#dojomanagement #teachingbudo #instructorinsights

Most people quit Martial Arts.



Fact.

True, the vast majority don’t make it past their first lesson (arguably they could be said to have never really started in the first place) or they quit within the first year. Usually this is simply because, having tried it, they decide that Budo is not really their thing which is, of course, absolutely fine. Good on them for trying it in the first place. However, those students who quit after making reasonable progress, maybe when part way through the kyu grades or even in some cases beyond shodan level, are a different conundrum entirely. One of the issues encountered in trying to determine why promising students decide to quit (despite their personal progress and, usually, some financial investment on their part) is the lack of data and/or meaningful feedback to help identify the cause. Unlike in the business world, where interested employers can often analyse huge amounts of “leaver” data, most Martial Arts students tend to simply fade away; they stop turning up to training and eventually just disappear. Rarely do schools actively solicit feedback and, when they do, often the feedback that is volunteered is ignored (ego can intervene if it is negative) or just not acted upon where necessary. 

Instructors who are genuinely interested in the development of their students, and don’t simply see them as a revenue stream, should be able to spot the signs of ebbing enthusiasm early on, which gives you an opportunity for meaningful conversations to take place before the decision to quit is reached. A good teacher will accept that their “job” is not to coerce or force a student to keep training with them but, rather, to help them work out what is best for the student, taking all the circumstances into account. In the majority of cases this is usually the (mutually beneficial) decision to continue their Budo training, especially if it has been possible to identify and to take steps to deal with, the source of the issue. This is not always the case, though, and sometimes a more appropriate outcome is to accept that stopping their training and doing something else may actually be the best course of action for the individual.

How to deal with leavers

It is not really necessary for an instructor to pursue involved discussions with those students who turn up once or twice, give it a go, and quickly decide it is not for them. Much more useful in those situations is to send out feedback questionnaires or surveys (which the majority of non-returners won’t bother to complete anyway) to try to gain some basic understanding of why they decided not to continue. Questions like: Was the art of style not for them? Was the class too physical/not physical enough? Did they like the training space? Did they not gel with the teacher etc, all help to identify tweaks and improvements that might be useful to create better first impressions in the future. However, when it comes to those that have left after training for a while, meaningful dialogue and gathering an informed understanding of their reasons for quitting becomes very important. Unfortunately, many instructors are simply not equipped to have these kind of conversations – it is not usually something which features in one’s Martial Arts training - but they are worthwhile skills to invest in acquiring. 

Naturally, before being able to even embark upon such a discussion, an instructor must have spotted the signs of waning interest. This can manifest in different ways but good examples are: class attendance becoming sporadic, the student’s general demeanour when training changing, dojo membership fees needing to be chased or becoming significantly overdue. This is, clearly, not an exhaustive list but even those few examples go to show that there can be good indicators that might make it possible to read the signs early enough to tee up a good conversation before the rubicon is crossed. Simply being attentive to students, showing a genuine interest in them, and “checking in” from time to time will also help.

Have good pre-exit conversations

Once the need (and opportunity) for a discussion has been identified, it is best to think ahead in terms of what the purpose and aims of the planned conversation should be. Primarily, this will be to draw out whether the assumption of loss of interest is correct and, if so, start to identify the reason or reasons for it and, thereafter, elicit whether it is related to the training (or the art) itself or linked to some other external factor, or factors. 

Initially, your job is to listen. Listening fully and properly will determine how best to respond. If the cause of lost enthusiasm is external, for example health, work, school, or financial issues, there may be things that you can do to help the student to bridge the difficult period. For example, it may be possible to give temporary hardship concessions in training fees or equiprment. Similarly, if the reasons are linked to the teacher(s) or training, really lean in and hear what the student has to say. Has something changed recently that has led them to lose their appetite for training, for example, and, if so, are there things that can be done to improve the situation, is the curriculum not challenging them enough (or is it too challenging for them). You should also bear in mind that it is not unusual for other students to be feeling the same way, without it being so obvious, so any feedback drawn out may ultimately also be beneficial to others, too.

When, and if, you arrive at a point where you simply see that the student needs a little boost or encouragement, here are a few things that you can helpfully remind them of:

1.    They have someone who is committed to them. It can sometimes be helpful to remind students that they have someone “in their corner” and that you are invested in their success and progression.

2.    It is natural to have ups and downs in training. Not everything moves forward at the same pace. If they feel that they aren’t progressing as much as they’d like to or are finding themselves lacking in motivation from time to time, help them find ways to mix things up. Set them a challenge – it could be physical or it could be more cerebral.

3.    Remind them that they are crushing their goals. Every time they turn up, they are winning, even when it doesn’t feel like it. They will have gained something more than the person who is sat at home “not doing”.

4.    Encourage them to try something new. Get them to broaden their horizons. If boredom or staleness is an issue, help them find something compatible to try which is new. For example, if they are focused on competition, get them to consider focusing on practical self-protection for a period, or perhaps learning some weapons skills, suggest they explore some techniques or kata from a different style. If experienced enough, see whether they have interest in assisting with teaching, coaching or mentoring.

Ultimately be prepared to let them go

Sometimes the result of all of your good listening is that arrive at a point where you have to accept that it may be better for the person to quit and do something else instead. That isn’t defeatist - simply realistic. If they are disillusioned because they have fallen out of love (or never fell in love) with the art, then that is ok. Everyone is different. Don’t underestimate the polluting effect that a disaffected or disengaged student can have on the rest of the group, though, and there is little to be gained in encouraging the committed quitter to hang around to see if things improve for them.

Whatever you do, make sure that the door is left open for a return. Sometimes people have to go away to get some perspective and work out what it is that they really want. If they miss it, they will come back, if they don’t then it is probably best that they don’t return in any event. However, if you have made the student/teacher “divorce” an acrimonious or uncomfortable one, then they will almost certainly never return. Always try to leave them with a positive feeling of their experience of Budo and their time training with you.   

Finally, accept that people will quit.

It is just the way things are. When people do quit, don’t take it personally, don’t hold grudges and don’t let self-doubt creep in.  Obtain, listen and learn from feedback, and use what you are given to become a better teacher. If nothing else, take the view that, at least until a new student fills the quitter’s vacated slot, you now have more time to commit to those that remain.