Now what?

[Squall]

Here's my problem, just venting I guess. I've been doing ma since I was a kid, First tkd, traditional, then the place closed and held me on a contract, tried a sport-tkd place, the instructor didn't like me cause I was from a dojang that he hated. Eventually did jkd, but the place was just a psycho fight club. From there, I did some hapkido and sword arts, but I fell in love with a girl there and she did far worse than just brake my heart. The instructors and her were all friends, and they'd do everything they could to get me to quit. One of them was constantly trying to get me to explode, and one night I came in after not sleeping that night, and we got in a fight. From there I did bjj, but as I matured, I didn't like being around the whole, fighting for no reason, angry skinhead guys with no morals type that trained there so I went back to traditional stuff. I found a new place and was very happy there until tonight. Our instructor had us spar tonight, and he made a point, and demonstrated on me, how light our contact was supposed to be, which was very light. Eventually he started freaking out, and was coming at me near full force, if not all the way there. He knocked me into the wall a couple times, and then kicked me very hard in the head, as I was coming up from a duck. if I didn't have my sparring helmet on I would've been injured badly, I have no doubt. Eventually we fell on the ground, and he flipped me and got to kesa gatame, but I got my legs out and around his arm somehow, and he tapped. During the sparring, the other students were all yelling at him to stop and get off me, and to break it up and knock it off, because he was just going crazy. You'd think if all your students were yelling at you that you're taking it too far you'd stop.

I'm lucky that I had a helmet on, that I was able to dodge most of his kicks, that I wasn't injured when I hit the wall, that I was able to get in that armbar on him. Most Of all I'm lucky that I didn't get in a car accident driving home after sustaining so much impact to the head.

I know it sounds like I'm whining, but I'm not, I'm just so sick of all this. I'm going to tak as much time off as I can, before I start get ting bored.

Why are so many instructors psychos?

[UseoForce]

do you live in a big city? If so, you have plenty of other options for schools. Go elsewhere.

[CTTKDKing]

Sounds like you had a bad run of instructors. I wouldn't give up if I were you, you just have to find a school that fits you. Make sure you sit down and talk to the instructors before you sign anything, and watch a few classes first at the prospect school beforehand as well. See how the masters run things before getting involved.

[glockmeister]

Yeah I would definately go somewhere else. However all of the people who practice BJJ are not "angry skinhead guys whe like to fight for no reason. As you could see, BJJ even helped you in this situation with your instructor

Not all instructors are pshyco. Shop around. Remember that a good martial artist has no probs with changing styles....Or schools.

[Squall]

yeah, it was just really frustrating to have to go through that again, and I had a head injury while I was writing that.

I'm going to rest up and heal for a while, then there's a traditional tkd school I'm going to check out.

Oh, and I didn't mean to say that ALL bjj guys are like that, they aren't. Hey I know some bjj, and I'm not, and I knew some good guys at the bjj place too. But you know how people always say that MMA tends to attract the tank abbott-like guys? Well, those guys are everywhere but they seem to really flock to MMA, and they found that bjj school, so that's what it turned into.

[ninjanurse]

Why are so many instructors psychos?

Ego.

[Traditional-Fist]

Here's my problem, just venting I guess. I've been doing ma since I was a kid, First tkd, traditional, then the place closed and held me on a contract, tried a sport-tkd place, the instructor didn't like me cause I was from a dojang that he hated. Eventually did jkd, but the place was just a psycho fight club. From there, I did some hapkido and sword arts, but I fell in love with a girl there and she did far worse than just brake my heart. The instructors and her were all friends, and they'd do everything they could to get me to quit. One of them was constantly trying to get me to explode, and one night I came in after not sleeping that night, and we got in a fight. From there I did bjj, but as I matured, I didn't like being around the whole, fighting for no reason, angry skinhead guys with no morals type that trained there so I went back to traditional stuff. I found a new place and was very happy there until tonight. Our instructor had us spar tonight, and he made a point, and demonstrated on me, how light our contact was supposed to be, which was very light. Eventually he started freaking out, and was coming at me near full force, if not all the way there. He knocked me into the wall a couple times, and then kicked me very hard in the head, as I was coming up from a duck. if I didn't have my sparring helmet on I would've been injured badly, I have no doubt. Eventually we fell on the ground, and he flipped me and got to kesa gatame, but I got my legs out and around his arm somehow, and he tapped. During the sparring, the other students were all yelling at him to stop and get off me, and to break it up and knock it off, because he was just going crazy. You'd think if all your students were yelling at you that you're taking it too far you'd stop.

I'm lucky that I had a helmet on, that I was able to dodge most of his kicks, that I wasn't injured when I hit the wall, that I was able to get in that armbar on him. Most Of all I'm lucky that I didn't get in a car accident driving home after sustaining so much impact to the head.

I know it sounds like I'm whining, but I'm not, I'm just so sick of all this. I'm going to tak as much time off as I can, before I start get ting bored.

Why are so many instructors psychos?

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience. The problem nowadays with MA is the loss of traditional martial arts values that were held by many instructors. The implementation of these values had led to the filtering out of unwanted and delinquent elements for centuries.

What has happened now is that commercialism has resulted in lax discipline in thousands of MA schools which are attracting people of low character, many of whom become instructors themselves. I hope that things change. How? I don't know but things are pretty bad nowadays.

[Nurvingiel]

One thing that helps change is students like Squall are going to say I don't need this garbage anymore.

I figure that dedicated students will eventually find dedicated instructors, and students who just want to learn to fight in a hurry will find like-minded clubs.

It really sounds like you've earned some rest Squall.

My advice would be once you're healed, shop around for a club that suits your needs as a student. You should feel completely free to watch classes and/or try some out before committing to training. A good sensei will have no problem with you doing this.

So basically, what they all said.

[Jiffy]

This sort conduct from instructors is copletely unacceptable. Not only is it dis-repectful and dangerous, but it also gives people (like yourself) the view that all instructors are phsyco's. Trust me, they're not! I have been teaching for 9 now and not once has a student complained that I have gone too far with them, I treat all my students with respect.

My advise is to get straight back into a respectable school as soon as your injuries are healed! As previously stated, make sure you do your homework! but don't leave it too long. What often happens is if you leave it too long, your bad experience is the only thing that embeds itself in your mind and you never end up going back.

[DragonMike]

I think it would be a good idea for you to take some time away from the martial arts and to evaluate what you want from them. Then really do your homework and find and instructor that meets your needs.