Why I Quit Tae Kwon Do

[White Warlock]

That would make the vast majority of instructors out there... not deserving of the title. Interestingly enough, I think that's the point here.

[Rokusho_Tao]

NOT SO. I believe than anyone who thinks that the mass majority of teachers are not deserving of the title have just had bad experiences.

[White Warlock]

i've had plenty of good and bad. You brought that people who are in it for just the money don't deserve the title of being an instructor. You then emphasized that a 'true' instructor has to teach with all his heart.

On one you state all instructors who are in it for just the money shouldn't be called instructors, on the other you state that if someone does not teach with all his heart, he is not a 'true' instructor. When presented together, you are saying that only those who are in it with all their heart are the only ones worthy of being called instructor.

And my response was, the vast majority are not in it with all their heart and a very large percentage, likely a majority, are in it just for the money.

There are plenty more people instructing the arts for the money than there are people instructing the arts for the content it provides. I can't really prove this, i can only point to all the schools out there providing substandard instruction and charging unreasonable rates. Far more of those than there are quality instructors charging reasonable rates.

Also consider that just because someone is good at their art and can teach it effectively, doesn't mean they aren't providing instruction just for the money, paying their bills while they develop themselves... caring little for the students other than to recognize them as financial supporters.

[White Warlock]

It isn't a pretty picture, but it is a picture often overlooked.

[Zorba]

Hi people,

Another update, I have re entered the world of tae kwondo, this time at different club and a different federation.

i will be graded in 6 months to determin which rank i will be starting at. My new instructor has said that in the past, black belts from other clubs are able to maintain there black belt status without to much dramas, but being that i am completely un fit, i wouldnt be shattered if i had to start a little further back (not to far back tho).

so we will see what happens

[Menjo]

how can you mix TKD with shotokan? how do you do it?

[shogeri]

My 3rd dan instructor of Goju Ryu was also a black belt in TKD. He was a tall chap, who was built like Dolph Lundgren. His footwork for leg strikes was reminiscence of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, and yet, he could do the hand strikes and closed in fighting of Goju Ryu as well. If you could get inside quick enough, you could get to him. But then at that point, it's give and take. If you could get behind him, that is even better. Sorry, I got off topic.

[Zorba]

how can you mix TKD with shotokan? how do you do it?

its not like i do them both at the same time. its quite easy, when im wearing my shotokan gi i do shotokan, when im wearing my tkd one, i do tkd.

its like playing indoor and outdoor cricket, the basics are the same, just different style of shots.

[Menjo]

ok you can take it leteraly or you could maybe tell how shotokans's ideas are really different from TKD so what middle ground do you take..............

[White Warlock]

Not really Menjo.

TKD was birthed from Shotokan.

The first formalized martial arts school in Korea was founded in 1944 in Seoul, by a man named Lee, Won Kook. Master Lee founded not only the first, but also the largest and most influential martial arts school in Korea. Born in Korea on April 18, 1907, Lee moved to Japan in 1926 at the age of nineteen. Lee was then trained in "Shotokan" karate with the founder and legendary teacher, the great Grandmaster Gichen Funakoshi.

New Martial Arts Academy

Lee came back to Korea in 1944, just before the end of World War II. He felt that training in Karate-do, "the empty hand," would benefit the Korean people. Korea was still under Japanese occupation. In order for Master Lee to obtain permission to start a martial arts school in Korea, he had to make an application to the Japanese government. The application was rejected twice, but Lee received permission on his third try. Master Lee began teaching Tang Soo Do ("Empty Hand") in Seoul. In Japan, Grandmaster Funakoshi had changed the letter representing the name of his school from "Chinese Hand Art" to "the Empty Hand." By changing the name, Funakoshi was able to make his introduction of the martial art more palatable to the Japanese.

To decide the name of his new school, Lee used the Korean custom of changing the first name of a child, but keeping the rest of the name the same as the parents. Sung Do Kwan ("Shotokan") became Chung Do Kwan, the name of Master Lee’s new martial arts school. The full name of the academy was "Tang Soo Do, Chung Do Kwan" School. After Korea’s independence on August 15, 1945, other martial arts schools (called "kwans") were opened in addition to Master Lee’s Chung Do Kwan School.

http://www.gbgm-umc.org/otterbeinumc-wv/karatehistory.htm