# what to expect from tkd



## Aml (Apr 8, 2015)

I just joined this site...I also just signed up for tae kwon do. 
 I have friend who has been in it for 5 months at the place I
signed up at. now him and his son are red belts already
there are 6 belts before that I think.so is this the norm?
I asked questions like are you competition style tko or
are you more traditional . he said traditional . I asked if he
taught self defense he said yes tkd is self defense.
they are only open 3 days a week 2 classes a day.
the father has been in or done tko for 40 years and his son is a 6 degree
black belt. I joined for self defense I was stabbed about 10 yrs ago
for trying to stop some pos from pushing his girl friend around and it ended up 3 on one
. im tired of getting nervous sweaty and intimidated I need self confidence and I need to protect myself
i finally have time to do something besides work and martial atrs is something i have always wanted to do
i am passive as all get out. and frankly tired of eating poo from every Jackie that's bigger than me
i go places and end up looking like b**** cuz im freaked out by confrontation . or the first sign of it weather directed at me or not.so is tko going to help ?
i m not looking to start a fight just end it. and walk away with head held high and not to hurt...bring stabbed got me 15 days in hospital with punctured lung . the place i joined as more kids than adults.
but the adults that are there are all black belts. it is cheap small and close to home. also what will a traditional tkd teach. ?  thanks for any info


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## Gnarlie (Apr 9, 2015)

Aml said:


> I just joined this site...I also just signed up for tae kwon do.
> I have friend who has been in it for 5 months at the place I
> signed up at. now him and his son are red belts already
> there are 6 belts before that I think.so is this the norm?



No, timescale for red belt depends on the club and the person, but I would expect around 2 years, then another year or two from there to first dan black belt. One belt a month sounds suspicious.


Aml said:


> I asked questions like are you competition style tko or
> are you more traditional . he said traditional . I asked if he
> taught self defense he said yes tkd is self defense.



Totally depends on the instructor. Investigate. Do research. Do not believe everything you are told, and critically assess everything.


Aml said:


> they are only open 3 days a week 2 classes a day.



Then 5 months to red belt is unreasonable. As a comparison, in Korea, which has some of the fastest times to black belt, there are kids who train at least one hour every day, and it takes them about 18 months to reach red belt or first dan.


Aml said:


> the father has been in or done tko for 40 years and his son is a 6 degree
> black belt. I joined for self defense I was stabbed about 10 yrs ago
> for trying to stop some pos from pushing his girl friend around and it ended up 3 on one
> . im tired of getting nervous sweaty and intimidated I need self confidence and I need to protect myself
> ...



You get out what you put in. TKD makes no promises, but it is likely to help you to understand yourself better.


Aml said:


> i m not looking to start a fight just end it. and walk away with head held high and not to hurt...bring stabbed got me 15 days in hospital with punctured lung . the place i joined as more kids than adults.



I would recommend looking for a place where adults and kids train separately. A club teaching kids is in itself not a bad sign.


Aml said:


> but the adults that are there are all black belts. it is cheap small and close to home. also what will a traditional tkd teach. ?  thanks for



Not all the adults are black belts, if your friend is included. But still, it is puzzling that there's nobody on their way up to black belt. I would query that with the instructor.

So called 'traditional' TKD can mean any number of different things. It's a bit of a misnomer in that TKD has only been around since the 50s, but is often intended to differentiate the type of TKD in question from the Olympic sport. It often indicates a difference in the set of forms practiced, in that Hyungs or Tul are practiced rather than Poomsae.

Based on what you have written, I would be wary. Both the timescales for grading and the proportion of black belt to non black belt students should set alarm bells ringing. There might be a valid explanation, but still I would be asking some questions and not signing anything without a decent trial period.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

Gnarlie said:


> No, timescale for red belt depends on the club and the person, but I would expect around 2 years, then another year or two from there to first dan black belt. One belt a month sounds suspicious.
> 
> 
> Totally depends on the instructor. Investigate. Do research. Do not believe everything you are told, and critically assess everything.
> ...


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

thank you for reply.. I thought it was odd that my buddy and son had moved up so fast. I did ask how long it takes to become a black belt and he said 2 to 3 years more like 3 yrs were his worlds. he said that you learn the  forms and people from other schools come in and grade you I guess is what he meant and you move up a belt. now I do know that buddy and son practice at home they are dedicated.i been to 2 classes so far and was kinda scratching head cuz they did look like they really had control or new what they were doing..i just expected
 minus my buddy and son the adults are black  belts. and from what I seen and buddy told me there are only a hand full of adults like may 6 or8 if that.
 I really want to do and go some where that is going to teach me the art of it . total package I guess breathing meditation stretch  the hold mind body thing. sorry I don't know how to say what I mean.
Also what is akidijuti im sure i did not spell that right . there is a school close to home i  want to look at


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## Mephisto (Apr 9, 2015)

IS there any judo or boxing near you? Imo they are fonna teach you more about defending yourself than most tkd schools will. The place you are at sounds questionable. Can you post a link to their website? If you're after the "mind body thing" you might be at the right place. Meditation in the traditional sense (legs crossed, body still) is not necessary for self defense. Being relaxed under pressure and the ability to maintain composure is more important. Gradually easing into sparring with an aggressive opponent will get you used to relaxing under pressure, and maintaining in a fight in a stressful state. The "soft techniques" of self defense, situational awareness, de escalation,legal use of force, have little to do with fighting and there are several good books on the subject. Imo  handling an aggressive opponent is one of the most important aspects of self protection. If you train with guys trying to punch your head off or trying to hold you down regularly you'll be better prepared when an attacker tries it in the street. Kata, one steps, compliant drilling all have value but some schools hold them in higher regard than others, and it's not necessarily gonna help you defend yourself.


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## Buka (Apr 9, 2015)

Probably best to beware. Sounds like the type of place where you'll not only be asking (a) how long, you'll be asking (b) how much.

Answers -
a. quick
b. lots


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

Buka said:


> Probably best to beware. Sounds like the type of place where you'll not only be asking (a) how long, you'll be asking (b) how much.
> 
> Answers -
> a. quick
> b. lots


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

thanks for replys ...no price is only $80 dollars a month I didn't think that was unreasonable... I looked for a web site when I first was told about it  and there is only a picture of the teachers dad on there with phone number and address..
now I was just online looking for other schools and there is a self defense school kinda close to me and it says they teach Minna-Jiu-Jitsu is Japanese for all arts is what site said..i looked it up but only found school in Cleveland that also teaches it. the man that owns it is a 7th dan Master Instructor/JJBBF vice President Master C... so what is all that mean ?


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## Mephisto (Apr 9, 2015)

If you're in Ohio, you could contact these guys: MAKTAN Filipino Martial Arts
The instructor teaches Filipino Martial arts which is always good for self defense, and if you're up for something different it's worth checking out. especially if you're interested in weapons and weapons defense. The instructor mike is in Cincinnati but height know some guys closer to you.


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

Mephisto said:


> If you're in Ohio, you could contact these guys: MAKTAN Filipino Martial Arts
> The instructor teaches Filipino Martial arts which is always good for self defense, and if you're up for something different it's worth checking out. especially if you're interested in weapons and weapons defense. The instructor mike is in Cincinnati but height know some guys closer to you.


Thanks for the info I gonna go to some schools and see what they do and ask questions .


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## ks - learning to fly (Apr 9, 2015)

I had to throw in my two cents here as my dojang _*is*_ traditional tae kwon do and after 5 months - I was an orange belt..

That being said, having been jumped myself back in 2003 - I can tell you that TKD is awesome for self confidence
and - after finding a decent school - you will learn not only self defense but also kicking and punching and more
about yourself than you ever thought possible. In addition, you will also push yourself and accomplish more than
you ever that you could..  I wish you luck!!

Note - this past Saturday - I tested for and earned my 2nd Degree Black Belt in TKD; if I can do it, so can you!!!


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## Flatfish (Apr 9, 2015)

I just want to post how it works at our dojang for comparison. For the lower belts you can test every two months but you have to demonstrate that you are ready and get permission to test. Once you get up to 3rd gup or so, the earliest you can test is every four months. Overall, it will take you about 2.5 years to get to 1st dan if you are able to test at every opportunity (which is still pretty fast).
We have lots of kids, a fair amount of teens and not as many adults as I would like. The early pm classes are mostly kids (I participate because my kids train as well), the later classes are mostly teens and adults (which I think is fine to mix). Later classes also tend to be quite a bit more intense. Our school is open 5 days a week plus 1st and 3rd Sat mornings. There are anywhere between 2-5 classes per day during the week. 
One other thing: watch out for contracts....I had to look around quite a bit to find a school that did not require me to sign a two or three year contract. We pay monthly only.


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 9, 2015)

Where are you located? We might be able to recommend some good schools in your area.


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## Dirty Dog (Apr 9, 2015)

Aml said:


> I just joined this site...



Welcome to MartialTalk.



Aml said:


> I also just signed up for tae kwon do.
> I have friend who has been in it for 5 months at the place I
> signed up at. now him and his son are red belts already
> there are 6 belts before that I think.so is this the norm?



Depends on the belts they use. In our school, red belt is the highest color belt rank. It takes most adults about 5 years to reach that rank.
But rank really only has meaning within the particular school that issued the rank. 
There are plenty of system in which a 1st Dan black belt is considered a beginner.
There are others in which a 1st Dan is an instructor rank.


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## dboeren (Apr 9, 2015)

Belt systems can vary, but typically red is most of the way to black, 5 months to that level sounds questionable to me unless they have prior experience perhaps.

Sadly, many TKD schools seem to be more about kids than martial arts too.  Hey, it pays the bills, I understand that, but it's not necessarily what you're looking for.  btw, on the money issue, it's not just monthly tuition.  Some schools also charge for belt exams, if a school seems to want you to test frequently have a LOT of belt levels (many colors, multiple stripes per color) they may be looking to farm students for testing fees which is a big warning sign to me.

Around here, I don't know of any schools that have kids and adults in the same class.  Many years ago I did go to a school that had them at the same time, but they were separated into two different rooms with separate instructors.  Having kids in the same room will definitely dilute the quality of instruction and training the adults can get just due to less ability to concentrate.

If you're mainly interested in self defense and not so much the "art" aspect, I would second the suggestions of judo, jiujitsu, or anything Filipino.  These all have very practical reputations.  Some karate and kung fu schools are also very good, I'd just suggest that you check them out as there are a wider range of styles under these broad terms and also a wide range of instructors.  There are some karate schools that are very kid/sport oriented, there are some kung fu schools that are overly flowery, and there can be mediocre instructors of any style of course.  Aikido is hard to judge.  There are some very effective schools, and there are some overly soft schools where people just seem to cooperate with each other making their training unrealistic.  This can happen in other styles too, but as a beginner it may be harder to see the difference in Aikido.  If they call it Aiki-jujitsu or something similar it's *probably* on the more martial side.


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

ok well I went to class tonight and after my class I stayed to see what the second class of the night was about. second class had 5 black belts of all degrees in it ages were 65 to late 20's.. I did speak to the grand master a lil bit he said he is one of the oldest tae kwon do schools in the U.S.. I asked what belt color my friend was he said orange ...so must be color blind cuz I swear it looks red to me ...I apologize for the wrong info I put out there to the people on this forum...I do enjoy the class and what im learning I just wish my knees were holding up better. I went down for few tonight when I twister wrong learning my first form(im guessing that's what its called..now I did pay this man for a month a bought a uniform..i feel it is the right thing to do since I am using his place and asked to learn TKD..I like using my legs and kicking But I think I want to go for more of a practical self defense art of some kind..Also some were that spares for more than the last 15 minutes of class ...
We do stretching and some warm up kicks and punches for half the class then we go into practicing our forms going threw the motions .. then I rest and let the guys and kids that have more time there do the stuff I don't know yet.then they spare for 15 minutes and I just go threw the motions with some one foe 5 minutes of so....which I get and am good with this was only my third class so all is good with that . I am going to go to other schools to see what they have to offer... Thanks everyone for all the info you gave me...and again I apologize for the mistake I made about the belt color...Ido believe this is legit school with lots of tradition and a solid teaching ..


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

I am out side of akron ohio. if anyone has suggestions to schools near me...thanks again..


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## Aml (Apr 9, 2015)

ok so I have been all over the web trying to find and learn about the arts and what would be best for practical self defense ..and everyone has an the own thoughts about what is best...and I have to say that I haven't really heard any thing that is even close to real life street fight or confrontation
so this is what I want to know from the guys that know there arts..
1. the confrontations ive seen and been involved in
go like this u bump into a guy he gets shitty and comes at you gets a foot from ur face and threatens you hands at his side to close to punch...what does ur art teach u on how to handle him?
2. guy is stand there 2-3 feet away threating you arms all the way out acting like he gonna hit you doing the head butt bob things at you. which art is best suited in handling him. mind you he is 100lbs heavier so ther is no way u gonna knock him out.
3. you get into a fight with guy and punches are throw . fast as he can at ur head and body kinda like a sucker punch but they keep coming fast ...
I personaly don't see anyone grabbing someones hands when the punches are so fast and hard ..
4. your hands are out to keep some one coming any closer to you guy grabs ur hands problem is he is way stronger than you and heavier what art is best suited to handle those real world confrontations  cuz that would be 90 percent the way they start not to many people swing first there is almost aways a shove first also
Now i have been i a lot of fights when i was young i was in wrong crowd tring to be cool and was the runt of the littler so to speak got picked on pushed around a lot and once i had enough i throw a millon punches as fast as i could  till they would bend over to protect them selfs then i would throw knees and elbows and kicks ...pull jack over head  .
.now im not sure but i don't think to many street fight go to the ground 90 percent of people arnt conditioned to go more than a couple minutes of throwing blows if it does go to the ground most time its who on top is the one with the upper hand. 
so what art would be best to handle those situations ..mind you i would guess that all arts could once u get to a certain level of training but most people will not go that far in there training....
thanks for the input guys...i just want to learn something practical for those said confronations and more i only want to be self confident and not so dang sweaty nervous any more ...


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