MasterH

Nice!

Picked up a new version of Enter the Dragon and I also picked up a Sjambok. Sjambok: a cheap one - http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=CS95SMB And some nice info: http://www.donrearic.com/mightysjambok.html

Word of mouth. Have your students bring in students. Then award your students, in some way, if their friend signs up. If you were to compare the advertising dollar vrs. how many students actual advertising brings in you would find it at $25 to $50 (US) per student. If you take that money and say give it back to the students, not in cash but in paid testing fees, uniforms, sparring grear, you would be ahead in the long run. I'll be opening my new club in Febuary, I'll be doing verry little actuall advertising, everything will be thru students handing out VIP cards for free lessons.

Good Job, well done. I have another 3.5 years before I am elegible to test.

Welcome back. Take it easy bro!

Yea i agree, alot of it is about confidence. Attackers are less likely to be the agressor if they feel you are in control. Bingo......

Add Rush to that list and we're twins!

TKD book: "Taekwondo; Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior" By: Doug Cook, find it at https://www.ymaa.com I also recommend: "Living the Martial Way" By: Maj. Forrest E. Morgan USAF Ret.

Aodhan has again nailed it! This is the reason why......most great martial artists do not make great sales people. Business is sales, and the bottom line is immportant. As MA instructors we want to help people, and unfortunetly we must draw a line........and rarely cross it to stay open. It's a shame really.

I don't mind it. We all have different reasons for training. Mine is for fun, others want SD, or sparring, of fitness...........

I would say, don't be afraid to get hit......that's the number one reason people tend to tense up in a bad situation. I know what I can do, you know what you can do, relax don't worry about it, and focus on how to get out of the situation, hopefully without having to defend yourself. my two cents.....

I'm studying TKD and Escrima. I will also pick up Sjambok and Krav Maga soon.

Well, here I am. I'm a 5th Degree (HTF TKD) and I encourage it. I'm reading a bool called "Living the Martial Way" by Maj. Forrest E. Morgan USAF Ret. He states to be a true MA warrior you recognise both the strengths and weaknesses of your art. Think of your weaknesses as holes and fill them with the correct dissipline. I'm a TKD Master, but my holes are ground fighting, up close hand to hand, and lack of weapon dissipline. So I will also train in Escrima (weapon dissipline) also KumDo (weapon dissipline) and I would like to train in both Krav Maga (hand to hand) and Hapkido (Groundfighting). I encourage everyone to read that book.

Where I do not dissagree with anyone on here I will say that improvement in this area begins with us, just by addressing these issues we are in a unique position. I've been involved with the martial arts for 21 years. When I was a kid, one of 15 in a school of 200, you gave lip towards an instructor you were in trouble. The way to change things, by being a roll model. Your job, if you choose to accept, is to answer up the loudest, answer up the most, kihap the loudest, when given instruction - move the fastest. You would be supprised how many students fallow one persons actions. And after some time, it becomes a regular part of the school.

Yup, two cents...... TMA's are run by orgs, if not actual orgs (WTF, ATA, ITF) then business orgs (NAPMA, MAIA). It's the way of the world. And should we have a government agency running the MA's like it runs itself, believe me, you don't want that. Just look into the S. Korean TKD scandle. Corruption.

Goodness, I'm actually posting here again. Jaymac and others, I think you're missing the point. The ATA was like that, not any more. They recognized the problems with the system they had, and changed it. Give them credit, the new points system is only for the first part of testing, qualifying that is. And included in that is total students, tournement participation, Association participation, and a number of other activities, including holding a regional office and time in rank. I feel we should encourage this type of change, who knows other changes like this might be just around the corner.

Are we reading from the same rules? To be concidered to test for 5th not 5 years ago you had to have 200 active students. I know it has changed, but it was a concideration at some point.

Ask your instructor.

So a color belt can pick up the 3 section staff or the cane?

Do you have an option?

well said orion

My kid to have a great time. -Adam

Remember the ATA's Prime is TKD, weapons are under an extra program, though now required, it's not the absolute best. But it is an informative program, good for the extra info. -Adam

The Korean systems (TSD, TKD, Hapkido) use belts as well. -Adam

Call the police......that's called assault. You do need to defend yourself, but anyone with a weapon is crazy and needs help. You need to inform local law inforcement and press charges. Good luck. -Adam