Martial Arts - School Advice

As some of you know I've been taking Taekwondo off and on since I was eighteen. I finally found the school I really love, but the more and more I attend classes the more I see that it may not be the school for me. For one, I come from a combat background. In my previous schools I was trained to be an aggressive fighter, getting a knockout usually meant winning the match. So, when I spar in class I'm use to hitting at fifty to possibly seventy percent contact. However, in this new system they literally have you just TAP your appointment when fighting. If I hit just hard enough to get a slight smack they stop my match and tell me I'm hitting too hard. I had this happen on Tuesday when I fought a red belt. He kept telling me, though my techniques are good, I need to pull my punches and kicks back. A good example on how the contact level is: If you have a fold in your shirt, they just want you to pat it down.

Now, I have full respect for this school system. They teach some great ground defenses along with some hand techniques. But, their leg techniques are a little strange. For one, they throw a kick a certain way in class, but expect the students to somehow learn without being taught to try and change that kick for sparring. I see many students having problems with taking what they learned in class to sparring. I just don't get it. Just wish I knew why they did that. I have asked the instructor and he told me once that: The kick in class is for precision where the kick for sparring is more power.

For you martial artists out there the kick is a round kick. They want you to hit with the ball of your foot in class, but switch it up and somehow use the SAME technique but they want you to hit with the top of your foot. Doesn't work. I've tried, it's awkward. And the instructors don't teach you how to switch it up, they expect you to somehow know.


I just feel they aren't teaching their students on how to really fight and to learn how to take a hit. I've taken plenty of hits before, they hurt but you learn from them and you move on. You learn how to guard that area better, learn how to bounce back after getting smacked around. Just don't see that ever happening in this system.

So, I just need advice. Should I stick with the system, see how it works or try to find another school? I really want to start training for professional fights, but this school doesn't do anything near that. The reason why I attend this school is that it's non-contract, which makes it very appealing. And the people there are incredible to be around with and the school owner is an amazing guy. Just confused for some reason.

Sorry for the long post, just needed to vent.

Find a new style.

Besides the fact that it might be fun and healthy to reboot and try something different, taekwondo...well, it has some shortcomings as a practical style. Give jiujitsu or judo a try--or hell, if there's a solid MMA school around, check them out.

Originally Posted by llamatron Seriously, Bryan. is pretty much the coolest person in all of existence and definitely all of GD.

I think you answered your question with the above statements.

I don't think you're in it for the non-contract benefits, but to learn this art.

Take what you can from their pros (Defense).. then move on to a school more your liking once you feel there's not much more to learn..

Not sure how it all works, but maybe you can ask different schools if they are willing to take you at a trial basis to see if the school is right for you.

That might help

Thanks you two.

Well, I've had problems before with contracts so I usually stay very far away from them. I'll keep going, see what they have to offer. Since it is only monthly payments, I could start looking at other schools without feeling tied down.

Thanks again.

I had been attending Kung Fu lessons for almost two years. Kung Fu is a very aggressive martial art and it did not help me in real life fight situations at all. I then tried a martial art called Aikido and have stuck to it ever since.

Aikido and Systema are two martial arts I would highly recommend to you. Systema is probably the best out of the two. I have had a Systema teacher come to my Aikido school and he gave us a demonstration class of Systema and it is the most amazing and simple martial art I have ever seen.

Aikido is all about effortless power. I have been doing Aikido for about 2 years and while it is hard to learn, once you understand it it will start becoming alot easier. However, with Systema you will find you learn very quickly. Systema still gives you the chance to use aggressive fighting styles such as punching but a Systema punch done right is completely effortless.
Systema is alot like Aikido but you may use a small amount of force in movements. In just one lesson I had learnt how to bring adults down to the ground with little effort at all. Systema training is mainly free fighting.

If you really like contact fighting then you should take some classes in SSGT(Street Survival Ground Tactics). It is full contact and you can learn alot. Its more on the line of Judo, shoot fighting, traditional wrestling, and UFC. It was developed by H. Gracie and is gaining alot of popularity in the UFC and Law Enforcement community. I graduated instructor school about a year ago and it is very very effective. Also you should look into PPCT(Pressure Point Control Tactics) and MACH(Mechanical Advantage Control Holds) those two are great for body manipulation. I'm a certified Master Instructor in PPCT. Let me know if you have any ?.

Thanks guys.


Yeah, the reason why I love the school I'm going to right now is because it has potential. The owner has training in Judo, Aikido and Taekwondo which he then tries to blend in with some unique techniques. I love the Judo and Aikido parts of the training and just wish they would focus on that more. It has potential to become a great school for fighters, but just lacks the motivation. Thus the reason for my confusion. The school is called: The Academy of Fighting Arts. And yet they don't teach how to fight.

Anytime

You know.. I thought about something when i read your first post and the same thought came across me again here..

Do you think maybe the reason why there's no contract is because the potential of this school has been stunted?

Maybe the instructor himself feels he isn't up to par with the other schools and is offering this type of commitment..

What I'm saying is.. if he has no confidence in his own skills to create his own style or something.. maybe it won't ever happen... and you're possibly able to see that stunted potential because of your background.. compared to another student..

either way.. I hope other schools will allow you to do a trial basis..

Just give your instructor a full contact between the legs.

You'll get your 100% sparring match, then probably kicked out. So do it on your last session of the month.

Originally Posted by @GogDog When life gives you lemons, you KICK IT IN!

my old karate teacher used to let us spar with near full contact. it was great, you learn to take hits and you learn much faster. i hate it when you're supposed to pull your punches in sparring. you're learning to fight right? so you should expect to get hit. isn't that the point?

i'm still looking for a decent school myself.