Do you think it'd be rude if I did this...?

[Eric7_27]

Currently I'm taking Taekwono here in Greenville Texas. I do point sparring but have wanted to do olympic sparring before I even began point sparring. I'm working towards making it to state for sparring in December and decided that maybe I should wait until after then to maybe start looking into olympic style.

Anways- I was on my way to the orthodontics when I saw a TKD place and wondered if they did the sparring that I want to do. So I went in and talked to the head instructor hoping that he'd just tell me what the tournaments were in the area. I told him that I was currently taking lessons and wasn't interested in transfering or anything, but he suggested that he teach me that style and offered to teach me 2 lessons a week for $25 a month. Not too bad. Well sorry about being so long winded, but my question is- should I?
My instructor doesn't teach olympic style, but I don't want to seem ungrateful wanting to learn somewhere else also- I wouldn't want him to think that he isn't teaching me enough. I'm planning on possibly taking lessons in INDY when I go for school in Jan. but was hoping to get an early start. I know that I'd first get his permission before taking lessons from someone else on top of my current ones- but do you think it'd be rude to even ask?

 

[BrandiJo]

You should talk with your inst. My school has a policy that says you cannot train at any other schools in the city while with them. So do some checking and see if it works out or not. Personaly i would stick with one style till you get it down good, then worry about another.
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[Steel Tiger]

$25 a month and 2 lessons a week? That is a great offer. Its like $3 a lesson!

You clearly stated that you have a desire to do Olympic sparring which your teacher does not teach. It is equally clear that there is something about your teacher that you really like, otherwise you would have left for something more suited to your goal a long time ago.

Your teacher looks like someone who has gained your respect and I think that he will understand and not be offended if you explain the whole situation to him when you ask for his permission.

So, what I am saying is that I don't think it is rude to ask, as long as the asking itself is not disrespectful.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Being truthful is always the best policy.

Please let all your Teachers know of what your goals are and what you want from the training.

Some Teachers do not like this? ...because he will teach you one way and you may counter is teaching.

Loyality is also one of the reasons. Remember many of them are earning their income if full time or earning extra income part-time from giving lessons.

Each Teacher may differ, some may say OK....others may tell you to leave. Except their answers. Make the best of what you end up with.

Put the coin on the other side? What if you were teaching and a student came up to you with this same proposal.

Learning is a process, we learn from actully lessons while growing up. (this sitution).

Aloha

 

[Gary Crawford]

There are definatly pros and cons to both. My youngest son did olympic(ustu) style of tkd. In my personal experience,the ustu schools mostly concintrate on competition type sparring and very little on practicle self defense. Because of the rules the ustu competions goes by,there is little time spent on hand techniques because very few punches are scored. Point fighting is a little more well rounded, but not being able to hit full force tends to cause you to not hit full force in a real fight. I really think trying to learn both at the same time could be counter productive. If the ustu school also teaches Hopkido,then (imho) that is the way to go.

 

[Kacey]

I agree with BrandiJo - you should talk to your instructor about why you want to take these additional classes, to meet your goals OR (if that's what you want) why you're changing classes. As an instructor, if you came to me from either perspective, I would do my best to help you reach your goals - but if you tried to do an end run around me, I'd have a problem with it.

Instructors need to know what you are doing outside of class, because it will affect how you perform - so if you start training somewhere else in addition, it will affect your performance, and most especially (since that's what you're working on) in sparring - and that could cause unintentional injury to other students, if you start using techniques they don't know or if your responses change due to training in different rules. If your instructor knows, s/he can watch for changes and know what's causing them, and remind you when you need to separate the 2 settings - but if s/he doesn't know, then neither you nor s/he can take any necessary precautions.

 

[TheOriginalName]

Hey there.....just thought i would throw my opinion in and see if it floats or not.......

Like everything in martial arts, it's all about balance.
There are your needs and desires as a student.
There is your respect towards your current instructors.

So what i would suggest - talk to your instructor. Make sure he is aware of your desire to do olympic sparring and of your upcoming move to INDY.
With the greatest amount of respect possible tell him that you would like to train in olympic and of the other schools offer.
If you can do this with respect i am sure he will understand.

Because at the end of the day we all need to do what is going to make us happy - but we also need to treat those whom have instructed us with the level of respect the have earnt.

Best of luck in your journey.

 

[seninoniwashi]

Currently I'm taking Taekwono here in Greenville Texas. I do point sparring but have wanted to do olympic sparring before I even began point sparring. I'm working towards making it to state for sparring in December and decided that maybe I should wait until after then to maybe start looking into olympic style.

Anways- I was on my way to the orthodontics when I saw a TKD place and wondered if they did the sparring that I want to do. So I went in and talked to the head instructor hoping that he'd just tell me what the tournaments were in the area. I told him that I was currently taking lessons and wasn't interested in transfering or anything, but he suggested that he teach me that style and offered to teach me 2 lessons a week for $25 a month. Not too bad. Well sorry about being so long winded, but my question is- should I?
My instructor doesn't teach olympic style, but I don't want to seem ungrateful wanting to learn somewhere else also- I wouldn't want him to think that he isn't teaching me enough. I'm planning on possibly taking lessons in INDY when I go for school in Jan. but was hoping to get an early start. I know that I'd first get his permission before taking lessons from someone else on top of my current ones- but do you think it'd be rude to even ask?

I would definitely check with your instructor first, especially if you have a good relationship with him and are true to your school. He may be difficult at first but I'm sure he will understand. Perhaps you could even get your instructor in the class with you If not at least try to get him to come with you to take a closer look.

 

[Big Don]

To quote a country song, you gotta dance with the one that brought you.
In other words ask your instructor. Odds are he'll support you.

 

[Eric7_27]

thanks for all the help guys. I'll keep those in mind

 

[Darth F.Takeda]

When will Americans stop considering their MA instructor as their master?
It's a free country and noone can tell you what to do.
If your current Instructor drops you then so be it. If he was smart he would realize that you are trying to better yourself and allow it.

If you want to train at both schools than do it, just dont do what you do in one in the other, unless that's OK with that instructor.

 

[theletch1]

When will Americans stop considering their MA instructor as their master?
It's a free country and noone can tell you what to do.
If your current Instructor drops you then so be it. If he was smart he would realize that you are trying to better yourself and allow it.

If you want to train at both schools than do it, just dont do what you do in one in the other, unless that's OK with that instructor.

I don't think the OP sees his instructor as his master. Simply someone who had earned his respect and as such deserves to be treated with the same professionalism that he show his students. My instructor was my best man at my wedding...certainly not something your "master" would do. If I were looking to train somewhere else, especially in the same style, I would certainly ask if he had a problem with it out of respect for all the years of his time that he has put into the martial artist that I have become. Showing deference to someone you respect does not mean you're bowing to a master. It simply means that you have learned a little humility and respect along the way.

 

[Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu]

I agree with what's been said about showing respect to your instructor. Yes granted there are those that teach mainly (or largely) for money reasons. But there are some (I think of my Aikido instructor who worked 40 hours a week and raked in almost $100 grand a year outside of teaching) who teach because they want to pass on what they have been taught. It is a true gift to be handed down generations of technique and tradition.

I agree talk to your instructor and if he does have a problem with it, there's no harm in questioning why.
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