# When to begin training



## That-a-Way (May 4, 2017)

Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:

People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?

Thanks!

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## jobo (May 4, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:
> 
> People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?
> 
> ...


people join at different times, the class should have a rolling programme so that every thing gets covered on a loop. Though the whole thing is based on repeating everything over and over again anyway. Then there is the issue of how often they grade, some schools grade every couple of months, some, a few every 12 months, some when you are ready.

those are questions to ask, but in overview it shouldn't really matter when you join, you may spend a  months wondering what is going on, but you soon get into it


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## drop bear (May 4, 2017)

Start now. 

If you start a year from now. You will be a year more crap than you could have been.


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## BuckerooBonzai (May 4, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:
> 
> People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?
> 
> ...



Most Martial Arts classes/schools that I know do not have a time specific set of exercises/curriculum that resets every year/3 years/etc.  It just continually builds and grows over the years/decades and never "resets".  

So, if that is in fact the case with your local school, then the sooner you start, the better! 

Make sure you join a school that is FUN b/c if it isn't fun, you almost assuredly will not stay with it.

Best of luck!


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## jobo (May 4, 2017)

BuckerooBonzai said:


> Most Martial Arts classes/schools that I know do not have a time specific set of exercises/curriculum that resets every year/3 years/etc.  It just continually builds and grows over the years/decades and never "resets".
> 
> So, if that is in fact the case with your local school, then the sooner you start, the better!
> 
> ...


if they have a test and an awarded grade, they must have a curriculum , that resets so they can teach the white belts what they need to know in order to grade. Otherwise if you missed side kicks it might be a decade before they did it again, and that wouldn't be a good way to teach


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## BuckerooBonzai (May 4, 2017)

jobo said:


> if they have a test and an awarded grade, they must have a curriculum , that resets so they can teach the white belts what they need to know in order to grade. Otherwise if you missed side kicks it might be a decade before they did it again, and that wouldn't be a good way to teach



Everywhere that I have ever trained it has always been a rolling curriculum that never stops or "restarts", it is always going on.  The gym is continually training the basics to the new students while teaching the advanced students their new techniques.

So if a student came to their first class in May, then they start day 1 of the curriculum in that class while the more advanced students continue wherever they are in the process.  And if a new student started a week later, then that class would be day 1 of the curriculum starting that date for them.  There are no hard starts or resets.

In fact, there is often multiple teaching areas going on in the gym as older students are expected to help out the newer ones as they learn more and more.


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## Bill Mattocks (May 4, 2017)

Don't become discouraged if you start and find yourself in a training environment where everyone appears to know what's going on except you.  Martial arts training is generally an ongoing cycle.  No one expects you to know anything when you first start.  Follow along as best you can, making mistakes is OK, give it your best effort but do not kill yourself, especially at first.  If it's a good training facility, you will get some one-on-one training to help you get up to speed with the rest of the class and you will be fine.  Just don't get down on yourself or let yourself feel overwhelmed.  It will all become clear in time if you let yourself acclimate and just keep plugging along.


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## Paul_D (May 4, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks.


If you can see them they aren't very good Ninja


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## jobo (May 4, 2017)

BuckerooBonzai said:


> Everywhere that I have ever trained it has always been a rolling curriculum that never stops or "restarts", it is always going on.  The gym is continually training the basics to the new students while teaching the advanced students their new techniques.
> 
> So if a student came to their first class in May, then they start day 1 of the curriculum in that class while the more advanced students continue wherever they are in the process.  And if a new student started a week later, then that class would be day 1 of the curriculum starting that date for them.  There are no hard starts or resets.
> 
> In fact, there is often multiple teaching areas going on in the gym as older students are expected to help out the newer ones as they learn more and more.


if it loops round on its self, then it must go back to the beginning. Unless of course there never was a beginning and its been running for all of time


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## BuckerooBonzai (May 4, 2017)

jobo said:


> if it loops round on its self, then it must go back to the beginning. Unless of course there never was a beginning and its been running for all of time



Sorry, something is being lost in keyboard communication here. 

There is no "loop".  It does not loop around.  

You start on Day 1 and progress as far as you wish (for me, that would now be year 25).  The person who starts tonight will start on Day 1 and be taught Day 1 stuff.  Each class they learn the next stuff.

The person that starts 2.75 weeks from now will start at Day 1 and progress for as long as they train.


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## jobo (May 4, 2017)

BuckerooBonzai said:


> Sorry, something is being lost in keyboard communication here.
> 
> There is no "loop".  It does not loop around.
> 
> ...


yes, I think we are just at cross purposes and saying the same thing in a different way


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## wingchun100 (May 4, 2017)

Everyone has to begin sometime.

Whenever anyone comes to Wing Chun for the first time, the first thing they learn is the basic stance. Then if another new person comes on the previous new person's day 2, guess what the NEW new person learns? Yes, the stance.

In other words, there is no looping curriculum. You might be on day 1 while the guy next to you is on day 8342.


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## Bill Mattocks (May 4, 2017)

I think the point being made is that unlike say college semesters that have defined start and end dates and levels from freshman to graduate student, typically martial arts training facilities are not set up that way.  There are generally too few new students and too little training space and/or instructors to have a 'Class of 2017' cadre (for example).

Unlike traditional schools, there is no start date, and usually no 'graduation' date.  You begin training whenever you wish to begin training.  There's no definitive end-date for your training until you take the big dirt nap, although many will quit at various points along their martial arts training experience.

Best of luck!


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## WaterGal (May 4, 2017)

To go into a little more detail, martial arts schools commonly structure their programs so that they can teach students of somewhat different experience levels at the same time in the same class. 

For a hypothetical example, a school might have a beginner's class for students at white, yellow, and orange belt, where each rank typically takes a student 3 months to learn.  Each rank's curriculum might cover, say, 2 hand strikes, 3 kicks, one form (kata), and 2 basic sparring drills. 

When you go to the class, it might go like this: everybody does a warm up of calisthenic type exercises and stretching. Then you line up and practice doing some striking in the air. Maybe they have everybody practice two white belt strikes, then the white belts keep doing that kick while the yellow belts do one of their kicks and the orange belts do one of theirs.  Then everybody gets with a partner and take turns holding pads for each other to strike.  Then you all practice the kata that's for your belt (an experienced instructor should be able to teach and watch a couple different forms at the same time).

Another way of handling this issue is what's called a rotating curriculum. In that kind of program, those three beginner ranks _would _be taught as a loop, and whenever you'd completed the loop once, or maybe a few times, you'd move up to the intermediate class. The beginner BJJ class I've been taking is taught like this. So everybody practices doing an armbar from side mount together one day, then the next class everybody practices elevator sweep, and once you've come to class X number of times (I think 80?) and done each lesson a few times and some other stuff, you can test for your blue belt and join the more advanced class. So anybody can start at any time.


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## Xue Sheng (May 4, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:
> 
> People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?
> 
> ...



Enough talk...go train... you can start anytime so get going


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## marques (May 4, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:
> 
> People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?
> 
> ...


If they accept you any moment in the year, the training probably is suitable for you (or any beginner). Just exceptionally you're required to start in September, for instance. So they can plan the classes especially for beginners.

People being there for longer time can help/guide you during training and they are still training the same most of the time. Just it is expected they do it better and that they know more a few tricks.

We will always miss something and we will always get something.


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## That-a-Way (May 5, 2017)

Ok guys. Thank you all very much. This forum has been very helpful! Thanks again!


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## drop bear (May 5, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok guys. Thank you all very much. This forum has been very helpful! Thanks again!



How many classes have you done?


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## That-a-Way (May 6, 2017)

drop bear said:


> How many classes have you done?


Of Ninjutsu? None so far. I still don't know where. There are 4 places here and I've gone so far to 2 too see how the classes were. 2 to go. 

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## drop bear (May 6, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Of Ninjutsu? None so far. I still don't know where. There are 4 places here and I've gone so far to 2 too see how the classes were. 2 to go.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H440 using Tapatalk



Here is your challenge. Try all 4 classes in 2 weeks.  

I will bet you 50 push ups you won't do it.


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## That-a-Way (May 6, 2017)

drop bear said:


> Here is your challenge. Try all 4 classes in 2 weeks.
> 
> I will bet you 50 push ups you won't do it.



You think it'll tire me? I was worried about that you know. I do calisthenics 4 times a week and WaterGal mentioned a warm up every class and since I'm basically sored every dayn abd I was afraid that would be a problem.

And I'm not trying classes, I'm watching. Aparently trying classes is not a thing here


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## drop bear (May 6, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> You think it'll tire me? I was worried about that you know. I do calisthenics 4 times a week and WaterGal mentioned a warm up every class and since I'm basically sored every dayn abd I was afraid that would be a problem.
> 
> And I'm not trying classes, I'm watching. Aparently trying classes is not a thing here



I think you are looking at 50 pushups if you don't try 4 classes. Or I am looking at 50 if you do. 

Lets make it 4 classes of anything martial arts.


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## That-a-Way (May 6, 2017)

drop bear said:


> I think you are looking at 50 pushups if you don't try 4 classes. Or I am looking at 50 if you do.
> 
> Lets make it 4 classes of anything martial arts.



LOL ok I'll let you know


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## Xue Sheng (May 7, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> LOL ok I'll let you know



“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”  – Bruce Lee


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## EMT (May 9, 2017)

That-a-Way said:


> Ok, so I've decided to study Ninjutsu, and I will be going to bee seein some classes in different schools during the next few weeks. My main issue is this:
> 
> People say it doesn't matter when you start, so you can start at a y moment during the year. Is that true or is it just a marketing trick? How could I be training with people that have been going there for longer? Don't they start over every year or so? Wouldn't I miss some things if I start later in the year (assuming they start over every year)?
> 
> ...




Hey, if you want to make the most out of it and have the fastest progress sign up for the class where you BARELY QUALIFY. I.e.  class with a better, more experienced fighters than you but still not "that good" so you can still touch them, hit them and learn from them. That's what I did when I started training Muay Thai and let me tell you that was a fast track that saved me half a year if not more in a beginners class. It really depends on how ambitious you are about your training and what training goals do you have.


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## That-a-Way (May 9, 2017)

EMT said:


> Hey, if you want to make the most out of it and have the fastest progress sign up for the class where you BARELY QUALIFY. I.e.  class with a better, more experienced fighters than you but still not "that good" so you can still touch them, hit them and learn from them. That's what I did when I started training Muay Thai and let me tell you that was a fast track that saved me half a year if not more in a beginners class. It really depends on how ambitious you are about your training and what training goals do you have.



That's a good idea. However, I'm not sure if I can choose the level I want to begin with. I'll know when I begin I guess. Thanks!


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