Yesterday in the afternoon, Sensei sent email saying that the dojo will close June 30th. F, S and I were so sad to read this. S was about five and F seven when they started studying karate at the Y, and we joined the dojo roughly a year or less later. S is fifteen and S twelve, so we’ve been with the dojo about seven years–most of their young lives.
I plan to call the Os, a couple who are a Shodan and Ichi-kyu, for ideas. If a group of us are able to put up money to help fund the dojo for the next month or two, perhaps we could buy time until conditions improve. It is possible real help may from the government or a grant. Perhaps we could figure out a better way to fund the dojo. I don’t know how long we could afford to keep the dojo going or even if Sensei would accept such an offer.
Other small businesses are in the same situation as his. More folks, voters, will realize that we, as a community, must take action if we want to keep these small businesses alive. I’m willing to gamble that help will come if we can hang on long enough.
Sensei has not exactly been getting rich off of the dojo. He often gives children scholarships, or allows families who have lost work to pay for membership through sweat equity. I don’t know how he’d feel about accepting financial help. He has had donors put up scholarship money for students. How would it be different if the dojo members came together to keep the organization afloat?
Also, I’m reaching out to the Os because, like my daughter and me, Mrs. O had planned to test for her Shodan in August.
