jdhunts

Hey MartialArthur, I have been told that before, and it does make sense. The differentiating factor to me is that I will be offering before and after school care and the other guy does not offer this. It's not that I specifically want to run a school geared for children, but in my area, before and after care is in high demand and short supply. From a business standpoint, it can pay almost all the bills thereby letting me run the kind of dojo that I want to run. Thank for the insight

I hate to ask this on a forum, but... I have a great opportunity to purchase my own building/storefront in a small shopping plaza for < 150k. I am concerned because there happens to also be a martial arts school, albeit a different style, across the street. Normally I would avoid situations such as this, but this is a great building with perfect size and layout, and an almost unbeatable price. Now the school across the street is very different. My dojo will be focused on karate and also providing before and after school care services. Their school offers many different types of programs from things like krav maga, padded weapons sparring, ground jujitsu, to tae kwon do. If you ask me, nothing more than a jack of all trades trying to appeal to everyone. (Did I also mention he is a soke or something) What would you do in this situation? BTW: Real estate is very high in my area and buying just a tract of land would be more than this building. I am not so sure that we would be appealing to the same people, but it's my first time starting a dojo so I just don't know. Looking forward to some responses

I've had students misuse DAN for Kyu many times. Sounds like that is what's going on to me Jeff

Well, first off, many use the term "taking Tang Soo", "taking Wing Chun", "taking Tae Kwon Do", "taking Muay Thai", etc. So, where did YOU TAKE IT? You've heard it before, but it bears repeating, you get out what you put in. If you feel that YOUR Tang Soo is not agressive enough, then change it, after all it is YOURS. Now that's out of the way, you will be better off choosing a sifu/sensei/teacher/instructor/what have you/ based on what you can learn from them, not based on their style/system. If the Muay Thai instructor shows skills that you desire, train with them. Just do it for the right reasons, not to become the next billy bad--- on your block. Any martial art in modern society can only be used for self-defense purposes. Let's face it, you can go to jail for brutally assaulting someone. You may be mistaking what you feel is lack of agression with the normal self-defense attitude contained within a traditional art. If you want to take yourself into the ring, that's another story, and only you can write the ending. Good luck in your journey, there are many paths but the destination is usually the same. Jeff

I have a little saying I tell my students when we spar, simply put fight as hard as you are willing to be fought. When we are on the floor, if someone gets a little excited and starts contacting too hard, he may get hit hard. We don't take this to the extreme or anything, but as a general rule it keeps most everyone in check. It's easy to hit someone very hard when they are not hitting back, but it's also humbling to get hit back equally hard. So, you were taking some contact, and you dished it back out. As long as your attitude was in the right place, shouldn't be a problem. It's when we let our anger get control and we are no longer thinking the real problems arise. Good luck in your studies abroad, and it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to test while you are there, it may place rank in a new perspective for you. Jeff

Wearing a "black belt" and being a "black belt" are two very different things, and it's more than just physical skills. Congratulations, that's an outstanding achievement, now grow into it. Jeff

That's a pretty open ended question. I was an ITF instructor several years ago, do you have a specific question?

Nobody has to fight. Forget anything anyone says to you online. You are the only one that has the chance of getting hurt, not them. So, it's your decision. Fight, or not. If you choose not, and you are attacked by your "friend", then it's assault and you need to press charges. Regardless of any naysayers, martial arts is not about machismo, winning or losing, it's about survival...yours. Good luck in your journey, but remember to use your head next time. And, talk to your instructor about this...please! Jeff

The ATA varies greatly in both price and quality from instructor to instructor. Be very aware of what you may be getting into (e.g. contracts).

It sounds like there are not very many full-contact karate schools in your area. However, you may consider hosting a tournament with divisions for both light and full-contact. There may be a competitor or two who would "give it a try" so to speak. Another approach would be to have a light-contact tournament with a full-contact exhibition by your school. This may introduce the attendees to your definition of full-contact sparring and they may "give it a try" next time. Also, the full-contact division trophy should be HUUUGE, so as to spark some interest in entering the division. It could also be a "traveling" trophy, with the winning school allowed to display it until the next competition, etc. Depending on the number of entries, the run the full-contact division by itself as an exhibition for everyone else who did not enter, sort of like the end of Karate Kid, but less cheezy. yada, yada, yada Good luck, organizing tournaments can be a very challenging experience Jeff

The main differences between Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do are politics and methods. Many Tae Kwon Do schools emphasize sport and use training methods applicable to that. Most Tang Soo Do schools probably are very proud to say that they focus mainly on self-defense. What you may not know, though, is that the World Tang Soo Do Federation at one time was holding the largest tournaments around. So to say that either focuses moreso on any aspect is incorrect. In the unification movement in 1950's, Tang Soo Do refused to be included into Tae Kwon Do, probably mainly a political decision. You will find both Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do schools that over emphasize one aspect over another, such as self-defence vs. sport, but that is really the instructor's take on either art, not the art itself. Tang Soo Do also, in my opinion, very closely resembles the Chung Do Kwan in the way the techniques are executed, with some additional slight variances. So basically, they don't have to be very different at all. Jeff

I believe the ATA gave him that title after his death as an honor for founding and being the first grandmaster of their organization.

Try looking up Kendo, it's the Japanese sport version of Kenjutsu (sword)

Maybe you just need to find a new instructor who has more depth in the art. You can also try finding a Shorin-ryu club and work with them. Karate-do originated in Okinawa, so learning more about the root system may help you. Karate-do can be much more than just blocking and punching, but many times that is simply what the instructor learned. Jeff

Yes, Ed Parker modified the art heavily, but, Mitose was teaching Kosho Ryu Kempo (by most accounts), which is Okinawan Kempo.

Orion, Here's a few tips. 1. Don't handle over the phone, talk man to man directly with the instructor. You may need to camp out at the front door. 2. Don't let them have your original contract. Keep your original in your posession, no matter what they tell you 3. Document all communications from this point on. Keep notes in a log book or something. Sometimes the spoken word gets forgotten in these matters. 4. Present the school a formal letter requesting your intent to cancel your membership. Keep a copy for yourself, and make sure you date it. 5. If they let you cancel, get that in writing too. It may sound excessive, but I have had issues like yours in the past. Keeping good notes and getting the agreement to cancel in writing will assist you if your account is turned over to a Collection Agency, or if they continue to debit an account or credit card. You must have documented proof! Good luck Jeff

I would make a written complaint to the ITA organization itself. I believe some of the higher DAN ranks live near NOLA. I bet they would like to hear about that owner's attitude. And if they (the ITA) are condoning that type of behavior among their owners, it says quite alot about how they view Taekwondo. Even though you are not ATA, if you can find a local ATA Taekwondo school, I know that many of the school owners are extending their schools to any "displaced citizens". Best of luck to you Jeff

From my experiences, the way this technique is taught and executed varies among instructors. However, consider the possibility that the intepretation you have been given may only be one intepretation. Movements within the forms do not have to have a single purpose. As you grow in your training, you will begin to see more possibilites if you look for them and keep an open mind. For example, this technique can be grabbing both low and high targets of an opponent perhaps for a throw or takedown. You could also be striking, perhaps both groin and throat. Closing the hands can also be a technique used to strike multiple targets simulteneously. I would encourage you to find the intepretation that works best for you. Jeff

Usually for gup ranks it will be equivalent to one months tuition payment or less. I have paid anywhere from 35-100 dollars in the past, it will really depend on the instructor. I have seen some instructors offer lower monthly tuition rates and make up a bit in the promotion fees, and I have seen the reverse of a high monthly payment and a very low promotion fee. Also expect the fees to increase gradually as you increase in rank. Fees for DAN grades are done differently, the rule of thumb seems to be around 100-150 per grade. Usually something like this: 100 cho-dan, 200 ee-dan, 300 sam-dan, etc. Again, this depends greatly on the instructor and association you belong to. If your association requires a formal testing board, sometimes the fees get higher because you have to pay the high DAN grades who sit in on your board, etc. Good luck with your training Jeff

I know Master Rhoades and of his school having lived very nearby, and visited his school to train on occasion. Was there a particular question that you are driving at? Jeff