Agreed on both posts. I threw Rickson out as an example, but any name can be inserted there.
CONTROVERSY: Free Martial Arts!!!
- Thread starter Shadowstar MMA
- Start date
Agreed on both posts. I threw Rickson out as an example, but any name can be inserted there.
And I'm glad that you did stay. I know you and I have gone back and forth a few times, but in the end, things worked out.
In the long run I think we were more on the same page than not.
yeah man... swing on by... I'll print you up a certificate to prove it & we can go take cool pics to prove it.
It doesn't...
Lots...
At a table I bet you wouldn't stop at...
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
DAMN!!! Wish I lived closer... Could I trade you a Yang style Taiji certificate with associated cool pics to prove it
I out for the weekend and this is what I missed? lol.
I feel bad for the instructor when one of his students decides to test his skills in a competitive format... And is severely brought down because he didn't train for competition.
What does that say about the training in question? What does that say about the instructor as a leader and a martial artist?
One thing that we all have in common as martial artists is that we train for a specific moment when we might need these skills. Many of us learn from arts that help us out on the street. When you throw in MMA into the title of the school, you imply sportive competition. Not all MMA groups go for competition all the time, but it does imply that its members can understand, and hold their own in MMA competition.
Getting a bunch of kids, ask them to train in what looks like his home, and have them not dress out for physical activity? That's crazy. You're not going to improve your technique wearing jeans. I think that's also very irresponsible.
It's not MMA. It's a tagline to get kids in the door.
I feel bad for the instructor when one of his students decides to test his skills in a competitive format... And is severely brought down because he didn't train for competition.
What does that say about the training in question? What does that say about the instructor as a leader and a martial artist?
One thing that we all have in common as martial artists is that we train for a specific moment when we might need these skills. Many of us learn from arts that help us out on the street. When you throw in MMA into the title of the school, you imply sportive competition. Not all MMA groups go for competition all the time, but it does imply that its members can understand, and hold their own in MMA competition.
Getting a bunch of kids, ask them to train in what looks like his home, and have them not dress out for physical activity? That's crazy. You're not going to improve your technique wearing jeans. I think that's also very irresponsible.
It's not MMA. It's a tagline to get kids in the door.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
OK this is a bit off topic but not living on the west coast and not training BJJ these prices have me wondering
There is a guy that I do believe is a rather good martial artist that is a BJJ Black Belt which he got from Carlos Machado and he charges $79/hour for private lessons... how does that compare to the $100 per hour form California and what could be expected as it applies to his skill level.
I am not going to train BJJ by the way it is just when anyone in my area ask me about BJJ I have been referring them to him
BLACK LION
Black Belt
He is down... no need to continue kicking him.
On a different note... I live in Kommiefornia and dues range anywhere from astronomical hourly rates just to roll with a brand name.... Most places are "fight club" type gyms that charge monthly dues ranging from 85.00 to 150.00 ...they employ the top competitors in MMA or singular combat sports... I have subscribed on a couple of occassions to these places.... They seem to pop up like starbucks establishments and is seemingly all about the sale, just like 24hour fitness.... they seem to be marketing the idea rather than being truly concerned with individual skill.... I was told to leave "city boxing" becuase I "kicked the bags wrong" and made them swing up and break the flourescent bulbs that were exposed.... stupid as it sounds its true... its mostly about money and volume and occassionaly about skill.... if it is about skill its about getting a contract and making money in the ring.... Not all places are like this but when you have over 300 members... attention to detail and attention to each individual becomes null and void...
On a different note... I live in Kommiefornia and dues range anywhere from astronomical hourly rates just to roll with a brand name.... Most places are "fight club" type gyms that charge monthly dues ranging from 85.00 to 150.00 ...they employ the top competitors in MMA or singular combat sports... I have subscribed on a couple of occassions to these places.... They seem to pop up like starbucks establishments and is seemingly all about the sale, just like 24hour fitness.... they seem to be marketing the idea rather than being truly concerned with individual skill.... I was told to leave "city boxing" becuase I "kicked the bags wrong" and made them swing up and break the flourescent bulbs that were exposed.... stupid as it sounds its true... its mostly about money and volume and occassionaly about skill.... if it is about skill its about getting a contract and making money in the ring.... Not all places are like this but when you have over 300 members... attention to detail and attention to each individual becomes null and void...
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DAMN!!! Wish I lived closer... Could I trade you a Yang style Taiji certificate with associated cool pics to prove it
Done... next time you're flying down to the 6th Borough of NYC stop at Hartsfield... we'll do pics & certs in front of the tarmac so you can say you also trained NTSB & Air Marshals
CoryKS
Senior Master
The thing that stuck out for me was the picture of the kids doing hands-on work and weapons training near the big windows. And the kid who got taken down near the edge of the wall in the entryway. That... could end badly.
Searcher and all, you are more than welcome to come and train with us! We have a lot of soldiers as students so bring us some techniques from your style ( we love new techniques!) and you can rightly claim to have taught the British military!! We sometimes have mates of our instructor in just to roll around and they are SAS so you can go one further and say you trained British Spec Forces! You leave out the bit that it's 'civvie' martial arts though lol! Teach me something too and you've taught the British police!
Seriously though if anyone does ever find themselves over in Blighty, you are very very welcome to come and train or just come to say hello!
Seriously though if anyone does ever find themselves over in Blighty, you are very very welcome to come and train or just come to say hello!
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Hey, whoa... just to set the record straight, I didn't accuse him of being a child molestor. Only that, before allowing any of my kids to take "free martial arts" lessons from a guy about whom I know nothing, I'd... well, honestly, I wouldn't even consider it. I tried to make it clear that I wasn't accusing anyone of anything. I was pointing out that his situation is, in my opinion, very suspicious.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
I'll definitely add your school to my list of places to get my butt kicked when I vacation in the UK.
Mixed Martial Arts is not just "mixing martial arts". Nor is it just about competition. You may train MMA for personal development or for self-defense.
MMA is training system devoted to a concept known as "Aliveness". The systems used to teach MMA vary, but all are trained with "Aliveness". We find this concept naturally advocated in martial arts like boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling. It is also the training process found in arts like Brazilian jujutsu, Judo, Sambo, Muay Thai, San Shou, etc.
Without Aliveness, you have no MMA training. Given the pictures on your site and the training system you've advocated here and on your site, what you train in cannot be called Mixed Martial Arts.
The attitude of Shadowstar was kind of sad really. When I took wing chun, the Sifu was on the brink of having too close the school because 50% of the students weren't paying their bills. He let them do work at the school, and let them keep training because he was a genuinely nice guy, but finally wrote a letter to every one in the school that he would have to close unless everybody started paying. The Sifu had invested a lot of money in the school, we had every type of punching and kicking bag imagineable, a weight room, and the school was open a whole lot of hours each week, he had bills to pay, rent, utilities, insurance and the like. Eventually people started paying, he's still in business.
Another martial arts teacher I know is just barely making it and he teaches out of his own house! I know of another who had to close the school and work as a truck driver, he just couldn't pay the bills. People have to make a living, he sounded concerned about those who don't have the money. Well, yes, those who can't pay still need the training, but if you want to cross that bridge you have to pay that toll! If he wants to offer his services for free fine, but why come across as somehow self righteous because he doesn't charge money when he admits he gets free rent and he does accept donations (in fact asks for them on his website!) And his credentials were the least of any martial arts teacher I have ever seen...you get what you pay for.
It's kind of sad really, because I think the topic had some merit. Perhaps some sort of sliding scale for low income people is a good idea if workable in a martial arts school. Perhaps a "free" school is a good idea in some circumstances, but the way he approached it kind of stifled a good discussion. Sad really.
Another martial arts teacher I know is just barely making it and he teaches out of his own house! I know of another who had to close the school and work as a truck driver, he just couldn't pay the bills. People have to make a living, he sounded concerned about those who don't have the money. Well, yes, those who can't pay still need the training, but if you want to cross that bridge you have to pay that toll! If he wants to offer his services for free fine, but why come across as somehow self righteous because he doesn't charge money when he admits he gets free rent and he does accept donations (in fact asks for them on his website!) And his credentials were the least of any martial arts teacher I have ever seen...you get what you pay for.
It's kind of sad really, because I think the topic had some merit. Perhaps some sort of sliding scale for low income people is a good idea if workable in a martial arts school. Perhaps a "free" school is a good idea in some circumstances, but the way he approached it kind of stifled a good discussion. Sad really.
Y'know... y'all only need to take one set of cool pics; when clfsean describes it, he's training Yang taiji with Xue & when Xue describes it, they're doing choi li fut.DAMN!!! Wish I lived closer... Could I trade you a Yang style Taiji certificate with associated cool pics to prove it
Get with Bob... and he can make it look like y'all were training in really cool places, too!
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Cool now all I have to do is get a picture of CLFSean and I training push hands in front of Yang Chengfu AND Tung Ying Chieh and we got a certificate
searcher
Senior Master
Shinobi Teikiatsu
Green Belt
Sorry to jump on the bandwagon, but I just looked at his website and saw a little girl training in glasses and cut off shorts.
...That's allowed in MMA?
...That's allowed in MMA?
Tbh I thought it was my post he was getting at when I said we have enough trouble persuading authorities that MMA is a good sport and we don't beat children up that he was getting at. I know that there's some places that are supposd to be teaching children MMA and letting them compete and others were up in arms about it. I didn't actually connect it to your post. He was obviously on the defensive from the start though, wonder why lol?
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