Where are the Karate and Kung Fu DoJo's?

[Fing Fang Foom]

Just curious if anyof you have experience in other arts besides TKD? Kung Fu, and Karate seem pretty popular as well (at least I thought they were), but in a 20 mile radius of my house there are like 4-5 TKD places, and no Kung Fu or Karate.....

Are the Chinese and Japanese (and the followers of their arts) missing the boat on something here?

[Omar B]

It would help telling us where you are so we can localize our suggestions to something smaller than EARTH.

[Fing Fang Foom]

Thanks Omar for the suggestion, but I am not literally asking to find the Kung Fu/Karate places, I am more wondering why the TKD places out number them so much (at least in my town)...

Is this the same in every area, or is it just isolated to the NW?

[clfsean]

Thanks Omar for the suggestion, but I am not literally asking to find the Kung Fu/Karate places, I am more wondering why the TKD places out number them so much (at least in my town)...

Is this the same in every area, or is it just isolated to the NW?

Why is there a McDonald's on almost every corner, but not 3 star Michelin restaurants?

[ATC]

Why is there a McDonald's on almost every corner, but not 3 star Michelin restaurants?Bad analogy. I would say why is there a McDonald's on every corner but not an In and Out burger.

You statement implys that Karate and KungFu are are 3 star vs. TKD being some cookie cutter operation.

There are just as many McDojo's as there are McDojangs.

As far as KungFu there was never the influx and Chinese master flooding the world let alone the US to pourposely spread the art. But I have met my fair share of KungFu frie cooks as well.

[rlobrecht]

In my town, there are a bunch of Martial Arts schools. I have only checked a few of them out (those nearest our house) and ours is the only TKD one (even though our sign says Karate.) There are several other Karate places, a mixed place (not MMA, but several styles under one roof), a BJJ school, and a Hapkido school off the top of my head.

[chrispillertkd]

Thanks Omar for the suggestion, but I am not literally asking to find the Kung Fu/Karate places, I am more wondering why the TKD places out number them so much (at least in my town)...

Is this the same in every area, or is it just isolated to the NW?

Taekwon-Do has a widespread presence in the west because it was specifically promulgated first by the ITF and then the WTF. While the ITF was and is a private organization not a government entity, Gen. Choi had major political power in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The WTF, beginning in 1973, used it's even closer connections to the ROK governmet to send yet more Korean instructors to various countries.

As far as I know, the only comparable thing to this is the early JKA program that sent out instructors but I don't think they had the resources or government backing that the Koreans provided.

Pax,

Chris

[ralphmcpherson]

I cant answer your question but agree that in my area there are substantially more tkd clubs than other martial arts. I know when I ask a lot of people why they chose tkd they tell me they wanted something traditional (whatever that means) that has full contact sparring and tkd offers that whereas the karate clubs in my area dont offer that, instead they do 'light contact' sparring which turns some people off. The tkd clubs do generally tend to market themselves better also with a heap of advertising.

[dancingalone]

TKD is definitely the most popular martial art in my area. Why? The early Koreans sent here by General Choi to spread the art did a good job of it, producing many American instructors who in turn produced more instructors. It also has flashy kicks and thus conforms to the mass public's idea of what a martial art should look like.

Many studios also make TKD an easy art to get into, teaching a lot of kicks up front. A beginner can readily see his progress early on. This may not be the case with some other systems.

[clfsean]

Bad analogy. I would say why is there a McDonald's on every corner but not an In and Out burger.

You statement implys that Karate and KungFu are are 3 star vs. TKD being some cookie cutter operation.

There are just as many McDojo's as there are McDojangs.

As far as KungFu there was never the influx and Chinese master flooding the world let alone the US to pourposely spread the art. But I have met my fair share of KungFu frie cooks as well.

Sorry about that... but that wasn't the meaning. It was first thing that came to mind after doing some recent foodie reading.

In & Out or Whattaburger are better choices.

[clfsean]

TKD is definitely the most popular martial art in my area. Why? The early Koreans sent here by General Choi to spread the art did a good job of it, producing many American instructors who in turn produced more instructors. It also has flashy kicks and thus conforms to the mass public's idea of what a martial art should look like.

Yep.



Many studios also make TKD an easy art to get into, teaching a lot of kicks up front. A beginner can readily see his progress early on. This may not be the case with some other systems.

This is very true with CMAs. You coming from Goju ryu & Aikido both, should see that too. You don't see it early on, but later it's much like a "light coming on" & then things just "happen".

In my personal experience with TKD in the old days, it was closer to this train of thought & practice than now. Now it's IMHO & not a knock, almost about instant gratification.

I tell people when they come to my class "You're not going to fly over bamboo trees, you're not going to learn the 5 Step Death Touch, you're not going to learn the Flying Guillotine as a weapon. You're going to practice basics, over & over, until bored & then you get busy with more basics. After a solid year or so of basics, you'll have a good understanding of how to do things. Then we can talk fun."

[terryl965]

Well I live in the DFW area of Texas and here is a breakdown: remember this is not all but the one's listed.
1. TKD schools 78 both Olympic, ITF and ATA and some of American
2. Karate 92 that includes all styles and Kempo - Kenpo
3. Kung - Fu schools 64
4. MMA schools 131 now they have over taken everything here, this includes Judo clubs that have added MMA

Like I said this is not all because almost every LifeTime Fitness and Gold gyms all have them plus the YMCA and rec. centers.

I started out in Okinawa Karate and have done Sholin Kung Fu so I still have some of thier influnces with me, but I switched to TKD because when I moved to California back in the eary 80's so many Karate schools was becoming the feel me good school and the only place I found was a dirty old smelly place that tought Korean Karate which turned out to be Tae Kwon Do.

[dancingalone]

Karate 92 that includes all styles and Kempo - KenpoNo biggie, but I would throw the Hawaiian arts like American kenpo, Shaolin Kempo, Kajukenbo, etc into their own category. Their mechanics and focus are quite different from most karate systems. Okinawan kenpo/kempo is another story.

I'm shocked to hear that karate has so many schools though. There's maybe less than 30 Goju-ryu karate studios in the entire state of Texas. Meanwhile, in the Austin metro area, there's at least that many TKD studios alone. Although I am cooking the books by lumping all TKD styles together, I think the point still stands.

[terryl965]

No biggie, but I would throw the Hawaiian arts like American kenpo, Shaolin Kempo, Kajukenbo, etc into their own category. Their mechanics and focus are quite different from most karate systems. Okinawan kenpo/kempo is another story.

I'm shocked to hear that karate has so many schools though. There's maybe less than 30 Goju-ryu karate studios in the entire state of Texas. Meanwhile, in the Austin metro area, there's at least that many TKD studios alone. Although I am cooking the books by lumping all TKD styles together, I think the point still stands.


Now remember that includes sub schools and such, Bushu Kai with Shihan Lewis is one of the biggest, also this is what is inside Lang Son Traders book with fliers and business cards so I just counted everything that had the word Karate to it so some of that maybe mis-leading, last thing we have over three TKD school but alot of them are in Rec centers and Gyms so in the end, thierstill is alot.

[jks9199]

Tae Kwon Do has been heavily commercialized, leading to the current situation where you can see dozens of TKD businesses in most communities. Many other styles are less commercially visible, and less mercantile in their focus, so you don't see them in the big storefronts. Instead, you'll find them in smaller studios or the spaces on the back of a strip mall -- or taught through the Y, rec programs, and other similar facilities. A lot of TKD places also have heavily marketed thinly veiled day care programs, and targeted the family demographic by having parents in classes with the kids.

I'm not saying any of this is inherently evil. OK, I have major issues with the daycare stuff but only because they evade the supervision and regulation of daycare programs. But it does explain why they TKD is so much more visible.

[Tez3]

I'm assuming that Kung Fu isn't done in a Dojo so where do they train? I'm curious as I don't think I've heard of the Chinese equivalant of Dojo or Dojang. What other arts have different names for where they train?

[dancingalone]

I'm assuming that Kung Fu isn't done in a Dojo so where do they train? I'm curious as I don't think I've heard of the Chinese equivalant of Dojo or Dojang. What other arts have different names for where they train?

I believe southern Chinese styles call their training hall a 'kwoon'. Not sure about the northern boys.

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks Omar for the suggestion, but I am not literally asking to find the Kung Fu/Karate places, I am more wondering why the TKD places out number them so much (at least in my town)...

Is this the same in every area, or is it just isolated to the NW?

just as a note, Kung Fu is a generic term for Chinese Martial arts....so basically you are asknig where any or all of these (http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-chinese-martial-arts)shools are, just to name a few


I'm assuming that Kung Fu isn't done in a Dojo so where do they train? I'm curious as I don't think I've heard of the Chinese equivalant of Dojo or Dojang. What other arts have different names for where they train?

OK, I am going to answer this and I will get a rash of harassment form at least one member of MT about it (:D) I cannot remember the Mandarin for some reason at the moment but the Cantonese is Kwoon.

[clfsean]

OK, I am going to answer this and I will get a rash of harassment form at least one member of MT about it (:D) I cannot remember the Mandarin for some reason at the moment but the Cantonese is Kwoon.


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Try Guan... traitor speaker... :angel:

[dancingalone]

OK, I am going to answer this and I will get a rash of harassment form at least one member of MT about it (:D) I cannot remember the Mandarin for some reason at the moment but the Cantonese is Kwoon.

Some aikido guy (of all people! I guess aikido guys are smart :) ) argues that the correct world is 'guan'.

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-9569.html

[Xue Sheng]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Try Guan... traitor speaker...

:uhohh: I currently have a raging head cold :erg: that I fully believe was given to me by the devil...yeah that's it..the devil... therefore the only language I can remember at the moment is Cantonese Devil speak :D

OK its GUAN!!!! :disgust:



Some aikido guy (of all people! I guess aikido guys are smart ) argues that the correct world is 'guan'.

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-9569.html


I expected this from clfsean.. but et tu dancingalone... and from an Akidoka none the less :disgust:


But you should both remember never EVER mess with a XINGYIQUAN ADDICT :mst: because revenge is a dish best served cold :EG: ....ok I have no idea what any of that means but due to this damn head cold it is the best I can do at the moment :D

[clfsean]

Yep...

館 -- Public Building

Pinyin3 - Guan
Cantonese2 - Gun

Kwoon is the most common Cantonese spelling from Yale (I think) & the most recognizable. Gun is obviously going to draw some questions on multiple levels.

Anyway... back to the scheduled topic...

[Hudson69]

In Colorado Springs Universal Kempo is the dominant school of martial arts. They are everywhere but of the two I have been in to check out for my kids they have the feel of a McDojo but this is two of probably 20 so I cannot speak for them all.

This is followed closely by TKD but I think that is because of the Olympic Training Center; the majority of the TKD schools here all seem to have some type of affiliation with Olympic training in some way.

If there was a third place it would have to be the MMA schools and this is thanks to the high military population; they really go in for this. They might even be ahead of the TKD schools.

There is one American Kenpo school that I know of and a few other Karate schools that I cannot think of by name/style, a smattering of miscellaneous kung-fu schools like Silver Dragon, Crane, Wing-Chun or Mantis. Surprisingly there are three schools in the area teaching Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu but no Genbukan or Jinenkan and one school of To Shin Do.

The schools are out there if you look I imagine, some are small enough that they dont advertise.

[jks9199]

The schools are out there if you look I imagine, some are small enough that they dont advertise.



There's a lot of MMA and BJJ schools on the map now all over, as well. And you made a great point that a lot of it depends on your area. Around DC, where Jhoon Rhee got his big commercial start, tae kwon do is big, not surprisingly. Lots of the schools can be traced back to him, whatever the name currently on the door. (There were some falling outs and splits along the way...)

About advertising -- some places just don't advertise well and aren't run well as a business, either. That's another aspect of the TKD commercialization, though it's certainly not limited to TKD. (None of the commercialization things are; I know of a Kyukushin school with a daycare/afterschool program, for example.)

[Tez3]

I should have known there wasn't going to be a simple one post answer :lol:

MMA suits the military as there's no syllabus as such and no gradings which means you don't fall behind when on exercise or deployment and you can pick up where you left off. We tailor each session to whoevers in, so everyone gets a good training night. It's also reasonably easy to train either with a couple of mates when away too so you can keep your training up. Suits the military too because it's another way to do fitness training, again when on deployment you need interesting things to do for fitness.