Taking MA Classes for Physical Fitness Only

[Lynne]

Most of the adults in my school (Tang Soo Do) are serious about their training with the intent on achieving Dan rank someday. Many of my classmates are Dans of various levels of course.

What about people who sign up for physical fitness only? Are you able to retain them in your school? Do they find the mental work too much? Do they get turned off by testing? Or do they end up falling in love with the art and become a committed martial artist?

 

[crushing]

I initially started TKD for physical fitness and not really concerned about achieving Dan rank, that would be years away anyway. Here it is, years later and I'm not just taking a physical fitness class, but I find myself on a journey of discovery, not just about the martial arts, but about myself.

 

[Danny T]

Most of the adults in my school (Tang Soo Do) are serious about their training with the intent on achieving Dan rank someday. Many of my classmates are Dans of various levels of course.

What about people who sign up for physical fitness only? Are you able to retain them in your school? Do they find the mental work too much? Do they get turned off by testing? Or do they end up falling in love with the art and become a committed martial artist?

We have a Conditioning class which is dedicated to just those persons. It has aerobic, anaerobic, strength and flexibility training all based upon usage of body within the martial arts. We do from time to time associate the martial aspect of the movements to this class in the hopes of instilling an interest in the martial art training we have available. All in this program are explained and know It Is NOT Martial Art Training but is physical conditioning.

There is no rank associated therefore no testing other than our basic goal setting we have for the individual. Our retention from last year was 90% and the growth was 20% for this class alone. The 10% we lost was from 2 moving out of the area, 1 being involved in a vehicular accident and the others became members of our Wing Chun or Muay Thai programs.

In our case, those interested in only fitness mainly stay in the fitness mode and we strive to meet the wants and training needs of the individual rather than making them train in what we want.

Danny T

 

[Lynne]

We have a Conditioning class which is dedicated to just those persons. It has aerobic, anaerobic, strength and flexibility training all based upon usage of body within the martial arts. We do from time to time associate the martial aspect of the movements to this class in the hopes of instilling an interest in the martial art training we have available. All in this program are explained and know It Is NOT Martial Art Training but is physical conditioning.

There is no rank associated therefore no testing other than our basic goal setting we have for the individual. Our retention from last year was 90% and the growth was 20% for this class alone. The 10% we lost was from 2 moving out of the area, 1 being involved in a vehicular accident and the others became members of our Wing Chun or Muay Thai programs.

In our case, those interested in only fitness mainly stay in the fitness mode and we strive to meet the wants and training needs of the individual rather than making them train in what we want.

Danny T

That's a great retention rate. I imagine people enjoy the fitness program at your school. An interesting alternative to working out with weights or doing cardio on the treadmill?

Our school has a yoga program, swing dancing and a physical fitness center.

I know of two people who signed up for physical fitness recently and wonder if they will stick with it. Time will tell.

 

[Lynne]

I initially started TKD for physical fitness and not really concerned about achieving Dan rank, that would be years away anyway. Here it is, years later and I'm not just taking a physical fitness class, but I find myself on a journey of discovery, not just about the martial arts, but about myself.

I enjoy the challenge. I'm doing things I never thought I could or would be doing. One day I'd like to teach though...will need a black belt to do that. Or who knows, I might find I don't like teaching...But I can't imagine not taking classes.

 

[Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu]

The school where I am our syllabus contains two main forms of study, Karate and BJJ. Though there is quite a bit of conditioning required for both, we have had a few people come in to the school looking specifically to get into shape. We used to run a KickFit class which was pretty much a kickboxing/cardio class which was less about technique and more about getting into shape. We stopped running the class due to lack of interest. We explain to people when they walk through our door that although we do physical training and it is intense, that's only a part of what we teach and not a main focus.
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[still learning]

Hello, The nice thing about martial art training is, you do get excerise too!

Imagine if you can learn martial arts without any excerise ( like watching the training and techniques on TV).

Learn to run 26 miles without running? Yep yesterday I did two marthons...while sleeping...fast too!.

Joining any martial arts classes is a "win-win"... excerise and self-defense training.

Aloha (watching more tv)

 

[Kacey]

Most of the adults in my school (Tang Soo Do) are serious about their training with the intent on achieving Dan rank someday. Many of my classmates are Dans of various levels of course.

What about people who sign up for physical fitness only? Are you able to retain them in your school? Do they find the mental work too much? Do they get turned off by testing? Or do they end up falling in love with the art and become a committed martial artist?

It varies - but the ones who are truly only interested in physical conditioning don't usually sign up at my class - since we're at a YMCA, the ones who just want conditioning and nothing else usually sign up for other things; the ones who sign up are at least marginally interested in martial arts - in fact, one of my current students who only signed up for physical conditioning got hooked, and just tested for his 2nd gup red belt last Thursday; when the testing instructor asked him why he started and why he stayed, he said he started to get in shape, but chose a MA class because he thought he would stick with that better because it was something he was interested in - and it worked; he's been in my class about 2 years, he's in much better shape, and he's lost about 15 pounds.

 

[Lynne]

The school where I am our syllabus contains two main forms of study, Karate and BJJ. Though there is quite a bit of conditioning required for both, we have had a few people come in to the school looking specifically to get into shape. We used to run a KickFit class which was pretty much a kickboxing/cardio class which was less about technique and more about getting into shape. We stopped running the class due to lack of interest. We explain to people when they walk through our door that although we do physical training and it is intense, that's only a part of what we teach and not a main focus.​

One of our senior female instructors used to own an aerobics studio then taught cardio kickboxing at our school. She watched the Tang Soo Do classes and said to herself, "This is the real thing. That's what I want to do." I don't know why the cardio kickboxing classes ceased - perhaps there was lack of interest but I don't know.

 

[Lynne]

Hello, The nice thing about martial art training is, you do get excerise too!

Imagine if you can learn martial arts without any excerise ( like watching the training and techniques on TV).

Learn to run 26 miles without running? Yep yesterday I did two marthons...while sleeping...fast too!.

Joining any martial arts classes is a "win-win"... excerise and self-defense training.

Aloha (watching more tv)

I agree with you about the win-win situation. Also, I meet genuinely nice people.

 

[Lynne]

It varies - but the ones who are truly only interested in physical conditioning don't usually sign up at my class - since we're at a YMCA, the ones who just want conditioning and nothing else usually sign up for other things; the ones who sign up are at least marginally interested in martial arts - in fact, one of my current students who only signed up for physical conditioning got hooked, and just tested for his 2nd gup red belt last Thursday; when the testing instructor asked him why he started and why he stayed, he said he started to get in shape, but chose a MA class because he thought he would stick with that better because it was something he was interested in - and it worked; he's been in my class about 2 years, he's in much better shape, and he's lost about 15 pounds.

It is hard to stick with exercise that isn't much fun. I have a Schwinn Airdyne and I used to eye that thing like it was the enemy. Boredom. My perspective is a little different now about the exercise bike, though, because I use it for conditioning for Tang Soo Do.

When I was trying to think of exciting physical activities that would keep my interest, I didn't think about martial arts. Too bad. I have never been bored in Tang Soo Do. Of course it's a journey as Crushing said.