How Many long term students do you have?

Question

I have been teaching childrens classes for almost 14 years now and I was shocked when I looked at old records In 1998 I had 48 students most of whom had been training for 2-3 years.(I am a packrat and never throw anything away) Now only 1 student remains from that group, for 8 years she has kept going. Is this normal for places that teach kids classes, what are ways I can keep attenedence up w/out the use of contracts and or flyingthrew the belt system?

Answer 1

This is very normal and really how Martial Arts as a lifestyle is. It is a road not traveled by many. I am one of 16 students who has remained long term. There are now only five of us left in the entire dojo. Student come and students go. Some find that it's in their blood, and others just want security or an ego boost.

I wouldn't really change anything, unless you are doing it for your livelyhood. If that's the case then you might have to "sell-out" a little and start competing in tournaments, and tossing out awards/ranks, or having forced contracts. All of which I would look down upon personally, but if the need is there you must fill it somehow.

You could always start having seminars, and calling other styles to come and teach for a day and such. Maybe do a monthly self defense seminar over a weekend or something. Short-term goals seem to attract more people as the world is all about instant gratification these days.

Answer 2

well you are teaching childrens classes most children go at first because their parents want them too(sure they have fun and stuff but at first it was the parents ides) then when they get into school they dont have so much time or they start to get bored of it so they stop. the ones who really liked it but got bored of it might come back in a few years.

this happend to me after 3.5 years of tae kwon do i just didnt like that i had to go every week but now a few years later im back into training not tae kwon do anymore but different styles.

Answer 3

Well lilly this has been the same all over America.  Your experience is nothing new.  You can have the best location in the world in a commerical district and still attendence is going to drop in the modern age.  Now I've stated the reasons why these thing s happen a million times in here, but I'll be damned if I can get even one sensei to listen to resaon and common sense.  It's as simple as looking at any potiential weaknesses the dojo may have, and in that I mean, is the school's creed hanging on a wall where all the students can see it in big "bold" letters, are the students being taught that it's the "technique" not the student that matters most? do the students understand that there is no room for individualism in the dojo? are the students made to feel as a team working towards one goal? is the importance of your school's "kata" forms emphasized on a daily basis? is the sensei her self giving advice that is appliable to every day life to her student?, is the atmospher serious and productive or lax and slightly unorganized? do the students feel like the particular art being taught is useful in a "real life" way?  Are there any weapons cleasses held?  are the dan ranks made to understand that they are the school's future?  does the school keep a "brotherhood" overtone?  should the rates be dropped?  did the sensei miss an opportunity by not moving the school into a bigger facility when she had 48 students?  Are their any consequences held against students that do not show up regularly for class?  If the answer is no to most of these questions then there's a major problem.  We've let society influence us so much that we completely lose sight of what matters most.  "Discipline" and by that I mean even inner-discipline.  A Stern attitude works just fine as long as the students understand the seriousness of what they're even in the dojo for.  When we begin let go of our stern attitudes then it seems like dojo's can crumble very quickly.  I'm not a big Tae Known Do fan, but it seems to me that these schools just keep trucking right on through every thing and never lose students.  Looking at Tae Kwon Do's teaching techniques any one can plainly see their "military style tactics" and these tactics obviously work.  I think that kids these days are dieing for a "dead serious adult" who will not waiver in their way of thinking or teaching  because mom and dad are at home giving them no "discipline" what so ever in the modern age.  The more challenging a dojo the more the students will stick with it.  The more "disciplined" the entire dojo is all the better as well.  Call it brain washing if you'd like, but I'd rather teach in "dead serious mode" than any other ..... the lable "gung ho" or not.

In the dojo there is no time for music, no time for play, no time for talking, no time for not keeping your eyes straight forward as a student, no time for hob nobbing with friends, no time for anything, it's time only for the strictest seriousness period.  If a student doesn't understand this simple policy send them home for the day so that the other students get the point.  Call it over baring if you'd like .... it's the way a dojo should work at all times.  To waiver from this is to invite a "lax" attitude.

and ultimately disaster for the entire school.  And the cell phones are not permitted into the dojo period!!!!!

Good luck

Answer 4

Kids grow up.  We lose a lot once they get to high school and they start taking up other sports and activities.  We also lose a lot when they go to college because they either move out of town or the demands of their schedule are so great.  So it 10 years, I'll bet a lot of your kids moved on to HS or college (unless you're teaching toddlers).

Answer 5

Ages 4-12 is a time of broad sampling of a variety of activities.  We have about 200 total students, and about a 60 -40 mix of kids (60) to adult (40).

I'll call adults ages 13 and up.  

Now we need to define "long term", I'll say long term is more than 5 years.  Among adults 30 & up, we have about 20 long term students.  About 10 have been there for more than 15 years.

I have only been with this dojang for 1.5 years, but I am there about 5 times a week, morning and night, so I am kind of regular.  

As for long term kids, I'd say we have about 7 kids who have been training more than 5 years.  

We also have two guys, about 34 years old, that have been training with our master since they were about 9 years old.  But they are not regulars anymore, maybe once a week.  

James

Answer 6

This is normal.  We have a half-dozen students who keep coming back.  Attendance seems to surge when school starts and for some reason right after the new year.

We don't use a contract system, and the promotions are awarded when it's appropriate (although in my personal opinion I think Sensei promotes a little too early, but maybe I'm just too hard-nosed).  

I've seen the class as large as 21 and the other day it was just three, in the middle of the summer when kids are doing other things.  A few kids come because they really enjoy it, a few come because their parents are forcing them to.  I expect one or two might continue through to adutlhood.