Where do/did you train

[nlmantis]

The club I train with has different locations during the week. We train at an open boathouse (cement, grass, sand) at the Toronto beaches (mo,we,th) and in a grassy park (sa,su) along a rocky beachline with a steep hill of about 600 yards lenght. We used to train in a regular club on Saturdays but abandoned that concept until we have secured a permanent facility.

Benefits are obvious; if you can do your forms and sparring on ice/snow/mud/cement/grass/sand and sloped ground, you can do it anywhere. Furthermore, throwing and grabbing rocks and tires is a good alternative to working with standard weights. We also run on the rocks alongside the beach which is very good for quick decision-making and footwork. There is a downside too, there have been some nasty falls; consequently we normally don't run the rocks in the winter.. Also wearing heavy, warm and waterproof clothing can be good, as during summer everything just seems to go that much easier.

Disadvantages are that rain and heavy wind can change the planned exercises quickly and there's no punching bag. When it's cold it can be very cold and if your boots are not Goretex (breathing, waterproof) you will have serious problems in a few hours.

In the (translated) words of Morihei Ueshiba: "One does not need buildings, money, power or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."

--
Love, Peace, Harmony.
Bob.

 

[Danjo]

Used to train in the USSD (Mattera's), now at home using (sigh) Villari videos. That, as you might imagine is getting quite old. Can't begin training live until the school year is over and I can unload the Activities Director portion of my job (high school teacher). Stretched way too thin at the moment time wise. However, come July (school year here ends June 22nd), I will be a free man. Given my Shaolin Kempo background, I would like to train in either Kajukenbo or Karazenpo when I start back as most of the Shaolin Kempo that I have found is very watered down in terms of training.

 

[dmdfromhamilton]

I train in a commercial school and i really like it this way. I find there are more classes availible and a higher instructor to student ratio than the non profit schools in my area. However i don't like having to spend more than the noncommercial people however i can stand it cause the instuction is very high quality and the staff very nice.

 

[Brother John]

When I was young and trained at my Sensei's home (garage, basement and back yard) I had a very good experience. He'd choose one wasa or kata and go over and over and over it, then we'd explore different variations. It was very fun. The outdoors was my absolute favorite, but then...I love being outside period!

I have fond memories of training in TKD in a commercial setting that was nothing more than a renovated auto-repair shop. It was a small building made of cinder-blocks with four windows... the kind that are WAY up by the ceiling, short enough that a person wouldn't be able to crawl through. On hot days we'd have to open every door and those tiny windows and have a couple different large fans going just to make it bareable. There was NO A.C., but we didn't care. No-one colapsed... well.......not from the heat at least. The winter was fine. A couple of space heaters before classes started...then we'd have to turn them off about 1/2 way through class as our body heat would make the well insulated room almost unbearable. Passers by probably thought we were crazy, training in outdoor temps below freazing but we had our door wide open by the time the advanced classes started... but we needed that, it got HOT in there.

Later than that I trained in "American Karate" (Hybrid of GoJu Ryu, Shotokan and TKD) in a LARGE (much bigger than we had a need for) building, with central air and heating, huge bathrooms with multiple showers and changing rooms that you could have run laps in. We got spoiled by the facilities, but the training was just as hard-core. (wouldn't have stuck around if it wasn't) This instructor (Thomas Williams, 4th Dan Goju, 3rd Dan Tae Kwan Do Moo Duk Kwan, 3rd Dan Shotokan) suggested that I also train with his GoJu instructor across town, so I did. That building had been a GoJu school for OVER 37 years at that point. A Very well established school. It was old and well worn in, could FEEL that it was a Dojo... fond memories!

When I went off to college I trained in a dance school with wooden floors, the park with many college friends from various martial arts back-grounds and the mezenine of the college basketball gym... as well as several classes that I tought at a local sorority house teaching womens self defense. All of these were great!!!

After college I finally took up my DREAM art of American Kenpo Karate (in the AKKI) out of my instructors small apartment living room. We had to move furniture... but even still I continually bumped the walls or furniture as I was put through my paces. MANY great lessons there... never worked out in such a small space in my life. Talk about learning "Economy of motion"....HA!!!

Later I opened up a Kenpo school out of my home with my instructors guidance. Felt like I was on the flip-side of the coin from my first Sensei. It was GREAT. Now we've moved that "home" school to a commercial setting... and it's taking off just fine!

Guess that's about it.
Thanks for this trip down memory lane!!

Your Brother
John

 

[asangria]

I first started in a regular studio. Our master retired and left the school to one of his lower students (1st brown). Unfortunately, he ran the school into the ground under poor management & delusional ideas of what the school should be and it closed up.

Now I'm training with some of our Master's original black belts in their house. Eventually we'll be moving the classes to a regular training facility once a location is found that is resonably priced.

The good side is the low overhead, the smaller classes and the freedom from people who "think" they want to learn but really have no desire or discipline. I suppose they want to get a higher degree without earning it.

The down side is trying to do arial kicks with a low ceiling or the lack of a large area to work on ground techniques.

On the whole with the peers I train with and my instructors this transitional time has brought about more loyalty & friendship than I expected while not sacrificing any of the techniques, forms, sparring, etc I thought might suffer.

 

[still learning]

Hello, We train in a elementary school cafe.........twice a week...move the tables, when done out them back........lots of parking.....Aloha

 

[Dronak]

Lots of choice combinations there. I voted for home and non-commercial settings because for the most part, I learned in a college club and practiced there most of the time, but I also do some practicing on my own at home. I had tried learning some tai chi forms from books and tapes, but since I've had actual instruction in a Yang style long form, I've kind of forgotten what I did on my own. I may try to pick up some of it again, just to have a shorter form to use when I don't feel like doing the long form I learned, but we'll see.

 

[Tony]

My instructor used to hire a scout hut on a sunday and for otehr classes he woudl rent out a hall which was part of a smallish leisure centre. ONe class was cancelled but wehen a new leisure centre opened he now hire a section of a big hall and on MOndays we have sanshou for which we use a sports hall at a primary school.

 

[searcher]

I started out in a commercial/garage type setting. Then I moved to a full-on commercial school. I have since went on to train in garages, back yards, parks, health clubs, roof tops, parking lots, where-ever we could find a spot. I currently train in a health club. It seems to be the best setting I have run across for pushing me on my athletic side of training. With so many eyes watching you want to push hard as to not look like a schmuck. It also helps with student enrollment. People see and they ask questions then join. Finances don't really play a part since I teach. When I first started out it was more of what was available in my area.

 

[Kamaria Annina]

I train & teach in a rural town in Colorado. However whenever I go to college, I hope the campus will be around the Aurora area in Colorado. I have a good friend who trained in Aurora for awhile, and I've been recommended to attend a couple of their schools up there.

 

[47MartialMan]

At the age of 9 1/2, I started at a local school. There weren't too many near my residency. Then, upon moving residence, there weren't any commercial schools nearby. However, I did meet a instructor teaching out of his garage. Only, that his garage, did not look like a garage inside, except for the concrete floor. Ouch, that floor hurt like hell when I fell on it. As I improved, there was less falling, but we would often tussle down on it. sad, this instructor had moved after four years. Almost a year after that, we had moved again, this time near a alrger city. I started again to learn from a local school. Then, I had stumbled upon a Chinese family martial art and have been with them ever since.

 

[arnisador]

I've probably trained in most of those circumstances in my time! I study at a commercial school here in town.

 

[Mark Lynn]

I got started in American TKD through a girl friend who attended a class at a middle school run by a Parks and rec. dept. Then I moved to a commercial school. The owner of the school was killed in an accident so I followed my instructor to another commerical school. Then I left for college and trained with their Rec. dept in a class that was run by a fellow student.

During the college time we also would visit another dojo in town for fight nights to spar with their students. The next year I taught the class so my roomate and I trained not only in my classes but in the parking lot of the dorm, in a unused room in the dorm, our dorm room, and I use to go to the park as well.

Then I trained at my instructor's house in his dojo where I ended up over the years spending the most time. And really where I have the most and fondest memories. My instructor converted his garage into a dojo and other students and instructors would gather to spar and train. That was a blast. Later on we would attend various classes at a community college (run by another instructor who trained with us) or SMU on the weekends. Then we also trained in Kobudo in some buildings in downtown Dallas on the weekends as well. I also remember practicing my forms and kobudo (boken) out in parks or wherever I could be alone.

During this time period (mid 80's -early 90's) I also moved again a couple of times so I trained in a health club and then in a commercial school in Waco (Wado). Later on I moved to Tulsa and trained in a Boys center(Amercian karate/kickboxing), and upon relocating back to DFW area again trained at a health club (JKD/FMA) and then I strated teaching at a YMCA and later at a country commercial school. Thinking back on it now I also use to use unoccupied areas/rooms at work to train in as well.

I've attended seminars all over the country and trained at places that range from 5 star hotels, the beach, a grandmaster's backyard, several areas that were dives, Universities, parks, health clubs, hotels and dorm rooms etc. etc.

I also still teach private lessons at my instructor's home dojo, and I use to teach out of my garage (till my wife took it over for ebay ). Now I teach private lessons out in the local parks (Arnis and combatives).

What a long strange trip it's been.
Mark

 

[kenpochad]

I would like to hear from who trained in the Shaolin Temple?

:asian:

I have the chance to go and train in china next sep. for nine days
if i can come up with the cash were going to train with the Beijing WuShu
team but i dont think i will be able to come up with the money
family first you know

 

[Mariel Maeso]

The Kajukenbo classes are in the University Campus some years in the inside of the gym but for almost 3-4 years in the outdoors of the gym.

The Hapkido classes are in a commercial location.

 

[BaiKaiGuy]

Started at an Ed Parker's American Kenpo studio when I was in grad school out in Tucson, Az. Good training, group and one-on-one classes. Reasonable price. Drawback: The instructors, in my opinion, didn't know how to deal with someone my size (At the time I was 5'3", 110). Quit due to leaving grad school and moving from the area.

Next school was a Kickboxing/TKD school in Stroudsburg, PA. This was probably the worst school I trained at. The instructor had no clue what to do with a guy my size (about 10 pounds heavier, but still 5'3"). He was terrible when it came to teaching me to fight, all he did was shout "move" and "get to the inside" from a chair outside the ring. He was worse than useless. But I had to learn a spinning hook kick to get my first rank. Wow. Left because I simply couldn't train under him any more.

Tried P'ai Lum and Isshin Ryu as well. Not bad styles, just really didn't get on too well with the instructors, to be honest. Neither school really "fit", although the styles themselves were good. I think in hindsight it was just the wrong time for me to be training.

Stopped for a few years, now I'm back doing Bai Kai Kung Fu, best one I've done. Good training, reasonable class sizes, excellent instruction, lots of variety, and they can actually work with a guy my size! Woo Hoo!

 

[Jimi]

I started training at the local Langley Park Boys Club in 1980, then the class move to the Takoma/Langley Community Center where I also began training the US Amueter (?sp) Boxing Federation. We then trained in the Gym for Boxing and the Ballet Room for our TSD/TKD/Kobudo classes. Never fought on record but was the sparring partner for more tha a few Golden Gloves winners. Later our class moved to an old trailer park rental office trailer converted into the Ninja Store (Equip. sales) up front and the Wozin Dojo in the back. Meet Henry Sotelo there and did what he called Kajukenbo for 2 years and some odd months. I also trained at a club at the University Of Maryland in the North Gym on Campus (My Mom works at U of M, I was a Campus rat) with Pat Finley, Steve Braun and Phil Ross in Bando, Muay Thai, JFGF/JKD, Kali Inosanto stuff etc etc etc. Bounced around for a while in the late 80's basement/backyard stuff with old friends etc. In 1992 I found Pat Finley was teaching at Howard County Community College In Columbia Maryland. Still teaching the Inosanto stuff, Helped him teach Silat, Kali,Kickboxing etc, Began training at local Parks with Proffessor Jon Collins (former President of the ABA years ago) in Bando, Bama Lethwei, Banshay, & Naban. Later tested with the ABA and trained at a few Bando Camps in Athen Ohio in a regional park over several weekends. Been to Thailand and trained at a camp for a day. Rained on equipment and humid/hot. Been to the Inosanto Academy twice to train with the Man. Seminars with Guro Dan in the early 90's.Seminar with Larry Harsel and Erik Paulson. 1 year ago my wife and I moved to Nashville Tn. Found an old friend of Pat Finleys teaching Bio Science at Vanderbilt and trained alittle in the student rec-center till the holiays and we both got too busy. Now I have no-one to play with. (SIGH)Been inactive for a few months. I used to get around more for training. My fingers hurt, thanks for letting me rant. PEACE

 

[hongkongfooey]

My group meets at a Knights Of Columbus hall.

The good points are small classes and good instruction.
The down side is we only meet once a week right now. So I have to train a few times a week at home.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I posted earlier but I thought I woyls add this:

I now teach in a commercial school (really a small club) but I train my best students privately at my place in the back yard or inthe barn. I do this once every other week to give those of adbvance rank or skill a place to train away from the rest of class. i also have a tendency to take them out in the woods to train.
I cant each more to the students above in a shorter period of time and they do not have the distraction of students who are not ready for what I am teaching and those I train at home are also more respectful

 

[stone_dragone]

My home instructor orignally taught out of a building that he rented, but has since moved to a community hall. My TKD instructor teaches out of a commercial studio in a strip mall. My Tennessee instructor taught out of his own building before merging with a health club. I teach in an Aerobics room of a multi-purpose building/gym/morale building.

I also, of course, practice on my own and continue study through any media available.

My 2 cents