claflintsd

I used to live in Old Saybrook, CT. Go to https://www.krane.org I wanted to check out their tournaments but I never had time. The "open" tournament circuit is actually pretty big in New England. There is a big tournament in Marlboro, MA in May and Ocean State Nationals in Providence, RI in April. http://www.krane.org/Schedule.htm Good luck!

At the risk of "preaching", if you don't want to fight, don't go where fights often occur. Once of my instructors, who frequented bars in his younger days, realized that whenever he wore a karate shirt or jacket, he ended up in a fight. He quit wearing karate apparrel in those places. Just like we avoid dark alleys late at night, etc., it would be wise to avoid places where bouncers are "overworked" and underpaid. Just a thought....

Sparring should be taught. If you are not being taught, they you aren't going to learn at an acceptable rate. My first school did not really teach sparring. I sought out higher ranking students that were good at sparring and asked for their help. Quick questions as well as meeting after class. One black belt in my school was especially helpful. Repetition, repetition, repetition or practice, practice, practice once you have learned some good tips.

Warm-up, brief lecture, ALL curriculum (line drills, forms, self defense) then board breaks (1 board suspended punch, 1 board suspended spin hook kick), free sparring one-on-one, then multi-attacker. Another brief lecture. The end. It took about 3 hours.

I have been training 8 years. I recently moved from the east cost to the west (Montana) so I recently joined Northwest Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Association (https://www.tangsoodo1.com). I am a cho dan.

5 years

Sometimes in line drills when they reach one end of the floor, instead of having them turn and do more drills going back, I shout "run back and touch the wall". If the kids have a lot of energy, this helps a lot. I sometimes have the kids run around the perimeter of studio and hold out a pad and have the kids punch it as they go by. "Remember, first two knuckles!"

Not sure why you do not teach children, but you should consider teaching teenagers. I moved over the summer and opened a school in September. I have only one adult, but I have 7 kids and 9 teenagers in a community of 1000 people.

Don't hesitate; take it! Burger King builds on the same corner as McDonalds. Gas stations build near the competition. In Bible College, one lecturer said that the best place to build a church is across the street from a church. Offer a great product and you will do fine.