McDojo
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McDojo is a pejorative term used by some[who?] Western martial artists to describe a martial arts school where image or profit is of a higher importance than technical standards, and in the related use of martial arts franchising.[citation needed] The term is an example of McWords applied to Japanese martial arts dojo.[citation needed] Where a McDojo's practices may border on fraud, this can be referred to as bullshido.[1] While the practice of exploiting the showmanship over substance to market martial arts is not new,[2] it is perceived as having become more prevalent in modern times.
McDojos often charge much higher fees or fees that escalate with rank. This is frequently combined with creating additional levels of rank within a school, making a school known as a "Belt Factory".[3]
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[edit] In history
| “ | As I see society, people make the arts into commercial products; they think of themselves as commodities, and also make implements as items of commerce. Distinguishing the superficial and the substantial, I find this attitude has less reality than decoration.
The field of martial arts is particularly rife with flamboyant showmanship, with commercial popularization and profiteering on the part of both those who teach the science and those who study it. The result of this must be, as someone said, that "amateuristic martial arts are a source of serious wounds." |
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—Miyamoto Musashi, 1643 A.D.[2] |
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 2-part article from Martial Arts Professional magazine, entitled "Are You a "Bullshido?" Or, Do You Run a "McDojo?" by Stephen Oliver
- ^ a b Miyamoto Musashi - "The Book of Five Rings/Spheres"
- ^ Cook, Ron. (March 1, 2006) Cairns Sun (Australia). Eight year old exceeds all black belt expectations. Section: News1; Page 6. (Rod Cook, 5th dan master instructor, Family Black Belt Academy, Smithfield, Australia, writing, "I lose more students than I keep in my schools, because we're not just a "belt factory" or "McDojo" (as some are commonly called).")
[edit] External links
- Bullshido.net A site covering various frauds and scams in the Martial Arts community. For a specific example of McDojo, see a Bullshido article reporting on a belt factory.
- Are You in A Martial Arts Cult? by Wayne Muromoto
- How to choose the Right Club or School? by tjska.com
- Real or Fake? Is Your Martial Arts School Legitimate? by Wayne Muromoto
- The Whole Legitimacy Thing by Karl Friday
- What to Look for in a Martial Arts School by Gaku Homma (a subsection of a larger article)
