Is Modern Martial Arts Losing It's Discipline in Order to Attract Customers

[tunetigress]

Yes, we still have to drive my 9 year old Medal winning daughter 30 miles into town for numerous Kenpo classes and training sessions still, even though I now train at home. And now I have changed systems and we have different instructors! Ya just cant win even when you're winning!!! YIKES!!!

 

[Klondike93]

What rank do you hold in Kenpo, and how long ago did you start

When my first kenpo instructor closed, I was working on my purple belt.
I've spent a lot of time trying to learn the techniques and forms on my own and I have most of the stuff through Blue belt.
My current kenpo instructor say's he'll be testing me soon to see where I'm at with what I know. I used all the time in between using videos by Rick Fowler to try and learn some of it. It's hard to do when you don't have a training partner to practice on with them. The school where I teach at doesn't do very many kenpo techniques so I don't get to practice with much at all there.

:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

Are you teaching Kenpo there?

 

[Klondike93]

No, the main curriculum is TKD kicking techniques and forms, kickboxing and grappling. There are a few kenpo techniques to learn but not very many, he didn't spend very long in the system (about a year and half). Most of the kenpo comes from what I'm learning now.


:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

You poor thing..... that sounds like a fate worse than death!

 

[Klondike93]

Working on it, very hard, every day. And it's all Mr. Parker's fault too I say that because after I met him once, there hasn't been a day gone by I haven't thought of kenpo in some way.

:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

Who are you training in Kenpo with now...... refresh my memory

:asian:

 

[Klondike93]

Brad Scornavacco

Scornavacco Family Karate Longmont, Co.

www.scornavacco.com/index.htm

His instructor is Lee Wedlake


:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

What rank is he and what rank are you under Wedlake?
:asian:

 

[Klondike93]

He's a 3rd under Wedlake
I have yet to test with Mr. Scornavacco, but he says soon I will be.
I have gone over all the techniques forms and sets up through blue belt.

:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

Thanks and good luck.

tell him Hi from me.

:asian:

 

[Rob_Broad]

Originally posted by Klondike93

He's a 3rd under Wedlake
I have yet to test with Mr. Scornavacco, but he says soon I will be.
I have gone over all the techniques forms and sets up through blue belt.

:asian:

Good luck on the upcoming grading.

 

[Klondike93]

Thanks for the thoughts guys

:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

I think I met with Mr. Scornavacco in Chicago.... maybe not I can't actually remember.

 

[Klondike93]

From what he's told me, he's from Chicago and started there with Mr. Wedlake and when he moved to Florida he followed him down there.


:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

that's what I understand as well.:asian:

 

[Ty K. Doe]

I was at a tournament a couple of weeks ago in Illinoise. There was a problem with students and parents crowding the gym floor (the gym was a bit small to begin with), so the host had asked that only competitors remain on the floor. Guess what, five minutes later, nobody had even moved. When some people began to complain that they couldn't see what was going on because so many people on the floor was standing, the host announced once again that only competitors are to be on the gym floor, and for all competitors to sit so others in the stands could see. Very few people even flinched. It got so bad that the tournament was delayed twice because nobody would leave the floor that wasn't supposed to be there. I thought for sure the host of the tournament was going to run out and start kicking but. Yet the tournament continued and nothing changed.

 

[tunetigress]

Ty, sadly that is yet another sign of our modern "you can't tell ME what to do" attitude. Tournament organisers can evidently have as much trouble with 'discipline' as many instructors do in their own schools with poorly behaved parents and their children.

 

[Klondike93]

I've been at many tournaments that were like that. It's terrible to be sitting in the stands and have to look at all the wannabes crowding the rings.

:asian:

 

[tigerstorm]

I think we can all agree that the "might dollar" is one of the main enemies of todays martial arts instructor. Whether it be the need for students to pay rent or the need to not harm in anyway students so as not to get sued. We live in constant awareness that the parent coming to speek to us is pissed that we told there son to do pushups and no one elses. I could be wrong but modern parents seem to feel that a karate school is an excellent place to have a child babysat. I dont teach children (not because of previous statements, I dont have the patients to do it), but I have seen changes in the past ten years that scare me. I watched my own Instructor build a wall to seperate the studio from spectators so that children wouldnt be able to just run across the floor. I miss the old day of being hit and hitting and pushing people, mentally and physically, but today you have to choose carefully who and where you do these things. I remember hearing my Instructor called by his first name and lookign around wondering who in the hech these people where talking too, not because of disrespect but because as a young man I knew his first name, and still in the school I didnt realize who they meant. Has school doen this to children, have parents, or should we use the age old "its society" crap. I guess as martial arts instructors hired by parents to "babysit", like it or not we shoudl take this opportunity to try to remold the children and for that matter adults that coem into our schools. If were lucky well be able to make the average person realize that when the spill coffee on themsleves, not to sue dunkin donuts because the coffee was hot. Sounds dumb but I guess weve got a long way to go.
Tigerstorm