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If a McDojo conveys an emphasis on commercialism and an assembly line approach to the detriment of 'martial art', what would the signs be of a dojo which would benefit the 'martial arts'. Which dojos should students of the 'martial arts' seek out? What would be a good dojo?

Edit to clarify: I say 'not' McDojo but more I say 'good dojo'. A dojo could be regarded as not being McDojo but it might not still not be a 'good dojo'. If McDojo is regarded as being bad then 'good' should be the complete opposite. In between comes all the reasonable dojos. If McDojo can be defined, then so can good dojo. I am looking for answers in the "they say unto you ... but I say ..." mold. Not McDojo, not reasonable .... good!

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    Please do not argue back and forth in comments. Especially do not attack people because they choose to either use part of their name or a pseudonym. There are many reasons people may wish to be anonymous on the internet, calling them names and impugning their reputation for it is not acceptable conduct. Also, if you have issue with a question being suitable or not suitable for the site, the place to ask about it is on meta, not posting a counter rant in disguise. – JohnP♦ Oct 14 '17 at 22:21
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Note valid reasons exist for these signs of a good dojo as they are all based on the ancient traditions. Any dojo which do things differently should be considered commercial and assembly line - thus McDojo.

  1. There are no fees.

  2. No uniforms, badges, T-shirts, caps or any other paraphernalia are allowed.

  3. There are no gradings or belts.

  4. The teacher is at least sixty years old with thirty years teaching experience.

  5. The style which is taught was invented by a mythical figure in the distant past.

  6. The teacher was taught by a long direct line from the founder.

  7. Most of the class is spent answering questions from students.

  8. Students are encouraged to attend classes in other martial arts and not attend their class.

  9. There are no secrets as only sixteen well known techniques and four katas are taught.

  10. The teacher obtained the dojo through a dojo challenge.

  11. There are no competitions - only challenges.

Edit note: It is incredible how Biblical this answer is. If anyone wants I can find them the scriptural references.

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  • No fees? I don't think that having fees makes something a mcdojo, only really high ones, for stupid reasons. Following these guidelines narrows it down so much that there is probably only one school like this in all of the Americas. I don't think that any school that doesn't follow this should be considered a mcdojo. – LemmyX Mar 4 at 15:59

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