Moving And Switching Schools

[Superperson]

This might be a sill question but I wanted advice on how to go about switching schools when moving out of state.
I'm currently a purple belt in Hapkido and have been going to a school I love. Whats fun about the school is that I'm learning Tweakondo along side my Hapkido as well as taking a combat class that lets me dabble in Judo and Jujitsu. I'm currently living in IL but will be moving in April to FL so that means ill have to find a new school to train. By the time I move I will be red belt btw.
So I've never quite done this sorta thing before and I wanted your advice on this matter. I've looked and looked for schools near where i'll be moving that does Hapkido but I've come up with nothing really. A few pop up but they are far away to drive. I know its kinda a unpopular art and is uncommon so im finding it hard to locate a school. I would love to keep doing the same art im currently doing and get to black belt (I know I would loose my rank when switching) but I don't know if it will happen. I'm also considering just doing Tweakondo since I already know the forms and such for it and it would be easy to get into. On the other hand I love the Jujitsu classes I get to take in my school so I could switch arts to that...
Has anyone switched schools? Did you find it hard to locate one you like? Have you switched arts before getting black belt in your first?
I feel like these are silly personal questions but I wanted to ask anyway!

 

[Mitlov]

I've had to move repeatedly. My best experience when I got to a new town was not trying to find the same style, but just finding the best club in the new town and training with them. Don't worry about the rank bit; you'll progress quickly in the new style with your experience.

 

[drop bear]

It is not hard to switch schools. Just move somewhere and go train.

 

[JR 137]

You’re really not going to know who teaches what, how good they are, and where everything is until you move there and get to know the area and people.

Make the move, get settled in a bit, then start visiting schools near you. The right one will make itself known. Forget styles, ranks, et al. Just find the best school for you. Earning black belt would’ve been great and all, but at the end of the day does it really matter that much?

 

[Buka]

Get to your new location, go visit and watch several classes at every place that's realistic for you to train at....pick the one you think is best for you.......then go train and have some fun.

Key points - when you go watch a class, you should watch several lasses over different days. Classes in dojos, for the most part, are not the same thing every day. And not the same instructors every day. Of course there ARE some places that you can tell in about a minute that just are not for you. The opposite is also true at times.

"Place that's realistic for you to train at" - refers to distance and ease to get to. Forget about a place that's either too far away or even on the cusp. The busier your life is the more this applies.

The "one you think is best for you". Give it a shot. If you then feel it's not a good fit, go try another one.

"Go have some fun" - go getum', kiddo. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Flying Crane]

Get to your new location, go visit and watch several classes at every place that's realistic for you to train at....pick the one you think is best for you.......then go train and have some fun.

Key points - when you go watch a class, you should watch several lasses over different days. Classes in dojos, for the most part, are not the same thing every day. And not the same instructors every day. Of course there ARE some places that you can tell in about a minute that just are not for you. The opposite is also true at times.

"Place that's realistic for you to train at" - refers to distance and ease to get to. Forget about a place that's either too far away or even on the cusp. The busier your life is the more this applies.

The "one you think is best for you". Give it a shot. If you then feel it's not a good fit, go try another one.

"Go have some fun" - go getum', kiddo. Let us know how it goes.

To add to this, also consider whether the class schedule fits your personal schedule. If classes are only offered when you have other obligations, you will not attend.

And consider the price for joining the school. If they charge more than you can afford, and there is no way to make up the difference, then you cannot train there.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

This might be a sill question but I wanted advice on how to go about switching schools when moving out of state.
I'm currently a purple belt in Hapkido and have been going to a school I love. Whats fun about the school is that I'm learning Tweakondo along side my Hapkido as well as taking a combat class that lets me dabble in Judo and Jujitsu. I'm currently living in IL but will be moving in April to FL so that means ill have to find a new school to train. By the time I move I will be red belt btw.
So I've never quite done this sorta thing before and I wanted your advice on this matter. I've looked and looked for schools near where i'll be moving that does Hapkido but I've come up with nothing really. A few pop up but they are far away to drive. I know its kinda a unpopular art and is uncommon so im finding it hard to locate a school. I would love to keep doing the same art im currently doing and get to black belt (I know I would loose my rank when switching) but I don't know if it will happen. I'm also considering just doing Tweakondo since I already know the forms and such for it and it would be easy to get into. On the other hand I love the Jujitsu classes I get to take in my school so I could switch arts to that...
Has anyone switched schools? Did you find it hard to locate one you like? Have you switched arts before getting black belt in your first?
I feel like these are silly personal questions but I wanted to ask anyway!

You can find some commonalities in other arts, so if you really like your Hapkido, look for something that satisfies you there. My primary art is Nihon Goshin Aikido, which does exist in a few places in FL, and you may or may not find it similar (depending which parts of the art you look at). Same could be said for Yoshinkan Aikido. Both have similar locks and throws to HKD (similar roots), though neither will usually have the level of kicking normally found in HKD.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

For me i was studying shotokan karate do when i was living in Bakersfield then when i moved back to my home town oxnard i too kenpo karate

 

[Headhunter]

Find a club go train

 

[Superperson]

Wow thank you all for the sound advice! By reading your comments I've realized that I'm worrying over nothing. I don't need to have a plan about my martial arts school before I move and I'll find the right one when I go.
I'm not so sad about not achieving black belt before moving since I just love learning the art and having fun. Going to a new school and starting over is just more things to learn!
When I get there I'll find the right school and art to practice. Maybe tweakondo, jujitsu, or the who knows.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Alan0354]

Even if you find a school that teaches you what you want, but the program can be very different. You really have to look at the class how they train.

I think you should worry less about what style the school teaches, more on how they train even if they are of different style. You might learn something new and useful.

For example, in my case, I learned from a Tae Kwon Do school, Before I joined, I went and look at the class of a few schools of different style. I would not chose one that stress on Kata, more on practical self defense, punching and kicking bags, sparing, and conditioning. I looked at different styles, it just happened a Tae Kwon Do school had all the things I wanted. So if I move to another city, I worry more about how the school trains and stress on instead of worrying about finding a Tae Kwon Do school. I would not be happy to join a traditional school and spend a lot of time on Katas and tradition punching from below the shoulder.

As for belt, it's only color, if you are good, you will quickly get to the belt of your level after a little while.

 

[Cess]

Hey, not a silly question at all! I went through something similar when I moved from one state to another a couple of years back. I was training in Muay Thai and really loved my school, so I totally get the anxiety of finding a new place that matches your vibe.

 

[mahnoorgul]

When I moved, I struggled to find a Muay Thai gym nearby, so I ended up focusing more on BJJ since it was easier to find. It wasn’t the same, but I found a great group of people and ended up enjoying the change more than I expected.

My advice is to visit a few places before you commit, some gyms will even let you try a class or two for free, which helps a lot.

If you’re prepping for the move, I found this guide really useful when I moved: Three Movers | Best Moving Companies Near You | 1,2,3 Guys Or More. Good luck, and I’m sure you’ll find an awesome new place to train.