Club affiliations

[bhikkubodhi]

First post so go easy on me please.

Early on in a TSD based club. Its very local, my childhood background is shotokan so TSD seemed familiar. We go with the kids and enjoy it. Teacher seems good we are happy.

Its not affiliated with any particular body. national or international. indeed its branded as a karate club no mention of TSD.

Anyone have any personal experiences of this set up re validity of belts, impact on possibly moving clubs in the future, tournaments etc (there is no history in the club of people attending these)

[wagnerk]

First post so go easy on me please.

Early on in a TSD based club. Its very local, my childhood background is shotokan so TSD seemed familiar. We go with the kids and enjoy it. Teacher seems good we are happy.

Its not affiliated with any particular body. national or international. indeed its branded as a karate club no mention of TSD.

Anyone have any personal experiences of this set up re validity of belts, impact on possibly moving clubs in the future, tournaments etc (there is no history in the club of people attending these)

I haven't experienced it in Tang Soo Do, as I've only just started it. However I have experienced transfers between different associations of Shotokan karate.

Depending on the assoications own rules and by-laws (that you may end up transferring to), they may accept your grade, accept your grade provisionally (this means that at some point they will ask you to re-grade and then according to their system, promote you/demote you or keep you where you are) or they may not accept your grade. Different associations, different trains of thought.

You could speak to your instructor, s/he may feel that it may benefit joining a non-polical/non-interference organisation and/or federation, these can be Tang Soo Do specific (for example: World Dang Soo Do Union) or a general martial arts one (for example the WKC or the UK Martial Arts Association). Benefits can include access to policies such as Child Protection, etc... Access to courses such as First Aid, etc... Possibly cheaper insurance for instructor/students, etc... However it can cost and may not be financially viable (eg instructor has found a better insurance deal, already developed his/her's clubs policies, completed the courses that he/she deems necessary, etc).

As for competitions, again it depends on the organisation hosting it. Some are closed (only people from certain clubs/associations can enter), some are open (anyone can partake). The main thing is insurance...

There could be valid reasons why there is no history of anyone in your club attending competitions, it could be that the "version" of Tang Soo Do that you do isn't sports orientated, but more geared up towards the traditional aspects of defence.

Take for example one of the differences between Shotokan and Shotokai. Both are traditional arts, however Shotokan participates in competitions, Shotokai refrains from them because Gichin Funakoshi used to say that there are no contests in Karate. There is no right or wrong, it just boils down to which path they take.

[DWx]

Welcome to the forums bhikkubodhi

wagnerk's got some good advice.

Just out of interest what does your instructor do re. CRB checks, insurance etc. (if you know that is). At least for TKD in the UK its just so much easier to just join an association and they do all of that for you, license you and cover your backs if anything does happen.

[bhikkubodhi]

Many thanks for the replies.

The instructors are ecrb checked and insured. They have good strong policies and its a professional set up. Its branded more towards family karate and fitness. It hived off a larger, hmm well known `corporate` set up. I will ask re associations. A little is a like to feel part of a larger community etc

Is it possible for an individual to join an association independent from the club.

The club is non contact,in so far as kumite, which given my children are 6 and 8 is i feel appropriate. I understand its common for TSD. Hence no tournaments.

I grew up with shotokan in the 70s and liked the sparring. Im in a small Chen Sau (like win chun) Kung fu club so get plenty of sparring there.

again many thanks for taking the time to reply.

[wagnerk]

Many thanks for the replies.

No worries

The instructors are ecrb checked and insured. They have good strong policies and its a professional set up. Its branded more towards family karate and fitness. It hived off a larger, hmm well known `corporate` set up. I will ask re associations. A little is a like to feel part of a larger community etc

Cool

Is it possible for an individual to join an association independent from the club.

Yes it is (well it was a few years ago... ok a decade ago), personally I was a member of a couple of associations (with/without being a member of their clubs) at the same time. You just have to find the right one for you. However if you're just looking for Martial art insurance, you could just do a search on providers/insurance companies.

The club is non contact,in so far as kumite, which given my children are 6 and 8 is i feel appropriate. I understand its common for TSD. Hence no tournaments.

It depends again on the individual association/club.

I grew up with shotokan in the 70s and liked the sparring. Im in a small Chen Sau (like win chun) Kung fu club so get plenty of sparring there.

again many thanks for taking the time to reply.

Cool, what belt/kyu/Dan did you get up to?

Are you doing TSD just for your kids or for yourself also?

[bhikkubodhi]

Regarding insurance are we not covered under the clubs insurance?

Im happy to insure myself as well. i do for skiing. is it in case we injure another. id never really though about it. I will look into it.

I went up to brown belt up to about the age of 14. not sure why i stopped just faded out really, a ltitle was my fathers unhappiness at the club, as he felt just letting people pass gradings.

Im now 42, do a relatively sedentary job although i like to keep fit but not a traditional gym bunny.

Weve been doing TSD for 9 months. The club and its "parent" club are in in my village and has a good reputation. Looking was prompted by a desire for the kids to do it but if im honest i was looking for an excuse to get back into it.

I like like learning, feeling a degree of progression. It centres me on my body rather than mind, if that makes any sense.

There is liitle contact even for adults so i was looking for another style for myself to compliment the TSD. I was considering jui jitsu or wado ryu but found the same little contact in the local clubs. so i considered Kyokushinkai then I discovered a mate, who i knew did martial arts was a qualified instructor hes 2nd dan in chen sau kung fu 20 years experience (there is supposed to be 3 dans in their style) and there only seems to be 2 clubs in the world in this style) he also trains in wado ryu and uichi ryu.

I was invited to attend and liked what i found and my attitude fitted in. i attend his club/training sessions in his large garage converted into a dojo. This is grade and parner appropriate levels of contact. 6 of us attend, two seconds dans and 3 others of varying experience. its free (on philosophical grounds) and a great opportunity to learn. I have been attending 4 hours a week for 4 months and may grade end of this month.

My wife and children limit themselves to the TSD. I am purple belt. The belts whilst giving me a goal and a degree of achievement are not in and pof themnselves important. Ive not seen anyone fail a grading but as long as i progress and do my best im usually slighty dissatisfied with myself !

the Kung fu gradings will be tougher, i will fail if not up to it, i prefer it this way.

Thanks again for the replies

[wagnerk]

Regarding insurance are we not covered under the clubs insurance?

It depends on the insurance cover/policy. I've never had to claim in the past, so I'm not sure on the in's and out's if the policy that your club has will cover you if you participate in open competitions (especially if it's against different arts).

I went up to brown belt up to about the age of 14. not sure why i stopped just faded out really, a ltitle was my fathers unhappiness at the club, as he felt just letting people pass gradings.

Cool

Im now 42, do a relatively sedentary job although i like to keep fit but not a traditional gym bunny.

Same here, apart from the age.

We've been doing TSD for 9 months. The club and its "parent" club are in in my village and has a good reputation. Looking was prompted by a desire for the kids to do it but if im honest i was looking for an excuse to get back into it.

I like like learning, feeling a degree of progression. It centres me on my body rather than mind, if that makes any sense.

That's good, after a good few years out of proper training. I was also prompted for my son (and my lack of fitness). I've only been doing TSD for a few months now, but I enjoy it. It compliments my Shotokan background quite well.

There is liitle contact even for adults so i was looking for another style for myself to compliment the TSD. I was considering jui jitsu or wado ryu but found the same little contact in the local clubs. so i considered Kyokushinkai then I discovered a mate, who i knew did martial arts was a qualified instructor hes 2nd dan in chen sau kung fu 20 years experience (there is supposed to be 3 dans in their style) and there only seems to be 2 clubs in the world in this style) he also trains in wado ryu and uichi ryu.

I considered Kung Fu (Lau Gar and then Lee Family style), but didn't really get on with it, but found Kyokushinkai. It was similar enough for me to relate and enjoy it, but different enough not to be bored/going over the same ground as in Shotokan. However the physical training is very tiring.

I was invited to attend and liked what i found and my attitude fitted in. i attend his club/training sessions in his large garage converted into a dojo. This is grade and parner appropriate levels of contact. 6 of us attend, two seconds dans and 3 others of varying experience. its free (on philosophical grounds) and a great opportunity to learn. I have been attending 4 hours a week for 4 months and may grade end of this month.

Good luck with that.

My wife and children limit themselves to the TSD. I am purple belt. The belts whilst giving me a goal and a degree of achievement are not in and pof themnselves important. Ive not seen anyone fail a grading but as long as i progress and do my best im usually slighty dissatisfied with myself !

the Kung fu gradings will be tougher, i will fail if not up to it, i prefer it this way.

Thanks again for the replies

TSD is a great art, personally I wouldn't say that they are limiting themselves as I was always told that it takes a lifetime to study an art (it may be that some of us have compressed lives )

[Dobbersky]

I love TSD, jsut a shame the Senior Instructor wasn't interested in the art itself but more interested in how much money he could make. I changed styles because I was given the offer of a £10,000.00 Instructor Training programme, not my Idea of Fun.

I'm doing alright now though, Just wish I could get my "Midnight Blue Belt in TSD" but I am to dedicated to my Style!

[wagnerk]

...I changed styles because I was given the offer of a £10,000.00 Instructor Training programme, not my Idea of Fun.

I'm doing alright now though, Just wish I could get my "Midnight Blue Belt in TSD" but I am to dedicated to my Style!

What, you have to pay £10,000 to do the training programme? Or is that how much you could earn afterwards?

What style/art did you transfer to?

[Dobbersky]

...I changed styles because I was given the offer of a £10,000.00 Instructor Training programme, not my Idea of Fun.

I'm doing alright now though, Just wish I could get my "Midnight Blue Belt in TSD" but I am to dedicated to my Style!

What, you have to pay £10,000 to do the training programme? Or is that how much you could earn afterwards?

What style/art did you transfer to?

Yes, I had to pay £10,000.00 to do the Instructor programme which included me signing my students up to the same programme, earning me commission!

I was already training in Ashihara Karate by then so I took that up instead. I know if is have stayed I would have been one of these super grand masters by now