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This is a nice complement/counterpart to my blog post earlier this week. What do you think when you hear “McDojo?” Most of us consider this to mean martial arts schools that are unworthy by some subjective benchmark, right?

In this video, Sensei Ando calls out those who derisively accuse martial arts schools of being “McDojos.” Using several excellent analogies, he points out a place for “McDojos” in the martial arts industry. He points out that it’s too easy to throw this term around.

Full disclosure: I used to throw this term around mindlessly. Nowadays, I’m much more discriminating about this term. Different schools target different demographics. Not every martial arts student is alike and has different personal journeys. If being in a “McDojo” helps a student somehow, who are we to dismiss that school on that basis?

Sensei Ando’s story about a classmate in a Tae Kwon Do school shows how lazy the “McDojo” moniker is. Listen to it.

Ultimately, this is a persuasive podcast on the “McDojo” issue. Please give it a listen!

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