What would you do? Need advice

[jackhammer6611]

I would like your advice about my school. I'm still new to kung fu. I'm not really sure if I'm just being a cry baby or not.

I started at a kung fu almost a year ago. This was my first time ever doing a martial art besides wresling. I looked at the schools in my area and found my current school. I researched and looked for all the signs some would say make a bad kung fu school. I did not see any so I signed up for a one year contract. I started out how I would expect to start out. I learned the bare basics of my style punches, kicks, horse stance, bow stance, cat stance and etc. I loved it I did not mind doing a kick over and over again till I did it right or practice 1 section of my form repeatedly. Everyday was rewarding and I went home learning something new. I received my white belt in the first 3 months.

From there the class started going down hill. I received my white belt in may 2016. As of January 2017 I have practiced my yellow belt kicks and punches with an instructor 6 times. All they have me do is forms. I get that forms are important but that's all we practice. Maybe sparring technics once in awhile. Even my forms are rushed and awful. I will mess up on a section or not really understand it and will get corrected. They don't have me work on it over and over like they use to. I move on to the next step and everything gets jumbled together. I'm on the orange belt form now and I don't fully get the yellow belt form. I never get to practice it during class. I do practice it at home. Now I am one section away from finishing the orange belt form and moving to green. That will be 2 forms I do not understand but completed.

I started pushing back and asking the instructors to take a step back and make sure I am doing my form correctly and not to be rushed(nicely). Most of them do not like this. They just want me to follow along. They roll their eyes and say "don't worry you'll get this". They want me to test for my yellow and orange belt during the next belt test but I know I am not ready. I've tried speaking to my master and he just says keep coming to class.

What do you think about my school and would you do?

I'm thinking about looking for a new school. There are hundreds of schools in my area and I can go find a new one. I am thinking about Wing Chun but that's a different story.

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[wingchun100]

Sounds like a school that hands out belts to feed people's egos. Someone like you, who wants to actually do the techniques RIGHT, would be better suited going to a different place.

 

[drop bear]

train somewhere you enjoy training. If you think it is a crap school. Then it is a crap school.

It is not like it is the one opportunity you have to do martial arts. you can leave, try something else and then even come back if it is the better option.

It is your money and your time. Get the most you can out of it.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I would like your advice about my school. I'm still new to kung fu. I'm not really sure if I'm just being a cry baby or not.

I started at a kung fu almost a year ago. This was my first time ever doing a martial art besides wresling. I looked at the schools in my area and found my current school. I researched and looked for all the signs some would say make a bad kung fu school. I did not see any so I signed up for a one year contract. I started out how I would expect to start out. I learned the bare basics of my style punches, kicks, horse stance, bow stance, cat stance and etc. I loved it I did not mind doing a kick over and over again till I did it right or practice 1 section of my form repeatedly. Everyday was rewarding and I went home learning something new. I received my white belt in the first 3 months.

From there the class started going down hill. I received my white belt in may 2016. As of January 2017 I have practiced my yellow belt kicks and punches with an instructor 6 times. All they have me do is forms. I get that forms are important but that's all we practice. Maybe sparring technics once in awhile. Even my forms are rushed and awful. I will mess up on a section or not really understand it and will get corrected. They don't have me work on it over and over like they use to. I move on to the next step and everything gets jumbled together. I'm on the orange belt form now and I don't fully get the yellow belt form. I never get to practice it during class. I do practice it at home. Now I am one section away from finishing the orange belt form and moving to green. That will be 2 forms I do not understand but completed.

I started pushing back and asking the instructors to take a step back and make sure I am doing my form correctly and not to be rushed(nicely). Most of them do not like this. They just want me to follow along. They roll their eyes and say "don't worry you'll get this". They want me to test for my yellow and orange belt during the next belt test but I know I am not ready. I've tried speaking to my master and he just says keep coming to class.

What do you think about my school and would you do?

I'm thinking about looking for a new school. There are hundreds of schools in my area and I can go find a new one. I am thinking about Wing Chun but that's a different story.

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I don't see how that approach can be helpful to students. Someone with more Wing Chun experience can correct me if I'm off on this, but it almost sounds to me like they don't fully understand the forms, so aren't putting enough emphasis on proper training. And they don't understand application, so they don't go into it enough, either.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

If I'm understanding you correctly, your instructors are taking you through the forms in terms of memorizing the choreography, but not helping you polish the details and nuance of your stance, movement, body mechanics, etc? If so, I would consider that a bad sign. There is considerable debate about the value of training focused primarily around forms, but if you are going to just do forms you should at least work on doing them right.

 

[wingchun100]

I don't see how that approach can be helpful to students. Someone with more Wing Chun experience can correct me if I'm off on this, but it almost sounds to me like they don't fully understand the forms, so aren't putting enough emphasis on proper training. And they don't understand application, so they don't go into it enough, either.

I don't think the OP is attending a Wing Chun school now. I think what they meant is they are looking to make a switch to that. Then again, I took a blow to the back of the head this morning, so take what I said with maybe a pound of salt.

 

[jackhammer6611]

Thank you everyone for your response. Not really sure how I should let my master know that I will no longer be one of his students. In away I am firing him.

How have you approached your master when you left their school?

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[wingchun100]

Thank you everyone for your response. Not really sure how I should let my master know that I will no longer be one of his students. In away I am firing him.

How have you approached your master when you left their school?

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If you are worried about confrontation, don't. Unless there is a contract you signed that you need to break free of, you don't have to say anything. They provide a service, and they know some people who once bought the service may stop wanting it. That would be like having to tell McDonald's you are going to eat at Burger King from now on.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

The best solution would probably be to be honest with him and explain why you are leaving. That said, when I switched schools, I informed the sensei that I was taking a break for a while because I had too much going on and just did not come back (I ended up liking my new school more). It saved me the awkwardness, and no feelings were hurt. A few years later, I realized that I still had more to learn from my original school, and went back anyway.

That said, you also have the option of just not saying anything. People do that all the time, and is probably the easiest.

 

[EddieCyrax]

Just be honest and transparent....

 

[JR 137]

If you have a contract that you can't get out of, keep going. You're paying for it after all, and doing something is better than nothing. Look at the contract and see what the conditions are for terminating it.

If you can get out of your contract, keep going while you visit different schools. This should tell you if the grass truly is greener on the other side of the fence.

I know we should all be honest, but I wouldn't burn any bridges. Have a conversation with the CI in private and tell him your concerns. If it goes no where, leave.

 

[wingchun100]

If you have a contract that you can't get out of, keep going. You're paying for it after all, and doing something is better than nothing. Look at the contract and see what the conditions are for terminating it.

If you can get out of your contract, keep going while you visit different schools. This should tell you if the grass truly is greener on the other side of the fence.

I know we should all be honest, but I wouldn't burn any bridges. Have a conversation with the CI in private and tell him your concerns. If it goes no where, leave.

To add to this: if you have a contract and you cannot terminate it, then you might as well go in and say what you want out of it.

 

[JR 137]

I just re-read your original post.

You've been there for almost a year now, so your contract is almost over. Look at different schools during this time. Again, you're paying for it and it's almost up, so why get into things you don't have to?

As a school teacher, I owe it to my students to explain why I teach what I teach and why my standards are what they are. I don't brush off my students when they ask me these things. It seems like the CI is giving you a "yeah, yeah, yeah" (in a "whatever" tone of voice). If don't see much respect being shown to you, so why give it back with an explanation? Respect works both ways.

After you find the right place, and the contract ends, you don't owe him any explanation as to why you're not re-signing. A simple "I have to take some time off for personal reasons" should suffice. It's not an outright lie. You've asked him why things are done the way they are a few times without any reasonable effort in the answer, so return the favor.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Thank you everyone for your response. Not really sure how I should let my master know that I will no longer be one of his students. In away I am firing him.

How have you approached your master when you left their school?

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It's courteous to let them know you won't be taking classes any longer, but not necessary. If you have his email address (or that of the school), it would be appropriate to send a quick email to the effect, "I appreciate the time and effort you put into my training, and I value the experience. I've decided I need a different approach, and will no longer be attending classes. Best wishes."

 

[JR 137]

That could lead to phone calls, bordering on harassment. Several people I know have had that happen. Not in MA, but other stuff like Cross-Fit, gym membership, etc.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

That could lead to phone calls, bordering on harassment. Several people I know have had that happen. Not in MA, but other stuff like Cross-Fit, gym membership, etc.

Which post are you replying to?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I don't think the OP is attending a Wing Chun school now. I think what they meant is they are looking to make a switch to that. Then again, I took a blow to the back of the head this morning, so take what I said with maybe a pound of salt.

You are correct. Looking back, he just referred to a "kung fu" school. If that's all they are calling it, that's also odd.

 

[wingchun100]

You are correct. Looking back, he just referred to a "kung fu" school. If that's all they are calling it, that's also odd.

Reminds me of an episode of Mystery Science Theater, where they were watching a movie where a character stood outside a bar that was called...uh..."BAR."

So one of the guys from the audience says. "I love going to Bar! I often order sandwich and have drink!"

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Reminds me of an episode of Mystery Science Theater, where they were watching a movie where a character stood outside a bar that was called...uh..."BAR."

So one of the guys from the audience says. "I love going to Bar! I often order sandwich and have drink!"

That sounds like a Tom Servo line.

 

[jackhammer6611]

You are correct. Looking back, he just referred to a "kung fu" school. If that's all they are calling it, that's also odd.

I did not want to mention the school name or style. Just in case someone from my school is on here.

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