What happens when the Sensei or Sifu of your martial arts dojo goes batty, or simply loses the respect of his senior students, or he neglects their training, gets sick, moves away, phones-it-in, disappears altogether, or dies?
Can he be replaced, and if so, by whom?
This is a succession issue that most family businesses face. The founder, who personally knew every client and employee, along with their birthdays, strengths and weaknesses, becomes incapacitated or is no longer able to lead.
Much of his trade skill he kept sequestered between his ears. Figuring he would live and lead forever, he never bothered to groom a successor, or he figured one of his family members would gladly step into his shoes.
Possibly, to forestall a coup, he purposely decided to teach his minions part of his arcane secrets, but no more. Without the real skinny, he might have calculated, they'll fall flat on their faces if they mutiny, or otherwise try to kick him aside.
It's reasonably straightforward to recruit a stranger, a professional manager to run a 7-11, or a shoe repair shop, or even an accounting practice.
But can a dojo's spiritual and practical leader be swapped out with the same ease, while ushering in a sense of continuity and calm?
I, for one, think existing gurus are tough acts to follow, for at least a few reasons:
(1) They're older, perhaps way, way older than their lieutenants. Age, in a dojo, and perhaps in churches, temples, and places of worship, connotes a connection with tradition. And much of the spiritual and pragmatic authority in martial arts comes from being able to trace one's lineage to impressive forebears. Having a sage of a certain age around, lends credibility.
(2) They're experienced, especially from a business-cycle standpoint. They've weathered good times and bad, booms and busts, and they kept their portals open. When new students think of signing up, they see some gray hair and infer the place will be in business for a long time to come, certainly long enough for them to achieve senior rank.
(3) They're probably too seasoned and too weary to lie. They may know better than to make promises they cannot or will not keep, such as vowing to test students for certain belt levels by definite dates, and then, based on expediency or economics, postponing their advancement, reneging.
(4) Their judgment has been tested and refined. Therefore, their counsel is valuable.
(5) They can relate to older students, creating a comfortable environment in which elders can plod along to success. Older students, being more established economically, have more disposable income to invest in training, and can be influential in referring larger networks of family, friends, and colleagues to the dojo, for whom they can write the tuition checks.
If you have a sage in place, there are some solid reasons for supporting him, while seeking to learn everything he knows.
If it's too late, and you're suddenly left without experienced, charismatic leadership at the top, consider merging with another school that enjoys this benefit.
Trying to limp along with a management-by-committee structure, consisting of experienced martial artists, but inexperienced administrators might be risky to the health of the enterprise, and injurious to its long-term survival.
