[thegamexpertsdotcom]

Hi,

Just decided to create a new thread based on Anime's answer on the Olympics thread. Everyone is aware of how difficult the promotion of Kendo can be, the situation is not helped by the lack of Dojo's outside Japan and the drop-out rates.

Why don't we all post ideas here that other people can use?, I'll start:

1. I work for a large company. I recently suggested we raffle rate discounts or free beginers courses regularly on the sports and social comitee communications. This can get you a number of beginners & their friends interested.
2. Another idea is to start giving corporate discounts. The positive is that this can be communicated as employee benefits and therefore broadcast to a very large audience

These were fine in my head but after consulting with a couple of people I realized they may not be totally viable in terms of club revenue. But I still think they could work in principle.

What other things have you done or are you planning on doing to raise your club or federation profile in your area?. What worked? and most importantly, what did not?

[retTreftowhexm]

From my own experience of constantly proselytizing about Kendo to just about anyone who will listen, and much as it makes me want to rip my hair out in frustration sometimes, it has come to my stark attention that the average Joe could care less about doing any Martial arts, and even less about Kendo.

And another shocker seems to be, that as cool as I think Kendo is, most other people just smile politely, say, "oh that's nice." and then change the subject when mentioned.

[icedrakona]

Real promotion targets the youth. Partner Federation-Dojo-School districts, share costs, make sure equipment and facilities are not an obstacle. I am not saying it is easy, but it could be done if there were the will.

[Dokescoonse]

You also need to remember that for most people the cost is not an issue. You mentioned a lot about corporate discounts or free beginner courses. If someone likes something, they will pay for it. Even poor students can afford it, in most cases. I know everywhere is different, but students have more cash than they let on. If you can afford multiple pairs of $100 shoes, expensive handbags, designer clothing, and a new cell phone every few months, then most students can afford kendo equipment as well. It's usually not a lack of money, but a lack of desire to spend their own money on it. I know this does not apply to inner city, but even when I taught in a poorer district, even the "poor" kids had all sorts of electronic gadgets and stuff. Also, most kendo dojo are non profit and have low fees anyway. Even some of the for profit dojo are cheap if you go to lots of the practices, for those sorts of places that offer practices 5 or 6 days a week.

The issue is finding people who will join kendo because they want to do it and understand that it is not like the movies. I started a club at the school where I teach. I got 45 students to attend the informational meeting. I made a very clear presentation about what kendo is, the equipment, costs, and the learning process, and the timeframe for getting to jigeiko. I kept 10. After 3 months, I have about 7 or 8 left. Cost is not the issue. It is unrealistic expectations and lack of patience.

I think the best we can do is to advertise the existence of our dojo at community centers, YMCAs, schools, etc. Interested individuals will come and see what it is. The key is to give people accurate impressions of what kendo is. We won't grow as big as baseball or football. I just don't see that happening, but we can let the community know about what kendo truly is so the few who will like it will join up.

[avaiptutt]

Accessibility is an issue. Despite all our preaching about being willing to travel (3 hours! uphill! through a raging blizzard!) to get to kendo, most people won't come if they can't get there easily. Changing our practice to a central, well known location with easy bus access was the single biggest factor in increasing our membership.

[AlekseyZubkov]

From my own experience of constantly proselytizing about Kendo ... it has come to my stark attention that the average Joe could care less about doing any Martial arts, and even less about Kendo.

Is that a physical activity. Oh, that's nice. Have you played Crackdown yet on the 360? I hear it's quite good...

Familiar story here too, Kenzan. I do get to see some interesting looks from people as they notice the eBogu calendar/poster I put up in my cube.

From the looks of the local karate place, which had practice in the park across from us last week. People are more interested in exciting confidence building for their kids or learning to becoming lethal killing machines , rather than the repetitive physical abuse and self-abasement we call kendo practice. The wife said we look just as odd, but at least we don't practice in the park and actually look like we know what we're doing.

[Rtebydou]

Do you think that the atmosphere in the dojo is very important? Because in my school, kendo will be in "competition" with other martial arts (mainly karate and judo). Should we try to make the difference on the atmosphere or only on the art itself?

Some words about the background: there are about five hundreds students from 19 to 24 years old in the school, and we have an agreement with a kendo association of about 40 people outside the school.. The main point is that the school's administration will give us money if we are at least seven or eight very motivated people. The club has been re-founded this year, and we are four motivated people.

Please forgive the spelling and the grammar, the after-training party has just finished.

[AlistDakisa]

maybe as someone said in this forum being more available. i had a hard time finding my dojo since we rent a gym from a large private school. Look at karate, they have a dojo with prominent displays at every mall and shopping center in the country. It costs more for upkeep but also is more visible.
Also an online database would be helpful too. Canadian Kendo federation website looks like it haven't been updated since it's creation and so does the auskf one.

[johnuioyer]

Also an online database would be helpful too. Canadian Kendo federation website looks like it haven't been updated since it's creation and so does the auskf one.

I can't say anything about the CKF website, but the AUSKF website is updated on a regular basis to the best of the webmisstress' ability and availablity. She does have a regular job that keeps her quite busy, even on most weekends and relies on the rest of the U.S. regional federations to provide her with updates on dojo locations, news and events - which doesn't happen on a regular basis.

[Lapsinuibense]

webmisstress' ability and availablity.

.."Webmistress"...
LOL

[Tumarimmicdak]

i think in my dojo's case it was google's fault lol... since we started having a webpage and it was indexed on the biggest online search engines it was all uphill... we went from 10 to 100 in the dojo in just a couple years.

i think open promotion and advertising of kendo to people who won't show the least of interest to start with it's pretty difficult and a lost cause. most people who try AND stay in kendo originally have some sort of interest on martial arts or kendo beforehand....

now, if someone in your city is interested in kendo, surfs the web to find out that your dojo's site shows up the first in line on the google searches... then that's a big plus!

[portoskins]

.."Webmistress"...
LOL

Got a problem with the word 'webmisstress?'

[Nupbeaupeteew]

Being friendly to beginners probably helps a lot. Also, in the context of a uni club, a club social life helps keep people around.

[Klorissana]

Got a problem with the word 'webmisstress?'

Yes, just as I have a problem with the word "webmaster", which is a misleading term invented to make early internet literate people look more knowledgeable than they actually were. I mean, it sounded really impressive in 1992..."webmaster!" Why..we even have a guild!
Now gimmie some moneh!

In truth, A "webmaster" is a master of nothing, and certainly not a master of the web.

The vernacular of some words, especially internet words, never ceases to make me smile, i.e., turning a company name into a verb such as: "Googling."



"Webmistress".., another "made up term", denotes a gender specific origin role to an activity to which it is not necessary.
We wouldn't say "Car-washtress" or "Lawn-Mower-Maiden", would we? Would we say "Doctress" or "Post-Mistress?" Or Kendress?

In fact, certain feminists would argue that it is just this sort of politically correct assignments of genderless activities which actually hinder the cause of female equality rather than bolster it.

But the real reason I bring it up.....

..It sounds really naughty....

[radikal]

"Lawn-Mower-Maiden"

Best. Word. Ever!

[Thifiadardivy]

Back to the topic,

Paburo is very right, practically all of our new memebers come from our website, it has made a huge difference as they can enroll online. Having a top of the page google sponsored link has also helped a lot.

The intention of those ideas (maybe not the best of ideas after all) is not to make Kendo affordable per se, but to make it visible to a wider audience. If you have several people in the Dojo working in large organisations that might be of help in spreading the word.

Oten times new members come in saying 'I had no idea you did Kendo in Ireland, it was great to find the website'. In my case, I always wanted to do budo but would not get of my a**e, until I saw a BBC documentary and said to myself 'I must look into it...'. I think is the same with a lot of people, if you make it visible it can be a sort of gentle reminder.

I do agree about some of people's reactions when you try to evangelize, the go along these lines:

1. Sweet, Kenpo, is kick ass!!, good for you... (reply: 'no, no, Kendo') what?
2. (Mentioned above) Look at you funny and change the subject, I reckon they get flashing images of you walking into the office naked wielding a smurai sword babbling about being 'the chosen one'
3. So you are a stick fighter then?

My point was that people here do Pilates and Yoga/join the gym just because is available as an employee benefit, why not jump in that bandwagon?

[Peterli]

I agree with a lot of the previous posts. We put posters up on the local college campuses, do demonstrations, and have a website. The biggest draw of people is the website. In todays society most people use the web to search for stuff and if you have tags on your website that identify you in a locale etc etc when they go to a search engine they can find you.

The next big step is keeping them coming. Part of this is cost... at TKI we keep our costs as low as possible. We have a US $24 a year membership fee. The UNC dojo presently does not charge anything at all for a facility fee to members, the Duke and NC State facilities charge a few bucks a month on top of the yearly fee. In the worst case I think someone would pay only about $150 a year for kendo as it is right now (that doesn't include tournament fees, AUSKF fees or anything else outside of the local club participation).

The other thing is to keep people interested. This varies a lot and partly depends on the instructor and partly depends on the student. We try to have club activities such as demos and get together.. some that involve doing kendo, others that are more social. But even at the social activities we talk about kendo and watch kendo on video.