Changing Schools

[Velcrotigger]

What should I expect. I moved to a location where there is no affiliate. My wife and I have earned our black belts, but have no intrest in starting a studio.With the Kenpo style system are any of the schools going to honor your past teachings or will you need to put on a white belt agian and start over?

 

[Touch Of Death]

What should I expect. I moved to a location where there is no affiliate. My wife and I have earned our black belts, but have no intrest in starting a studio.With the Kenpo style system are any of the schools going to honor your past teachings or will you need to put on a white belt agian and start over?

Blackbelts can't just start over. While you are welcome to wear what ever belt you hold in the new art, you would not be able to compete at a local tournament in the year and under division. I say this because it is clear you can't go back, but it should also be clear that you are a blackbelt and no belt you wear after can change that. If the style you choose has a different curriculum then, I say, empty your cup and wear what the instructor suggests you wear. Wearing the white belt may aid you in realizing that you are but a beginner in that culture of Kenpo. The basics are going to be different, be able to prove your way is ten times better before you contradict the new information; you just might learn something. Good luck to you though, I shutter to think of life without EPAK.
Sean

 

[MJS]

I agree with Sean. See what the instructor at that school suggests. I recently started training at a new Kenpo school myself. I still wear my 3rd BB at his school, but as for the material, which is slightly different, I'm starting at the beginning.

Mike

 

[octopic]

What should I expect. I moved to a location where there is no affiliate. My wife and I have earned our black belts, but have no intrest in starting a studio.With the Kenpo style system are any of the schools going to honor your past teachings or will you need to put on a white belt agian and start over?

First of all, where did you move to and what exact style do you study? Your profile says you study Shaolin Kempo. There are a ton of independent schools and small organizations that teach Shaolin Kempo. If you tell us where you are, there is a chance that we can help you find one. The other option is to try and find a higher rank that lives in your area and do some training with them.

 

[Seabrook]

I agree with Sean. See what the instructor at that school suggests. I recently started training at a new Kenpo school myself. I still wear my 3rd BB at his school, but as for the material, which is slightly different, I'm starting at the beginning.

Mike

Mike,

Where are you training now? Is there a website for the school?

Cheers Bro,

Jamie Seabrook
www.seabrook.gotkenpo.com

 

[Blindside]

It really depends on the instructor and how far the system is seperated from the one you did. As an example, I know of several Tracy kenpo blackbelts whose rank was honored while they made the transition to EPAK. Or in other cases they had a colored stripe indicator to show where they stood in their new studio.

Personally, I would start over. If I chose to compete I would of course compete as a black belt, but for within studio purposes I would be a newbie again. There are expectations of knowledge for someone wearing high rank in a school, I would feel bad about not being able to meet those expectations. Besides, I miss those days of just being a student whose sole job is sucking in as much information as possible, without the distractions and responsibilities of rank.

Lamont

 

[Velcrotigger]

First of all, where did you move to and what exact style do you study? Your profile says you study Shaolin Kempo. There are a ton of independent schools and small organizations that teach Shaolin Kempo. If you tell us where you are, there is a chance that we can help you find one. The other option is to try and find a higher rank that lives in your area and do some training with them.

I moved to Upland CA. I studdied Shaolin Kenpo Kartate from Vallari's. I have located a couple of USSD studios in the local area. My instructor at Villari's actually trained with Master DeMasco while he was a Vallari student. One of my questions would be how simular would the 2 systems be? Secondly, what other system would be similar. My wife and I enjoyed the martial arts very much! We are looking for a good family oriented studio. Our kids will be students of the dojo as well.

Thx for the help!

 

[octopic]

I moved to Upland CA. I studdied Shaolin Kenpo Kartate from Vallari's. I have located a couple of USSD studios in the local area. My instructor at Villari's actually trained with Master DeMasco while he was a Vallari student. One of my questions would be how simular would the 2 systems be? Secondly, what other system would be similar. My wife and I enjoyed the martial arts very much! We are looking for a good family oriented studio. Our kids will be students of the dojo as well.

Thx for the help!

The systems are basically the same until black belt. USSD gives some different material starting at 1st Dan. Even then, it is about 90% the same. You'll find they do the combinations a little differently, but it's all from the same source. There are some great USSD schools out there, and there may be one in your area. The key would be to go in and talk with the instructors and see what they think about bringing in a Villari black belt. Some instructors are more open than others.

I'd also call Master Heroian and Master Bombalier (down in Orange County) to see if they knew anyone in your new area. You might be able to put together an informal group for training and then make montly treks to one of the two Villari schools in the LA area.

 

[kungfulee]

The systems are basically the same until black belt. USSD gives some different material starting at 1st Dan. Even then, it is about 90% the same. You'll find they do the combinations a little differently, but it's all from the same source. There are some great USSD schools out there, and there may be one in your area. The key would be to go in and talk with the instructors and see what they think about bringing in a Villari black belt. Some instructors are more open than others.

I'd also call Master Heroian and Master Bombalier (down in Orange County) to see if they knew anyone in your new area. You might be able to put together an informal group for training and then make montly treks to one of the two Villari schools in the LA area.

Mattera changed the forms a bit.

 

[Gufbal1982]

honestly, unless you are training in the same style then your rank should be honored. however, as an instructor, i always thought it was good to see where a student's skill level was at if they studied previous martial arts. i wouldn't let them wear their current rank, but, i let them wear no rank until i saw how they measure up. i've done it before. i had a student come to me as a brown belt in shotokan. there was no way i was going to start him at white because he had skill. however, i did start him at orange and caught him up with all the material he needed. he moved thru the ranks rapidly. if i went into a different dojo, even though i'm a 2nd degree black, i'd happily wear a white, and actually have done it. if i don't have a black belt in their style, then i don't deserve to wear that rank in their dojo.

 

[Danjo]

honestly, unless you are training in the same style then your rank should be honored. however, as an instructor, i always thought it was good to see where a student's skill level was at if they studied previous martial arts. i wouldn't let them wear their current rank, but, i let them wear no rank until i saw how they measure up. i've done it before. i had a student come to me as a brown belt in shotokan. there was no way i was going to start him at white because he had skill. however, i did start him at orange and caught him up with all the material he needed. he moved thru the ranks rapidly. if i went into a different dojo, even though i'm a 2nd degree black, i'd happily wear a white, and actually have done it. if i don't have a black belt in their style, then i don't deserve to wear that rank in their dojo.

Hmmm....I resemble that remark.

For the record, the reason I left the USSD before my two year contract was up (yes I bought it out), was because she left. She used to let us train and spar hard. Not your normal thing in today's USSD let me tell you.

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

I would have stayed with ussd if they lowered the price and let us teach the way fighting should be and let us own the dojo.