What I Don't Offer

I talk about honesty in training a lot, so it seems fair to be honest about what I don’t offer at Lantern. You can read my other posts about why I set the dojo up the way I did, but it comes with tradeoffs.

Here are a few that I can pick out –

Flexible Training Schedules – In a bigger dojo, there are usually more classes to pick from across the week and weekend. Maybe a nice dawn wakeup class at 6am, followed by several evening classes, then maybe a Saturday morning class too. Friday is sparring night, Tuesday is weapons night. You could theoretically be going to class 5 days a week at some places. Other places also offer additional styles/training too. Something like a cardio kickboxing, yoga, meditation, etc. I think it’s great to offer all these things! It’s just not what I offer.

Sensei’s Take: Such a wide offering is also usually done by bringing in other instructors to fill out the schedule. At Lantern, you are taught by me. And although we only have class twice a week, that time is for focused instruction in the martial art. So I'd say that the fairer comparison isn’t just the quantity of training time, but the value of it.  Also, realistically, how many people can take full advantage of what’s being offered anyway? How much free time do you have?!

Big Organization Benefits – A lot of dojos are part of large martial arts organizations. This can provide opportunities for seminars, training camps, and other events within the organization that can be really enriching. It can also provide members the chance to train in different dojo if they are traveling. A lot is made out of the fact that your “rank is recognized” within the larger organization too, so if you move you may be able to continue your training in a sister dojo. I'm an independent dojo and not part of a larger organization, so I don't offer these things. 

Sensei’s Take: Membership in an organization comes with strings attached, usually related to rank, but sometimes even trying to limit where you train or what you can teach. I don’t think the benefits outweigh the restrictions. Our area has plenty of open seminars that any martial artist can attend, and there’s even more available if you’re willing to travel. Same with finding a dojo to train at if you move or are traveling. I’ve done both of these things and in general, the martial arts community is very welcoming. As for rank… if you’ve developed the skill, the rank will come, even if you change dojo. It’s skill that I’m more interested in developing.

Tournaments, Competitions, and Demonstration Teams – Some dojo are very focused on sport karate and this can be a really exciting and empowering experience for students. Others have specific “Demo Teams” that either compete or perform at events like a county fair or Memorial Day parade. Tournaments have never been my specialty, and while I’m happy to encourage my students and help them compete, that isn’t the main focus of my dojo.

Sensei’s Take: There is a healthy tournament circuit in the DMV and anyone is welcome to enter. I’m happy to work with students if they want to compete locally, but for serious competitors – like national and international competitions up to the Olympic level – I will be a dismal coach and simply don’t understand that world. The fitness, self-defense, historical, and introspective parts of karate training are much more interesting to me, and honestly I think will be much more useful to you as well.

Just because I do not offer the things above doesn't mean they are bad. The martial arts world is big and our small dojo is focused on only a single part of it. 

If you are interested in what we offer at Lantern (focused instruction in a martial art), please contact us. 

If it's not your cup of tea, I encourage you to find a different dojo to try out. Martial arts have been a positive force in my life and I think it can do good things for a lot of people. Just take the leap!