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Thanks, guys! I've had this problem with TKD, my first school was so good that neither of the ones I went to after it pleased me by comparison.

Hey guys, So I'm moving to a new area and very close by there is a karate club (and NO TKD clubs, sadly.) So I thought I might give it a try. I trained for a few months in TKD (reaching only the second-from-bottom belt) but in my youth I reached blue belt in Shorinji Kempo (borderline brown, was considered to need more work before grading, but eventually gave up.) Bear in mind, 'my youth' means 'from age 10 to 14' (am now 31.) With that in mind, will Goju-Ryu be a good style for me as a complete karate n00b? I know it's a highly subjective question, but any pointers would be appreciated

Hello again one and all. Well, it's that time of the month again - the time when I move house (again) and look to pick up TKD (again) and come here to ask advice (again.) This time, I'm MOVING INTO MY OWN FLAT FINALLY OHMYGOD!!!! and the nearest TKD school is this one: http://www.didsburybba.com/ Now, EVERYTHING about that website screams MCDOJO, but basically, I want you guys to tell me if my gut is right. It's a shame, because classes are just a bus-ride away from where I'll be living.

I just managed to settle my life down after a year and a half of studying and being unemployed, and so the first thing I did was look up a TKD class. There was one literally down the road - ITF too! - led by a prominent instructor in the area. I went to a taster class and it felt amazing, and I'll be going back. However... ...while there, I trained with the only other two students at my level, two young kids (about a decade younger than me, late teens/early 20s.) They were quite sloppy, both in patterns and three-steps, to the point where I spent most of the class giving them basic pointers like 'block higher', etc. I thought they may have just graded, and be as confused as I was when first tackling Chon-Ji and three step sparring. However, at the end of the class I saw them be given grading forms for the upcoming belt grading (next week) leading me to believe that soon they will outrank me. Now...granted, when I stopped practising I was borderline for grading (in fact, the only reason I didn't was that I missed the grading due to a late bus), and therefore can be considered a 'high' 9th gup. With that said...I haven't set foot in a TKD dojo in two and a half years. And I was way crisper than those kids who practice weekly. Should I be worried? Or do I just chalk it up to my previous sabumnim being particularly amazing?

I want to take up TKD again, and am looking at two schools in my town, both within the same price range. One is BTC (offered by my Uni) and the other AIMAA. I talked to the AIMAA instructor and was a little worried when he started talking about how his classes incorporate elements from jiu-jitsu and judo, and they do ground grappling, etc. Afraid this might be a McDojo. Although he did also talk about turning down people who wanted 'to be black belt in two days'... For those of you who know UK Taekwondo associations, what is the reputation of each of these? They're both quite expensive for someone who is a full-time student, so I need to know it's worth investing in them.

CredoTe I really like your post! I definitely felt ashamed (of myself and of the verbal reaming I took), and ended up apologizing to the Sabumnim, and training as usual. I do often feel ashamed of having an ego that flares now and again. I also (stupidly, I know!) feel ashamed of always trying to be noble about this kind of stuff, i.e. after I apologised I felt like a gigantic pansy. I know I'm probably a bigger man than a 'cool guy' who would not have apologised, but...yeah. I also should have taken the earlier bus for safekeeping, but that's two hours earlier. Anyway, you're right!

Which is why I admitted that I deserved to not be allowed to grade on the day. My problem was rather with being held back to begin with.

I take Taekwon-Do and enjoy it a lot. I'm 8th kup, i..e. first degree after white belt. There used to be four of us, but three of those are now yellow belts. With the first one, I was fine, since he's better than all of us (although I was a little embarassed that I had decided not to grade that time - I didn't feel ready - and he had gone there injured and passed with flying colours.) I was planning to grade about a month after him, last month, but my instructor told me to wait until September. I was fine with it, until I discovered that the other two girls would be allowed to grade. I went up to my instructor and said I felt ready. He reluctantly agreed, but lectured the class on how he knew when we should grade, had X years experience, etc. The following weekend I turned up late for the grading (bus mix-up) and missed it. Fair enough. The thing is, I then had to listen to ANOTHER harangue about how 'a person [there]' should not try to keep up with their mates, and just because they all graded at the same time last time, it doesn't mean they're ready, etc. I felt miserable, ashamed and wounded, but I recognised that I had been a brat and apologised to the instructor for pushing it with him. Since then, I've lost a bit of my drive to go to class, as (once again, just like when I was 14) I am the only one being held back from a grading. I have self-esteem issues, and of course I felt like the worst TKD-er in our class - which apparently I am. There's no point to this post, just wanted to vent. I initially thought the instructor was a bit immature with the rank-pulling, but later realised I was the immature one. What did you guys think about my conduct (be harsh if you must) and have you ever let pride push you into a rash decision such as mine, when it came to MA? PS: I wouldn't have asked to grade again if I hadn't felt EXACTLY like I did 15 years ago when I got held back from testing for brown belt in Shorinji Kempo while everyone else got accepted. PS2: If I wasn't late, I would have passed - I'm sure of it - and proven a point. I NEVER get to prove points. Or show people what for. /ramble

At my school, it just means one/one and a half hours of an intense warm-up followed by free sparring. No movements, no forms, just conditioning and sparring. We did one of those at the regular TKD class once. It was super-tiring but somewhat gratifying.

What's yours? Mine is Won-Hyo. I think aesthetically it's by far the most beautiful, plus I like how it starts from a different ready stance (not parallel). Last week's class was instantly the best ever because everyone (even us beginners) got to do Do-San and Won-Hyo (but not Yul-Gok, for some reason).

Roundhouse with your back leg, land, pivot, reverse roundhouse/turning kick with your other leg (now your back leg). AKA my #1 spam move

This is what I do. The result is they get frustrated, rush me, boom bang, combo, I'm in there. I get what everyone else is saying about attacking. I guess it's just not in my nature, being the pacifist/wimpy sort rather than the 'raaargh' alpha male sort...

Do you have websites for either of the schools. Are you UK Based? I know most of the UK Wado groups and many of the Aikido ones so would be able to tell you whether I think they are good or bad. K. http://www.kifederationofgreatbritain.co.uk/clubs/alton.htm - All I have for Aikido. http://www.surreykarate.co.uk/ - the Karate club.

Make no mistake, I do go in - but only when they 'open the door'. Until then, lots of boxing-style footwork/dancing, a low capoeira-like stance, and a load of running around dodging... Oh and I'm 5ft8 so when I crouch/adopt a low stance, most punches fly well above my head...

It's my initials & I use it in other places so easy to remember

Background: I weigh 135lbs, am nerdy and 'allergic' to getting hurt. I also have a bit of a cowardly streak (I call it 'coward reflexes'). So obviously my sparring tactic of choice is to retreat, dodge, dodge, dodge, block here and there and explore openings. It works for me, at least in the context of a class. I'm surprised when this (to me) no-brainer tactic catches green belts out and allows me to score a hit. With that said, my sabumnim recently instated a rule that we cannot retreat while sparring anymore, and told me it was SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF ME. So yeah, now I have to throw myself into danger each time. Me no likey. What are your thoughts on this? How do you approach sparring? My reasoning is, in a real street fight, I'd most likely be up against someone bigger than me and about 50% heavier, so I wouldn't be throwing myself into their attacks. I'd wait for an opening (probably after they throw a haymaker) and go in for the hit, which is something we do learn in sparring sessions.

I wear mine while walking home. When it's warm I don't throw a jacket over it even. I have had some dumb teenagers heckle me lightly about it, but shrugged it off as, well, dumb teenagers. As a kid I would more often than not change before going home.

Remember all those topics with me asking if my school was a McDojo? It's not. My instructor's great, very composed, professional, and while he offers deals on equipment and classes, he is never too pushy about it. His competitor, on the other hand... Yes, I found another school in our town (our sabumnim bad-mouthed them once or twice in passing, and used to offer classes in the same locations as them, which is why I was initially confused about class venues when I first joined.) They have a kiddy programme with a similar name and identical uniform to ours. So far, so good, right? EXCEPT... 1. They actually include a warning in ALL CAPS about being aware of cheap imitations with similar uniforms ON THEIR MAIN PROGRAMME WEBPAGE, which I find fantastically unprofessional. Our school stands on its own merits and doesn't take potshots at anyone IN PUBLIC!!! 2. They require that parents sit in on class. My instructor does this too (apparently it's mandatory for 3-5 year olds?) but specifically asks that the mummies and daddies DON'T interfere. 3. Their kids have to buy everything, including a book 'worth its weight in gold'. Our school offers the suit, at least for junior and senior TKD, as well as insurance and membership to the UKTC. So yeah, I think they're the real McDojo in our area and I was lucky enough to join the good school. Of course this point of view is skewered by my estimation for my instructor and fellow trainees. PS they do offer a 4-week trial period for the little tots, which is not a bad idea, since kids tire of things easily. Overall, however, I think they're extremely unprofessional, especially with the personal barbs at - I assume - my instructor. I wish I knew what the beef was there...

I have both of these readily available near me, and neither clash with my TKD classes (there's also Jiu Jitsu, but that DOES clash with one of my classes. I could work around it, but I won't because a - it's by far the best of the two weekly classes I take and b - it's located literally a 2 minute walk away from my office.) Anyway, onto Aikido v Wado-Ryu. Location wise, one is in a small village hall which is a bit far to walk to, but I can bike to. One of their classes clashes with my TKD, but I could take the Monday class no problem. That's the Aikido. It looks like a one-man operation. The Wado-Ryu is more convenient, as I can easily get there by train (it's a couple of stations away) and then walk to and from the dojo. It's also at a more convenient time (Sunday morning). It's a 1.5hr class once a week. The school does give off a McDojo vibe for some reason (young 3rd Dan instructor and a drawing of smiling kids on the flyer I saw pinned to an electric post.) Neither school advertises heavily though, in both cases I just happened to come across flyers (one in a sports shop, the other on a random lamp-post on the way to TKD class.) My TKD school comparatively advertised much more. What are the differences between these styles? Which is better for what (throws, strikes, fitness, etc). Which would you guys personally recommend? And which school inspires the most confidence based on what I've described? Thanks!

Against all odds, I passed. Guess he didn't want to hold anyone back on the first grading... However the highest grade (not mine) was a 66, which furthers my belief that mine was probably like a 49.5/100, lol. I am also positive that my instructor took into account what he saw me do in class - he knows I can do better than that rubbish grading. (Also he says he's 'seen worse'?!? I though my mistake was pretty brutal!) Oh well, onto Chon-Ji...

I graded last Tuesday and am getting the result in a couple of hours. Pretty sure I failed. The grading went relatively well (I was very worried about push-ups on your knuckles on a hard floor, but managed those all right) until I completely cocked up a basic move (middle outer forearm block-reverse punch). Stepping forward was all right, but stepping backwards I was on the wrong leg, and when I went to correct it, I lost track of the count and ended up bailing Add to that a couple of silly mistakes (not crossing my hands the first time we did middle outer forearm block - fortunately I realized just in time!) and I think I'll be THAT ONE GUY (again). I hadn't tested for anything in about 3 years, and for martial arts, not in 13-14. Still it's no excuse. I'm just an idiot who doesn't know moves I'm just hoping my teacher takes into account what he saw of me in class - and thank goodness there were no outside masters present to watch me fail miserably! *Butterflies*

I don't expect you to solve the problem - just getting everyone's opinion about this. If we had behaved like that when I was a Junior in Shorinji Kempo...well...20 push-ups for each disruption were a given, the rest would be up to luck and the Sensei's mood.

She does not. She wasn't there last class. And some of the seniors do frown, and he does get told off. But he still has his belt.

Not an instructor, but thought I'd share a situation from a student's POV. When I was 14 and doing Shorinji Kempo, a group of us had joined up at the same time and were all blue belts. Then everyone got proposed to brown belt apart from me. This got me so discouraged that I eventually quit (there were other reasons behind that, too, though). I know it was my fault for being weak-minded (and 14), but the school lost a student because of me not being allowed to grade. Just thought I'd share...not even sure why, lol.

So I've been reading up on McDojo's again, and a couple of little things at my school rubbed me the wrong way, so I'm having doubts once more. Here is my 'three months later' list of 'credible school' vs 'McDojo': CREDIBLE: - Well behaved children with good technique - No one in the junior class is higher than Green/Blue belt and the highest ‘kid’ belt is Red (and trains with the adults) - Everyone gets told off for not doing the forms correctly, and senior grades are often made to practice basic white and yellow belt patterns along with the lower grades - Only two black belts (a third visits on occasion), and one is the instructor. - Nobody gets treated differently if they can’t attend a seminar, or say they will but end up no-showing (*blush*) - Three months later I’m still a white belt. True, this is because the instructor mistimed a grading (he didn’t account for Easter), but it would still have been two months between my joining and the first exam. - When I realised I couldn’t attend more than two classes and wanted to change my payment option (to pay LESS money), this was dealt with immediately – literally from one class to the next (from a Thursday to a Tuesday), I’d gotten the letter from the direct debit company. - My instructor never gloats, and has worked on his Dan pattern in front of the class at least once. - The White Belt Club (unofficial name) is given lots of attention and really has progressed loads. - ‘Big classes’ will have maybe 20 students, usually 8-15. - Instructor is star-struck by the chance to train with a senior master. - I was not pushed to sign up immediately after the first class, although I did join up after about three sessions. I also got a free suit and insurance.’ - There’s free sparring, although with protection on. Anyone without gloves, etc, has to do no-contact sparring, unless there’s spare gear lying around. - The teacher joins in the warm-up. With that said… - The school does sell merchandise, i.e. sweaters and sparring gear. - Why do we need contracts? We practice at village halls and leisure centres… - Our instructor is an excellent shill (of things like seminars) and makes sure to remind us each class up to the date of the event itself. - I was under the impression that £35-40 for twice a week was reasonable, now I’m told it’s high? - Instructor bad mouths WTF at every opportunity (we’re ITF) - Instructor has bad mouthed a rival school on one occasion, although mildly - “Don’t worry about it too much as white belts” is a recurring phrase. - Children get simplified patterns (I think…don’t quote me on that) - Trying to learn techniques from the next belt rank is discouraged, even when I feel I can do it the harder way. - School has a ‘Little Tigers’ programme where Mummies and Daddies sit in on classes. - Sparring is either point sparring or with protective gear on. - Junior senior grades (i.e. children who are green belt or above) are allowed to join in the adult class, even if they’re only 10 or so. - “Black Belt Club” was mentioned once, although to the best of my knowledge, there isn’t one in place. Maybe it’s just a turn of phrase? - Workout music is sometimes played (at a low volume) in exercises where a timer/gong is involved. - Class structure is quite loose, i.e. no two classes are the same and they sometimes seem improvised. - White belts are often paired up with yellow-green or green belts who are supposed to teach us and evaluate our technique. - The most senior Kup grade (coloured belt) is the worst behaved person in class (and 13.) - My instructor was wearing a watch the other day during practice. Thoughts? My needle is still on 'no', but as I said, certain little things have somewhat irked me. PS: This is Taekwon-Do.