No problem stoppy, I train in MMA and escrima. I have trained in Lau Gar, TKD (itf and wtf), ju jitsu and a number of other TMAs previously, though i don't hold a black belt
yeah man, i'm sorry it has to go out like that. fact of the matter is that sometimes greed does get in the way of training, but like psicop said, if i ever start a school i'd try to make the rates fair, cause you're right, there are alot of black belt factories in this day and age. it's sad too, but we gotta do our best as true martial artists of tae kwon do to change that, so i wish you luck in finding a new school and i hope it all gets better for you man
...nvm, i forgot to read the rest of the postings, i only read the first and replied. anyways congradulations on getting your third degree, i know how rewarding it feels. i too just got mine a few months ago (i'm15 too) maybe we should train together sometime anyway, disregard my other posting, i clearly posted too soon
Wow this is mostly old, but hey I'm okay with beating a dead horse. 1- There was a lot of peep's arguing about stuff on this thread. Funny to me, cause it really had nothing to do with tht topic of this thread. 2- The money thing..... I being a poor @$$ white boy (surviving pay cheque to pay cheque) I know the importance of money. I think the guy charging $600 bucks for testing, and changing the "free after..." rule is the extreme. But as Helm pointed out, that his master charged pennies, and look what he got back in return!!! A bunch of "wanna train so I can say I know TKD'ist." No one cared enough to try hard. I mean do I want people trianing under me (if I were more then a white belt wtf, green stripe itf) want a bunch of guys/girls saying I trained under Master VillageIdiot, and end up making me look like a chump. Where as Labatt, you paid the $600, I'm sure you are committed. But that's simply what happens when you have to pay that much. You either have a lot of money, or you are committed. Having said that, your master isn't a very good businessman. I mean I'm management at work. I've taken manager schooling. I know that for one to excel, one most think outside the box. Here's my outside the box, that it's too bad your master didn't come up with (or something like it). You're 15, and 3rd dan. I don't charge you for lessons, and/or testing in return you teach my "new childrens program." You have no problem instructing younger people, and well they are younger then you, or the same age, so they have no problem being "told what to do" by a young whipper snapper. Having agreed to this, I now have more time to teach older students, and a great older student (this being you) learning to teach....where am I going with this you ask? Well I'm glad you asked. 3-5 years down the road, you're ready to test for (if you haven't already) your 4th dan. And with all the extra money I've made off my new childrens program, I'm ready to open a new school with my name on it.....but you ask, "how can I have time to train at 2 schools?" Another good question (you are full of.... good questions). Oh wait, now I give you everything for free, tests ect. And pay you a little bit of dough, I mean we have almost 10-12 years together, I have you run one school, while I run the other, and by this time, I also have alot of other black belts (reds,black stripes, ect) to help out at each school, and after I've expanded once, it's all easy for more expansion after that. Who knows, in another ten years, we may have an entire network of schools (hopefullly not turned it into a "mcdojang"). It really is too bad that he didn't come up with an "outside the box" idea like that, or simular.
Well, fortunately my TKD teacher has decided to open another school in my town. Its gonna start once a week (so we can figure out how many people are coming, if the training is too hard for them, ages, abilites etc) then try and split the classes up. Hes also decided to move to charging monthly. This is simply because people feel they have already paid for the lesson they will be more inclined to come if they dont really feel like it (well all have those days), going to have a first lesson free and have a seperate younger kids class (which i may be teaching) although we have no time for people not prepared to put in effort, for that reason the youngest kids we accept will be 8-9, we aint running any creché. Gonna start putting up some posters and getting word around, cant wait to train again
I'm really glad to hear that Helm. I think your Master has teaching in his blood. It would've drove him as nuts not to teach, as it was seeming to drive you nuts, not having him teach. I'm glad things seem like they are gonna work out just peachy. GL
There are always positive alternatives ... I am truly very sorry for the problems you have encountered with your training. I believe that your experience with your teacher provides a good lesson for all of us. We must always be mindful of what we choose to learn, where, and from whom. It is an important task for an instructor to learn the goals and objectives of their students. However, do we as students ever consider the goals and objectives of our instructors? Responsible instructors interview their students, but do we, as students, interview our instructors? If we consider the costs involved in running a dojo, especially in a retail location, then we must realize that the cost of education will be significantly higher than a club or group organization such as with a church or YMCA. The costs of running a retail dojo are higher and therefore the needs for capital generation are higher. Most instructors that teach through clubs, churches, or other organizations frequently donate their time for free, and don't have fiduciary agendas. It is possible to obtain education and experience without paying a lot of money. I have also experienced a more productive and caring atmosphere at local clubs. The instructors that donate their time do this because they care about the student and their art, most generally, and I believe this to be a more nurturing atmosphere for learning self-defense. I will also disclaim this by stating that my argument is not absolute. I have faith that there are several outstanding schools and instructors in retail locations. Increase your perception; reassess your goals and objectives; acknowledge and utilize your wisdom; and proceed with caution. My best regards and best wishes to you. TMW/Aikijudo Jitsu Ryu
I am also 15, and I am a brown belt. That means I will get my black belt at sixteen. To say that I will get beaten just because someone is older is rediculous. I have worked to hard for that. I am 140 pounds, and I bench 200. I spar with the adults now because teens aren't a challenge!
I didn;t say that to offend.... but be honest and you'll find that the vast majority of male adults will be stronger than the average 16 year old boy. Exceptions will occur but they are few and far between. You won;t reach your strength or muscular peak for quite a few years.... When you reach your nineteen or twenty the age thing will become far less important and in fact will work to your advantage.
The vast majority of males will be stronger than females. Does having natrual strength make you any more deserving of a black belt? Why should a beefcake guy 6"5' guy deserve a black belt more than a 5"6' woman who gives it her all? And i know thats not what your saying, but i was 17 when i got my black belt, i could beat the 20-40 yr olds at sparring, but they'd whoop me all over the place in an arm wrestle... But the belts arnt awarded on such merits
I also think the discussion about 15 year olds not being tough is rediculous. That is such a totally situational comment that it does not even deserve discussion. I have seen some 15 year old black belts who were as easy to beat as a yellow belt, but I have also gone against 15 year olds who could take my head off. It is thinking like that which is likely to get you a good beating by a smaller or younger person, since you will assume you have the advantage...you don't always! BTW, I am a 6'1" - 215 lb and 36 years old. I have alot of power which is a trade off to some degree for speed. I do not fear anyone, but I do respect them no matter of size or age...keeps me on my toes.
I agree 100% It all depends on how dedicated the person and how hard they train. Im 15..i train every single day at my tkd dojo and an extra hou at home.I keep my body in the most tip top shape,and i spar every single day after class atleast with 3 of my friends.Ive sparred kids my age or older psychically fit but not as skilled.Some of us actually love what we do
Wow many topics here. So, I will dive right in. First off - there is a romantic version of the martial arts that brings the vision of a master and his student. The student does the chores and such for the master and in turn the master teaches the student martial arts. I'm not sure exactly when this model failed, but it has been gone for a long time, and not just in the US or Europe. Why do you think there are so many different organizations and styles? Martial arts masters wanted to have their own piece of the pie. The sad truth is that if you love martial arts and want to have a school, either you live a financially poor existance or you run it like a business. I think this is true with any art form though. Consider how bastardized music has become because of money. As for a 15 year old 3rd dan that received his 3rd dan in 8 years!! Well, I think that is just plain silly. Rank supposedly equates to development, adn development is not just physical ability. I am sure this young man is proficient in Tae Kwon Do, but he does not so the maturity. Even in this thread he has shown his short temper and reactionary nature. I started studying Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in 1976 at the tender age of 7. I did not receive my black belt until 1982. I then had to wait a minimum of 2 years to test for 2nd dan. I waited more because I felt I had more to learn at that level. I received my 2nd dan in 1987. I then had to wait a minimum of 3 years to test for 3rd dan. I waited until 1992. I then had to wait a minimum of 4 years for 4th dan. I receivd that in 2000. Patience is a big part o development. This young man doesn't show the patience or humility of what i would expect to see in a 3rd dan. As far as a 15 year old defending themselves against a full grown man...when I was 14 I had to defend myself against a man that was 6'1" 235 lbs. He was a muscular man that loved fighting. He was my father's friend. Without getting into too much detail - I shattered his knee. Presence of mind is something we develop in martial arts. No, I would not stand toe to toe with this guy and prevail, but I knew that and found a weakness. I don't propose to have any answers for our young friend, but I would say don't ever stop training. One other small suggestion - keep your ears open and mouth shut when you do find a truly good master/instructor. my .02
Aye, and it's not only Tae Kwon Do either. If you've heard of these schools called Temple Kung-Fu, they are completely horrible, non-traditional, and all about money making. Cash and greed has corrupted many styles of Martial Arts. . . . . well, we must persevere and learn our best, and perhaps one day be able to teach others what Martial Arts is truly about. In Darkness and Chaos, Infrazael
I can understand some of the testing fees. Our instructor is what she is as a career, this is her only source of income. We are having some problems too, a lot of students quit, I've been to classes where it's just me, and most of the time, there's only five or so students (The adult class, at least). But if you can't make a payment for financial reasons, that's fine, and that's how it should be. Some people pay extra, too.
If someone charged me over the price of training plus whatever was awarded I would be pretty annoyed, never mind 600 dollars! Insanity. Just goes to show that people actually care about coloured belts.
