I am sure some of you remember the post I recently made about getting a new master and the dojang my son and I had been attending. I recently found out that the instructor that seemed to work the best with my son will not be returning. I also found out that they are tearing up all of the old contracts and will be asking everyone to sign new ones. This gives us the perfect opportunity to look around and find a new "home".
Monday night, we attended this dojang. Everyone was nice, the instructor for the beginners class we participated in seemed knowledgable. There class schedule is flexible and would work with my work schedule. I also got a better workout than I have ever gotten at the dojang we have been attending.
Today, I even received a nice email from one of the owners (husband/wife team). It included your typical "It was nice to meet you" fare. She also inquired as to whether I had an interest in assisting in classes. While flattering, I just got my orange belt a few weeks ago. I have only been a student for aprox. 5 months. I guess I just don't see how I could possibly have the knowledge/technical skill yet to truly be able to assist in teaching a class.
My husband also went with us, and observed the class. He has a red belt in kenpo, but hasn't practiced for years. However, he does have more martial arts experience than me, and I value what he has to say when trying to find the best dojang for our son. As an adult, I feel I can make a decision about what I believe is best for me, and am willing to make some compromises at this point to find a place that fits well with my son. I do have to admit, though, that it is nice to be able to bounce thoughts off of him and get his take on my perceptions of the school.
We left the class on Monday night and felt ok about it. We aren't completely sold that this place is "right" for us, but it was only one class. We have 2 or 3 more classes to check them out before we have to make a decision. Something just seemed to be "missing" to me, and it wasn't until today that it dawned on me what it was. While I know that everyone running a dojang is there to make some amount of money (it is a business, afterall) I just didn't get the feel that the people running/instructing in the dojang had a passion or love for the art. It was more of a feeling that it was simply a business. That said, this school has been around for several years, and after doing some digging, the master does have a good reputation locally.
The other thing that is a bit concerning to me is that they told me I was ready to test at their next promotion for my next rank. That being said, the form they are testing on is the same one I did at my last belt promotion test. They are also doing an identical set of one steps. I thanked the owner for her comment, and then respectfully let her know that the material they were currently teaching was identical to what I just recently tested over. She didn't seem concerned. They appear to be willing to give me a new rank simply for showing up. That just doesn't sit all that well with me.
Ok, so, today I was out running some errands, and stopped into this dojang and was able to speak with Grandmaster Choi. I only spoke with him briefly as he was getting ready to teach a class. Apparently he is still teaching all of his own classes. It is at his school that my husband was first introduced to martial arts, while in his early teens. I have his business card, and am to call and schedule a time when my son and I can come in to meet with him, get on the mat, and have him evaluate us. Since it was such a brief visit, I didn't really get much of a feel for the place. After I get a chance to go back in, I can let you all know what sort of vibe I get.
I know that websites aren't the end all, be all when choosing a dojang, but that is the only info I can offer on dojang #2 at the moment. So, between that and the info I posted here about dojang #1, what do you guys think? I know it ultimately has to be a decision made by myself and my husband but I would really like to get some outside opinions and I know all of you have plenty of those.
Monday night, we attended this dojang. Everyone was nice, the instructor for the beginners class we participated in seemed knowledgable. There class schedule is flexible and would work with my work schedule. I also got a better workout than I have ever gotten at the dojang we have been attending.
Today, I even received a nice email from one of the owners (husband/wife team). It included your typical "It was nice to meet you" fare. She also inquired as to whether I had an interest in assisting in classes. While flattering, I just got my orange belt a few weeks ago. I have only been a student for aprox. 5 months. I guess I just don't see how I could possibly have the knowledge/technical skill yet to truly be able to assist in teaching a class.
My husband also went with us, and observed the class. He has a red belt in kenpo, but hasn't practiced for years. However, he does have more martial arts experience than me, and I value what he has to say when trying to find the best dojang for our son. As an adult, I feel I can make a decision about what I believe is best for me, and am willing to make some compromises at this point to find a place that fits well with my son. I do have to admit, though, that it is nice to be able to bounce thoughts off of him and get his take on my perceptions of the school.
We left the class on Monday night and felt ok about it. We aren't completely sold that this place is "right" for us, but it was only one class. We have 2 or 3 more classes to check them out before we have to make a decision. Something just seemed to be "missing" to me, and it wasn't until today that it dawned on me what it was. While I know that everyone running a dojang is there to make some amount of money (it is a business, afterall) I just didn't get the feel that the people running/instructing in the dojang had a passion or love for the art. It was more of a feeling that it was simply a business. That said, this school has been around for several years, and after doing some digging, the master does have a good reputation locally.
The other thing that is a bit concerning to me is that they told me I was ready to test at their next promotion for my next rank. That being said, the form they are testing on is the same one I did at my last belt promotion test. They are also doing an identical set of one steps. I thanked the owner for her comment, and then respectfully let her know that the material they were currently teaching was identical to what I just recently tested over. She didn't seem concerned. They appear to be willing to give me a new rank simply for showing up. That just doesn't sit all that well with me.
Ok, so, today I was out running some errands, and stopped into this dojang and was able to speak with Grandmaster Choi. I only spoke with him briefly as he was getting ready to teach a class. Apparently he is still teaching all of his own classes. It is at his school that my husband was first introduced to martial arts, while in his early teens. I have his business card, and am to call and schedule a time when my son and I can come in to meet with him, get on the mat, and have him evaluate us. Since it was such a brief visit, I didn't really get much of a feel for the place. After I get a chance to go back in, I can let you all know what sort of vibe I get.
I know that websites aren't the end all, be all when choosing a dojang, but that is the only info I can offer on dojang #2 at the moment. So, between that and the info I posted here about dojang #1, what do you guys think? I know it ultimately has to be a decision made by myself and my husband but I would really like to get some outside opinions and I know all of you have plenty of those.
