My teacher moved...now what?!?

[Paul B]

The title pretty much says it all. I found out on Sat. that my teacher has moved to Florida...leaving behind a couple of Senior students and some assorted gueppies.

This kind of steams me because of the lack of advance notice,just up and left. My two immediate seniors and myself have been left with no contacts with our Org,no one to teach us and guide us on our way. We have yet to find out what the deal is with the landlord,so we don't even know if we will have a Dojang to practice at come Monday. I am a little hurt by this,as this is NOT the way a Teacher should conduct himself.It shows no regard for all of us that have been with him for years,and have stood up for him in the past.

Now here we are back at square one,but we have a great core of guys and I'm sure we will be just fine. What do you guys think? Am I right in being a little bitter about this?

 

[jfarnsworth]

That really bites. I'm sorry to hear about that. I wish you and your colleagues the best of luck. BTW, I would be bitter as well. At least he should have had the marbles to tell you that he was closing down and leaving. At least you would have been prepared for his departure and could have had your questions answered. :asian:

 

[Black Belt FC]

Sorry to hear that Paul, if there's anything I can do to help you like connecting you to WKF if thats the org. you belong to. Also, if possible give me a call and I will try my best help you anyway I can, you have my school number or private email me.


Regards
Lugo

 

[kwanjang]

Hello Paul:
Anything I can do for you? Just give me a shout at [email protected]

 

[glad2bhere]

Dear Paul:

Maybe there is a way to make lemonade out of these lemons. :idunno:

I won't waste my time telling you what I think of teachers that deal with their students in this fashion. What I CAN tell you is the Rudy Timmerman has a firm grasp of the KSW material and I believe is still connected with the World Kido Association (correct me if I'm wrong, Rudy). Even if he is NOT connected with them his experience with that side of the Hapkido traditions is solid and no-nonsense, so if you want to pursue that side of your material you have a net.

On the other hand if you want to pursue the WHF/Myung tradition and need a support system for that please consider me a resource FWIW. This is NOT the way Hapkido practitioners should expect to be treated and a huge part of my stand against commecial efforts in the KMA. All the same, whatever I can do to help out you can count on me to pitch-in.

www.midwesthapkido.com

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[kwanjang]

Hello Bruce and Paul:
NKMAA started back in 1973-4 for the very same reason... my teacher left. It is unofrtunatel that this sort of thing continues to happen, and by the look of it Koreans AND North-Americans will jump ship in a less than stellar manner. Once again we see that we need to look at the individual teacher or school we join rather than a particular style, race, or gender etc.

Yes, I am linked to the WKF, because I have found it to be beneficial to me, so this is a link to your past I can help facilitate relationships with. Having met you at the last seminar in Chicago, I know you enjoyed it as well Paul. So, in short, it does not have to end for you because your teacher left.

FWIW, you can establish a direct link with WKF as well, and I am sure these folks will do their best to help you as will Bruce or myself and a host of other good people. Perhaps this WILL be a better thing for you Whatever you decide, know that there are good people out there who will help.

 

[glad2bhere]

Regarding holding on to the place where you train, well, this can be a bit tricky to say the least. If your teacher left town just a step ahead of "collections" you may have an antagonized landlord to deal with. I have occasionally run into someone who has flat-out wanted nothing to do with a MA venture because of having been burned by someone who took-off without being current on the rent or lease. As I say, this can be "dicey".

To the good, you are not alone and if others want to band together to pool their resources you may have a chance. If things do not workout well with your current landlord you may need to meet somewhere else. At the moment I would counsel that you gather together and decide what commitment you are all willing to make to each other and to your study group. Better to have people come up-front and admit they are not up to the challenge than to count on them and have them passively resist involvement. Some people will stay involved with KMA because all they have to do is show-up and pay their money. When they find out they have to put-out to keep things going they start looking for the door. This can also bring out the best in people by giving them a little nudge to come up to the front and be counted as dedicated practitioners. Either way you are not going to know until you sit down with folks a couple of times and find out where everyones' heads are at.

BTW: This may sound like a stupid suggestion, but were I you I would make a point that whatever direction you move in going forward that you make a clear, clean break with the past and develop a new identity going forward. I know some people get all concerned about separating from their past. Questions of recognition of rank or standing or fitting into a new mileau are certainly real concerns. What you don't want is to have your old teacher come back sometime and lay claim to what you have maintained, maybe even expanded, because you continued to use the entity that he originally organized. It has been known to happen. Make sense?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[iron_ox]

Hello Paul,

If you and your group find yourselves without a place to train, feel free to bundle in some cars and come to Chicago, I will make my dojang available to you free of charge until you can get on your feet there. No strings attached, train in what you want, whatever, the offer is open.

I was in a similar situation with the first guy I trained with - notice I DO NOT REFER TO THE DIRTBALL AS MY TEACHER - he left over a weekend and NOONE knew where he went...I caught up with him more than 10 years later on a different continent, in a hotel room, and well lets just say I held on to a little to much bitterness for too many years.

Don't be bitter, feel educated - some men are not men, let alone teachers, feel glad he left when he did, let the air clear and move onward and upward.

My offer is simply for a place to train - I don't do organizational talk in the dojang, so if you guys need a matted space, just pop a bit north.

 

[Master Todd Miller]

The title pretty much says it all. I found out on Sat. that my teacher has moved to Florida...leaving behind a couple of Senior students and some assorted gueppies.

This kind of steams me because of the lack of advance notice,just up and left. My two immediate seniors and myself have been left with no contacts with our Org,no one to teach us and guide us on our way. We have yet to find out what the deal is with the landlord,so we don't even know if we will have a Dojang to practice at come Monday. I am a little hurt by this,as this is NOT the way a Teacher should conduct himself.It shows no regard for all of us that have been with him for years,and have stood up for him in the past.

Now here we are back at square one,but we have a great core of guys and I'm sure we will be just fine. What do you guys think? Am I right in being a little bitter about this?
__________________

Paul,

I am sorry your Instructor left but as others have said, This might be a great opportunit to expand your horizons. It is nice to see four different organizations offering help in finding what is best for you! This to me is a much better way to help the Hapki community, To offer help! Even though 4 different groups have offered help, there has been no talk of this is the best one or you do not want to deal with those guys!

Keep training/learning

www.millersmudo.com

 

[American HKD]

Greetings,

Paul it probably happen to all of us.

About a year after my 1st Dan my teacher Chung Kun Joon closed the school.

With-in a year I re-united with my main Instructor Son Tae Soo who taught for Chung and was with him for over 12 more years.

Don't worry things will work out.

 

[Paul B]

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and offers of assistance! This is truely what Hapki is all about.

I have to go to a meeting tonight with the rest of the guys,and figure out exactly what it is we are going to do. I do agree that it would be for the better to dissolve any links we have concerning him. I know this may sound blunt,but there is no more loyalty felt on my part towards this person.I am thankful he introduced me to Hapkido,and for the knowledge he shared,but it ends there.I thank you all for your offers,and I hope you meant them sincerely,because you may just find me on your doorstep! :lol:

We have mats by the truckload,we just need to find out if we need to move them or not. As I said before,we need a teacher and a support system,which we are sorely lacking now. There are two 2nd Dans and four 1st.,there's just not enough to go around,....sooo.... how do you guys feel about seminars??!! :lol:

Thanks again everyone,and I'll keep you guys updated on our progress if you want.:asian:

 

[shtygolfr]

Paul, do you know where in Florida he went? I am currently looking for a school in central florida. Thanks

 

[glad2bhere]

Dear Paul:

".....There are two 2nd Dans and four 1st.,there's just not enough to go around,....sooo.... how do you guys feel about seminars??!!...."

Thats usually the way these things are done. When the local touchstone takes a powder, the folks left holding the bag have to pull things together as best they can. This usually means an increase in travel or bringing in someone who can keep a flow of fresh material coming while not intruding on the process that your are developing. It actually sounds more daunting than it is, though. The key to the entire process is deciding what it is that you want your practice to be and while there are a lot of folks who will pitch-in to help-out, I'm afraid only your group can decide what you would like your study group to be. The neat thing is that you are not under any preasure to produce some extraordinary model from the git-go. Take your time and decide what it is that you want your group to do. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

[ajs1976]

Paul,

How did your meeting go on Monday?

 

[Paul B]

Good enough,Doc...thanks for asking.

It was pretty much an "OK...now what do we really want to do with this school" type of thing. We all agreed that we need to re-establish ties with other Hapkido practitioners,and get a good flow of knowledge into the Dojang.

Still haven't heard from the landlord,and it seems that maybe an "arrangement" of some sort was made. We fear that since our school is in an industrial complex,it may be zoned as such,and that would prevent us from continuing at our present locale. So...location is yet to be resolved.

I hope that we don't have to move,but it would not necessarily be a bad thing,there are better locations near us that would do nicely,and for about the same rent.

Other than that,it was definitely a "Who would stand up and be counted",we need to know who we can count on for the bumpy road that lies ahead. I personally think we have our heads and hearts in the right place,and we'll be a better all around Dojang then before.

Happy Holidays,guys!:asian: