What is better? Traditional School or Modern School

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
Hello! It's me Polina. I have been looking around my town for martial arts instructors because there is no dojo or dojang. I met Korean man who have study Hapkido for many years. Is it a good idea to ask him to teach me? Or should it be better to find dojo with other students?
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
29,971
Reaction score
10,530
Location
Hendersonville, NC
All of that depends upon what you're looking for. I'm not a fan of training exclusively through private lessons - there's a lot to be gained from working with several different partners, as everyone will do things a bit differently and you'll get to work with all those differences.

As for traditional vs. modern, there's a huge area of grey between those two terms. And again, it will depend what you're looking for. Some people find the ritual and etiquette of a more formal (traditional) school makes a pleasant change from the chaos of everyday life. Others prefer to get directly to the physical training.
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
29,971
Reaction score
10,530
Location
Hendersonville, NC
Oh, and I forgot to say: welcome to Martial Talk. Here you'll find a lot of opinions and a smattering of facts. Some of us even occasionally have good answers.

We bicker sometimes, and get off topic even more. Come to think of it, we are a bit like my family at the holidays.
 
OP
Polina

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
All of that depends upon what you're looking for. I'm not a fan of training exclusively through private lessons - there's a lot to be gained from working with several different partners, as everyone will do things a bit differently and you'll get to work with all those differences.

As for traditional vs. modern, there's a huge area of grey between those two terms. And again, it will depend what you're looking for. Some people find the ritual and etiquette of a more formal (traditional) school makes a pleasant change from the chaos of everyday life. Others prefer to get directly to the physical training.

Thank you for your advice. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to start with?
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
I think it would be fine, especially if it's the only thing available. At some point though, if you want to commit to it, you will need to train with more people. But you can learn a lot from private lessons. And I'm going to agree with gerry on the traditional/modern. It's all up to personal preference.
 
OP
Polina

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
I think it would be fine, especially if it's the only thing available. At some point though, if you want to commit to it, you will need to train with more people. But you can learn a lot from private lessons. And I'm going to agree with gerry on the traditional/modern. It's all up to personal preference.

Thank you, I understand now. It might be that once I join more student will join as well. It not necessarily private lesson forever, I just be his first student in new dojang.
 

Bill Mattocks

Sr. Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
15,627
Reaction score
4,433
Location
Michigan
Thank you, I understand now. It might be that once I join more student will join as well. It not necessarily private lesson forever, I just be his first student in new dojang.

I would be concerned about his background, training, how long he has been teaching, and so on. I am sorry but I have alarm bells going off here.
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
29,971
Reaction score
10,530
Location
Hendersonville, NC
Thank you for your advice. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to start with?
Here's the real test: does it interest you? If it does, then it's worth a shot. How much it interests you (and how much it continues to interest you) will be a big determiner in how likely you are to go back to the next class, then the next, then the next, and so on.

But do know what you're wanting from your training before you go to the first class. If you know that, you'll have a way to decide if it's getting you toward what you want (and if it isn't, you have to decide if it's still interesting enough that this doesn't matter).
 

CB Jones

Senior Master
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
3,938
Reaction score
2,013
Location
Saline
Welcome.

I would go with traditional modern.

Maybe modern traditional.

But I lean more traditional modern.
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
29,971
Reaction score
10,530
Location
Hendersonville, NC
I would be concerned about his background, training, how long he has been teaching, and so on. I am sorry but I have alarm bells going off here.
What concerns you about it? We haven't really been told much about him except that he's Korean, has apparently studied Hapkido, and has started a new school.
 

Bill Mattocks

Sr. Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
15,627
Reaction score
4,433
Location
Michigan
What concerns you about it? We haven't really been told much about him except that he's Korean, has apparently studied Hapkido, and has started a new school.

She is a new student. His only student. Private lessons.

I was born at night, but not last night. Could be legit. Signs point to use extreme caution, get credentials and investigate them, have a witness present at all times until established legit training.
 

Hanzou

Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
6,770
Reaction score
1,330
I would be wary of "private lessons" from some guy off the street. What city are you in? Perhaps the people on this forum can help you find a larger school?
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,230
Reaction score
4,920
Location
San Francisco
Hello! It's me Polina. I have been looking around my town for martial arts instructors because there is no dojo or dojang. I met Korean man who have study Hapkido for many years. Is it a good idea to ask him to teach me? Or should it be better to find dojo with other students?
Does this man intend to open a school? Was he looking for people to be his student?

Or did you happen to meet him, learned that he knows hapkido, and you are considering asking him to teach you? Does he want students?
 

Kung Fu Wang

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
14,041
Reaction score
4,488
Location
Austin, Tx/Shell Beach, Ca
I would be concerned about his background, training, how long he has been teaching, and so on. I am sorry but I have alarm bells going off here.
Agree! Old saying said, "Student will spend 3 years to investigate a teacher. After that, that teacher will spend 3 years to investigate that student. The class will then start."

Of course in 21th century we don't have 6 years. But the idea remain the same.
 
OP
Polina

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
She is a new student. His only student. Private lessons.

I was born at night, but not last night. Could be legit. Signs point to use extreme caution, get credentials and investigate them, have a witness present at all times until established legit training.

Sorry for taking long to reply. I don't think he is shady, family friend for long time. His name is Kun-Jung-Hoon and he train in sobaek mountain range under his grand uncle Hwa-Sang-Hoon for 32 years. I don't know if I spelt right. I'm sorry if my post was unclear.
 
OP
Polina

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
I would be wary of "private lessons" from some guy off the street. What city are you in? Perhaps the people on this forum can help you find a larger school?

Sorry if I was unclear. My family know him for long time beforhand. I am in Zhigansk, but I don't think there is a dojo near myself.
 
OP
Polina

Polina

Yellow Belt
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
13
Location
Russia
Does this man intend to open a school? Was he looking for people to be his student?

Or did you happen to meet him, learned that he knows hapkido, and you are considering asking him to teach you? Does he want students?

My family knew him for long time, but I did not want to learn martial arts until a couple weeks back. He never taught before but was always looking for student. No one want to learn Hapkido though.
 

Headhunter

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Messages
4,765
Reaction score
1,598
My family knew him for long time, but I did not want to learn martial arts until a couple weeks back. He never taught before but was always looking for student. No one want to learn Hapkido though.
Maybe there's a reason for that....being a guys first student isn't always the best idea he hasn't taught before . Best thing to do is to find a school with a good reputation
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,212
Reaction score
6,308
Location
New York
My family knew him for long time, but I did not want to learn martial arts until a couple weeks back. He never taught before but was always looking for student. No one want to learn Hapkido though.
I'm going to go against the grain here, and say go for it. If he's a family friend, and you trust him, that shouldn't be an issue. And there's no harm in giving hapkido a shot, especially if there's not much near you. Even being a guys first student can be fine, if you start and feel that it's useful then great! If not, then stop.

The only thing I'd be concerned about is if it would cause family drama if you decided hapkido wasn't your thing, but most people who train understand that not everyone who tries it will stick around.
 

Latest Discussions

Top