Yet Another McDojo Question

[pdbnb]

Hello again one and all.

Well, it's that time of the month again - the time when I move house (again) and look to pick up TKD (again) and come here to ask advice (again.)

This time, I'm MOVING INTO MY OWN FLAT FINALLY OHMYGOD!!!! and the nearest TKD school is this one:

http://www.didsburybba.com/

Now, EVERYTHING about that website screams MCDOJO, but basically, I want you guys to tell me if my gut is right.

It's a shame, because classes are just a bus-ride away from where I'll be living.

[IcemanSK]

There is no way for us on a website can assess whether a school is a McDojo based solely on their website. Since it's in your neighborhood, go talk with them and see what it's like for yourself. But you'll never know unless you find out for yourself.

[Luther unleashed]

I can't imagine what "screams" McDojo from that website. Jeese I wonder what people think of mine. May I ask what exactly makes you think that after looking at the site?

People have different ideas but most seem to think of a McDojo as money making machines that are interested in the art less and the doe more. I feel that's accurate but also a place with simply underqualified instructors and not teaching anything remotely practical, that's me, but I don't get anything from any of this website you posted. A bit cheesy maybe, I prefer a more traditional old school feel but that's me, again. I'm very interested to know what made you point this website out to everybody here in relation to your question.

[DWx]

Honestly the best thing to do is to just go to the school, meet the instructor and then either observe, or better participate in a class.

[sensei8]

Honestly the best thing to do is to just go to the school, meet the instructor and then either observe, or better participate in a class.

Solid post!!

I'd rather a prospective student watch and ask a ton of questions, so as to be more informed, as often as felt necessary. Doubt can rear its ugly head if certain concerns are left to the wayside.

Surely, it's not a good idea to buy the very first vehicle without first doing some serious investigation about any vehicle. Just buying the first vehicle one sees is a great way to get a lemon; who wants to buy a lemon?!

If a prospective student just walks in my dojo without watching and/or asking any questions, I will encourage them to do so before they make their final decisions. And yes, by all means, taking the vehicle on a test drive answers so many questions. Same with a free trial lesson at my dojo!!

Taste it to see if it's good!!

[Luther unleashed]

Yes DWX great point, simple and to the point. I still however wonder what screams McDojo to the original poster pdbnb?! I like to hear from people as I do my own website and that type of feedback is important. It looked ok to me. Maybe less traditional style then I prefer personally but still fine.

[bushido_man96]

I agree. Go watch a few classes, and see what they have to offer. If they offer some trial classes, give them a go. What have you got to lose, other than some time?

[TJ-Jitsu]

Yes DWX great point, simple and to the point. I still however wonder what screams McDojo to the original poster pdbnb?! I like to hear from people as I do my own website and that type of feedback is important. It looked ok to me. Maybe less traditional style then I prefer personally but still fine.

I'll entertain your question, but he warned- I'm a harsh critic

Firstly he plays on the terminology of mixed martial arts- mixed martial arts requires at least stand up and ground. In short, you need a striking style and a legitimate submission grappling style. He claims to teach karate, Kung fu, and Muay Thai thereby teaching "mixed" martial arts. With no credentials for anything on the ground. I'll bet money the "mma" classes (if offerred) are atrocious at best.

While we're on the topic of credentials, he claims to have a "black belt" in Muay Thai. That's an immediate red flag. There are no belts in Muay Thai and by claiming one he's claiming to be a fraud- there are no two ways about that. Then in regards to Kung fu- I was under the impression that Kung fu has sashes and not belts, and that a red sash is the highest rank- but certainly no black belts in Kung fu.

5 year old black belts....

Karate birthday parties...

Krav Maga....

This website has it all- yes it screams mcdojo.

[Luther unleashed]

So I disagree about the ground game. I call my program "Integrated Tang Soo Do". In essence I mean it's a mixed martial arts program with a foundation in Tang Soo Do, but very little ground game. Before the UFC came about calling what a person taught MMA simply meant a mixture of martial arts, which is obviously what it should mean, now I never use the word because I don't want the book cover that comes with it. I know people will assume I weak tiny underwear ad put on gloves lol. No, really though I don't think that teaching a mixture of martial arts and using that word to describe it means you NEED ground game. Is kickboxing and karate not a mixture of martial arts?

Also I agree with the general about the kickboxing, that's a bit o an interesting thing. I can say though that there are certain martial arts that seem to always have belt systems No matter where you go like Karate. Others like kickboxing an certain Kung fu styles only have them in certain places even when most don't. Belts are just a way to represent short term growth, I wouldn't think even if he made his own belt system to teach it in a structured way that it's cheesy. I don't know I'm all about checking it out. Some people aren't great at representing themselves on the Internet.

If you walked in and the guy was really good, and ran a fun looking and felt eat energy class the things that gave you the red flag might just mean very little to you, or they could make you feel you were right if it's not to your liking haha.

[sensei8]

Isn't it true, that having two or more elements brought together, in one fashion or another, is, well, mixed?!?!

There shouldn't, imho, be a cooperative model concerning the MA. If believe that if a MA school offers two or more types of the MA for its student body, then they should have the right to market an MMA, and not be subjected to someone else's interpretation and/or definition.

Why and who authorized the word "MMA/Mixed Martial Arts" to exist only under the umbrella of ground fighting and boxing and whatever else they've branded/marketed it to be. Surely, there's no monopoly on the word MMA, and if there is, there shouldn't be one per the free enterprise model.

If I were to market Shindokan and TKD together, on the floor, at the same time, that might be under the umbrella of MMA. If I'm offering Shindokan and TKD under the same roof in my dojo, that too might be under the umbrella of MMA.

Perception is a fragile word, one that should ever be taken lightly. However, brand marketing could care less about that because what concerns them over anything else, is this...

Is the bottom line being positive?!?! A positive bottom line is feed by the consumers, but consumers can be swayed to follow more than one ideology, and that ideology can include the word "MMA" and its like.