S
Sparks
Guest
I wanted to share a story from an experience I found rather odd. I visited a Tae Kwon Do academy in my city to decide if it was as school I wanted to study at. There was a rather flirtatious Korean gal at the front desk wearing her dobak who gave me the information I requested and 'allowed' me to watch a class. They had a complex multi-layered pricing system and even offered a 'guaranteed black belt program' that you could complete in two years or as long as it would take for a very high price mind you. She told me that the head instructor was a renown martial artist and incorporated several styles within the curriculum. There was this humongous picture covering a wall of him doing a flying side kick into a stack of boards. Watching the class I noticed two black belt instructors in the far corner of the dojang each holding a bo staff, like they were standing guard (!). The class was at attention, lights dimmed, and then the head instructor came out and everyone started clapping. Whatever! He then walked to the front where the pretty Korean gal was and later disappeared back to his office. Then the Bo-wielding guys in the corner came out to teach class consisting of stretching and calisthenics lasting approximately 25 minutes. The final 20 minutes was spent practicing various stances, going back and forth with punches and kicks and that was it. Hmmm. I left unimpressed and eventually joined a more down-to-earth school- another story.
Then, a couple weeks later after this visit I was in the parking lot where this school was located visiting another shop in the same strip mall. I was walking to my car and looked over and noticed the head instructor was standing outside the dojang, very well dressed, wearing these wrap-around shades, looking real cool. There was a few other well dressed guys, in shades, around him as well. As I got to my car I saw then lock up the doors to the school and one of them said "shi jock!" loudly and the troop commenced out to the parking lot to several parked vehicles. The weird thing was the head dude was surrounded by all these guys in a perimeter fashion, like he was the president or something! One guy even walked out in front of a lady with a shopping cart to prevent her from getting too close to this guy. It looked like a scene off some cheesy martial arts flick.
Anyway that's my little story. Has anyone else ever seen behavior like this in TKD before or in any other martial art? Is there anyone in martial arts who has a traveling cavalcade around them at all times like the godfather or something? It was really very strange to say the least.
Then, a couple weeks later after this visit I was in the parking lot where this school was located visiting another shop in the same strip mall. I was walking to my car and looked over and noticed the head instructor was standing outside the dojang, very well dressed, wearing these wrap-around shades, looking real cool. There was a few other well dressed guys, in shades, around him as well. As I got to my car I saw then lock up the doors to the school and one of them said "shi jock!" loudly and the troop commenced out to the parking lot to several parked vehicles. The weird thing was the head dude was surrounded by all these guys in a perimeter fashion, like he was the president or something! One guy even walked out in front of a lady with a shopping cart to prevent her from getting too close to this guy. It looked like a scene off some cheesy martial arts flick.
Anyway that's my little story. Has anyone else ever seen behavior like this in TKD before or in any other martial art? Is there anyone in martial arts who has a traveling cavalcade around them at all times like the godfather or something? It was really very strange to say the least.
