Who's the dôjôchô?

[kennin]

Some friends and I have started a new dôjô september last year over here in Antwerp.
None of us had a serious grade (I'm the "best" ;) with a gokyû), so we hired a shodan to train at our place, but still Patrik, Koen and I do the finances and the paperworks. Daniel-san only does the training.
Now the question: who's the dôjôchô (dôjôcho???)? What does this word mean? What does this "title" incorporate? What does the bearer of the "title" do? What are his responsibilities?

Not that this is of any importance, but I'm nosy as hell ;)!

[kennin]

Errr... I received an e-mail from some buyu, who said some things which were quite right.
It sounds rather strange to start a dôjô this way.
It's true, Belgium is rather good in MA's and Antwerp is a major town, over here.
Still, there is no Bujinkan budô taijutsu. There is a really good Genbukan class, but it's not my way of training.
Yes, you have a lot of good karate-, judô-, aikidô-, jujutsu dôjô and I did it all. But this isn't my way either.
Ten years ago I found the Booj (while I lived in Germany), and they offered me what I was looking for. THAT'S why I started the dôjô.
I know, a shodan on his own can't do a thing.
But: we have real good connections with four other dôjô in the immediate vincinity, as well as we have a good agreement with the official Belgian head branch, Bujinkan Dôjô Belgium. Normally, most of the more serious students go to other dôjô too, as well as to seminars. We've got a dôjô quite near, where there is a 4th dan teaching. I train with him too, at least once a week, when the dôjô is open.
But there is no budô taijutsu in Antwerp, so we started it. What's wrong with it?
We offer a way to study Budô Taijutsu and we motivate people to go to training in other dôjô too! That's our aim: to be able to train wherever you want, and as we all know:
In Bujinkan, grades mean nothing (unfortunately).

Still though: thanks for the mail, Gil. It made me think about things...

So: back to the question: who is the dôjô cho in our dôjô? Just out of curiosity!

[Edited by kennin on 07-13-2000 at 11:02 AM]

[rob_liberti]

[If this ends up in some place other than "who's the dojocho" then please excuse me for my newness. This is my first post here.]

There is a story about a hen and pig that want to make a bacon and eggs breakfask for someone. The hen only has to make a contribution, the pig has to be completely committed to the plan.

I think dojo cho is the person who has the ultimate responsibility for the dojo. The instuctor who teaches because he was hired is probably not committed enough to take on that ultimate responsibility. Even if you tried making it part of the job description, just by virtue of the fact that you guys hired him and can probably fire him I would say that he cannot be "ultimately" responsible.

It has been my experience that people who are totally focused on their career, their loving relationship, and teaching martial arts do NOT have enough time to ALSO focus on running a dojo well. (4 things at the same time doesn't fit my definition of "focus".)

It has also been my experience that you should never let something be based on a person when you have the option of basing it on a system. I think the 3 people who can to the hiring and firing have to elect someone to be the chief executive each year. That person can be the acting dojo cho.

I have seen dojos run by a board of like 6 senior students. Nothing ever gets done in a timely manner.

Rob

[Edited by rob_liberti on 07-14-2000 at 09:19 AM]