grrr... need some advice

[Mischievousjoe]

I usually just lurk on these boards but i seriously need some advice, i've somehow managed to get myself inbetween some kind of fued between schools here.

I guess i'll start from the beginning..

I started off doing TKD back home a few years ago and got to my purple belt in that school before deciding to go back to school and get a business degree. first thing i did when i came here was look around for another school to take from , and found a pretty nice goshin jutsu school that has a well rounded curriculum including ground fighting self defense kata and sparring. i've now been taking there for a little over a year, and it came to my attention this semester that a groundfighting club exists on campus. I was totally stoked about that, as while we do some sambo moves in karate , there simply isn't the time to devote to it to excel at the rate i would like,plus it's an opportunity for free BJJ lessons and making new friends.

so i joined up, and for a while this was a sweet deal - i'd got to gf club 3 nights a week , for a total of like 5 hours of training. plus i'd still go to karate 3 or 4 nights a week. lots and lots of training! unfortunatley i made the mistake of mentioning this to my karate sensei - whom i didn't think would mind as it's a fairly informal school.

Apparently the teacher who is the advisor for the club is a student of a student of senseis sambo teacher - who was kicked out for allegedly selling drugs.

I am now presented with the decision of one or the other.

this totally sucks. I'm not even supposed to roll with any of the guys from the club as they have a connection with this guy. I understand some of his reasoning, but it seems a little extreme to me. plus there really is no where else to train BJJ in the area, let alone for free. Not to mention the friends i've already made in the club. But on the other hand, i feel my striking has just started to get to the level of being formidable, and to stop training now would set me back, as i'd have no striking training for another 2 years.

GAHHH!!

rant over... I need some oppinions i guess.

thanks

[Muaythaiboxer]

do both, if the teacher kicks you out for rolling with some guys he doent like hes not worth your time. plus im shure there are other strikeing arts in your town.

[White Warlock]

i'll have to agree with muaythaiboxer, especially if you have some form of contract. Let him be the one to breach the contract. Personally, i think your instructor is 'making' an excuse to prevent you from learning outside of his dojo. Seriously, the link here is so miniscule it's rather obvious he's splitting hairs. I would say, if he's made it abundantly clear you are not to study with these people again, then continue studying at both places. He's not your father, and certainly not your master. As an adult you are to be treated as one. He presented the information to you.

What you do with that information is entirely up to you. That said, even our inputs should not be construed as directives, merely opinions.

[White Warlock]

Which reminds me of a personal experience. I had a student i was only starting to instruct. He informed he had joined a club at the local college. Rather than make disparaging remarks, i joined him at the club. It was a substandard club with substandard teaching, but it was free... and thus i did not interfere with my student's participation in it. Instead, we discussed our experiences after every class and i pointed out fallacies and corrected him on some techniques. My goal was to develop the student, not to dictate to him who he should associate with, or where he should study. And with my approach, i learned a few things too... like how i was soooo much better than those guys at the club.

[BJJ is 1]

I would probably stick with BJJ, you could ask the instructer in that class if he knowss a good stand up school near by, because alot of BJJ schools are now starting to cross trian in stand up arts.

But, you should do whatever suites you best.

[Sauzin]

My suggestion. Find the friendliest high ranking student in your Goshin Jutsu class, someone that you get along with pretty well. Speak to him after class about your problem and propose that he and you take your Goshin Jutsu sensei out for dinner to discuss it. While out to dinner bring the topic up and take the time to explain what you are doing in that class. Talk about the individual people in the ground fighting class and why you like them and would like to continue to work out with them. Then ask his permission. Base your decision on who to work out with by how he answers your question. If he gets overly defensive then you're probably wasting your time with him. If he says no but offers an explanation and is willing to discuss it for the purpose of helping you understand then I'd stick with him. If he says yes, then thank him and be sure to pick up the tab.

[Mischievousjoe]

thanks for all the replies guys, it's good to have some other perspectives on this. I'm still not entirely sure what i'm going to do - but i'm getting there.

the only other place for striking in town is a kenpo school that i know little about, so i should probably investigate them to see if they are a legitimate option or not.

once again, much thanks for all the input

[Aodhan]

thanks for all the replies guys, it's good to have some other perspectives on this. I'm still not entirely sure what i'm going to do - but i'm getting there.

the only other place for striking in town is a kenpo school that i know little about, so i should probably investigate them to see if they are a legitimate option or not.

once again, much thanks for all the input

Kenpo is a fairly good striking art. A lot of kenpo schools tend to train on the more rigorous side of things, which may go along with the BJJ style as well. I studied Kenpo for about a year before moving away prevented me continuing in it.

Aodhan

[White Warlock]

I like Sauzin's approach, although i'm pretty sure i wouldn't go that route myself. It just seems like 'playing politics' with people who think they can act like your 'daddy.'

[Adonis]

I agree with white warlock on this. You have every right to train were ever you desire. Intructors can think its disloyal to him or the style or what ever they choose to think.

Oh well I wouldn't train with people like that. Martail arts for most people train for fun and becaue they enjoy it and learn something out of it. Rarely do most practioners face violence on a daily bases to make martial arts training a necisity for them. Martial arts shouldn't be treated like an occult and some of these instructors do treat it like that.