(Approx 2 minute read)

When I first moved to the US, I was invited to teach at a commercial dojo, not something I had back in the UK. My dojo back home was part-time in a church hall. I never thought of it as a “business” because I already had a day job.
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It was a pretty successful dojo, and I did consider going full-time, but I knew I could never make up the lost salary… unless I changed my ways.
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Why bring this up? Because recently I’ve seen the opposite, some people will do anything to make martial arts their business… even if it means faking their way to it.
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I know of an “instructor” (quotes intentional, I think he’s a fraud) who has just opened his third dojo in five years. Each one closes, and he reappears somewhere else, and miraculously, his rank increases every time he moves.
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When I met him in 2020, he was a shodan. Now, five years later, he calls himself a godan and shihan.
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That’s not progress, it’s fakery.
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And here’s my point: running a dojo like a business isn’t the issue. Running it like a scam is.
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Many instructors I know still have jobs. They teach for the love of it, charge enough to cover costs, sometimes even lose money, and they do it because they care about the art and the people who walk through the door.
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And that’s the tragedy. The honest ones struggle, while the fakes cash in and move on.
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The honest ones are the people who should be rewarded, but instead, they get left behind because they refuse to lower their standards or turn their dojo into a belt factory.
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Like every industry, martial arts has been hit by the fast-food culture, and not just from students. Some instructors are happy to meet demand with shortcuts, quick belts and flashy marketing instead of substance.
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People want convenience, cheap deals, online grading, instant gratification. They don’t always care whether their instructor can actually teach them anything worthwhile, only whether the class is close to home and $5 cheaper than the one down the road.
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But if you’re training to protect yourself or your family from bullying, assault, or serious violence… are you really going to price-shop your safety?
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And if someone just wants fitness or fun, fair enough. But even then, you still deserve quality. You shouldn’t have to choose between honest training and ‘we are the strongest’ nonsense.
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Quality costs. And it should.
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I’m not against running a dojo like a business. Done properly, it provides better facilities, better equipment, better training, and reaches more people. I support that.
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But only if it’s built on honesty, transparency, and earned skill. So yes, charge what you’re worth. Make a living if you can. Just don’t build it on lies.
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Because the problem isn’t business…… It’s bullshit.
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Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo