First Day of TKD

[SammyB57]

Well I just got back from my first class. It was fun, although it seemed pretty short and the conditioning wasn't very difficult.... it seems like getting a black belt is way too easy, I wasn't impressed with the black belts techniques. But overall, I had fun and I think I will gain flexibility.

 

[FearlessFreep]

My first day of class was more techniques (other than Fridays, we don't do much conditioning in class...that's for us on our own at home).

My sabomnim rarely flashes his stuff. I've seen him do some moves and stuff that are pretty cool, but he doesn't really feel the need to showoff so I rarely see him do more than he's teaching us, so I don't see him doing a flying, spinning, jumping, whatsitkick, just a really, really, really good sidekick or roundhouse (or whataver he's teaching me).

Also, it takes a while to understand what you are really seeing. A roundhouse looks pretty simple but there is a big difference between 'just kick' and 'kick really, really well' and unless you are used to it, it's hard to see the difference. I'm mostly impressed not by what the BBs do, but at how well they do it.

 

[BrandiJo]

if you dont think you will be chalanged or looks to easy find a new school, or like fearless said maybe hes just not showing off

 

[TigerWoman]

For newbies, our school goes real easy. You keep coming back, you do more the next time haha. Most of it is conditioning at first, form, self defense etc. The black belts usually save the good stuff or what everyone here on MT calls "flashy" for tournaments and testing--go see at the first opportunity. But sparring between higher rank is fun to watch too. What style is your school? TW

 

[terryl965]

It will get harder just stay with it. Class always are easier for beginners

 

[kenpo tiger]

Pay close attention to the 'how' of kicking. It is invaluable.

I'm a *recovering* tkd person - now kenpoist, as you see. I'm here to tell you that there is a huge difference between the arts as to the importance and delivery of kicks. Flash doesn't matter. Good technique and practice will allow you to always kick well.

Good luck - and stay with it.

 

[Zepp]

I'm glad to hear that you had fun Sammy. Different instrcutors train with differing amounts of intensity, so I hope you've found a teacher that will eventually push you as hard as you're looking for.

And about those black belts ,- what you see from them might say something about the quality of the school, but then again it might not. Everyone's got their on and off days. I prefer to judge a teacher by what I learn from them, more so than by how their other students perform.

Happy training.

 

[SammyB57]

I will be spending today in deliberation of how much TKD training I need.
One day a week I can give up, but two is a lot (because my base art is BJJ and it would be taking away from my time in that).

Also, it was the *how* of the black belts (not the instructors but the black belts) that concern me. They were off-balance, lacked power, it didn't look skillful.... but they damn sure know a lot of korean words.

The instructor wants me to train twice a week.... this will be hard for me to do. Does anyone else train in two competitive disciplines?

Also, training two times a week averages out to about 80 bucks a month. Plus belt tests, plus uniforms, then when tournament comes there are registration fees, on top of my BJJ tuition, and BJJ tournament fees.... it's a nightmare on a high school students budget.

 

[FearlessFreep]

If you are only less than a year an da half into BJJ, it may not be wise to start training on another discipline yet.

 

[SammyB57]

I disagree. I'm athletic and I pick up on things quickly.

It's just like trying to play Offense, Defense, and Special Teams or being a multi-sport athlete. Some people say it can't be done, but generally athletic people can pull it off quite well. Besides, biomechanics and physics are universal, and are the foundation of martial arts techniques.

I don't see how progress in one will impede the other. Granted, they are different, but the attributes gained through both will help each other.

Also, being just an orange belt in your art, aren't you kind of unqualified to give that advice?

 

[Zepp]

I think if someone's been training in one art for more than a year it's possible for them to successfully cross-train. I know this from first-hand experience.

Also, it was the *how* of the black belts (not the instructors but the black belts) that concern me. They were off-balance, lacked power, it didn't look skillful.... but they damn sure know a lot of korean words.

Well, it is possible that it's just a bad school. But that's not something we can really tell from here.

Eighty bucks for only two classes a week does seem pretty high. I can understand charging $40 for once a week, since that's pretty much the minimum any commercial instructor needs from a student per month. But for $80, I would expect to be able to train formally at least three times a week, plus have access to open practice times. And I live in California, which has a higher cost of living than Oklahoma.

I would suggest telling the instructor that you can only train once a week. If he accepts that, then it's probably worth sticking around for at least a couple months. If he insists otherwise, then I would begin looking for a different school, personally.

 

[SammyB57]

I'm actually beginning to think about twice a week though for the reasons that

1) I enjoyed it
2) I will develop faster
3) I am ready for a slow of pace for BJJ. I've been competing non-stop, and after a while your body just needs a time of rest (meaning training about twice a week for an hour opposed to five times for two hours, TKD is a different workout than BJJ so it won't hurt).... I also got in a car wreck a few days ago and my neck has been bothering me.

Tonight I am going to go in and find out their belt fees, minimum time before grading, what it means to be a black belt at that particular school, and about tournaments. I know it sounds like a lot, and the instructors don't have the best of English (they hail from Korea), but I want to know what I am getting into up-front.

 

[Marginal]

Well I just got back from my first class. It was fun, although it seemed pretty short and the conditioning wasn't very difficult.... it seems like getting a black belt is way too easy, I wasn't impressed with the black belts techniques. But overall, I had fun and I think I will gain flexibility.

Not too surprising that the conditioning didn't bowl you over if you're coming in from another art. The one wrestler I know that came into my college TKD club to train picked up stuff quickly, and he already had sufficient leg conditioning etc that getting the basic kicking down wasn't too difficult for him. He was a *fast* little dude too...

 

[FearlessFreep]

I think if someone's been training in one art for more than a year it's possible for them to successfully cross-train.

Then I take back the comment

 

[Zepp]

"I think if someone's been training in one art for more than a year it's possible for them to successfully cross-train. "

Then I take back the comment

You raised a valid concern. The ability to cross-train successfully really does vary from person to person, and sometimes from art to art. But my rule of thumb is that if someone's been training for a year in one art, then they usually have a good enough grasp of the fundamentals that training in a second won't confuse them (too much).

 

[Miles]

Glad you had a good first class! How did the kicking drills compare with those of your first class in Pil Seung Hapkido?

Miles

 

[SammyB57]

My Hapkido was a mcDojo, McJoke. It was a very good McDojo but a McDojo none the less.

The TKD place had very good kicking training, lots of bag and paddle work. It was sport-oriented, but that's what I'm looking for. The only modifications you would have to make for self-defense would be to kick lower, which is a lot easier to do when you have the skills to kick hard and high.

 

[SammyB57]

You raised a valid concern. The ability to cross-train successfully really does vary from person to person, and sometimes from art to art. But my rule of thumb is that if someone's been training for a year in one art, then they usually have a good enough grasp of the fundamentals that training in a second won't confuse them (too much).

The fundamentals of fighting are universal. Knockout, choke-out, or maim the other person before they can do the same to you. That's my theory anyway.

I believe Genki Sudo says something like "All fighting is the same, just under different rules."

 

[Miles]

The TKD place had very good kicking training, lots of bag and paddle work. It was sport-oriented, but that's what I'm looking for. The only modifications you would have to make for self-defense would be to kick lower, which is a lot easier to do when you have the skills to kick hard and high.

I may very well be in the minority here, but I think that "sport-oriented" training can help your self-defense skills. My belief is if you can punch or kick someone with full-contact in sparring (who is moving around and trying to do the same to you), you can punch or kick someone who does not train. Kicking low, which is illegal in most orgs, is still an available option (as is punching to the face, which is illegal in Olympic TKD).

Miles

 

[SammyB57]

I agree with Miles.

I am also sad because I won't be able to train TKD at the dojang I was looking at. They want WAY too much money. 59 bucks just for the first belt test for yellow. 500 dollars for a black belt. No f*ing way.

I just want to learn the art for pure love of martial arts. I want to be the best I can be. Yeah I know it sounds dumb.... I'm just mad that it takes $1500 to learn a martial art.