Was the original OP that much longer than the current? Maybe people need to learn how to not read slow.
Is a few hundred/month for enrichment activities that awful? Reminds me of the thread we had with a mom bitching about her daughter wanting to go on a school trip that wasn’t free.
That said, the trumped up awards and national champion thing certainly sounds scammy.
You’re welcome. And no need to apologize; we all say incorrect things out of ignorance from time to time. The mark of an intellectually honest person is recognizing when he/she has done that, which you just did.
It depends on what you’re getting for hundreds of dollars a month–if it’s just more of the same training wearing a different-colored velour uniform, I’ll pass. I studied Shotokan for eight years, $60 a month for all the classes I could stand up in and kept the same uniform the entire time.
Actually, for martial arts, yes. Most real Do Jangs that are not McDojos won’t exceed $100/month. In fact, even though them being a McDojo is not completely out of the question, just from that one thing, it does reduce it’s chances significantly because it shows that they’re not overly interested in the profit, and actually in the art.
ETA: My Do Jang gives classes two times per week (45 minute classes) for $78, and a $10 discount for each additional family member that you get to join. They even halve your price if you decide to only take once-per-week classes.
But that’s the thing: the people who REALLY want to learn a discipline (anything: cooking, archery, endurance racing, whatever) will go beyond just the standard “go to class and practice.” They watch others engaging in the activity, do extra reading, join internet forums dedicated to their new passion, etc. And like you, they soon come to recognize who’s spouting bullshit and who really knows and can teach the most effective techniques.
The student finds the teacher he or she is ready for. Most of the McDojo customers will never be ready for fighting-oriented martial arts in any case, so their problem is really just that they’re paying to much for lessons. Not a good thing, but not the end of the world, either.
I suppose if the McDojo is teaching students that they’re some form of super-ninja because they now possess these awesome badass skilz, then yes, those students could get into trouble. But I suspect they’d be destined to get into trouble anyway, as the first rule of self defense is that there’s always someone out there who’s a tougher badass than you are, so situational awareness (which allows you to see and avoid trouble before it becomes a fight) is the most important defensive skill of them all. Most people have enough sense to figure out that one quickly.
artemis, you are right that people who really want to learn the art will go beyond just attending classes, but that still doesn’t make it right on the McDojos part. It’s still wrong for McDojos to being deceiving people like that.
As the old saying goes, “Two wrongs don’t make it right.”
What I’m saying is that it’s still not right for McDojos to be doing that. It’s a jerk move to both the art and the public.
You’re right about that Anonymous User. Unfortunately, the world has an apparently endless supply of both jerks and suckers, so it’s a nigh-unbreakable cycle.
I would imagine that even a “properly” trained martial artist could get his or her ass kicked, since most people don’t really fight fair. If you’re stupid enough to think other wise, you deserve to get your ass kicked.
I never said any such thing. While proper training from a real Do Jang isn’t merely to guarantee any victories in fights, at least they teach the damn art right, and some real self-defense skills. McDojos teach very little, if any, practical self-defense, and don’t really teach the art right.
I am not stupid enough to think that.
Do any modern militaries teach unarmed combat anymore? If any group gets taught real unarmed combat (which is what we really mean when we say “martial arts” in this thread), it’s the marines and the soldiers in the Army and so on. Is there a way to learn what they teach without having to enlist first?
If any of you still are not convinced and think that I am “full of myself”, visit this site and it may answer some of your questions. If not, there are plenty of other sources you can go to.
Actually I just found something interesting from that site which you may think is interesting.
As I understand it, South Korean soldiers stationed in the DMZ are required to be taekwondo masters due to the limitations on what firearms they can bring in.
Mike Terry: You want the officer to walk you home? Huh? It’s rough out there.
Snowflake: Well after he gets his black belt he can walk me to the car. That’ll make me feel secure.
Mike Terry: How’s the belt going to make you feel secure?
Snowflake: I know his fucking pants aren’t going to fall down.
…
Mike Terry: I got something for you. [pulls out black belt]
Officer Joe Collins: No.
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Officer Joe Collins: [taking the belt] I don’t deserve it.
Mike Terry: It’s overdue.
Officer Joe Collins: I…
Mike Terry: The belt is just symbolic. The belt, as Snowflake says, is to just keep your pants up.
David Mamet - Redbelt
CMC
If I really wanted to learn self-defense, I would study aikido. I took a few classes once, long ago. It is purely defensive. There are no punches or kicks, no aggressive or attacking moves at all, in aikido; you cannot use its techniques at all unless somebody attacks you; it is all about how to respond to that and get your attacker immobilized on the ground, without either of you getting injured.
If I wanted to learn to fight, I would join a Fight Club.
And they should also be taught that the best defense of all is running away really fast. Better to have a track medal than a black belt.
I do hope you realize how humorous this is in the context of the current thread.
I suppose I should just start a GQ thread at this point.
I read the post before seeing it was an AU post. I should have known better.
OP, graduate high school before you start telling us what martial arts is for. My husband and my children are both in TKD, and it was the best decision I ever made for my children to help them learn self control, discipline, and focus. Martial arts isn’t just about being able to beat people up, and you should know that if you really are a serious student of TKD.
Whoa.