themselves, as well as their family
and friends. You’ll be helping them
acquire what you have: better health
and skill at self-defense. The only
way to get those benefits is in the
dojo — so you might as well make it
your dojo.
YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DO MARTIAL
ARTS AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. You’ll
be getting paid, in essence, to train,
teach and work. Furthermore, you’ll
be able to attend martial arts semi-
nars and shows while writing off the
associated expenses. The same goes
for trips to train with an out-of-town
instructor or master.YOU WILL ENJOY A HEALTH AND
FITNESS BOOST. These are the real
necessities in life because you have
nothing without them. As a dojo
owner, you’ll be immersed in an
environment where being healthy
is encouraged. Similarly, it will be a
place that lets you evolve mentally
and spiritually. You won’t be in the
rut that most people find themselves
in, where they’re surrounded by
folks who don’t seek enlightenment
or self-improvement. This is why
most people come to your dojo, and
you can follow the path right along-
side them.IT’S GOOD FOR THE
SELF TO BE CREATIVE,
AND OWNING A DOJO
WILL INSPIRE YOU
IN THIS AREA. You
can create as many
of your business and
promotional materi-
als as you wish: bro-
chures, posters, signs,
T-shirts, teaching aids
and so on.EVERYONE IS INTO
SOCIAL MEDIA THESE
DAYS; RUNNING A DOJO
WILL SERVE AS THE
IMPETUS YOU NEED
TO GET UP TO SPEED
ON THE TECHNOLOGY.
You’ll also enjoy know-
ing that your social
media posts will carry
your positive message to masses far
larger than your student body.A GOOD DOJO WILL MAKE AN IMPACT
ON YOUR COMMUNITY. Opening one
also will give you a platform to have
a positive effect on the people in the
community. When you see kids who
were raised in your dojo go on to live
happy and productive lives, you’ll
take pride in the part you played in
their success.OPERATING A DOJO CAN BE A BOON
TO YOUR FAMILY. If you’re married
and your spouse is into martial arts,
your marriage can become even
better. (Conversely, dojo life can be
a good test for your marriage.) Do
you have kids? If so, know that rais-
ing them in your dojo is a unique
experience. There will be plenty of
upstanding people to help out, and
all of them can impact a child’s life
in a positive manner.IF YOU STILL ENJOY COMPETING —
LIKE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ANY
DOJO’S YOUTH POPULATION PRO-
BABLY DOES — YOU’LL BE IN LUCK.
Owning a martial arts school will
give you many chances to participate
in tournaments, not to mention help
organize and officiate.YOU WILL ENJOY CREATING SOME-
THING FROM NOTHING
— LIFE DOESN’T GET
ANY BETTER THAN
THAT. In no time,
you’ll be making a
good living for your
family while you go
about building your
legacy in the martial
arts. As rewarding as
this can be, it’s even
better when your
legacy entails foster-
ing enlightenment and
happiness through
martial arts.YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO
STOP. You can be 63
years old, like I am, and
still go strong. If you
wish, you can reach
out and touch the stars
well past the typical retirement age.
In essence, you can work right up
until the end, if you so desire. Few
people, even those who love their
work, are fortunate enough to be able
to say this.Floyd Burk is a San Diego–based
10 th-degree black belt with 50 years of
experience in the arts. To contact him,
visit Independent Karate Schools of
America at iksa.com.As a dojo
owner, you’ll
be immersedin an environ-
ment wherebeing healthy
is encouraged.OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 77