The Role of Parents in a Dojo

Some people feel that it's enough to take their children to an activity, whatever it may be, and their responsibility has been carried out.  They treat the activity setup as a creche.  They don't know push their kids at home enough to learn and allow the child to get out of daily practice.  They don't understand the Dojo setup at all ... and they certainly don't understand that Karate, for quite a lot of dojos, isn't run like a sport.  Karate is a way of life.  This method of self-defence, stress relief and focus will be with them for the rest of their lives ... and it will help them.  Some people commit their children to too many activities and this is just as bad as not not providing enough commitment because the child isn't able to devote the necessary time and effort to progress in Karate.

We work on pushing your child to succeed.  We ensure good manners are used, that they do well in their school work and behave themselves with you and reinforce a base level of respect.  When your children come into the dojo, they are my responsibility...as soon as they leave the room, they are back to being your responsibility.  Between us, we will ensure that you child remains a motivated individual ... or becomes one.

In order to achieve this, parents have to be committed 100% to working with their children at home; making sure they practise their techniques and katas.  Making sure that there is continual improvement as their son or daughter progresses on their journey towards Shodan and beyond.

Parents are part of the learning circle at Meiyo Karate Club - if they're not, the circle is broken and that has implications for the young student.

It's been difficult during lockdown over the Covid19 issue, however, parents have been submitting videos of themselves or their children for assessment.  Thank you and well done  - you're a credit to yourself, your family and your dojo.  Please keep up the good work...and don't stop pushing yourselves and your kids.

We maintain a waiting list system at this Dojo because the space we train in restricts how many students we can take on.  If parents don't work with us, we make space for students that are supported by their parents ... and want to learn, improve and develop their art.  Our time, as instructors and Management Committee Members is valuable and is given freely ... no one at this dojo is paid.  We commit ourselves to you ... you must commit yourself too or the relationship is unbalanced and will not work and, sooner or later, this school will make a decision to commit it's valuable resources to working with people that understand what we bring to this Dojo and want to work with us - for the benefit of their child's development.

We also recognise that we have some exemplary students that do it all on their own ... they're young but committed and do the necessary work without being told to do so.

The next grading at this Dojo will be conducted via video link.  Keep up the good work.

Sensei Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu
Dojo Cho, Meiyo Karate Club.