Why I Quit Tae Kwon Do

[Smurf]

I don't think this story is soley about Taekwondo. This sort of experience could come from anywhere and any art.

I do agree that he should not have been able to teach his own class, but had he been in classes they should have utilised him and had him teaching beginner techniques. If they thought he wasn't capable then they shouldnt have given him the black belt.

I do think that his perception of a black belt is somewhat blinkered however. It's the beginning, not the end of your learning

[kainekai]

I say let those kids and adults have the black belts. Eventually there will come a time when they are defeated and that black belt will mean absolutely nothing. They will look back and it will be a waste of time because it gave them a false power. HA, HA, HA, HA... plus TKD is not the most dominant sport in full-contact martial arts. It's mainly a great sport.

As a side note: Most of my friends quit TKD because of the 'give the kid a black belt' because parents paid for it! This is more common with TKD than any other art from my personal experiences.

[kainekai]

I see little kids from town with brown and black belts (it's like every kid in TKD has one now). I'm thinking give them another year and they will be Grandmaster. I want to wait til they are in highschool to see what rank goes pass Grandmaster... I think it's Lord of TKD! But one cannot compare little buddahs with adult buddahs, that would be too silly.

[Manabimasho1]

Hmmm....I am not trying to come off rude, but I am a man who speaks the truth and get's to the point. Having said that....

Just out of curiosity were you a problem student or something? Did you walk out of training a few times, or always say "I can't" or cuss out someone during class? Other then that if you didn't I would have to say that by listening to your story your Master has something against you and any Master who plays favorites is trying to glorify himself, not his style.

[Zorba]

hey people,

i have been away for a while, i stopped training due to a lack of finance, but im back into it again now. back at that shotokan school.

in relation to a few peoples question.

"when you get a black belt you are only just starting to learn". but in order to become a black belt you should be proficient in the art itself, i dont personally beleive some of the people that graduated were proficient enough. and also, once i got my black belt, i stopped learning. at regular classes all we ever did was basics, i guess black belts dont grade as often so more money can be made from lower grades. i went to the brown belt and higher classes in town for a while, but they only concentrated on the brown belts that were training for there grading. maybe twice a month they had black belt only classes, but they were still just the same stuff but faster, and maybe a few different combinations of the same techniques, still nothing new. it got boring.

"if i knew they didnt allow studying other arts why did i join" - cos at the beginning i wasnt interested, but once i got my black, i wanted to learn more (see above) but i also wanted to maintain what i was doing, hence wanting to do more than one art.

"why dont i make consideration to other people abilities like they made for mine" my problem was a physical impossibility. i physically can not make a full fist, my technique however, was fine. i do not beleive the people i mentioned had good enuf technique to acheive black belt.

"was i a trouble student" no, not once did i walk out of a class or talk back to the instructor. people that did that kind of thing were kicked out of the club (if they did it regularly)

[Jay]

i know how you feel you feel hard done by because you had to work for your belt yet some people are given it on a plate just becuase of their age this is not right

i love the article and nice to see that you can relate to something that it can too shotokan it is really good practice hard and good luck ill give you a tip train alot out of class i have taught myself katas that i dont need till 2nd dan but when i get their ill know where i need to go and learning it will take less time becuase ill know where i am going

[Lasz]

interesting article, glad you moved on from the bad situation

[Rokusho_Tao]

As for the instructor, you do have to admire the fact that he was tough on you... Sometimes, the only way to get a concept in is to beat it into the student... The human race has become too weak in the past couple hundred years, because if an instructor even LOOKS at the student the wrong way, the student can sue!

Your feelings toward your instructors reminds me of a girl in my current TKD classes... She is going to drop out of TKD as soon as she gets her first degree blue belt, because our instructor wouldn't let her test this durring our last promotions... The instructor refused to let her test because she doesn't have enough endurance. She thinks that just because she FELT she was ready to test, she WAS ready to test.

Students don't put enough faith in thier instructors anymore... All the instructors are trying to do is help us improve... Toughen ourselves... Make us better.

[White Warlock]

Students don't put enough faith in thier instructors anymore... All the instructors are trying to do is help us improve... Toughen ourselves... Make us better.

Many students don't put faith in their instructors precisely BECAUSE instructors are not 'just' trying to help us improve. There are many who are doing it 'just' for the money and could care less about their students... especially if they don't pay.

There is no drama to this scene. People are people, regardless of whether they are students or instructors. One cannot dismiss human failings merely because of belt rank.

[Rokusho_Tao]

Students don't put enough faith in thier instructors anymore... All the instructors are trying to do is help us improve... Toughen ourselves... Make us better.

Many students don't put faith in their instructors precisely BECAUSE instructors are not 'just' trying to help us improve. There are many who are doing it 'just' for the money and could care less about their students... especially if they don't pay.

There is no drama to this scene. People are people, regardless of whether they are students or instructors. One cannot dismiss human failings merely because of belt rank.

An instructor is not just a title... It is the whole lifestyle of the person. If the person giving the lessons is just in it only for the money, then that person doesn't deserve the title of instructor. A true instructor has to teach with all of his heart for the right reasons.