Adult participation

[Robert Wolfe]

Statistics from magazines such as Martial Arts Professional indicate the overwhelming majority of individuals participating in martial arts training are children, most younger than 12 years of age. Does this proportion hold true for schools whose instructors frequent E-Budo?

[Enfield]

Okay, I skew the results, being from a University Club. We're also open to the community, and last year had a ni-/sansei junior high school student, but he doesn't come anymore.

Also, I think that there will a much larger percentage of adults in weapon oriented arts (kendo, iaido, jodo, etc.) than in primarily empty-hand arts.

[popupsoldier]

Well, teaching to the public, I must say that although I do have younger students, adult students still rival them in number.

Younger ones tend to have a shorter stay (2 years) as opposed to adults who stay for a long time (even after a prolonged break).

However, I do know of schools (larger organisations) whose composition is about 50% kids the balance obviously being adults.

Perhaps it depends on the martial art ? Kids may be drawn to certain aspects ? (Maybe their parents give them no choice :))

Tim Oldham

[Joseph Svinth]

One wonders how many Little Ninjas, as one McDojo calls them, have access to the Internet and E-budo?

And of those who do, where the !@#$ are their parental units?

[Shitoryu Dude]

I've never seen a good dojo without gobs of rugrats. True, the vast majority of them don't stick around past 6 months, but they make up at least 50% of the students in most places. It's actually one of the things I looked for when I was re-entering the arts after a extended break. Good schools with good instructors have happy kids and happy parents watching them. And a good school will also have a sizable female student body - another indicator that the school is not turning out thugs. As a general rule, women will not stand for an abusive or overly macho instructor.

When I walk into a dojo and see only young men in their late teens thru their mid-30's I walk back out. I already know all I need to about 99.95% of those types of schools - too much testosterone, posturing, and grandstanding. I've seen them at the tournaments: getting their butts whipped and disqualified for excessive conduct and bad sportsmanship.