# Make up your mind



## INDIANAJONZ (Nov 29, 2003)

I know this guy who has his own school. The funny thing is that I can't figure out what style he does. I looked at his website and he has so many different martial arts listed, I can't figure it out.
I mean are hapkido, taekwondo, Arnis, Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Kempo all that easy to learn? What if he makes claims that aren't true? Like his rank? or What he actually knows?
I don't know what to think.


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## Chris from CT (Nov 29, 2003)

Hi Bill.
I have a similar background and I would say no, they are not easy arts to learn.  In contrast, eventhough I may have a few martial arts in my background, I only teach Hapkido and do not make claims about rank that I have not earned, but would gladly explain to someone my previous training upon inquiring.  That's just the journey in which helped to mold who I am today.

If I were you, I would ask them personally.   Hopefully, with a little communication, they can organize their website to be more specific on what they are teaching.

Take care. :asian:


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## progressivetactics (Nov 29, 2003)

I have a variety of arts on my site listed as well. They are not all easy to learn, nor do we rank in all of them, but as previously mentioned, it is part of our legitimate history, andhelps mold us to who we are today.  We take the positive from arts to improve our particular position in the arts, and try to create something more complete....not to say we change our  primary, but improve our personal spot in the arts.   I hope that helps a bit.

bb


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## glad2bhere (Dec 1, 2003)

Dear BB: 

Unless I miss my guess, I think the original post was concerned with folks who report providing instruction in a variety of arts. If I had wandered into a school that listed seven or eight arts on the window I think I could be forgiven for anticipating that the school offered rank and advancement in all of the arts listed. I have yet to see someone actually post a list on the window saying "....and we are experienced in all of the following arts..." or "...and the following arts have all shaped and influenced what we teach here today". The inference is that in that building one can reasonably expect instruction in the arts listed on the window. 

Along these lines I also think that the expectation is that the person teaching the class has had actual experience in the arts identified. By this I mean that there are organizations one can contact and for a fee get paper saying that said instructor has standing with a particular organization. If that organization is a "Judo" organization, one could be forgiven for thinking that the instructor actually sweated his way up through the ranks to a position as instructor in the arts for which he has paper.  My sense is that this is closer to what the original post was asking after.  FWIW. 

Best Wishes, 

Bruce


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## jkn75 (Dec 1, 2003)

> _Originally posted by INDIANAJONZ _
> *I know this guy who has his own school. The funny thing is that I can't figure out what style he does. I looked at his website and he has so many different martial arts listed, I can't figure it out.
> I mean are hapkido, taekwondo, Arnis, Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Kempo all that easy to learn? What if he makes claims that aren't true? Like his rank? or What he actually knows?
> I don't know what to think. *



Well, first off hapkido, TKD, Tai Chi, Shaolin Kempo are not that easy to learn. We have high ranks in most these styles on this board so I'm sure they will agree. Some arts do tend to go with another, for example it seems some TKD schools are adding hapkido elements for joint locking. There are people who claim to have 'trained' in arts but as others have pointed out, is he offering rank in those arts?

If he makes claims that aren't true, that's easy to find out as well. Ask for his certification in those arts. See what governing body has awarded him rank and then contact that governing body and see if his rank is legitimate. Then check the organization out. Is it his organization or a reputed Black Belt mill?

What he actually knows may be harder to spot. Although he may have rank, that does not make him a good instructor or even a good martial artist. If you know someone in the martial arts, you could have them join you to a class. Go visit other MA schools and see what they teach and how. Those may be a better fit anyway.

Finally, is only one instructor teaching all these Martial Arts or are there instructors in each? If you see one instructor a day about each MA or have to sign up for a specific class, it may be more legitimate than it appears.


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