Hwang's Martial Arts, studio advice Please?

[Clash]

Hello, I am new to the world of martial arts and have been looking around at schools in my area, I've only been to one so far and I believe its a member of WTF. I've been hearing and reading a lot about Mcdojo's and I don't want that to be me, not even for the loss of money aspect as much as I want the highest quality training I can get, I really want to try and push my self and be the best martial arts I can no matter how long it takes. I don't want to buy a black belt I want to earn it.

Anyways the school I'm looking in to is Hwang's Martial Arts of Martin, TN it is supposedly originally founded by Grandmaster Jung Oh Hwang, who according to the site has has over 30 years of teaching experience in Tae Kwon Do and the Martial Arts. He holds a 6th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, 6th degree Black Belt in Judo, and a 7th degree Black Belt in Hapkido. He won the Silver Medal in Judo in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He no longer teaches at that school he teaches at the others and has left Chief instructor Billy Powell in charge, who has over 15 years experience in the martial arts. He studied under the tutelage of the Honorable Grandmaster Hwang up to his 3rd Dan Black Belt and earned his 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do from the World Black Belt Bureau. He also holds Black Belts in Judo and Hapkido. Instructor Powell earned his Haganah F.I.G.H.T. Instructor Certification under the tutelage of Mike Lee Kanarek, founder of the Israeli Haganah hand-to-hand combat system. Currently, Hwang's Martial Arts is the only certified school in the state of Tennessee that teaches the Haganah F.I.G.H.T. program.

The school has allowed me and two friends to try several lessons in judo and taekwondo for free and has invited us back again and again, while everyone appears to be nice and the place has a almost family oriented value. The thing that gets me is the 6 month we've been asked to sign they "giving us a deal" by putting us on a buddy system that will make our fees 40 dollars a month. However there is also a down payment and our uniforms cost about 45 dollars one being for TKD, and a seprate Gi for judo if we choose to take it. They also suggest we buy our own equipment down the line though there is some to be used from the school.

The website for the school I'll be attending is here,

http://www.hwangsmartialarts.net/index.htm

and the over all site for Hwang's schools is located here, http://www.hwangsmartialarts.com/index2.htm

If you don't mind taking a look at it and telling me if everything is on the straighten arrow I would greatlly appericate it...

[bushido_man96]

It is hard for us to tell you if the school is reputable with really taking a first-hand look. If the instructor took the silver in Judo, though, I would say his Judo is probably pretty good. As for the other two arts, I suppose it is possible to hold rank in them, but holding that high of rank would seem to raise a question as to how much time he actually got to spend training.

If you have been to some classes, what are they like? Have you asked the instructor what his ideals are for testing and promotions? These are some things you may want to ask him.

I hope things go well for you. Welcome to the Forums, and to the Martial Arts!

[Elky]

It's a very cheesy web site, but that might just be because it's a professional school and that kind of cheese maximises recruitment. I'm not used to thinking in dollars, but assuming $40 is about 20 quid, then £20 per month isn't bad at all. If you're training twice a week, that's £2.50 (roughly $5) per session which is very reasonable.

The different gi for Judo and Taekwondo is also not a danger sign. TKD uses lightweight gi's that weigh you down less and allow flexible movement while Judo gi are sturdy and have reinforcements sewn into the areas where the suit is often grabbed. A judo gi would sweat you to death in a TKD lesson and a TKD gi would be torn to shreds in a judo lesson.

In the end, you're going to be the best judge of whether the class provides hard training and is pushing you as much as you want to be pushed.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Elky

[DWx]

One thing I would be wary of is that there seems to be a lot of classes geared towards children and that the photos on the site show primarily children. This isn't necessarily a sign of McDojo but you want to make sure that you are getting taught on your level and not on a watered down syllabus for the children at the back of the class.

As for uniforms and equipment (I'm assuming this is sparring equipment), unfortunately they are a must have and pretty much any school will be asking you to buy them. You will need both the uniforms for the reasons Elky mention and its just nice to have your own sparring equipment. For one it fits better because you've worn it in and two for hygeine reasons.

Maybe see if you can watch a testing if there is one coming up. That should give you a pretty good idea of the standard. $40 dollars a month is less than I'm paying and my dobok cost £40 as opposed to $40 so I guess you shouldn't be all that worried about the prices.

Welcome to the forums!

[Clash]

Thanks for welcoming me to the forum.

Thank you very much for the advice guys, I'm also considering looking in to a karate school a little closer to here but haven't been/looked at it yet. When I'm actually at the the school I don't feel like I'm at a mcdojo but I've only been a few times and its my first time actual time any martial arts studio so I don't know what I'm looking for, but at the same time the website childrens classes, and other small things occasionally make me feel like i might be at one of these mass marketed places. It's a little bit of being between a rock and a hard place it feels like a great place and looks good but at the same time there are some warning sides I'm wary about.

I guess i should look in to their advancement and belt testing polices before I sign a contract also I suppose?

[bushido_man96]

I guess i should look in to their advancement and belt testing polices before I sign a contract also I suppose?

That would be a good idea. Also, check to see if they seperate their kids and adults classes. If the school is big enough, they may do this, which woud be a benefit to you.

[Clash]

Their adult and children's Taekwondo classes are separate which so far to me means they have been able to give us a lot of hands on instruction and I hope it stays like that and not just that we are being given special care for being knew. As far as the judo classes I've been to one that was all adult and one that adults and children in the same class, I think the judo classes are not separated but at the same time they do not teach the children the same take downs and locks they teach to the adults in the class.

[YoungMan]

Ah, where to begin.

Based on the uniforms alone I'd say forget it. If it's a WTF/Kukkiwon school why are students wearing blue uniforms?

Why are the sparring students smiling at the camera instead of watching each other?

How can you hold 6th Dan in Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and Hapkido? 6th Dan in any of those takes a huge commitment.

[DWx]

Ah, where to begin.

Based on the uniforms alone I'd say forget it. If it's a WTF/Kukkiwon school why are students wearing blue uniforms?

Why are the sparring students smiling at the camera instead of watching each other?

How can you hold 6th Dan in Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and Hapkido? 6th Dan in any of those takes a huge commitment.

I'm not so sure that the Kukkiwon says that you have to wear a white dobok in your own school.

And I only saw one photo where the kids who were sparring looked at the camera. They're only kids and its natural for them to want to pose.

I do agree with you on the blackbelt issue. In m book he ought to be ancient if he has put IMO an appropriate amount of time into gaining those levels.

[Clash]

I really don't know anything about the blue gi's, I know that we only wear them in judo and you can purchase one once you have a green belt reached a green belt what exactly to the blue Gi's in judo represent?

I known that I'll be studying under Mr. Powell, Grandmaster Hwang teaches at another school in Kentucky. The website claims that Billy Powell, has over 15 years experience in the martial arts. He studied under the tutelage of the Honorable Grandmaster Hwang up to his 3rd Dan Black Belt and earned his 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do from the World Black Belt Bureau. I believe he told us he is 46 and that his black belts took him like 12 years?