Most plentiful Martial Art in your area.

[whackjob-san]

Yeah, definately TKD. Even when they're listed in the Yellow Pages as "karate" they're really TKD.

There's a bunch of EPAK down here as well.

 

[superdave]

Looks like TKD is leading the pack by a wide margin. Now, what I don't understand is how TKD became so popular. Most of the TKD studios I have visited in my area teach flash and fluff, and have more 6 year old 2nd dans than you can shake a stick at.

I'm sure there are some schools that teach real TKD, but I have yet to see one in my area.

 

[whackjob-san]

Kids are the key to keeping your door open. That's how they survive. TKD obviously has appeal to children and the parents alike, that doesn't mean to take anything away from the style, I know some kickass TKD instructors in my area. I think alot of the schools gear they're curriculum toward all that flashy, glitzy stuff to attract mass ensembles of kids, something that alot of other teachers/schools/styles shy away from. I'm new to the board, but I'll assume this problem has been discussed to death.

 

[superdave]

Welcome to the boards WackJob-San.

I agree about TKD appealing to kids, thats what they see on TV. Kids in MA is a good thing, just as long as the whole system dosen't suffer as a result. In my opinion, many styles cater too much to children, and the system becomes sub-standard and watered down, with every blackbelt issued to a 6 year old.

I don't know how anyone with an ounce of integrity, can issue a toddler a blackbelt.
But then again, Biff and Buffy are paying top dollar for little Biff Jr. to take "Karate".
So he better damn well be a blackbelt by the time he is 7 or there will be hell to pay!

 

[theletch1]

But then again, Biff and Buffy are paying top dollar for little Biff Jr. to take "Karate".

SuperDave, excellent point (and admittedly I'm deciding to go off topic for a moment, sorry). Far too often I see parents living vicariously through their children and pushing them way too far to excell in MA. These are the same parents that I here listing a schedule for their kids that would have me in bed for a week. Martial arts is indeed great for kids, as can be most extra curricular activity but there has to be a point when keeping up with the rest of the "focus group" has to give way to just letting your kid be a kid for a while.

 

[Andrew Evans]

I'm surrounded by traditionalists, mainly TKD and Okinawan Karate folks. -Andrew

 

[cfr]

The only one that counts is my school.

www.aseama.com

 

[tshadowchaser]

tkd was in this area first and there are more tkd schools and garage instructors than anything else. Kenpo would be 2nd and closest fma (other than me) is 40 miles away. one akido school somewhere in the area (it seems to move every so often)
A few sokes

 

[Andrew Evans]

cfr,

Does that mean you are the only show in town or do you simply ignore the competition. Just curious. By the way, great website! -Andrew

 

[cfr]

Originally posted by Andrew Evans
cfr,

Does that mean you are the only show in town or do you simply ignore the competition. Just curious. By the way, great website! -Andrew

I realized right after I posted that by saying "my school" implies that its "my school". I should have said "the school I go to". As for your question, I was really just being a smart a**. Truthfully TKD probably has the most schools around. But most of the students (including me) have trained elsewhere and then made the switch.

 

[Andrew Evans]

cfr,
I don't think you were being a smart a** at all. I like seeing a good positive attitude like yours. I also feel that I have something special to offer that nobody else in my city has. Why mix apples and oranges? Let everyone else make apple juice and orange juice while guys like you and me make cans of WhoopAss. Respectfully, Andrew

 

[2fisted]

In my area (the Raleigh, NC area), as yours, TKD is everywhere. There are also two or three 'Karate' schools which are basically some kind of modified American karate.

1 Kenpo school that also holds JKD classes. I'd totally go there if it were nearer to me.

1 traditional Wing Chun school

1 'modified' Wing Chun school

1 Shaolin school that also teaches Arnis and Yang style Taijiquan

2 or 3 Shotokan schools

A couple of Aikido schools

A school that teaches a rare Korean art whose name I have forgotten. It's not TKD or Hapkido or Tangsoodoo or Hwarangdo. Man I wish I could remember....

A fencing/Muay Thai/Western Boxing School

A Ninjutsu school

My Goju-ryu teacher stopped teaching classes but still works with me, thank goodness.

There was a Shorin-ryu school around but I'm not sure if it exists anymore.

If there's anyone on this board from the same area that knows something I've left out, lemme know.

 

[Ninway J]

In my small-town here in Hawaii, so far, I know of:

2 Kempo (James Mitose and Universal)

1 Qi Gong/Taiji (Yang Style Long Form)

1 Generic Boxing

We need more Kung Fu schools! Anyone wanna come to Hawaii and teach Kung Fu?

 

[Black Bear]

cfr, that is a sexy site. I'm jealous.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Maybe Rich Parsons, or another Michigan resident can help me out with this one, but I voted TKD as having the most schools.

I would say that Japanese Karate schools would have to be a close tie, though; because there does seem to be quite a few of them around.

Where I live there are about five TKD schools-four affiliated with the same school as me, and one ATA.There is one aikido club, one judo club, and two Okinawan Karate clubs. Part of me thinks we should go to the ATA school, beat up all the students, and force the Instructor out of town-a good purging.

Where I teach, there are two TKD schools nearby, both Chang Moo Kwan. However, the University-affiliated Instructor is a member of so many shady organizations and claims rank in so many styles I'm not really sure what he teaches.

Additionally, the North American Yoshokai Aikido GM is nearby, as well as another aikido school. I'm not really sure how many styles are near me.

 

[8253]

there is pretty much only tkd around this area,

 

[Tony]

In my Area its mostly Taekwondo and I wish there were more Aikido clubs, and Kung fu ones too!

 

[Andrew Evans]

Part of me thinks we should go to the ATA school, beat up all the students, and force the Instructor out of town-a good purging.

Where I teach there's this one school that really lacks the toughness I strive for. Instead of trying to purge them, I use them to help market my school. It's a great place to send folks when they ask, "Are there other schools in town for me to compare you with?" Guess what. They all come back, unless they were looking for glorified babysitting.

 

[DavidCC]

Here in Omaha (nebraska) we ahve 2 old Krean guys who came here in the 70s and opened TKD schools. They are still in business, and probably 2 gebnerations down from them also have schools. So about 75% of the schools here are TKD. like 20 of them...

But if you look harder (that is, past the internet) you will find a lot more: 3 Shaolin Kempo, 1 Cerio Kenpo, 1 Goju-ryu, a few akido schools, 1 WC, 1 Hapkido, 1 TSD, 2 or 3 kickboxing / mma, some judo, western boxing, fencing, and some SD where the style is unclear. We have very little real "japanese karate" that I know of. Many of the TKD school shere have a sign that says "karate". I think they sell those signs at a discount...

 

[MichiganTKD]

Where I teach there's this one school that really lacks the toughness I strive for. Instead of trying to purge them, I use them to help market my school. It's a great place to send folks when they ask, "Are there other schools in town for me to compare you with?" Guess what. They all come back, unless they were looking for glorified babysitting.

Good point. If a school is good enough to stand on its own merits, the presence of other schools will not matter. We used to visit other TKD schools to see what they were like, and came back to class damn glad to practice where we did!