Blackballed . . .

[Utotin]

Hi. I've got a dilema about which I need to vent. I am a 2nd dan in one of the major Korean HKD federations, however a couple of years ago I ceased my formal training due to a major feud with my instructor over personal issues that arose due to our friendship outside the dojang. Since I left on such horrible terms I feel that I am basically now blackballed in my local hapkido community as most of the hapkido masters around here are basically buddies and my instructor was the senior student of a GM who is a respected member of that circle. So basically I am untouchable. I know that Imay be told that this is silly to believe, but we've had to make the call to other GM's for permission to let former students train and if they say no, we turned them away.

Now here is my dilema. Just prior to my leaving I starded an HKD class at a Rec Center under the supervision of my master. Well, 3 years later I am still teaching and have built up the program from scratch to around 30 students with a few who have been with me since the very begining.

I have done my best to stick to the curriculem I had been brought up with, give them the best instruction I can & have conducted testing on my own as well. My most senior guys are brown belts now.

I am starting to worry about the need for me to further my own training. I know I have a good grounding in the fundamentals, but as these guys are advancing I am starting to worry. Not so much about giving them "legitimate rank", but about giving them good quality training as they advance. Unfortunately it seems that further advancement in Hapkido is not really an option. I can't just quit teaching either because I enjoy it so much and because both the students and myself have put alot of time into this little Dojang and for me to bail on them would be wrong ( not that I would ever consider that anyways). I've thought of training on another MA, but that would be kind of weird to one day announce to my students (especially the ones who have been there a while) that we are no longer hapkido.

Any one else been in a similar situation? Any advice or comments? Thanks for reading my long post.

[zac_duncan]

I doubt you're entirely black-balled. You just might need to travel in order to find the training you need. There are many hapkido orgs and you're likely to find a home in one of them after that it's on you to travel in order to get your training.

Good luck.

What area are you in?

[Kwajman]

Absolutely. Not me but someone I know has experienced the same thing where I live. It sounds like your very sincere and should be able to find a GM who will enable you to continue training. Please let us know how this all works out okay?

[JimH]

If you feel ou are being blackballed , feel you cannot continue your own education in the arts and no other instructor will take you on,there are people and groups who will help you.
Two I know of would be:

The ICHF and GMP,if you call him and tell him your story , your training and teaching experience I am sure he will help.

Also there is the Aikia an independent group of Masters Like Joe Lewis,Jerry Beasley and others who will review your skill level and help you by giving you an organization and the chance for further advancement in your art.

These are alternatives if you feel you are being hung out to dry.

Good Luck

[American HKD]

Hi. I've got a dilema about which I need to vent. I am a 2nd dan in one of the major Korean HKD federations, however a couple of years ago I ceased my formal training due to a major feud with my instructor over personal issues that arose due to our friendship outside the dojang. Since I left on such horrible terms I feel that I am basically now blackballed in my local hapkido community as most of the hapkido masters around here are basically buddies and my instructor was the senior student of a GM who is a respected member of that circle. So basically I am untouchable. I know that Imay be told that this is silly to believe, but we've had to make the call to other GM's for permission to let former students train and if they say no, we turned them away.

Now here is my dilema. Just prior to my leaving I starded an HKD class at a Rec Center under the supervision of my master. Well, 3 years later I am still teaching and have built up the program from scratch to around 30 students with a few who have been with me since the very begining.

I have done my best to stick to the curriculem I had been brought up with, give them the best instruction I can & have conducted testing on my own as well. My most senior guys are brown belts now.

I am starting to worry about the need for me to further my own training. I know I have a good grounding in the fundamentals, but as these guys are advancing I am starting to worry. Not so much about giving them "legitimate rank", but about giving them good quality training as they advance. Unfortunately it seems that further advancement in Hapkido is not really an option. I can't just quit teaching either because I enjoy it so much and because both the students and myself have put alot of time into this little Dojang and for me to bail on them would be wrong ( not that I would ever consider that anyways). I've thought of training on another MA, but that would be kind of weird to one day announce to my students (especially the ones who have been there a while) that we are no longer hapkido.

Any one else been in a similar situation? Any advice or comments? Thanks for reading my long post.


Greetings,

Send me some background info privately maybe I can assist you.

[Jointlock]

Actually I have been going through a similar ordeal. I didn't have a fall out with my instructor, in fact we're still on great terms. He just moved away and I haven't been able to find another Hapkido instructor that equals him in my area (Lincoln, NE).

I have studied the martial arts since 1991, I am currently a 2nd Dan in Tae kwon do and a 1st dan in Hapkido, but I'm only interested in Hapkido at the moment. I was in the Marines between 1996-2000. I still trained and my knowledge gained, but I never tested. When I returned here to Lincoln, I had the opportunity to workout with my instructor again. He taught me all of my rank requirements, but he ended up moving so I ended up not testing again.

I began teaching on my own about 2 years ago. It has bugged me, that I will have a hard time promoting my students. I also dislike meeting people that look down on me because they are a higher rank, but I may have just as much experience if not more than them.

[Hapkidoin P]

That's a toughie,allright...

I recently went through a similar situation,and quitting Hapkido just wasn't an option. Like yourself,I was concerned about the flow of knowledge into our Dojang and the future tests for myself and the students.

Thanks to my attending seminars and making some in-roads with some "higher-ups" in our Org before the fit hit the shan,I've been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel,as it where.

I would say take a look around here and elsewhere...you've been given some great responses and offers of help. You know what "style" you practiced..find the closest fit and have at it.

[Utotin]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have thought about ICHF. I emailed GM Pellegrini once & he said it wouldn't be a problem. The financial arrangements with them seem fairly reasonable as well. The only problem is I have no idea what Combat Hapkido looks like and how well I could incorporate it into what I am already doing. I have scoured the web for any online video of Combat Hapkido but to no avail. There are also no Combat Hapkido Dojangs in my area so I can't really check it out. basically I am leary of getting involved with them until I know what it looks like and I am able to make some assessment of how well it would meld with what I already know.

The style I know & teach if from the GM Ji line so there is a ton of kicking along with a fair amount Jae Nam Myoung influence. Additionally my own instructor was heavily influenced by the "rough and tumble" techniques of Kwan Sik Myung.

[Slindsay]

Have you considered crosstraining in another art to give you a wider breadth of techniques to teach? It's only really a valid option for expanding your skill set though and it wouldn't help your students Hapkido very much I suspect.

[Thomas]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have thought about ICHF. I emailed GM Pellegrini once & he said it wouldn't be a problem. The financial arrangements with them seem fairly reasonable as well. The only problem is I have no idea what Combat Hapkido looks like and how well I could incorporate it into what I am already doing. I have scoured the web for any online video of Combat Hapkido but to no avail. There are also no Combat Hapkido Dojangs in my area so I can't really check it out. basically I am leary of getting involved with them until I know what it looks like and I am able to make some assessment of how well it would meld with what I already know.

If you go to www.ichf.com and click on the "pro-shop" icon and "video library", you can see what is offered. A quick look in the "marketplace" will turn up some heavily discounted videos (being replaced with DVDS) that could be a cheap investment to see what Combat Hapkido is all about.

Otherwise, take a look at the "Combat Hapkido" threads here, a look in my journal and photo album will also give you an idea of what one school does (as well as write-ups of seminars).

Have you considered crosstraining in another art to give you a wider breadth of techniques to teach? It's only really a valid option for expanding your skill set though and it wouldn't help your students Hapkido very much I suspect.
One of the nice things about Combat Hapkido is that we offer a lot of cross training "in-house" by tasking some of the greats (like Carlson Gracie and others) to create materials and conduct seminars not only showing their specialities but also how to incorporate them into our own system (a vital step in itself). Take a look at the site sometime and see the cross training videos offered...