want to run a taekwondo dojang

[Earl Weiss]

Just go full independent. If you are a 5th degree, you can promote someone else to 4th degree black belt (or 3rd degree black belt, depending on your point of view).
Check out Pellegrini's Independent TKD group: http://www.dsihq.com/#the-independent-taekwondo-association-ita-4c5084 or AIKIA www.aikia.net/

Those are good groups that will let you teach without answering to the Kukkiwon, ITF, or WTF.

AoG

Why stop there. If you are independant you can make yourself a 12th Dan and promote to whatever you want.

As for Pelligrini's group. I would not reccoment it. First I have to say that I have been to some of his Hapkido seminars and like his stuff. As a Hapkido guy why he has any business certifying TKD people I;ll never know.

What tured me off firther was that as aprt of a BIll Wallace seminar he was hosting a couple of "TKD" people as aprt of their promotion did a pattern.

When they finished I asked my guys "How did you like Po Eun?"

Their answer "That was Po Eun?"

I think the "No Curriculum mandates" on the website pretty much sums up what they are certifying.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Why stop there. If you are independant you can make yourself a 12th Dan and promote to whatever you want.

As for Pelligrini's group. I would not reccoment it. First I have to say that I have been to some of his Hapkido seminars and like his stuff. As a Hapkido guy why he has any business certifying TKD people I;ll never know.


I think the "No Curriculum mandates" on the website pretty much sums up what they are certifying.

Okay, then let me clarify myself: pick an independent org that is legit and go with it. I don't know if Earl Weiss is saying you HAVE to be ITF or WTF to be legitimate, but obviously that is not true.

I will concede that over 90% of independent orgs are junk where you just mail the money and pick your rank, but many martial artists (such as myself) end up in a situation where the teachers above themselves have either died or retired, thus making independent orgs neccessary.

As for Pellegrini, I am glad you shared that with us. I have never really dealt with him or his group.

AoG

 

[Flying Crane]

Okay, then let me clarify myself: pick an independent org that is legit and go with it. I don't know if Earl Weiss is saying you HAVE to be ITF or WTF to be legitimate, but obviously that is not true.

I will concede that over 90% of independent orgs are junk where you just mail the money and pick your rank, but many martial artists (such as myself) end up in a situation where the teachers above themselves have either died or retired, thus making independent orgs neccessary.

As for Pellegrini, I am glad you shared that with us. I have never really dealt with him or his group.

AoG

On the other hand, if you are going to go independent, they what's the point of belonging to any org at all? Sort of undermines the whole "independent" thing...

hell, stand on your own two feet.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Okay, then let me clarify myself: pick an independent org that is legit and go with it. I don't know if Earl Weiss is saying you HAVE to be ITF or WTF to be legitimate, but obviously that is not true.


AoG

Interesting thought to ponder. "What is legitimate?"

Is there a difference between having 20 years of experience and the same experience for 20 years?

I am not sure how we might agree on legitimacy. It certainly would not have to do with belonging to a certain organization although if you do belong to an organization / school with established rank curriculm standards, then meeting those stnadards would be legitimate for that org.

 

[dancingalone]

As for Pelligrini's group. I would not reccoment it. First I have to say that I have been to some of his Hapkido seminars and like his stuff. As a Hapkido guy why he has any business certifying TKD people I;ll never know.

If memory serves me correctly, I've read that he was actually a TKD black belt before switching to hapkido. Some hapkido people give him grief over that, saying his motivation in switching was due to aging and injuries, making it impossible for him to practice and teach the high kicks in TKD.

Not sure who (if anyone) awarded him his rank, but he's a 9th dan in TKD according to this profile from Black Belt magazine: http://www.blackbeltmag.com/john_pellegrini_black_belt_hall_of_fame/archives/755

And he seems to have some type of relationship with the Kukkiwon since his website claims people affiliated with his org can become registered black belts with the KKW.

 

[dancingalone]

On the other hand, if you are going to go independent, they what's the point of belonging to any org at all? Sort of undermines the whole "independent" thing...

hell, stand on your own two feet.

I think it has to do with the desire to keep the 9 or 10 dan ranking system going. You are right if every black belt is exactly the same, then there is no need to continue to accumulate dan levels. But if you're a 2nd or 3rd dan with no teacher and you want to run your own school and promote your students and keep the graduated levels, I could see where the interest comes from.

We're keeping it simple in our church TKD program which is independent. No dan levels, even though the 3 people teaching all earned various dan grades in other TKD organizations. If you're a black belt, you have exactly the same belt as everyone else who is black. Instructors and seasoned black belts will probably count for more in the decision-making, but that's natural anyway as they have more invested in the group than a tyro BB.

 

[dancingalone]

Interesting thought to ponder. "What is legitimate?"

Is there a difference between having 20 years of experience and the same experience for 20 years?

I am not sure how we might agree on legitimacy. It certainly would not have to do with belonging to a certain organization although if you do belong to an organization / school with established rank curriculm standards, then meeting those stnadards would be legitimate for that org.

Presumably joining an organization would give MA-orphaned people a chance to gain a new teacher, hopefully one with a real amount of skill if they are an organization head or higher up. I would not understand the attraction to such organizations if they are just a certification paper mill.

 

[bluewaveschool]

Presumably joining an organization would give MA-orphaned people a chance to gain a new teacher, hopefully one with a real amount of skill if they are an organization head or higher up. I would not understand the attraction to such organizations if they are just a certification paper mill.

i want a new teacher, which is why i'm scouting them out. i could just go itf, but i don't think i'd get far without the sine wave.

 

[dancingalone]

i want a new teacher, which is why i'm scouting them out. i could just go itf, but i don't think i'd get far without the sine wave.

Any new (and legitimate) teacher is going to make you go outside of your comfort zone. Correct me if I am wrong, but you are relatively inexperienced, correct? If so, I would advise finding a skilled teacher close enough to train with and learn from regularly, even if what he teaches is not a perfect match to what you currently practice.

It does no good to hook up with someone in another state as you likely won't be able to work with him more than a few times a year at most.

 

[bluewaveschool]

I'm out of practice. I trained hard to get from white belt to 2 dan. Then I sort of wandered around the country and didn't practice. Now I'm getting in shape and doing at least the basic kicks and strikes daily, if I can't get into either the weight room or dojang. Stretching daily too, though I need to start waking up about 30 minutes earlier than I do and do some Wii Fit yoga every day. I can give out 1st dan house belts all day long (figure of speech, I don't give rank), but anyone that wants to go higher, I can't do anything for them.

I only mention ITF because we teach the same formset, pre-sine wave invention. I THINK I've found someone, gotta see the man in person though.

 

[bluewaveschool]

I should point out that practicing forms, I'd love to do in the living room, but every time I do my kiddos attack.

 

[dancingalone]

I should point out that practicing forms, I'd love to do in the living room, but every time I do my kiddos attack.

My little one loves to hang onto me when I practice kata. I just let him climb onto my back as I perform the pattern slowly in low stances with dynamic tension until he gets bored and moves onto something else. It's a good workout for me and lets me spend a little bit of time with him. Maybe he'll have a fond memory out of it when I am gone.

 

[Gemini]

I should point out that practicing forms, I'd love to do in the living room, but every time I do my kiddos attack.

My little one loves to hang onto me when I practice kata.

Isn't it amazing the way they just know to do that? :rofl:

 

[bluewaveschool]

My little one loves to hang onto me when I practice kata. I just let him climb onto my back as I perform the pattern slowly in low stances with dynamic tension until he gets bored and moves onto something else. It's a good workout for me and lets me spend a little bit of time with him. Maybe he'll have a fond memory out of it when I am gone.

Hmm, that is a good idea...