how to find a quality dojang

[sinthetik_mistik]

I would be lookin elsewhere my friend. Seems like your instructor lacks self control and people skills which nullifies his awards on the wall. If he hasn't got any tact in dealing with people and he wants you to buy all your equipment from him only and force gradings upon students, then he clearly is running a club that I would run from.

I wanted to thank you for giving me the push I needed to drop out of my TKD class. In fact, I'm giving up on TKD altogether due to the fact that every school in my area looks like the same old story. I have found some MMA spots that look very promising, one school actually teaches both MMA and Krav Maga, which, in my opinion, are two of the fiercest martial arts out there. I've noticed that you give a lot of likes, which is really cool. cheers!

 

[RowdyAz]

I wanted to thank you for giving me the push I needed to drop out of my TKD class. In fact, I'm giving up on TKD altogether due to the fact that every school in my area looks like the same old story. I have found some MMA spots that look very promising, one school actually teaches both MMA and Krav Maga, which, in my opinion, are two of the fiercest martial arts out there. I've noticed that you give a lot of likes, which is really cool. cheers!

No worries mate, stay focused on just doing the best you can and what ever it is you choose to pursue. But don't go using krav maga in mma or you will get disqualified. Jokes. All the best and good luck.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Earl Weiss said: ↑
Check your local park districts, community centers, JCC / YMCA. If they have clubs, there is no 24/7/365 overhead so they don't have to be as concerned with paying the bills.

cool thanks... couldn't find any... i've actually decided that i judged my dojang too harshly and i'm gonna stick with it

I would suggest you try again. You would need to visit them to look at theri catalog or call and ask if their offerings are available on line.

Around here almost every one of the above has at least one offering. Usualy more.

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

Earl Weiss said: ↑
Check your local park districts, community centers, JCC / YMCA. If they have clubs, there is no 24/7/365 overhead so they don't have to be as concerned with paying the bills.



I would suggest you try again. You would need to visit them to look at theri catalog or call and ask if their offerings are available on line.

Around here almost every one of the above has at least one offering. Usualy more.

thanks but i'm done looking for TKD schools. After not that much research i found two MMA schools in my area both of which have rave reviews

 

[Tez3]

thanks but i'm done looking for TKD schools. After not that much research i found two MMA schools in my area both of which have rave reviews

It depends what you want from a martial art. The rave reviews may have come from people looking for something completely different from you.
It may seem like semantics but no MMA gym worth it's salt would call itself a 'school' so if it does it may well be the same as the place you have left. it's just one of those little warning lights.

As for MMA being 'one of the fiercest martial arts out there' you are incorrect, MMA is what it says it is, a mixture of traditional martial arts ( including TKD) used for competitive fighting. If it's a good MMA gym they will have classes in the separate styles they have instructors for ( usually a ground style, a striking style plus a good all round coach and a lot of fitness and conditioning) the Krav Maga will be taught separately so if you aren't careful you could end up paying a lot. The Krav Maga will depend on who is taking it and what 'style' it is, it is also notorious for being expensive whoever takes it though.

I'd think carefully about it before you change style, human nature being what it is there's always people out to make money and not give a good product in return you could end up going from frying pan into fire.

 

[Earl Weiss]

thanks but i'm done looking for TKD schools. After not that much research i found two MMA schools in my area both of which have rave reviews

Exercise extreme caution when using reviews as a yardstick.

1. Reviews can be manipulated.
2. Reviewers may have little experience to compare it to anything else. (It's not like eating in 20 resturants in a year)
3. What the reviewer was looking for and what you are looking for can be vastly different.

Bottom line - Watch the classes / sessions before deciding.

 

[Gnarlie]

I'd go a step further and say train there for a month before committing. A decent dojang will let you do this free, and classes can vary so much week to week that it is worth the time to get a reasonable picture of what training is like. It took about a year to get into the way of my current place after moving. It was very different.

 

[TrueJim]

For people who like to compete, one nice thing about karate and taekwondo is that it's pretty easy to find a lot of local tournaments. Yes, they're just local tournaments, often held at high schools or similar venues, but still...it's usually only a short drive to the tournament, you don't need a hotel, and you can easily do it several times per year.

 

[IcemanSK]

I'd go a step further and say train there for a month before committing. A decent dojang will let you do this free, and classes can vary so much week to week that it is worth the time to get a reasonable picture of what training is like. It took about a year to get into the way of my current place after moving. It was very different.

Trying out class for a month for free is a rare thing in commercial schools in the U.S. A park district or rec center is easier because class is often much cheaper than a commercial school, so the "buy in" is less.

 

[Gnarlie]

Trying out class for a month for free is a rare thing in commercial schools in the U.S. A park district or rec center is easier because class is often much cheaper than a commercial school, so the "buy in" is less.

Not letting people try before they buy is a sign of a) poor long term business sense and b) lack of confidence in the product / something to hide, especially when that student has previous experience. I would keep looking, especially starting as a dan grade. I want to know what I am getting for my money. Surprising what heading for the door can get you.

That is why it's a good idea to speak with the owner / grandmaster face to face.

 

[Steve]

It may seem like semantics but no MMA gym worth it's salt would call itself a 'school' so if it does it may well be the same as the place you have left. it's just one of those little warning lights.

While I agree with everything else tez shared, this is a little over stated. It may be true on the small island where she lives, but we speak a different brand of English in America, and MMA gyms are often referred to as martial arts schools over here.

Give the rest some serious thought, but I wouldn't spend any time worrying about whether it's referred to as a school, a gym or anything else, particularly on a review site.

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

It may seem like semantics but no MMA gym worth it's salt would call itself a 'school'

actually it doesn't call itself a school i just said that

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

Exercise extreme caution when using reviews as a yardstick.

1. Reviews can be manipulated.
2. Reviewers may have little experience to compare it to anything else. (It's not like eating in 20 resturants in a year)
3. What the reviewer was looking for and what you are looking for can be vastly different.

Bottom line - Watch the classes / sessions before deciding.

i just used the reviews as an example... i am not only interested in this school because of the reviews it got, i studied their website and everything looks great, highly qualified instructors, competitive pricing, the instructors have loads of credentials, and it has trained a lot of people to compete in UFC, it has a full gym, and teaches Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and Kali weapons fighting.

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

I'd go a step further and say train there for a month before committing. A decent dojang will let you do this free, and classes can vary so much week to week that it is worth the time to get a reasonable picture of what training is like. It took about a year to get into the way of my current place after moving. It was very different.

the school i found has a free week try out, as well as a month to month membership plan

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

As for MMA being 'one of the fiercest martial arts out there' you are incorrect, MMA is what it says it is, a mixture of traditional martial arts ( including TKD) used for competitive fighting. If it's a good MMA gym they will have classes in the separate styles they have instructors for ( usually a ground style, a striking style plus a good all round coach and a lot of fitness and conditioning) the Krav Maga will be taught separately so if you aren't careful you could end up paying a lot. The Krav Maga will depend on who is taking it and what 'style' it is, it is also notorious for being expensive whoever takes it though.

i actually decided against the school that teaches Krav Maga. this school has highly qualified instructors for several types of martial arts

 

[sinthetik_mistik]

actually it doesn't call itself a school i just said that

what i meant is i just stated that it is a school, it didn't call itself a school

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Kickboxing maybe. i've just made progress in TKD and it'd be a shame to throw it all away now. i live in Alpharetta/Roswell/Johns Creek area which is about 45 min north of Atlanta, GA, on the off chance anyone on this site lives in this area or even if you don't live here know about a quality dojang with more than 3 adults that doesn't charge you 350$ for sparring gear please do let me know, thanks!

I was in Duluth Georgia last week for work and was surprised that although my hotel was in a Korean area, I didn't see too many TKD schools. I checked out one, and couldn't understand the drill they were doing - a low push kick and kicking over the standing Century Versys bag.

As for your comment on fees, I am testing this week for black belt, and it's about US $320 for the test and kukkiwon certificate, and nothing else (no extra lessons, plaque, belt etc.). Cheap in comparison to some schools, but expensive compared to the KKW cost and testing time.

After black belt, I am thinking about doing a little muay thai, even if it's only for a few months, in order to get better kicking / punching combinations.

In brief, I can't help you, but I can relate!

 

[Tez3]

actually it doesn't call itself a school i just said that

That's cool.

When you say the place has trained people to fight UFC do you mean actually in the UFC or they fight MMA? If they have fought in the UFC who are they?

 

[IcemanSK]

Not letting people try before they buy is a sign of a) poor long term business sense and b) lack of confidence in the product / something to hide, especially when that student has previous experience. I would keep looking, especially starting as a dan grade. I want to know what I am getting for my money. Surprising what heading for the door can get you.

That is why it's a good idea to speak with the owner / grandmaster face to face.

I should have made myself more clear. A month of free try-out classes is rare. A week for free is not. A reduced fee trial month is more likely at a commercial school. ("First 3 months for $99 & a free dobok" kind of thing.)

I agree completely that a conversation with the master/owner is a must. Most people who have never trained have no clue as to what to ask or what answer they are looking for, however. I just had an older teen student leave me after 6 years due to his relocation. I went over questions he sure ask prospective new masters. He asked me several times, "why is that important?"

When we were in college & TKD 2nd Dans, my buddy & I went into a non-TKD school to watch class to see what this particular Art was about. We were told, "you are not allowed to watch class, you must participate in class." That sounded odd to us & we left. We found out later that school (exposed as fradulent & abusive by media & taken to court by former students) beat up new students to "expose their weaknesses."

 

[Gnarlie]

We were told, "you are not allowed to watch class, you must participate in class." That sounded odd to us & we left. We found out later that school (exposed as fradulent & abusive by media & taken to court by former students) beat up new students to "expose their weaknesses."

I think you just done gone broke the first rule of fight club right there.

As I recall this thread began with a first dan moving, so he should have an idea what to ask, with a little bit of help from his current instructor.

When I first arrived here in Germany, I trial trained at 4 different clubs simultaneously for a while, not paying, and they all knew what I was doing. I think it is fine as long as you are honest with everyone.

The club gets something out of having a new black belt as well as the black belt getting something from the club, so the club should be open for negotiation. If the black belt is worth their salt, that is...