Woooahh – who would have thought that we would be receiving inquiries about training due to the influence of the Cobra Kai series currently on Netflix. Several in one week alone, an all-time record and one which will probably never be broken again haha. As per the usual, prior to accepting anyone, a nice sit-down conversation in person over coffee is organised in order to find out what the potential student aims to seek from training with us. In the most recent meetup, I was told that the motivation to begin karate was a result of watching Cobra Kai and found us by googling “Miyagi like dojos in Brisbane”. I found this rather hilarious, but at the same time was curious to know exactly what it was about Mr Miyagi / Daniel’s dojo on Cobra Kai they were fond of? According to this person, they had in fact attended two other karate places in Brisbane that appeared on the same google search, but never expected so many students in the one large hall or for it to be so regimented. In their own words and I quote, were looking for something “mystical, more personalised and friendlier - something like Miyagi Dojo on Cobra Kai”. Once again I couldn't contain myself when I heard this...
Are we mystical?? I don’t think so, oh yeah…apart from that time I harnessed all my inner-energy and knocked out 30 people with my one finger death touch. More personalised? Maybe, but isn’t that what automatically occurs when you are only willing to teach/accept a handful of students. And friendlier? No one has really commented on my so-called “friendliness” before, most of my mates think I’m an a-hole at times, at an even bigger one at other times. Or could it be that some people out there in the karate world simply come across as egotistical or unfriendly? Anyway, who are we to judge…
It really makes the three of us wonder though, how many other individuals or karate groups out there in Australia, or across the globe are doing something as “mystical” as us? Are there other karateka who actually prefer and place a larger emphasis on one's own training over teaching? Or sit down with and chat with potential students prior to accepting them? Or even prefer having only a minimal number of students as possible over being the head honcho of a several hundred-person organisation?
Anyhow, I must work on my mystical powers now…. Time to fly….
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