MAKE SURE you can stay and watch the class!

[@oskarjohansson5757]

Think my first jujutsu i train was mcdojo. Yes they could tell the linage and witch jujutsu style is was but alot of technics the learn you could not apply on real life or in competition.

[@shawnandrew_artist]

Some of the better schools are the ones in the community halls etc... The instructors usually work full-time during the day and this is a passion. You're usually only paying enough money to cover any insurance and community hall fees.

[@thejanitorssweeps5883]

I wish i could agree with you on this because i think you're great, but over the years ive known too many instructors who were only in it for the money

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Correct, there ARE a lot. But not all of them. There are still a lot of great instructors out there.

[@brianbaker7850]

I would like to clarify something. Are you talking about American Kemple or US SD Kenpo . USSD is the only franchise Keo organization that I know about because I am an American Kemple practitioner in the style that we practice is very effective but the USD one is a joke so I just wanted to see which one you were referring to because after looking at your video, it appears that it’s the USD one I just wanna make sure that that is correct Because I personally know Mr. Speakman and trained with him and his stuff is awesome

[@brionpriest6735]

I trained at a mcdojo, the system is everywhere tons of schools no longer attached to the main school

[@philipouma3867]

Is it possible for you too make a Tatsuo Shimabuku Canvas print for Isshin Ryu?

[@rauldelarosa2768]

I think the first school we went to was definitely a mcdojo. The Chief instructor was morbidly obese..never really teaching.. their bread and butter was kids and the lessons were basically a rehash of the first trial class. Oh and you were given a white belt on your second class, which is suspicious and unearned. They were wanting two hundred dollars monthly and several hundred dollars up front and they weren't honest about pricing up front until after three weeks of attending. All this for some franchise krav maga classes. The one good thing about it was it made me wanting to find something better. Now I have been in once a week Chinese Sanda fusion classes for now.. looking into boxing as well ..and watching videos online and I'm going to be practicing those kicks at home. Sadly there's many mcdojos. To me, whenever a school claims to be great ie the best and can't answer questions. I did go to a kickboxing class recently and I believe it was an overpriced kickboxing mcdojo,but if I had money to burn.. I would go for the sparring experience and the exercise. Still looking for the place to train at consistently.

[@jamescantrell5639]

I'm not in Karate, I'm in Silat, but my Guru actually let me go to classes for an entire month to make sure I would like it before paying. I ended up having to remind him that I wanted to pay him after the month was up. He didn't charge outrageous prices for shirts ($20), and doesn't require it to join practice (We don't wear Gi's). He just likes colored shirts to easily split classes up into their designated skill levels faster and doesn't care if you buy your own shirt of your skill color instead. He doesn't even mind if you just wear a normal shirt (as long as it's appropriate). He explains the Djuru's and their meaning, then during any attack sequence, he references that move to the Djuru and/or stances in your skill level to reinforce the importance of practicing the Djuru's and stances correctly.

[@chadthomas09]

Not all franchise places are bad as you say because there is good moderation and balance in all things sometimes just to survive as a business especially with competition in the area you have to be franchised my family ran one in partnership with martial arts America because it's an International business and if you need help running a place as a business there a good place to go get the connections resources and training needed. The book shotokans secret is also a good resource that explains the 3 big lies that mcdojo's will often use in their advertising and conversations

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Oh I didn't say all franchises are bad. Actually I said a lot of them are very very good. It's about being able to take a step back and understanding a school for what their focus is.

[@chadthomas09]

@@ArtofOneDojo I guess I worded that badly, I was actually agreeing on that very point🤣 Its all good

[@YoukaiSlayer12]

Had just got finished with Empi/enpi before seeing this video. & yeah I’ve seen full on Mcdojos, mcdojo lite, and schools that let soccer parents over run the school/curriculum. Now let’s see Bassai dai or Jitte first? 🤔

[@reptomicus]

McKenpo would be a great surname for an action hero.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Rex McKenpo to the rescue!!!

[@gigdrivercomedy]

I think the main thing is heart and passion behind the movements, if i walked into a dojo and saw passion in the kata and training and from the black belts and lower , then that itself would sell it. When u see someone do whatever in their martial art is and u get taken back and think wow and whoa , thats the part, thats the thing that inspires and its hard to have heart and pasaion behind a movement when u have no clue in what its for or why your doing it. So really understanding the why, is at the very core of heart and passion. Im thankful my dojo in the late 80s early 90s wasnt a mc dojo . I did shotokan and there were very few black belts cuz u literally had to work 1 year per belt. No handing out stripes or belts like candy. And they would fail u if u do any testing of anything mediocre. In fact they would even let u test if they thought u were slightly less than mediocre. So it was nearly impossible for a child to be a black belt 😂 since each belt took 1 year. but the kids who were up to a blue or brown had heart passion and were at the youngest 13 or 14 and had fire for the karate and they were fierce and even their katas. We had to do everything bare knuckle, even punching our partners stomachs to develop taking a punch and good core and abs. and make us run outside barefoot in the dirt and rocks and dried weeds n dried spikey grass 😅 he'd say to toughen up your feet . Which was true. It worked lol. It hurt, but we loved it. I'll tell u what-the mom and dad karens of the world would gasp and never join a place like this , this was the anti mc dojo.. He was legit and I loved him for it and as the years went on and especially now love him even more for it . And we were all proud students of his. 🥋 im sad to see that mc dojo these days. It really wasnt what it used to be like. Karate got too soft. I think people got soft. The expectation got soft. Everything got weaker. I look back now at all i did when young and as i get older n more tired and more body injuries apart of aging im soft now and weak in comparison. So my younger self inspires me to be better and do better as i once trained.

[@sangesiswana5464]

2:08 Where is the father of kyokushin karate

[@ArtofOneDojo]

We only used pictures what were in the public domain to make sure there wasn't any trademark infringement. It gets harder with more recent masters, and the better known photos of Mas Oyama are not public domain. Not saying it can't happen, but we have to be careful with the newer ones (which is why we don't have Ed Parker).

[@nationofisrael12tribes81]

I TRAINED IN MANY MARTIAL ARTS.I BELIEVE THATS BETTER THAN LEARNING ONE ART.THE REAL MMA1

[@Jawntheorc]

Are you a ed park system or Tracy system? good video shine on

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I originally started in Tracy Kenpo, that was what my first school trained in. When my instructor broke away from the franchise we became Ed Parker Kenpo. I've trained in various version of Ed Parker Kenpo and Kenpo 5.0 since then.

[@Jawntheorc]

Nice I'm a ed parker system student myself

[@RobKHere]

@@ArtofOneDojoI knew Al Tracy in the 80s. He sure had a head full of knowledge and knew what was buried where. He also produced a few good Kenpo people. But, some of the franchise places were a disaster. Tracy’s can be a good schools with the right teachers knowing what to teach, how to teach it, and when. But that can be said about any art.

[@Schultz82]

Anyone know where I can get custom tape for stripes on belts????

[@adamchalkley956]

Those forms actually look great imo

[@Xiy114]

What about pressure testing

[@MrRabiddogg]

McDonalds is a franchise but so is Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

You just summed it up best :) This perspective is rare...just like the perfect steak ;)

[@MrRabiddogg]

@@ArtofOneDojo so true, and even in the same franchise two different stores can produce two different qualities of product. It all depends on the location's manager, regional manager etc. as well

[@hong-enlin4651]

I am saying I want to join a McDojo, but the injuries from Judo and BJJ is so frequent, if there is a point sparring version of grappling I want to take it. Funny enough if you do boxing or Muay Thai non-competitively you don't get injured much if at all.

[@romansempire6214]

There ZERO Kenpo schools on my area. However, I was fortunate enough to find an 8th degree legit 70 year old Kenpo instructor that is going to teach me starting next week. I will be his third student.

[@half.people.2]

Who is he?

[@Shadowman9348]

That was wild lol. By the way: do one of these shirts feature Grandmaster Hwang Kee, the founder of Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do? 👊🥋🇰🇷

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Perhaps...we'd like to add another round later, though we need to be able to use public domain photos. A lot of the more recent Grandmasters have trademarks on their likeness, like Ed Parker.

[@CARLOSVLA5]

I practiced Korean martial Arts back in the day. And Kata was a big part of the learning process. In general I think kata helps to master your technique but not very practical for a real fight scenario. But then we also had days where we focused on fighting (kunite). As long as you have balance between them, I think learning Kata helps to becone a good martial artist

[@VisioN-hs8xs]

MAI WEI academy is GENIUS!!

[@robertnguyen9493]

Lil’ bit of an Ali shuffle at the end of that kata.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Float like a butterfly and sting like a slightly pulled rubber band :P

[@robertnguyen9493]

@@ArtofOneDojo another great video

[@Schultz82]

Does anyone know where to get custom tape for martial arts belts promotion???????????

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Custom tape? Something specialized? Many schools will use colored electrical tape for under belts. Black belt ranks are usually embroidered on. If you're looking for something specific you may want to reach out to a Martial Arts retailer like Tiger Claw or Century or one of those big suppliers.

[@Schultz82]

@@ArtofOneDojo do u know a specific place?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@Schultz82 I suggested two suppliers who may be able to help point you in the right direction. I'm not sure what you mean by custom tape. Most places use colored electrical tape.

[@Schultz82]

@@ArtofOneDojo like I can put my logo on the tape then applied to martial arts belts

[@Nosferata138]

Cool. I think my school is safe...lol 🥋 👍

[@septred3]

Is it hard to call a dojo a mcdojo if the instructor keeps the students in absolutely critical thinking skills at all times, even to the point that the only time they catch a full breath to rest a quick minute is to come up with a move, or technique to add to all the other students testing regimen for their own purposes even without a belt system that is likely to become a chain system to teach the subtleties of the acting upon a thought behind training is actually to go through a "chain" of thoughts system into every single thing a person can do, and additionally the chain of the system to wear is also a training and self defense weapon by itself?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

What you are describing sounds like a school definitely more focused on training than just making a quick buck, so no on the surface level I would not call that a McDojo. However, keeping students in critical thinking mode 100% of the time is a bit excessive and not practical. There has to be some downtime to process and reflect.

[@septred3]

What I didn't mention is that when students would end up taking a particularly long break, it is to consume some Owyn protein drink to replenish after quite harsh spurts and spasms that exhaust the body of energy. I have had to always be in critical thinking mode for quite a long amount of years because much of the formative years of my life were quite terrifying and, at times, didn't know if I was going to survive a day in my childhood home due to male chauvinism. Moreover, I invent different types of training methods such as different uses of objects in my home, like the latitude striking a very small coat button thrown up into mid-air.

[@jonatho85]

You know that’s not bad though man. Your video of your kata. I only competed against kenpo practitioners. I’m here in Colorado the Kenpo GM runs the CKA. And you have taekwondo, kenpo, and some traditional style karate like Shito. But for your age, yeah man, you were on par. I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave you a place over me at a tournament. I think when we’re young we’re getting things down. And then we get older and it all kind of clicks. The kata may be for tournaments but the kicks have merit. So still, not a waste of time at all man. Not at all. And I think the realities of life, that this has to be a business to survive fiscally has instructors making choices. And it’s not bad as long as the practitioner is putting their all in physically and mentally. They’ll collect money from who they can, but they won’t leave someone who wants to learn out to dry. Typical instructors I mean.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I appreciate the perspective. I really do value my earlier days, but when I look back now I see what was lacking, but I didn't at the time. I don't regret that we did this, but I do wish the material had a little more substance to it.

[@princessmarlena1359]

If they prohibit cross training (taking lessons elsewhere), then that’s a major sign right there. They don’t want their students to actually find a competent instructor who would tell them they’re learning it wrong.

[@andrewcrane5105]

I was lucky, we had a school that had a large part of the day to family and kids, al parker kenpo (I know im sorry)....then....after 9 we did jujitsu and a harder, more isshin ryu based training for the crazy adults/athletes/people that watched dragon ball z

[@ryanrpggamer3902]

My school didn’t teach kids because he had one parent complain and said the training was child abuse the stretching, strength and conditioning with a lot of acrobatics

[@ArtofOneDojo]

That parent was an idiot. I've met parents like that and they can always find something to complain about. It's often really hard to run a successful school without a children's program.

[@wardragonprime]

I've gone to Kenpo McDojos. They were as good as the people running them

[@ryancrosley2818]

Our top black belt at my school is so fat and grotesque that he cant even do a single pushup.

[@samiibrahim5356]

I personally do not let unaffiliated people watch classes, when someone asks to observe a class, I tell them instead to sign the waivers and take part in a free class because I believe my students deserve privacy and don't need the distraction of having some stranger watching them and if they are serious about wanting to train this will give them a more accurate grasp of what is actually being taught. To feel is to believe and the training hall is just not a place to entertain onlookers. I also feel better when people in the immediate training area have all signed waivers, just in case they slip and fall or run face first into a spear. Then again, I am not really a commercial studio or instructor who cares about having a large number of students, my school will stay open no matter how many paying students are training there. I don't have the same financial pressure that the renting mall space studios have. As a result, I am very selective about who we accept into the training hall and that can come off as secretive, but if someone goes to the trouble of seeking me out, chances are they already been through the commercial martial arts world and are looking for a different approach.

[@stephenmckay1676]

Your view Aikido VS Kempo

[@Dstuff44Duval904]

If an instructor says you need to learn "the moves"..... Run fast.

[@boxinggospel5334]

I realized my sons TKD organization was not what I thought when he went to a tournament and his sparring opponent was the son of an instructor, I filmed it and so its not just my biased eyes that came to this conclusion. The judges who were friends with the father (as I saw during the day) gave the points to that guys son. Luckily I have the video and everyone agrees its a corrupt deal. The pattern contest even came down to the same boy who on the video on review got the moves wrong but got a medal winning score. The guy didn't even have a clean dubok! I tried to tell my son not to be dispirited but once you lose confidence in the authenticity of the situation to be a fair playing field and not an old boys club the kids pretty quickly lose interest. He has since wanted to quit TKD for that and the reason expressed in this video like what is the point of the patterns and the korean he has to learn when it comes down to using it in a practical real setting. He has since been inspired by Krav Maga classes and the practical use it seems to have over just learning dance moves at the mcdojo.

[@sammallory]

I am blessed that we had UFC come out and locals in San Jose area wanted in during the mid 90s. Even when in TKD and Karate I realized how lame it had become in like 1995. I ended up in Muy Thai and Judo. But at 16 and in TKD and Karate I was sparring against dudes who where all 25 and over all into MMA during the start. I never paid after the first 2 years and I trained for almost 15 years. I just taught the youth. If you were not 18 you did not get a black belt. You got a red belt with a stripe in TKD and just didn't get your black belt till 18 in Shotokan. Jeff Speakman is McDojo SoCal style just like Earnie Reyes is McDojo on NorCal. Before the 90s most of these were just legitimate 1 art martial arts studios. Jeff was no different. He just got fame in Hollywood like Ernie Reyes and his son. I will say the funny thing is no one really bragged outside the gym that they trained really. You just went to the studio and trained. Entered tournaments and competed. Now it seems like everyone who is a blue belt in BJJ want to let you know like they are Vegans. It has become a lame experience that makes me not want to train anymore after 15 years of nonstop martial arts as my life.

[@Dstuff44Duval904]

I think UFC ruined martial arts. All of the strong competitors left martial Arts for the UFC dream and the martial arts tournaments went to shit. I look at 1st place now vs 1st place 30 yrs ago and its not even close. If you won gold in the 80s, you were a good fighter... Now it's just a game of tag for the fastest wussie.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

​@@Dstuff44Duval904 Martial arts would have watered themselves down UFC or no UFC. If anything, Judo may be the only one that actually has federations seething at MMA and the UFC. I used to train at a sports pavilion which was owned by the local state university so they had a diverse offer of martial arts classes, and even during the height of the Conor McGregor era the Aikido class had reasonable attendance. If anything, the people there "looked" like they had zero interest in the UFC. Yes, I'm resorting to stereotypes but in our side of the mat we had guys in buzzcuts/fades and tattoos and girls with six packs and cantaloupe shoulders doing kickboxing while they had guys in ponytails and nerdy looking women doing Aikido. It was a stereotype brought to life.

[@Tinyflower1]

The black belt part strikes me as weird, black belt doesn't mean you reached anything other than beginner level...its in the name even Shodan

[@williamw1332]

…good news! I was just released on probation! 😜🙏👍🥋⛩️

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Your school is definitely one of the good ones :)

[@williamw1332]

@@ArtofOneDojo miss you Dan Sensei 😁👍🙏🥋

[@lainhikaru5657]

Being poor saved me from a mcdojo and put me in a legit dojo. When I was a kid I visited a ninjitsu thing with my dad. The presentation was amazing for a kid that doesn't know any better. All the weapons hanged up on the walls, all the theatrics were pretty cool. But since it was too expensive I ended up elisting for a govnerment sanctioned goju-ryu school. Turns out when the govnerment is spending cash on something they are very strict on how things are going, so there were aways a lot of pressure testing, sparring and communication between our athlete training program with a japanese goju-ryu federation. Too bad most of those public sports programs are gone now. A more right wing govnerment cut a lot of funds from tge public sports program and then came the pandemic and ir became the final nail in the coffin. I'm happy at least one of the senseis was able to open his own dojo. Too bad I can't train as hard anymore because of a chronic disease I got, but least hope he is doing well.