Thinking about changing schools

deadhand31

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So, long story. Bear with me.

If you look at my post history, you'll see waaaaaay back that I was in a TKD school. I left because the sabunim was a (insert favorite anal pejorative here). Wanting to get back into the arts a year later, I started BJJ. This was a gym that was a part of a larger association.

Anyhow, I ended up getting married, and found a gym that was affiliated with the organization started up in the town I was living; well within biking distance. The BJJ program was run by a local MMA fighter, had a great attitude and an all-inclusive approach to training. Eventually, there was a falling out with the owner of the facility (a guy who had his own TKD school) and my instructor had to move to another TKD school that was farther away. (Incidentally, this was a TKD school that was run by a sabunim who broke off from the family of schools I quit from).

Eventually, my BJJ coach rented his own facility that was closer and has established himself over the past several years.

However, like many coaches, he has a day job. Sometimes this causes the school to be closed on a few days at random. Plus, it's a little bit of a drive.

I myself am not very consistent. I've been signed up at a BJJ school for the past 11 years, but am still only a 2nd stripe white. I ended up having some hiatuses, one really long one after having a kid. With a toddler and the work schedules for my wife and I, I usually only get once a week for a class.

Last weekend, I had been out for a month, and wanted to return. I was hoping to do a Saturday morning class, but I got a text that it was canceled. I could have gone another day in the week, but that was canceled as well. I have a luck problem when it comes to timing. Luckily, I was able to get my fix at a local gym's Sunday open mat that I only recently found out existed which was also in biking distance. It was really good stuff getting my butt handed to me for about an hour.

Also, the school that I started BJJ at 11 years ago has grown, and now rent out the building in my town that I had originally moved to in order to get to a closer gym. So, the school I moved away from has basically moved closer to me.

Now, I've been involved (or at least a member) of my current coach's gym for 9 years. I was a founding member when he finally got his own facility. He's incredibly hard working and appreciates his students.

However, the inconsistency has had the bad luck of overlapping with my limited schedule. Having a school that is much closer might even help me go more often and finally get my blue belt.

Is this disloyal? Would I be making a mistake by not going to one of the other schools?
 

Steve

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So, long story. Bear with me.

If you look at my post history, you'll see waaaaaay back that I was in a TKD school. I left because the sabunim was a (insert favorite anal pejorative here). Wanting to get back into the arts a year later, I started BJJ. This was a gym that was a part of a larger association.

Anyhow, I ended up getting married, and found a gym that was affiliated with the organization started up in the town I was living; well within biking distance. The BJJ program was run by a local MMA fighter, had a great attitude and an all-inclusive approach to training. Eventually, there was a falling out with the owner of the facility (a guy who had his own TKD school) and my instructor had to move to another TKD school that was farther away. (Incidentally, this was a TKD school that was run by a sabunim who broke off from the family of schools I quit from).

Eventually, my BJJ coach rented his own facility that was closer and has established himself over the past several years.

However, like many coaches, he has a day job. Sometimes this causes the school to be closed on a few days at random. Plus, it's a little bit of a drive.

I myself am not very consistent. I've been signed up at a BJJ school for the past 11 years, but am still only a 2nd stripe white. I ended up having some hiatuses, one really long one after having a kid. With a toddler and the work schedules for my wife and I, I usually only get once a week for a class.

Last weekend, I had been out for a month, and wanted to return. I was hoping to do a Saturday morning class, but I got a text that it was canceled. I could have gone another day in the week, but that was canceled as well. I have a luck problem when it comes to timing. Luckily, I was able to get my fix at a local gym's Sunday open mat that I only recently found out existed which was also in biking distance. It was really good stuff getting my butt handed to me for about an hour.

Also, the school that I started BJJ at 11 years ago has grown, and now rent out the building in my town that I had originally moved to in order to get to a closer gym. So, the school I moved away from has basically moved closer to me.

Now, I've been involved (or at least a member) of my current coach's gym for 9 years. I was a founding member when he finally got his own facility. He's incredibly hard working and appreciates his students.

However, the inconsistency has had the bad luck of overlapping with my limited schedule. Having a school that is much closer might even help me go more often and finally get my blue belt.

Is this disloyal? Would I be making a mistake by not going to one of the other schools?
Sounds complicated. Out of curiosity, how do these school owners get along? Are they friendly toward each other?
 

mograph

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I agree with Dirty Dog, you should go to the one you will go to consistently.
  • go to the closer gym, if it means you will go more often.
  • the inconsistency of the owner who has to cancel classes is unfortunate, but doesn't work for students. They (you, we) need regular practice, or at least, a consistent schedule, where cancellations are rare.
  • the inconsistent coach needs a consistent assistant coach.
  • being a "founding member" doesn't mean much to me: it only means that you were a member at the time the club was started. It's not to be confused with being a "founder."
  • If your inconsistent coach is a good guy, he'll understand.
My 2 cents.
 

skribs

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At the end of the day, you're a customer. If you're not getting the product you want, you go to another business. It's a little tougher to compartmentalize like that when it's a group of people you've known for a long time. But even then, relationships change over time.
 

Olde Phart

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The problem with your feelings of loyalty/disloyalty may be more of a personal "thing" rather than an objective one. In TKD you can do a lot of practice on your own (punches, kicks, blocks). Kick a tree, buy a punching bag, maybe even work on a form if you had a good video. In BJJ, it's kinda hard to practice takedowns and taking the superior mount on your own.

My family does Kyuki-do, which is a TKD-Hapkido-Judo mixture. BJJ and kick boxing are also offered at our dojang and two of my girls do BJJ. We are blessed in the Fort Worth-Dallas area with multiple martial arts schools of all kinds of "denominations". We have moved a time or two in the last few years but have always gone to the same school as it suits us perfectly. Now, it's a little far away (45-60 minute drive). But, as others have said, you need to GO where you will actually GO.

MA is a personal choice. In reality, your only opponent is yourself. YOU are the one that gets in the car/rides the bike to go to the dojang; YOU are the one that perfects the technique; YOU are the one that gets the next stripe/belt. Feelings don't get you there . . . it's personal "drive".
 

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