5 million $

[CANDANeh]

You win 5 million dollars and your going to invest 1/5 of it in starting a dojo.
You want to satisfy your needs and your students are going to pay for the spot they stand on the floor nothing else.
What are your expectations?
Your a 5th degree and everyone will be new to Uechi -Ryu. You want to share what you have dedicated time and effort to learn and of course you wish to grow yourself. Tell me your vision. I simply want to know.

[Bill Glasheen]

Believe it or not, I've thought about this.

The first thing I'd do is build a workout floor similar to the one in Lincoln, Nebraska. They do their Uechi on a spring-loaded gymnastics routine floor. It is wonderful. The floor is plenty firm, and yet you can do dive rolls on it.

Then I'd have toys. I'd have a complete set of weights. I'd have training jars (unbreakable). I'd have tires for toe training.

I'd have a nursery so that moms and families could come work out.

I'd have lots of video equipment, with screens everywhere so I could torture people with replay after replay of the mistakes they never seem to get rid of. Oh would I have the most deliciously evil fun...

Of course the dojo would have a great sound system.

The dojo would have an outdoor area where we could work outside - weather permitting.

I'd have scholarships for underprivileged kids (and adults). I'd make adults pay, but I'd reinvest the money in equipment, travel, and special instructor salaries. No profit needed at this point. But if folks don't put a little skin in the game, they don't appreciate what they have.

I'd hire people with education degrees to teach my kids classes. I'd spend a lot of one-on-one time teaching these teachers, but then rely on them to package the martial material for the kids.

I'd have one or two rooms in the building where music instructors would teach music lessons. I am dead serious. And a metronome (electronic) would be in each and every room. One good piano needed. Extra rooms for teaching string instruments, brass instruments, percussion, etc.

I need one all-purpose room for after-hours meetings, after school study hall, special events, after workout BS sessions, etc. Need some sinks, a refrigerator, etc. Fireplace would be nice...

Have I spent my million yet? I could do more. I'm afraid I'd run out of that million pretty quickly.

- Bill

[CornMaiden]

...and then, maybe you could hand-pick the students of your choice so not to make your brain crazy like the ones that drive you nuts now, possibly.

Maybe you could convince some of those bright, cream of the crop ones to come and teach. I refer to the ones you mentioned earlier that you taught at university.

That truly would be heaven, I would think with so much potential. If you could get them early enough in life to train them while young and healthy, you could run with that.

Just an idealistic approach. Just a dream thought.

Corn Maiden

[MikeK]

Believe it or not, I've thought about this.

The first thing I'd do is build a workout floor similar to the one in Lincoln, Nebraska. They do their Uechi on a spring-loaded gymnastics routine floor. It is wonderful. The floor is plenty firm, and yet you can do dive rolls on it.

Then I'd have toys. I'd have a complete set of weights. I'd have training jars (unbreakable). I'd have tires for toe training.

I'd have a nursery so that moms and families could come work out.

I'd have lots of video equipment, with screens everywhere so I could torture people with replay after replay of the mistakes they never seem to get rid of. Oh would I have the most deliciously evil fun...

Of course the dojo would have a great sound system.

The dojo would have an outdoor area where we could work outside - weather permitting.

I'd have scholarships for underprivileged kids (and adults). I'd make adults pay, but I'd reinvest the money in equipment, travel, and special instructor salaries. No profit needed at this point. But if folks don't put a little skin in the game, they don't appreciate what they have.

I'd hire people with education degrees to teach my kids classes. I'd spend a lot of one-on-one time teaching these teachers, but then rely on them to package the martial material for the kids.

I'd have one or two rooms in the building where music instructors would teach music lessons. I am dead serious. And a metronome (electronic) would be in each and every room. One good piano needed. Extra rooms for teaching string instruments, brass instruments, percussion, etc.

I need one all-purpose room for after-hours meetings, after school study hall, special events, after workout BS sessions, etc. Need some sinks, a refrigerator, etc. Fireplace would be nice...

Have I spent my million yet? I could do more. I'm afraid I'd run out of that million pretty quickly.

- Bill

Would you also serve fries and shakes?

Not Uechi, but my 1M would be spent thus. I'd go for 10 acres of land, some wooded some open. A nice fighting pit made of recycled tires. An obstacle course. A "kill" house where people could practice in spaces and environments that come close to where they may use their skills. A space with a roof and a place to hang various heavy bags, just enough to stay somewhat out of the weather. An assortment of protective gear. Video gear so the student could review what they did. Cash to bring in experienced guest instructors. Training would be free but by invitation only. A nice BBQ and picnic benches.

[Bill Glasheen]

...and then, maybe you could hand-pick the students of your choice so not to make your brain crazy like the ones that drive you nuts now, possibly.

Nope... That's not a demonstration of one's teaching ability. That's cherry picking good material and taking credit where credit isn't due. I don't do that.

I've been blessed in my teaching career. As for students who frustrate you... Even when I was at the University, I noted that maybe 10 percent were decent karateka. And the other 90 percent? They made the dojo fun. Even when they weren't superstars, they were the glue that bound the dojo together. No dojo exists without the vast majority who help keep the lights on and the doors open, and provide a fun place to be on a daily basis.

My problem? I keep wanting to make that 90 percent better. I refuse to blame their shortcomings on them. I can't be satisfied with an "adequate" job of teaching challenging students. Since that vast majority give so much to the group in so many different ways, the least I can do is keep my expectations high.

Nothing makes me happier than to have one of these "average" students come back to me years later and tell me how something I taught them saved them in a situation, or even saved one of their loved ones. Those stories are the ones I'll cherish the most.

- Bill

[CornMaiden]

Understood. I noticed your tremendous frustration over your present students. That picture you posted stuck out in my mind (leading a horse to water), especially ones you had been teaching that are regressing. Maybe they had personal issues going on in their lives, or some learning disabilities, in actuality, that kept them from attaining a higher level of learning that you may teach at.

Maybe part of that money could be spent toward remedial training to get those training wheels off. Possibly making those 'troublesome' students have to teach would help them look at the material differently. Teaching makes you learn things anew.

Corn Maiden

[Bill Glasheen]

Maybe part of that money could be spent toward remedial training to get those training wheels off. Possibly making those 'troublesome' students have to teach would help them look at the material differently. Teaching makes you learn things anew.

Indeed. That's a great idea.

Part of my reason for starting that thread was to tap the education market out there for fresh ideas. So far I've been underwhelmed with the response. Mostly I think I offended the students I'm trying the hardest to make better. Sometimes you can't win for losing.

But I keep trying.

- Bill

[CornMaiden]

Some how there must be a win/win answer so you both may benefit.

Underwhelmed? Did you not get any good ideas to act on?

How do you know you offended them? Sure he/she/they were not just having a bad period of time? Work problems, his/her team lost, had a fight with significant other, or didn't have dinner? Or is this chronic?

Corn Maiden

[robb buckland]

I'm visualising a campus type of enviorment for distance learning guests as well as housing for the weekly guest instructors. An "urban warfare area "(like the kill house) for situational selfdefense. A firearms range . A precision driving course ....I love that hardwood with the rubberized sub flooring !!

"Nothing makes me happier than to have one of these "average" students come back to me years later and tell me how something I taught them saved them in a situation, or even saved one of their loved ones. Those stories are the ones I'll cherish the most".



Hey, take it from this "average student "; You've positively affected many of our lives for years ...keep up the good work.

[Bill Glasheen]

How do you know you offended them?

I don't know... Just some subtle signs I guess.



But maybe I just misinterpret.

- Bill

[CornMaiden]

Aaaah, it must be a female/woman...and she must have been really mad, per your choice of imagery.

Interesting pic.

Corn Maiden

[Bill Glasheen]

Underwhelmed? Did you not get any good ideas to act on?

I got some. I wasn't hoping that some genius in education theory could share some unique wisdom.

I'm an R&D scientist. Everything around me is an opportunity for a paradigm shift and a new approach.

As I see it, the students are each individual systems which respond uniquely to me. One way or another, they respond. When I try for A and I get B, I do get frustrated. But then I get curious. I want to know what I can do to get this packet of knowledge in that head and have the seed crystal grow.

It's like that damn patch of earth on the far end of my yard this year that - for whatever reason - decided it didn't want to grow grass any more. WTF??? What's going on here? It used to grow grass. And now it's mud over here and moss over there. Schit... What's going on here? I don't blame the earth. I just want to figure out how to get Nature going again.

- Bill

[CornMaiden]

I believe 'Mother' nature is going through, possibly menopause in your yard. Those terribly, hormonal women. What are you going to do? Can't live with them and can't live without them.

Seriously, so sorry to hear about your yard. Hope you can fix those problems on both fronts, Glasheen Sensei.

Corn Maiden

[Bill Glasheen]

Seriously, so sorry to hear about your yard. Hope you can fix those problems on both fronts, Glasheen Sensei.

The yard isn't that big a deal. I have a most interesting piece of property that's half wild (with rare trees like American Chestnut) and half open. Given that it's sloped, I have everything from wetlands to places where cacti could grow.

Ninety percent of my lawn is a carpet. But these two areas... It used to work; now it's theory. THAT will drive you to drinking.

Same with the students, really. Just bumps in the road.

- Bill

[f.Channell]

If your growing moss you have a high acid soil in that area.

And if I won 5 million I'd close my dojo and travel. Probably move to Vermont and hunt deer with nunchuks.

F.