What would you do? Need advice

[Gerry Seymour]

I did not want to mention the school name or style. Just in case someone from my school is on here.

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Ah. That does make sense.

 

[JR 137]

It's courteous to let them know you won't be taking classes any longer, but not necessary. If you have his email address (or that of the school), it would be appropriate to send a quick email to the effect, "I appreciate the time and effort you put into my training, and I value the experience. I've decided I need a different approach, and will no longer be attending classes. Best wishes."

Which post are you replying to?

I was referring to the top quoted post.

The best one was a friend of mine emailed a Cross-Fit instructor that he wasn't coming back. He got several emails, which he ignored. Then he started getting "why are you ignoring me?" emails followed by phone calls from him and then from people in the class.

That's the worst example I've seen, but I've seen some other ones where a simple verbal "my family/work/school obligations have changed and I can't return until further notice" would've potentially ended anything before it started.

Just my opinion. I could very well be wrong.

 

[TieXiongJi]

I would like your advice about my school. I'm still new to kung fu. I'm not really sure if I'm just being a cry baby or not.

I started at a kung fu almost a year ago. This was my first time ever doing a martial art besides wresling. I looked at the schools in my area and found my current school. I researched and looked for all the signs some would say make a bad kung fu school. I did not see any so I signed up for a one year contract. I started out how I would expect to start out. I learned the bare basics of my style punches, kicks, horse stance, bow stance, cat stance and etc. I loved it I did not mind doing a kick over and over again till I did it right or practice 1 section of my form repeatedly. Everyday was rewarding and I went home learning something new. I received my white belt in the first 3 months.

From there the class started going down hill. I received my white belt in may 2016. As of January 2017 I have practiced my yellow belt kicks and punches with an instructor 6 times. All they have me do is forms. I get that forms are important but that's all we practice. Maybe sparring technics once in awhile. Even my forms are rushed and awful. I will mess up on a section or not really understand it and will get corrected. They don't have me work on it over and over like they use to. I move on to the next step and everything gets jumbled together. I'm on the orange belt form now and I don't fully get the yellow belt form. I never get to practice it during class. I do practice it at home. Now I am one section away from finishing the orange belt form and moving to green. That will be 2 forms I do not understand but completed.

I started pushing back and asking the instructors to take a step back and make sure I am doing my form correctly and not to be rushed(nicely). Most of them do not like this. They just want me to follow along. They roll their eyes and say "don't worry you'll get this". They want me to test for my yellow and orange belt during the next belt test but I know I am not ready. I've tried speaking to my master and he just says keep coming to class.

What do you think about my school and would you do?

I'm thinking about looking for a new school. There are hundreds of schools in my area and I can go find a new one. I am thinking about Wing Chun but that's a different story.

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Hey brother. I had a very similar experience at my first school; White Dragon Kung Fu in San Diego, CA.
They teach you just enough to keep you motivated, but not enough to understand any of it. The coaches were good enough to teach basics, but not much else.
Attend a local tournament to encounter and engage other schools. Watch quality performances online long enough and you will see the flaws in your coaches' forms.
Use the free intro classes! Attend any school for 1 whole month (3-6 practices each week) until you find the one you love.

 

[marques]

How have you approached your master when you left their school?

If you like him, if there some sort of relationship, or if you there is a possibility you may come back I think it is better to tell him you're moving away.

If I was the instructor of a student I know and like, I would like to know that he his moving away (excuse is optional). This way he would be welcome in the future. And I will not be waiting for him or be wondering if he his still alive or...

At the same time, here in the UK as we often pay-as-you-go, I never know when is my last training. I never know when is my next training... since I have many options every day (but a long drive in between). I may fail my own advice.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I was referring to the top quoted post.

The best one was a friend of mine emailed a Cross-Fit instructor that he wasn't coming back. He got several emails, which he ignored. Then he started getting "why are you ignoring me?" emails followed by phone calls from him and then from people in the class.

That's the worst example I've seen, but I've seen some other ones where a simple verbal "my family/work/school obligations have changed and I can't return until further notice" would've potentially ended anything before it started.

Just my opinion. I could very well be wrong.

I've heard of that happening when people don't notify, as well. I don't think the notification created that situation.

 

[wingchun100]

That sounds like a Tom Servo line.

Actually, it was Mike. I remember it being from an episode after they made the move from Comedy Central to Sci Fi Channel.

 

[wingchun100]

And yes, I know that is now spelled Syfy.

 

[Flying Crane]

Hey brother. I had a very similar experience at my first school; White Dragon Kung Fu in San Diego, CA.
They teach you just enough to keep you motivated, but not enough to understand any of it. The coaches were good enough to teach basics, but not much else.
Attend a local tournament to encounter and engage other schools. Watch quality performances online long enough and you will see the flaws in your coaches' forms.
Use the free intro classes! Attend any school for 1 whole month (3-6 practices each week) until you find the one you love.

Quality online performances are about as common as a unicorn. That's not a good way to make judgement of his instructors form.

 

[ballen0351]

Its your money and your time. If you felt compelled to post here and ask then I think you already know you don't want to be there. There is nothing wrong with changing schools. If you have hundreds of others available then that's great go try as many as you can. Take as many free classes at as many schools as you can. Watch some of the other students that have been there a while see how they look. Ask other students questions after class see how they like it. You will eventually find one that "fits"
Having many different schools to try is a luxury many people don't have so take advantage. Also I personally stay clear of any schools making me sign a year long contact. I prefer that the school teach a quality product to make me want to come every week not make me sign a contract to force me to pay. Not all schools that require contacts are bad but on the same token many bad schools require contracts for a reason....

 

[TieXiongJi]

Quality online performances are about as common as a unicorn. That's not a good way to make judgement of his instructors form.

How many quality performances would I have to source to change your opinion?
I have long playlists of near perfect performances of techniques, traditional/modern/custom forms, sport fighting and street fighting. Also some great lectures about history, philosophy and concepts behind tradition and styles.
The Internet is the greatest invention since the Transistor and Air Conditioning.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

How many quality performances would I have to source to change your opinion?
I have long playlists of near perfect performances of techniques, traditional/modern/custom forms, sport fighting and street fighting. Also some great lectures about history, philosophy and concepts behind tradition and styles.
The Internet is the greatest invention since the Transistor and Air Conditioning.

The issue is that one needs enough experience in the art to be able to recognize the quality. So, watching online performances is unlikely to provide a basis for assessing his instructors.

 

[Flying Crane]

How many quality performances would I have to source to change your opinion?
I have long playlists of near perfect performances of techniques, traditional/modern/custom forms, sport fighting and street fighting. Also some great lectures about history, philosophy and concepts behind tradition and styles.
The Internet is the greatest invention since the Transistor and Air Conditioning.

Show me some and I'll tell you what I think of the quality. Most of what people think is good, is actually junk. Because most people don't really know what they are looking at.

Do you believe that a beginner can go on the internet and find some random video made by whomever, and use that to make a legitimate judgement on his instructor's quality? No way.

But everyone thinks they can.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

But everyone thinks they can.

There's that Dunning-Kruger effect, again.

 

[Headhunter]

Sounds pretty bad to me. Forms are absolutely important but it shouldn't be all you do at all and if all you do is form and you're not being taught properly then that's a very bad sign. Your instructor wants you to test but you don't? Easy way to not test. Don't turn up on test day

 

[TieXiongJi]

Show me some and I'll tell you what I think of the quality. Most of what people think is good, is actually junk. Because most people don't really know what they are looking at.

Do you believe that a beginner can go on the internet and find some random video made by whomever, and use that to make a legitimate judgement on his instructor's quality? No way.

But everyone thinks they can.

I agree a beginner wouldn't be capable of seeing it. The comments section, the likes, the channel content are all good feedback tools for beginners. Also published texts with good reviews from notable players.

Ok. Here goes...

Tai Chi 24-form
Chen - style (56-form)
Sun taiji 73 mouvements
Karate kyokushin kata pinan sono 1,2,3,4,5
Kyokushinkai karate Kata Kanku
Xingyi Five-element Quan Tutorial..

Just a few of 1000's more.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I agree a beginner wouldn't be capable of seeing it. The comments section, the likes, the channel content are all good feedback tools for beginners. Also published texts with good reviews from notable players.

Ok. Here goes...

Tai Chi 24-form
Chen - style (56-form)
Sun taiji 73 mouvements
Karate kyokushin kata pinan sono 1,2,3,4,5
Kyokushinkai karate Kata Kanku
Xingyi Five-element Quan Tutorial..

Just a few of 1000's more.

Comments on YouTube tend to be poorly informed. They tend to respond more to what people think MA should be, or involve a lot of trolling, or simply demonstrate a lack of understanding of the art. There will be some informed comments, but again the beginner will be hard-pressed to tell the informed from the uninformed. Likes are even less useful - they can be bought at the cost of $5 for several thousand likes.

 

[TieXiongJi]

Comments on YouTube tend to be poorly informed. They tend to respond more to what people think MA should be, or involve a lot of trolling, or simply demonstrate a lack of understanding of the art. There will be some informed comments, but again the beginner will be hard-pressed to tell the informed from the uninformed. Likes are even less useful - they can be bought at the cost of $5 for several thousand likes.

Those are concerns that YT needs to solve. Everyone knows the Top Comments tend towards trolls while serious comments are further down.
My comments are pretty well informed

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Those are concerns that YT needs to solve. Everyone knows the Top Comments tend towards trolls while serious comments are further down.
My comments are pretty well informed

Yours may be, but how does the beginner tell yours from the uninformed? That requires more information than they have.

 

[Flying Crane]

I agree a beginner wouldn't be capable of seeing it. The comments section, the likes, the channel content are all good feedback tools for beginners. Also published texts with good reviews from notable players.

Ok. Here goes...

Tai Chi 24-form
Chen - style (56-form)
Sun taiji 73 mouvements
Karate kyokushin kata pinan sono 1,2,3,4,5
Kyokushinkai karate Kata Kanku
Xingyi Five-element Quan Tutorial..

Just a few of 1000's more.

I'm not in a position to watch these now, will try to take a look later.

 

[TieXiongJi]

Yours may be, but how does the beginner tell yours from the uninformed? That requires more information than they have.

There is no perfect answer to inexperience. I agree there are flaws with any method other than consult an experienced teacher, but we all know even that has the authority fallacy.