Chicago Budôkai

A Word to Prospective Members

Becoming a Member of our Dôjô

The first thing that prospective students are required to do is schedule an appointment to watch at least one class prior to applying for membership. We assume that if you don't have sufficient interest to arrive on time and observe a complete class (and hopefully, be fascinated by what you see), you don't have the interest needed to master this art.

The second thing you will need to do is be interviewed by the instructor. During this interview please don't think of the dôjô as a school where, in order to receive instruction, all you have to do is fill out some forms and pay your tuition. You are applying for admission to a very exclusive private club, one in which just thinking, "This looks like it might be interesting to do for awhile," is not enough to qualify you for admission.

If accepted for membership, you will be given a list of what you will need to purchase prior to your first class. Street clothes are not permitted on the mat; you must have a proper uniform.

Discipline

A word about "discipline", a term many younger people today have little acquaintance with.

Compared to other schools you may visit, you will note that we have a lot of discipline in our dôjô. You will also note that it is, for the most part, self -discipline. You should also be cognizant of the fact that, because of this discipline, dôjô injuries are almost non-existent.

Remember, the martial in martial arts is another word for military . Every technique is designed to kill or cripple an opponent and, without proper discipline, we would quickly run out of students.

Chicago Budôkai Home: www.chicagobudokai.com