Training martial arts feel great. So does belonging to a dojo or gym, and having friends and students to train with. But have you ever felt like things were going a little too far? If your gut tells you something is off, it just might be the case. Here are 5 signs that you might be in a dojo cult; if you notice them in your situation, it should tell you to turn around and run, don’t walk away.
Red Flag #1: You’re expected to put the dojo before all else.
If your instructor expresses expectations that you should be putting your training, and your fellow students before outside friends or hobbies, it should set off alarm bells in your gut. Why would it ever have to be an either/or scenario? Why should you have to sacrifice in one area of your life in order to gain in another?
Don’t get me wrong; to achieve anything in martial arts, you’re going to need to sacrifice in order to put in the time. It will take years to develop skills that are ingrained enough to be of any use. The difference, though, is that you should be the one choosing to make those sacrifices; nobody else should be holding a gun to your head and forcing the matter. If they do, you might just be in a cult unknowingly.
Red Flag #2: You’re belittled or even threatened if you express thoughts of leaving.
If you’ve watched Cobra Kai, then you’ve seen what I’m talking about with this one (I’ll say no more due to spoilers). Be very wary of a dojo or gym where the instructor or other students make you feel “less than” – or even like you might be in danger – because you’re thinking about leaving. This is the same behaviour exhibited in abusive relationships, and you need to get away from it as fast as humanly possible.
It’s also the same behaviour exhibited by the church of scientology, and that right there should say enough.
Red Flag #3: Your sensei mystifies your techniques, rather than explaining the practical reason why they work.
Einstein once said that, if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough. The same is true for martial arts. If your instructor can’t or won’t explain how a particular technique works, there’s a strong chance that they don’t understand it well enough to explain.
These are often the same instructors that will hide behind mysticism, using statements like “I will answer that when you are ready,” or “The technique is too deadly, so I’m not going to answer it for your own protection.”
Bottom line: if you ask how a technique you’re being shown works, you should receive a clear, concise answer. Anything less should suggest that maybe your sensei is hiding something.
Red Flag #4: You’re actively discouraged from asking questions in class.
This ties in closely with the previous red flag. If you’re made to feel small or stupid for asking questions in class, that’s a control technique your instructor is using to keep you “in line.”
Mind you, there’s a fine line between seeking knowledge and asking questions to be obnoxious, and I’ve seen more than a few students in my time fall into the latter category. There’s a balance. But if your instructor expects all classes to be a one-way lecture from them to you, they’ve got it wrong, and you should be suspicious. A martial arts class is not a dictatorship; if your instructor runs things like it is, then you’re in a cult, not a self-defense class.
Red Flag #5: Your instructor claims to be building you and your fellow students into an “elite strike force.”
People join martial arts for a variety of different reasons, ranging from wanting to get in better shape, to building self-confidence, to feeling comfortable defending themselves.
I’ve not heard of a single one yet that signed up because “they wanted to be part of an elite strike force” or some such BS.
The bottom line is that you’re there for your reasons; if your instructor talks about how they’ve got big plans for you and your fellow students, dig into it. If they won’t divulge, or if those plans are misaligned to the reason you signed up in the first place, then high-tail it outta there, because that screams “cult”.
Just be prepared to deal with red flag #2 on your way out.
Wrapping it Up
I wrote this post because I had a dream that I was in some sort of dojo cult. The details escape me now, but it was enough to make me want to put this out there.
What I’ll leave off saying is that there a number of very smart, talented martial arts instructors out there who know their stuff and are willing to share that knowledge with their students. I have been lucky enough to study under one for over 7 years. All I’m saying here is that you should know the difference between someone like that, and someone who’s out to manipulate you, swindle you, or worse.
After all, the best form of self-defense is not finding yourself in a dangerous situation in the first place.
