i need help

Makalakumu

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Originally posted by JoeJ
Besides, do you know what the translation of "TangSoo" is in Japanese - "KaraTe".

Good Point. "China Hand" They are the same.
 
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pinacolada23x

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i have another question. in october of last year i was told, along with two other people, that i was eligible to test for my blackbelt. the next testing was in march of this year. my instructors had us hand in all of our paper work and everything for the region. we also had a pretest this past january, which one of my instructors said, that if i passed it, i was pretty much gold for going to the black belt tets in march. well i passed the written with a 91, and i passed everything on the physical. but, i only had 485 hours out of 600 needed in order to test. i just found this out. so i am not able to test. but not testing is the problem, it's that fact they led me to believe i was testing. don't you think they should have told me how many hours i had in october instead of letting me find out now? and they claim they knew i wouldnt be testing in march, but they even asked me to hand in a check for the testing along with my paperwork. if i wouldnt be testing until possibly october of this year, why would they want me to hand in a check almost 6-8 months early? i check can't be held for that long? it almost seems like they are trying to cover up the mistake that they just realized in january i did not have enough hours to test in march. and they claim they knew i wouldnt be testing and that they never said i would be in march. but then again, i had to work out with my black belt cooach every sunday morning for conditioning, and i had to fill out a journal every single day for some sort of training. and i also started helped one of my other instructors instruct a park and rec. class. doesn't that seem like to you i was preparing for march? they said they like to do the working out early, and then stop it so we can do it on our own. but i would rather work out like i did right before the testing, i dont want to work my butt off and then just stop it. what do you think may have happened, and who may be wrong in this situation, by what i ahve told you?
 

Makalakumu

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I think that you are training at a dojang where making money has been placed above training. If they told you that you were going to test and had you pay the money and then checked your background and found out that you weren't going to test, they should have refunded your money. Of course, they have done that to secure a committment from you. 485 hours out of 600 is quite a deficit. It sounds like you still need to do some work. My advice is stick it out. Focus on the training. You can have great technique and you can know all of the stuff, but that won't "make" you a black belt. It's the time spent that counts.
 

Rich Parsons

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600 - 485 = 115 hours.

October to January is at least three months or up to five. We will say four just for the average.

115 hours / four months = 28.75 hours. This is the number of hours per month you are short on your training time. You might have been on track to have this accomplished, yet, with the holidays in November and December, you may have missed a some time and not hit any extra time. This is a logical assumption for those who keep track of minimum time in hours.

There also could a variable number of other reasons. As you said you have a 91 on the written, I assume you saw the paperwork and that a 91 was at least above a minimum requirement to proceed. Noyou sau you ave the minimum physical requirements. Are these push-ups and sit-ups and running etc., ..., . Or are they actual techniques? If they are just cardio, and you have performed them, and can perform them at will then good. If they are techniques, then who said you passed that section? Was it one of the junior instructors? or the head instructor that makes the final decisions on who is presented for promotion?


Keep this in mind I do not know you, nor an I am saying this is you. I only bring it up so you may reflect up it yourself. No name calling or insults implied.

There is also an issue with attitude. Has your atttitude changed? Has it not increased? No one can truely answer these but you.

As to the check issue, the instructors could be eating and paying bills from the dues and testing fees they collect. If this is the case then having students prepared, ahead of time wiht a check guarentees that that the money will be there for them. As to holding the check, that all depends upon the person putting into the computer. If ti is submitted with a bunch of cash and other checks and a deposit slip, most likely the date is not being reviewed and the person entering the data has entered the current date as the transaction date for the electronic filling. Date a check for the exact day it is due to a company and then send it to them early enough for them to get it and have to hold it. They will process it. Many times electronically and your bank will pay them early or before the date on the check. So, it depends on the human when it is deposited.

Now if the instructors made a mistake, about your hours, and your skillis fine and proper, I personally might wave it if all other things lined up including attitude. Yet, this is me and not your instructors. They also may have confused you wiht someone else for the amount of hours and if this is the case they should admit it and apologize, in my mind.

Not sure if this helps
 
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Shinzu

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i practice and teach TSD myself. what you say about your current school is not part of the TSD tradition but can be found at many MA schools around the globe.

it becomes a money thing and it clouds the judgement and teachings along with the credability of the art and school of which you are attending.

about 2 years ago, i had to "deal" with a lot of abuse because i switched from shotokan to TSD. i did for a while because i was blind to the fact that their are REAL schools out there that want to help and teach the art simply because they love it.

my instructor and i at the time had a great relationship, but it fell bitter when i left. he took it personal when in fact it was the grandmaster that i was having the most trouble with. for a grandmaster of such rank he showed little for his students, and more for the money. i said goodbye. why? for me. i was not getting what i should have out of it, and it was wasting my time.

point being that if your teacher was your "mentor" he would learn the first rule of respect. those who do not possess respect can not possibly teach it.

if it were me, i would say my thanx and part ways. go some where else and pick up where you left off. even if you need to go down a step (which i have done also), in the long run it is worth it.

there are no short cuts in the MA and people that bog you down need to be left behind so that you may strive for bigger and better things!

good luck!
 
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pinacolada23x

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i guess it all makes sense. thank you. tang soo do has changed my life so much. recently my karate instructor has started to disappear. He has just bought a house and he is searching for new things in life. He is still an instructor and he is still coming, but he will be in and out, not coming as often as he was. He has put so much into our school and now he is relaxing a little bit and trying to start a life. I'm happy for him. As a very close student of his I've always wanted to, not take his place, but when he would decide to start relaxing a little bit I've always wanted to like be the one to take on his role. It's a little hard to do that since I am only a Cho Dan Bo, but sooner or later I will do what he has done for me and everyone else, for others, the new students. Through all the issues I've been through with the school, all I really want to do most is be him, the next best instructor. Hopefully I can accomplish that because I've always wanted to, and I know he wants me to also, but he will always be the number one instructor, atleast to me. There is so much I want to do for that school, and I have so many ideas, but can I express any of them if I am only a Cho Dan Bo? Like I would like to hold some classes where I could help students with questions, or hold a meditating class, or even a class that concentrates on the spiritual side of Tang Soo Do. Do you think I could do that?
 

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