Practical Martial Arts - Update 2

[mattsylvester]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the interest! We not have members in the US, England, Wales, and Singapore! Karate, JKD, TKD, Kempo, and Eskrima are all represented (among others).

Find out more about PMA the association at http://www.practical-martial-arts.co.uk!

Look forward to hearing from you all soon!

[Jim]

Matt, do you have members in Australia?

[mattsylvester]

Hi Jim,

We don't have members yet but we're working on it! The 'nearest' we have are Singapore and the Filipinnes :0)

Are you interested in joining? What styles do you study?

If you are interested, please go to http://www.practical-martial-arts.co.uk and click on the advert to the right. There's a little bit more information about us, including our Instructor's Charter, Constitution and Mission Statement. Or you can contact me on pma@practical-martial-arts.co.uk.

It would also be best if you joined the pracmararts group at yahoogroups and you can do that by entering your details in the yahoo box on the PMA index page.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

[Jim]

Matt,

Yes, I became interested when I saw that Marc (Yoda) had joined with your group. However, please don't expect any quick reactions from us as we are very select with those we choose to affiliate ourselves with. We have both lost contact with earlier affiliations we had in the past and recently been approached by groups with less than honest intentions.

I would have some initial questions for you, though. For what purpose do you seek to affiliate with others apart from the chance to train? What is the criteria that you use to select members? What are the costs involved (particularly with a lifelong membership)? What is the main benefit that you can see that your organisation can provite to its members? (Whew - just a few!)

Please feel free to investigate us if you will. The first port of call would be the website www.agjs.com

We will be having a meeting of directors shortly and this was one of the items on our agenda for discussion.

Speak with you soon,

Jim

[mattsylvester]

Hi Jim,

>Yes, I became interested when I saw that Marc (Yoda) had joined

Our Yoda (:0)) is Dave Green, a regular poster on this site as well.

>with your group. However, please don't expect any quick >reactions from us as we are very select with those we choose >to affiliate ourselves with. We have both lost contact with >earlier affiliations we had in the past and recently been >approached by groups with less than honest intentions.

I fully understand, we're being just as cautious this end.

>I would have some initial questions for you, though. For what >purpose do you seek to affiliate with others apart from the >chance to train?

Not in any real order but;

1. To get people to differentiate between street and mat.
2. To promote the martial arts within the community by doing good deeds both for charity and the community.
3. To try to transcend the politics and get everyone to see the similarities rather than the differences.
4. To have a network that helps, nurtures and encourages members at all levels and in all styles.
5. To have fun.

>What is the criteria that you use to select members?

As set out in the draft documents you can find on the PMA site, we want people to differentiate between street and mat and to teach techniques that are practical (for the student being taught) within that context. This might mean splitting classes so that tournament sparring is taught on a seperate night than martial art training for example.

>What are the costs involved (particularly with a lifelong >membership)?

Right now it's completely free. Any cost at the moment is being shouldered by myself and English National Director Adam Merton of SKKA.

Up to the point where it's not financially viable (both in time and resources) it will always be free to be a Member.

>What is the main benefit that you can see that your >organisation can provite to its members?

If they travel and want to train there will always (hopefully) be a friendly port of call.

If an instructor is ill and there's another Member Instructor nearby (and times etc don't clash) then they can call on them for help, even if the lesson is completely different from normal at least the students get taught.

They will have access to skilled martial artists who are willing to teach Member Only seminars for free.

Member Events will get people from all styles mixing and meeting, sharing ideas, experience, and making new friends.

The list goes on.

>(Whew - just a few!)

My brain hurts :0)

>Please feel free to investigate us if you will. The first port of call >would be the website www.agjs.com

I'll take a look asap.

>We will be having a meeting of directors shortly and this was >one of the items on our agenda for discussion.

Well, I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to comment on any aspect and don't hesitate to contact me on pma@practical-martial-arts.co.uk if you have any further questions.

[Jim]

Yeah, I knew it was Dave after I'd clicked the [Submit Reply] tab - sorry Dave.

I'll speak with you soon regarding this, Matt.

Kind regards,

Jim

[Chazz]

Now from that i hear is that you will take anyone/group. How much do you all research into that group or school. Do you call, visit, or email other school in the area of a new members to see what that new school bring with it. How do you judge is a school is safe and in a good relationship with the community so that a visiting student from another club isnt hurt, or taken advantage of while there?

[mattsylvester]

Originally posted by chazz982001
Now from that i hear is that you will take anyone/group. How much do you all research into that group or school. Do you call, visit, or email other school in the area of a new members to see what that new school bring with it. How do you judge is a school is safe and in a good relationship with the community so that a visiting student from another club isnt hurt, or taken advantage of while there?

Hi Chazz,

Right now, most of the people joining are either known by me (having met and trained with them or 'talked' to them for 4/5 years on lists etc) or by other members. The on-line community seems to be small enough that usually someone else you know can vouch for the person.

Now, what we're hoping to do in the future and as we build on the foundations we've laid, is to invite clubs we know are not going to mistreat students etc (which is one reason why we have the Instructor's Charter). I'll be working on clubs in the south-west, Dave will be working with clubs in Liverpool and so on. These clubs will then bring others that they know etc. I also have very good contacts who are not members of PMA but who know a lot of people in the business and can inform me as to whether to go with them or avoid them like the plague. We're also going to (if we're able at this early stage) to visit clubs that have approached us in order to see how they train and whether they have any goals or objectives that might adversely affect PMA and PMA Members and how they treat their own students.

On the hurt thing I can't guarantee that no-one will be hurt as most martial arts involve some form of contact and accidents will happen. We had a student slip doing a rising kick and who then suffered a compound fracture to the wrist.

We are however, insisting that students wear protective gear whilst at Sparring Seminars and that the Instructor's giving the seminars are suitably insured (all students will have to produce licences to show that they are insured as well). This does not affect how Members normally train at their clubs however, just how they train at our seminars.

Hope this answers these questions! :0)

[mattsylvester]

Originally posted by Jim
Yeah, I knew it was Dave after I'd clicked the [Submit Reply] tab - sorry Dave.

I'll speak with you soon regarding this, Matt.

Kind regards,

Jim

Look forward to hearing from you!