Newbie Mistake?

[steerpike7]

Hello everyone, I just discovered this site today and decided to join.
I have a brother who used to do Aikido and leant me a book about it years ago and it always appealed to me. I have been carrying a lot of weight for a few years but have recently lost it and took this opportunity to finally take up a martial art. ( I did wado-ryu briefly when i was about 20 - I'm now 36).
I really fancied aikido as it is non-contact and i loved the philosophy of it all. Anyhow my brother stopped doing it ages ago and I found you really need two people to progress and since my husband is wheelchair-bound this was pretty impossible so I just left it at that.
About sept 2006 a GKR rep came to the door and we signed up mainly because they are inclusive and i didn't know of any other club that would take a wheelchair user.
I've recently run into a few forums online and noone has anything positive to say about it so I am very worried as I have paid for a years tuition for my hubby and myself and am thinking after a year to switch to a more respected style, but then will they be inclusive.
I must admit from what I remember of Wado-Ryu the classes were more structured and disciplined, but I was really desperate to get into martial arts and needed a big confidence boost after all the weightloss.
I graded to yellow belt before Xmas without really knowing 1st kata and am still not 100% on it so maybe what everyone is saying is right. I also had to look up on line how to tie my belt properly.
I really do enjoy the classes and it is making me fitter and more flexible but I don't want to spend years learning this beautiful art the wrong way. Any suggestions of inclusive styles would be very much appreciated. Sorry for the extremely long first post.

 

[Drac]

Greetings and Welcome to MT..No apologies necessary, its nice to read more that a few lines from new members..As far as suggestion goes, if you ask 50 people here you're going to get 50 suggestions...What is offered in your area is a good place to start..Speak to a teacher or 2 and if possible monitor a class, don't get roped into any lenghty contracts..Your heart will tell you when you've fonund the right place..Keep us posted...

 

[exile]

Greetings and Welcome to MT..No apologies necessary, its nice to read more that a few lines from new members..As far as suggestion goes, if you ask 50 people here you're going to get 50 suggestions...What is offered in your area is a good place to start..Speak to a teacher or 2 and if possible monitor a class, don't get roped into any lenghty contracts..Your heart will tell you when you've fonund the right place..Keep us posted...

What Drac says. It often takes people a while to find their sea-legs in the MAs. Keep your eyes and mind open, but don't get too anxious that you're in danger of making a serious mistake. As time goes on, your view of MA will sharpen and focus on the aspects that are crucial to you. But as Drac says, you gotta start somewhere; just avoid the contract trap...

 

[bydand]

Lets' see quickly here if I am reading things right.
1) you wanted to train in MA's.
2) Wanted to train with wheelchair bound husband.
3) Signed up for GKR in September.
4) Few options for training with hubby other than this school.
5) Enjoy classes.
6) Getting fitter and more flexable.
7) online remarks about GKR is unsettling to you.

Looks like the bad is outweighed 6 to 1 by the good. 1 year isn't all that long really, and if you are enjoying the training and it is something you can do with your husband it will not be time wasted by any stretch of the imagination. When it comes close to time to "renew", review your thoughts on the school and instructors. In the mean time, training is paid for, enjoy it. Also keep looking and asking around your area, there very well may be another training facility that better meets your needs and they will be able to answer any questions better than anybody else for you. If you do find something that you are more comfortable with, finish out your contract with GKR, then change schools. It doesn't sound like you hate where you are now, but guestions have come up.

 

[14 Kempo]

Hello and welcome to MT ... I agree with Bydand, a year isn't that long. Use the time to get a grip on MA and to also investigate other avenues. In the meantime, at the very least, you're gaining flexibility. Hang in there, look around, investigate, audit classes, you'll find what you're looking for.

 

[morph4me]

Welcome to MT. I agree with everything that's been said here, but I think bydand really hit the nail on the head, the good is outweighing the bad at this point. Enjoy the year and then you can reevaluate your goals and training and see how you feel about it. Enjoy the journey.

 

[tshadowchaser]

one more voice saying enjoy the good part of your trining. If you are happy there then you will stay after the year, if not then you will have a year to seek out other schools for training. The best parts are you are training and getting in shape, and if I read correctly your husband is also, so you both have a place to train and can work on things togeather at home that take place in calss

 

[MJS]

Hello everyone, I just discovered this site today and decided to join.
I have a brother who used to do Aikido and leant me a book about it years ago and it always appealed to me. I have been carrying a lot of weight for a few years but have recently lost it and took this opportunity to finally take up a martial art. ( I did wado-ryu briefly when i was about 20 - I'm now 36).
I really fancied aikido as it is non-contact and i loved the philosophy of it all. Anyhow my brother stopped doing it ages ago and I found you really need two people to progress and since my husband is wheelchair-bound this was pretty impossible so I just left it at that.
About sept 2006 a GKR rep came to the door and we signed up mainly because they are inclusive and i didn't know of any other club that would take a wheelchair user.
I've recently run into a few forums online and noone has anything positive to say about it so I am very worried as I have paid for a years tuition for my hubby and myself and am thinking after a year to switch to a more respected style, but then will they be inclusive.
I must admit from what I remember of Wado-Ryu the classes were more structured and disciplined, but I was really desperate to get into martial arts and needed a big confidence boost after all the weightloss.
I graded to yellow belt before Xmas without really knowing 1st kata and am still not 100% on it so maybe what everyone is saying is right. I also had to look up on line how to tie my belt properly.
I really do enjoy the classes and it is making me fitter and more flexible but I don't want to spend years learning this beautiful art the wrong way. Any suggestions of inclusive styles would be very much appreciated. Sorry for the extremely long first post.

First off, Welcome to Martial Talk!

As for your question...when you're looking for an art, the most important thing to keep in mind, is, is the art you choose going to meet your goals and what you want out of it? It doesn't matter if 10 other people say X art isn't good, afterall, they're not the ones training in it, you are! Before signing up for anything, its usually a good idea to check out a class or two. Many schools offer a trial lesson, so you can get a basic feel for what it'll be like. If you're not happy with the classes, training etc., it'll never hurt to sit and talk with the inst. If you're still not feeling comfortable, take another look at what else is out there.

Good luck with everything.

Mike

 

[steerpike7]

Wow. Thanks for all your helpful replies esp bydand (put it all into perspective). Yes you are all right - a year is not so long and I do enjoy it very much as does my husband so I'll just get on and learn as much as I can for the year and not worry about anything else unless there is real cause to. Thanks again and I'm really glad I discovered this great forum.

 

[stickarts]

Welcome! Great to have you here!

 

[shrek]

Welcome aboard

Sounds like you at least SHOWED confidence when you were testing...at that level quite often people get the pass just because they LOOKED like they knew what they were doing. The higher you go, the less forgiving the judging will tend to be...

Good luck & keep practicing !

 

[charyuop]

Hi and welcome. First of all a little thing about the non-contact Aikido. That is always up to the Sensei and what he wants to teach you. I have been doing Aikido for 4 months now and I have had plenty of bruises on my wrist and arms. A fresh one yesterday, a light black eye (Sensei gently showed me that I didn't cover enough my face).

There are several MA that I think would go well with a wheelchair, but of course it depends on the availability near you. If you have the chance you might want to look also into a Tai Chi school, I know that some Tai Chi teacher modified the art for people on wheelchair. Moreover you might want to look also in Qigong, good for meditation and coltivation of inner energy (Chi/Ki).

 

[terryl965]

Welcome and happy posting, everybody has already said what I would have said so there you go have fun while you are here.

 

[JBrainard]

Ave and good luck with whatever art you chose. The martial arts is a world of infinite possibilities, you'll find what's right for you.

 

[Kacey]

Welcome, and happy posting! :wavey:

In addition to some of the great advice you've already been given, I would also suggest you look through some of the posts on choosing a school. Regardless of what other people say about a school, if you enjoy it and it is teaching you what you want - then it's the right school for you. And as bydand said, a year isn't so long... and by that time you and your husband will know if you both want to continue, what types of accommodations he needs, and what questions to ask at other facilities if you decide you want to try something else. Good luck to you both!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Greetings and Welcome to MT..No apologies necessary, its nice to read more that a few lines from new members..As far as suggestion goes, if you ask 50 people here you're going to get 50 suggestions...What is offered in your area is a good place to start..Speak to a teacher or 2 and if possible monitor a class, don't get roped into any lenghty contracts..Your heart will tell you when you've fonund the right place..Keep us posted...

You just cant go wrong with advice from Nosferatu

Seriously; What he said, I agree with Drac

And there is an old saying in martial arts

Better to spend 2 years looking for a good teacher than training 2 years with a bad one.

But if you enjoy the class go to the class. If you are concerned about what you are being taught there is nothing stopping you from looking around, you have time to look, what’s the rush.