How Many Martial Art Clubs Or Gyms Have You Belonged To?

[aurik]

Aiki jujutsu / shorinji kempo 1

shuri-ryu / judo / kobudo 1

ATA TKD 1

Uechi-ryu 1

[Lupin1]

Gyms I was at for a least a month--

Isshinryu 1

Uechi 1

Tae Kwon Do 1

Judo 1

Gyms I tried for a few days and decided it wasn't for me/too expensive/too far away--

BJJ 1

Kyokushin 1

[sensei8]

Karate 1

TKD 1

However...

In my 55 years MA journey, I've cross-trained for as long as I can remember, ever since 1980. Therefore, while I've cross-trained a lot, I've never joined the plethora of MA schools I've trained at...more of an exchange of methodologies and ideologies between styles. I mean, imho, not one single MA has everything a MAist wants and/or needs. I knew that with Shindokan, that's why I trained in TKD for their kicks because Shindokan only kicks waist down, and primarily groin down to upset my opponents foundation.

The wider my knowledge and experience that more solidify my core base...this path has been invaluable to my MA betterment in the long run.

I never find the fault in the style, but only in the practitioner....for not being able to effectively execute said style. I've tasted so many MA outside of Karate and TKD, and in doing so, I've tasted that they are good...it's the practitioner that's not good.

[SLK59]

Japan Karate Association International USA - 2

Shotokan Karate of America - 1

From 1974-1978 I trained at St. Cloud Karate Association in St. Cloud, MN under David Becker (Nidan). Then from 1979-1990 I trained at Midwest Karate Association in Minneapolis, MN under Robert Fusaro (Godan).

My current club is the Chapel Hill Shotokan Karate Dojo, located in Durham, NC. Chief Instructor there is Rob Clark (Godan).

Edited December 19, 2020 by SLK59

[Wado Heretic]

In total I count eleven but I shall explain as that probably sounds like a lot for the age of 31.

In my youth I studied a heterodox from of Kempo Karate unique to my home town and surrounding area. That was from the age of seven to eleven. Sadly, my instructor was killed in a car crash around the time I began secondary school. From there I began studying under one of the Yudansha who began their own club at the Youth Centre down the road from me. He made many changes to the system over the years - some I agreed with and others I did not - so I do not necessarily consider it a continuation of my earlier studies. I eventually parted ways with him at the age of eighteen, after six years as a member, due to a profound personal disagreement.

From the age of twelve to nineteen I cross trained in Shorei Kempo, again a heterodox system, and as far as I am aware unique to the school I studied at. It had its roots in Kajukenbo, Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate, Uechi-Ryu, Nippon Kempo, and various branches of New England Kenpo. Sadly, I had to cease training in said system because the instructor needed to relocate due to family reasons.

From twelve to my early twenties I also trained in Historical European Martial Arts, with a focus on Quarter Staff, Long-Sword, and Sword and Board. I sadly phased out of it due to other martial arts grounded passions taking my attention and time, as well as the growing costs. I still dabble once in a blue-moon, and I do go through the movement drills most weeks once or twice.

From nineteen to twenty six I belonged to a few Karate clubs. One at the local leisure centre and another at a gym where I studied Wado-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, and Ryukyu Kobujutsu. They belonged to the same organisation, and the gym instructor was a fellow student of the leisure centre instructor, so he was my sempai, and I helped as as an assistant instructor at the gym from Brown Belt onwards. Thus, I consider them spiritually the same "club" in that sense. I considered them my "Home Club" as it were. I still train with the same organisation, though the club I belong to now is the one I run myself, and I consider it a spiritual successor to those two.

During my time in university I also trained at the University Karate and Judo clubs. During my undergraduate years (Three in Total) I attended the Kumite sessions at the Shotokan Club, and the Kata-Geiko/Technical Demonstration and Strength and Conditioning sessions of the Judo Club. I would have attended the randori sessions but they conflicted with Karate at my Home Club. During my post-graduate, which I moved away to do, I trained at the local Shotokan Club and at the University Judo Club. At the Shotokan club I did all the training, but I was allowed to do my Shorin Ryu Kata as long as I joined in with everything else. At the Judo club they did not have fixed sessions so I finally got to get some randori training in Judo. Being a post-graduate course this was only for a year. I also dabbled in Shukokai and Wing-Chun during my post-graduate studies but those were cases of dipping my toes in when time allowed, so I never really joined those clubs.

Now I run my own club, though I am thinking of taking up Judo again at a nearby club once my knee is rehabbed.

Edit - Realised I forgot to do a tally:

Kempo Karate - 10 Years (4 years first school/6 Years second school)

Hankyo Sukura-Ryu Kenjutsu - 6 Years

Shorei Kenpo - 7 Years

HEMA - 11 Years (Rough estimate - I stopped when I was readying for my Wado-Ryu Shodan Grading)

Wado-Ryu - 4 Years

Taira Ha Ryukyu Kobujutsu - 12 Years (Present Discipline)

Judo - 6 Years (2 years training informally with friends and 4 years training at university clubs)

Free-Style Wrestling - 2 Years (Informal training with friends)

Boxing/Lau Gar Kick-Boxing - 8 Months (Lumping these together as I only trained in them in a part time manner in the early days of my kick-boxing career)

Shorin-Ryu Kodokan (Kobayashi Branch) - 8 Years (Present Discipline)

Toyama-Ryu Battojutsu - 8 Years (Present Discipline)

Chosui ha Kukamishin-Ryu - 8 Years (Researching presently)

Shorin-Ryu Kodokan - 8 Years (Present Discipline)

Shotokan/Wing-Chun/Shukokai - 9 Months (Lumping these together as I studied them all in a spotty fashion while doing my MSc)

[bushido_man96]

That's quite the path, there. Lot's of richness!