Interesting TKD Club Rules

[Gerry Seymour]

I've never seen #14 written out before, especially with the "authorization" part. To us, it's just common courtesy. If one of my students is going to be out of town and wants to train at another ATA school, all they have to do is tell me. I'll call the instructor of the other school and give them a heads-up that my student is coming to visit.

As far as medical stuff goes, I have a line on my membership agreement that says the student acknowledges that they are in good physical condition and recommends that they see a doctor first if they have any doubts. I don't require a permission letter from a doctor. I agree with the opinion that #16 is a CYA move, but I think it is taken to extremes.

This appears to be a French location, so maybe that certificate is something more routine in that country.

EDIT: I see Marques got in ahead of me, with more informed information than me. Damn you, Marques.

 

[marques]

Thanks, that's interesting. I was just thinking, "Great...another 50 euro to spend." 23 euros isn't too bad.

I think it was increased a bit. Anyway, it will be around this figure. Less if you have health insurance (mutuelle santé).
Are you ready to pay one year in advance after one trial class? That is the next step...

 

[drop bear]

If I was doing a competitive fight club then I would restrict training with other groups without my permission as well. Here's why. I had student spar with people outside of school. I didn't know these people or the quality of what they do. She had been sparring with them for about 3 months or more without me knowing. One day I saw a video of her sparring with these people and everything became clear to me. I no longer had to wonder why her sparring didn't get any better. I was looking at it on the video. She had picked up bad habits, tactics and strategies by sparring with these people. Then she would try those same things at the school during sparring classes against other students and none of what she tried worked on us. Basically she went outside the school to learn how to out perform those from the Jow Ga school.

I'm not the best fighter nor am I the best instructor, but I hold myself and my teaching to a high standard. I do my best not to train junk. Had the student just had more faith and trusted and the training that we do in the Jow Ga school, then she would have improved. When I first saw the video I got really mad because I spent time training her how to use Jow Ga kung fu, only for her to throw out the time I spent helping her by adopting trash from someone less skilled than me. I didn't like it and that's when #14 came to my mind. I now understood. It was like a slap to my face insult. In addition to the insult, she wasted her own time because she didn't improve, she got worse, and suffered physically with injuries because techniques were wrong. She was doing things that I constantly remind students not to do in regards to stance and addressing the lead hand.

After I calmed down, I told her that she shouldn't spar outside of the school because she had picked up bad habits that were degrading her Jow Ga training.

If I'm doing competition, then I would simply state the rule so that I can ensure that my fighters will always have something that new for their opponent to deal with. I would want to keep that tree of strategy as fresh as possible.

I don't train sport so the "don't train with another school without my permission" doesn't bother me as long as the student finds a school of quality. "Don't be bringing crap back to the Jow Ga School and having me correct that stupid sheeetz." If a students goes to another school to spar, train, or compete with, then that students needs to go in Jow Ga and come back Jow Ga. If I know a school has good quality training and sparring then I don't have to correct things because I know they will be bringing good habits back.

My Sifu was like this too. My school was only allowed to spar with certain schools. Other schools we weren't allowed to spar with. It had nothing to do with the system, but the quality of the teacher.

We of course advocate the exact opposite.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I think it was increased a bit. Anyway, it will be around this figure. Less if you have health insurance (mutuelle santé).
Are you ready to pay one year in advance after one trial class? That is the next step...

That is a big jump. I'm a fan of the "4 weeks for $59, including free uniform" type of intro special. Get the people hooked...eg., the kids have made friends there and the parents are relatively sure the kids will enjoy a year there.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

We of course advocate the exact opposite.

As do I. I wonder if those of us who work closer to the "generic" fighting have it easier here. I could see working at another school perhaps messing with some of the circle/spiral movements I teach, but if they worked with folks in Judo, most styles of Karate or TKD, BJJ, and probably MT, the parts they picked up that would be different would be easily integrated into what we do. They might end up "harder" in their approach from some of those, but I can't see that as a problem in the long term.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

I got thinking about rule #1 tonight.

#1. I wear my Dobok and belt respectfully, which I arrange if necessary, with my back to the Sabeunim.

Tonight the Sabeunim was at the back of class and the instructor had us turn away from the flag to arrange our doboks. So there we were, facing KJN, fixing our doboks.

What is the right command to fix a dobok if the SBN or KJN is at the back? Face the side?

 

[drop bear]

As do I. I wonder if those of us who work closer to the "generic" fighting have it easier here. I could see working at another school perhaps messing with some of the circle/spiral movements I teach, but if they worked with folks in Judo, most styles of Karate or TKD, BJJ, and probably MT, the parts they picked up that would be different would be easily integrated into what we do. They might end up "harder" in their approach from some of those, but I can't see that as a problem in the long term.

Shouldn't. I mean I have the advantage I can have a pretty passable go at most things.

But we have had boxers do Muay Thai MMA or BJJ. At worst you just work what you know. And get some exposure to dealing with different concepts

 

[Tez3]

Red tape à la française

It's infamous. A friend of mine (British) bought a house in France, the problems she had with red tape would fill hundreds of pages of a thread .

 

[JP3]

#14 reminds me of the form, meaning sign on the paper and date it, my judo coach had to sign as a black belt indicating that it was approved for me to enter a judo tournament. That was a United States Judo Association tournament, and he had to sign one for every member of our club who wanted to go and compete. I'm not at all certain if that was a tournament thing, liability shifting thing, or a USJA rule. But, this is linked with...


#16, which is very much akin to the waiver required to be signed by the competitor every time we signed up/registered for a TKD, open karate/judo tournament. Forget about all the paperwork I had to sign to go compete full-contact Muay Thai... that was ridiculous, like buying a car. Didn't even get paid.

 

[JR 137]

I got thinking about rule #1 tonight.

#1. I wear my Dobok and belt respectfully, which I arrange if necessary, with my back to the Sabeunim.

Tonight the Sabeunim was at the back of class and the instructor had us turn away from the flag to arrange our doboks. So there we were, facing KJN, fixing our doboks.

What is the right command to fix a dobok if the SBN or KJN is at the back? Face the side?

I'm not TKD, so take this as you will...

There's a hierarchy. The flag is higher up than the teacher, so if you have to face one or the other, you face the lowest one.

We turn away from shinzen - the front of the dojo that has our school's kanji, picture of our founder, etc. - regardless of where anyone or anything else is. Situation with no shinzen like an outdoor workout turn away from the direction everyone is facing.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I'm not TKD, so take this as you will...

There's a hierarchy. The flag is higher up than the teacher, so if you have to face one or the other, you face the lowest one.

We turn away from shinzen - the front of the dojo that has our school's kanji, picture of our founder, etc. - regardless of where anyone or anything else is. Situation with no shinzen like an outdoor workout turn away from the direction everyone is facing.

I have trained with folks who were quite conscious of that. I never have been - I think it goes back to my Judo days. Judo gi is always getting disarranged, so you're constantly rearranging it.