Finding a dojo or shibu

Another option - Blackbelt under Royce and an Inosanto JKD Instructor

http://threeriversacademy.com/about-us/

 

Thank you Hannibal. Three rivers looks real interesting, but too far away. The AFS Academy I will definitely take a much closer look at. I did consider this before but with all the glit and glam on the net thought maybe the focus was mostly the much hyped UFC which I am not interested in at all. Will give them a try in the near future once I figure out when I can and should go. Thank you so much.

 

Hi nautavac. Kudos for you coming here and asking. There are a lot of people who have concerns when people ask about a school.

Shaolin Do, I visited one and researched it, I am not in favor of it...too pretentious

As someone said, the thing to remember, you have the power of the internet and you can research it beyond what they claim on their own website

If you should change a school, come back and tell us

Remember, you do not have to be forced to one

 

Finally decided

Considering my options, and taking the opinion of my training partner into consideration I have finally decided on a dojo. My son and I have officially become students at the Konooburu dojo in Barbourville, Ky. I found that the atmosphere, teaching style, and arts studied mesh much better with my goals and body type. I thank you all for interacting with me, especially Hannibal and 47martialman, and of course Chadderz. You all gave me some real important points to think about and consider. I look forward to interacting with you in the forum in the future if given the opportunity. Thank you all, from reading through some of your posts in my down time at work and after everyone has gone to sleep at home (insomnia) I have come to respect and look up to you. I hope no one here would mind should I ask questions/ interact with you in the future? (IOW, I respectfully am asking permission to do so). Thank you again.

 

Hi nautavac,
You stated the school is in Barbourville, Ky

Is this the one?
172B N Rt. Hwy 11
Heidrick, KY

 

Glad you were able to find one

You don't need permission to interact with me - just buy me a bottle of mead and a bag of peppered jerky - but thanks for asking anyway

 

Yes sir. That is it

 

Do you mind if I ask;

What is the cost for you and your child?

Did they give you a "family rate"?

Is there a contract, and how long?

 

45 each, no family rate, no contract.

 

That's a good deal...how many times a week do you go?

 

2 times, with open dojo and mat thru the summer so potentially 5 days week

 

No disrespect nautavec:

I have a student (former) who studies in Japan, and he is really "into" lineages.

The school you are attending, seems to be on the lineage of Alex Mordine. Hours ago, I contacted my former-student in Japan. There seems to be controversy upon Alex. Research Alex Mordine.

My student (former) is in the Kacem Zoughari lineage (Which also seen its controversy)

This all said, glad there isn't a contract, for if you start to feel "uncomfortable", you can leave and attend somewhere else

The problem with many (close to all) martial arts when it comes to lineage, is politics. This causes some branches of the "lineage tree" to break off and start its own tree. The remaining "branches" on the tree tend not to recognize "the new tree"

Remember, although there are politics in lineage, a broken branch forming a new tree isn't all bad if the new tree produces
Osu-Richard

 

Yea, although we are very new to the school and the Bujinkan I have been asking (Terry) Shidoshi (?, I am not sure whether I should call him that or not. When I asked him he told Shidoshi or Mr. Terry) about Mr. Mordine. Terry was up front and very matter of fact about Mordine and Hatsumi-sensei. I did not have any specific facts explained to me, but if I asked I am sure I would be informed but am not sure if it would be disrespectful to ask for specifics about something like this having just started. From what I understand the head instructor (Charles Terry) maintains contact and correspondence with the Honbu dojo although I am unaware of what that contact consists of other than training there from time to time and I am unsure about the time frame and how long. Regardless the atmosphere is very friendly and in the few classes we have attended I have been pretty impressed with the abilities of the instructor and the higher ranking students. I was glad to see that too having had a McDojo experience once already. Anyway, I apologize for the late reply. I work night shift, then teenager to the doctor, then travel 1 hour to pick up some deer meat at the slaughter house, then travel 1.5 hours to pick up a log splitter I loaned to the in-laws, then home and haul brush for a half hour, help the wife with her BA in Education assignment and now sitting here with coffee in hand.
So sorry about that.
But yea, I cringe at the contract business. IMO, and I know that many operate this way but it is just my opinion, a martial arts school that meets you at the door with a contract is one whose focus seems to be on what they can get out of your pocket and not what you can get from their martial art. yes, I can walk away should the need arise. I have been doing searches on Mordine for the past two weeks as well, just turning up the old articles and such. I did ask my instructor (Terry) about more information regarding Mr. Mordine and there is supposed to be more info available so I will see for myself.
Anyway, I will keep a very close eye and ear open. Thank you for the advice. So far, my son and I have really enjoyed the atmosphere and the patience of the instructor and senior students as well as learned a lot of things already. But it is a slow go process and we have just started. But, so far so good and everything Terry has told me has been clear and true as far as I could check it out. So I look forward to future correspondence and thank you so much for your patience and time.

 

I am glad you are aware of McDojos. And it seems you have your wits.


As long as you know what you are getting, *BOLD the price makes it a good value

May I ask how old is your son?

 

He is 15 going on 30

 

So is my daughter

Allow me to ask:

At that age, how is it he can hold a interest in martial arts?

 

To be quite honest I am not entirely sure. I would have to point to a number of things: my own interest (which seems to border on obsession), the classic (nostalgia) conception of the martial arts master and success in general, the sense of accomplishment having achieved something difficult and different (overcoming his own perceived limitations), the 1 on 1 time with his dad, and last but not least getting throw me to the ground (or punch me, kick me, etc)
All of these together maybe? He certainly is very interested and practices quite often. I am very grateful for that as he hits pretty hard and makes a good training partner.

 

I have come across many teens who were into the martial arts early- until their teens, when they lost interest

Did he start at a early age, or just recently (within a few months or years)

 

47MartialMan

I suppose one could say that he started early. He was into the power ranger thing for quite some time. Practically though, for years he would go into the yard with a small staff that he made from an oak branch and practice strikes and blocks in a self-styled kata. He grew up watching me practice with various weapons, and eventually came to love the staff and sword. Late at night when he thought everyone was asleep he would be in his room fighting imaginary assailants. I offered once to take a Karate class with him, but neither of us was very impressed with the head instructor of our local dojo. My daughter and I started classes in a local SD school and his interest was picked while watching us practice. He eventually asked to join with us. We did that for a while, which he did lose interest for a few months (I think he just became discouraged) regaining interest and eventually taking his practice to a new level. When we left the SD school and began looking for something better I included him exclusively because my older two (son and daughter) are now driving and immersed in college and work. So seeing I needed him to be fully invested in the training we began researching different arts and styles through the internet (mostly google searches and youtube). I myself had been interested in Bujinkan since seeing Van Donk's online thing (but considered that to be a tremendous joke for various reasons) and could not find anything nearby at the time. So finding ourselves searching again I came across Konooburu dojo and while researching Mordine came across MAP. So now my son and I are a team, a team of PAIN! haha. but really he has been interested for some time now and with a little empowering has fully invested himself in it. I am most fortunate.