Shaming this Dojang! Similar experiences?

[UltimateOllie]

I went to the ADULT class (16 and over), however half the class were younger children (some with black belts). The class lasted for a massive 45 minutes! The first 5 minutes we spent warming up with jumping jacks, etc. Then about 25 minutes doing grading patterns (I did basic punches and blocks), and then a few minutes drink break followed by 10 minutes of set sparring, which means paired choreographed movements with NO-CONTACT!

The instructor was also incompetent, as he demonstrated a basic front snap kick, but when I asked if there was another similar front kick called a push kick (mireo chagi), he denied that there was any such kick in TKD! Furthermore, if this wasn't a free trial I would have had to pay a monthly fee of

 

[spinningbakfist]

what are u doing at a TKD school anyway? its probably the worst technique to learn to be actually effective in a fight. also 45 mins is very short for a class.

TKD instructers are usally old men who think there ninjas

 

[Lionidas]

You went to a McDojo...learn from it and move on to the next gym.

As far as the "massive 45 minutes" class? Some top notch MMA schools offer very high intensity 45 minute classes.
Sure, the average is 1 hour but all schools are different and all instructors are different. Some schools offer the high intensity 45 minute classes because it closely resembles an actual fight.
You can have a 2 hour class that is generally slower paced with a break or you can have one 45 minute set that has a very high intensity with no breaks at all.

Lastly, some MMA fighters will tell you that the best way to build endurance for an MMA fight is to train everday thats similar to an MMA fight. Meaning shorter training periods with crazy ass drills and training involved.

p.s. Quality > quantity

 

[Migomon]

The class lasted for a massive 45 minutes!

wtf man

 

[UltimateOllie]

what are u doing at a TKD school anyway? its probably the worst technique to learn to be actually effective in a fight. also 45 mins is very short for a class.

TKD instructers are usally old men who think there ninjas

I thought I'd give it a try to improve my kicks, since Anderson Silva has A TKD background. However, I'd prob have to pay big bucks to grade up before I even get to the kicks at this McDojang.

 

[UltimateOllie]

wtf man

Yeah I know. Their other classes are an hour to be fair, but this was the only one I could do. Still, should get some kind of discount.

 

[UltimateOllie]

You went to a McDojo...learn from it and move on to the next gym.

As far as the "massive 45 minutes" class? Some top notch MMA schools offer very high intensity 45 minute classes.
Sure, the average is 1 hour but all schools are different and all instructors are different. Some schools offer the high intensity 45 minute classes because it closely resembles an actual fight.
You can have a 2 hour class that is generally slower paced with a break or you can have one 45 minute set that has a very high intensity with no breaks at all.

Lastly, some MMA fighters will tell you that the best way to build endurance for an MMA fight is to train everday thats similar to an MMA fight. Meaning shorter training periods with crazy ass drills and training involved.

p.s. Quality > quantity

Good points, but this was nowhere near high intensity, trust me.

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

You went to a McDojo...learn from it and move on to the next gym.

No no blame it all on TkD instead of yourself and develop a seething hatred for it that you express on forums everytime you get a chance.:icon_chee

 

[UltimateOllie]

No no blame it all on TkD instead of yourself and develop a seething hatred for it that you express on forums everytime you get a chance.:icon_chee

Lol, I've seen much negativity towards TKD, but I'm open to trying it. For those with TKD experience from a good Dojang, what would be the typical class you experienced? For example, what was the ratio of patterns to pad work to sparring, etc. At the McDojang I visited someone told me they never do pad work, but I won't base my opinion of TKD from this one experience.

 

[c0r1nth14n]

You went to a McDojo...learn from it and move on to the next gym.

As far as the "massive 45 minutes" class? Some top notch MMA schools offer very high intensity 45 minute classes.
Sure, the average is 1 hour but all schools are different and all instructors are different. Some schools offer the high intensity 45 minute classes because it closely resembles an actual fight.
You can have a 2 hour class that is generally slower paced with a break or you can have one 45 minute set that has a very high intensity with no breaks at all.

Lastly, some MMA fighters will tell you that the best way to build endurance for an MMA fight is to train everday thats similar to an MMA fight. Meaning shorter training periods with crazy ass drills and training involved.

p.s. Quality > quantity

My classes are only 1 hour, and some days i leave thinking "I wish class was longer", and some days I leave thinking "oh god, I couldn't go another minute"

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

Lol, I've seen much negativity towards TKD, but I'm open to trying it. For those with TKD experience from a good Dojang, what would be the typical class you experienced? For example, what was the ratio of patterns to pad work to sparring, etc. At the McDojang I visited someone told me they never do pad work, but I won't base my opinion of TKD from this one experience.

As i was taught you went through line drills and forms just for around ten minutes the rest of the time was spent on pads ,bag work, and sparring, makiwara

 

[Mr Fingers]

There is defiantly something wrong with a school that doesn

 

[Hamsterdam]

At my dojang we didn't do bag work, but we did about a half hour of pad work in each 90 min session. We also sparred once a week. The adult classes had adults (aside from myself).

 

[UltimateOllie]

As i was taught you went through line drills and forms just for around ten minutes the rest of the time was spent on pads ,bag work, and sparring, makiwara

Damn, that sounds more like it! I definately won't be going back to the one I visited (unfortunately my local one too). From what I can gather they spend the whole class doing forms and only do step sparring. It is more like some form of meditation like Tai Chi than martial arts. I'm surprised though since the club is ITF affiliated, but from my research ITF seem to be the worst (at least in UK), whereas WTF clubs are more competition focussed and actually allow contact sparring.

I think I'm going to join a legitimate WTF club, or else try to find a Sanda club, since I like to be unorthodox (Kickboxing and Muay Thai are too mainstream).

 

[Mr Fingers]

Damn, that sounds more like it! I definately won't be going back to the one I visited (unfortunately my local one too). From what I can gather they spend the whole class doing forms and only do step sparring. It is more like some form of meditation like Tai Chi than martial arts. I'm surprised though since the club is ITF affiliated, but from my research ITF seem to be the worst (at least in UK), whereas WTF clubs are more competition focussed and actually allow contact sparring.

I think I'm going to join a legitimate WTF club, or else try to find a Sanda club, since I like to be unorthodox (Kickboxing and Muay Thai are too mainstream).

If you

 

[UltimateOllie]

If you

 

[Mr Fingers]

I believe Kyokushin has a good variety of kicks, but I am no expert on the subject. I also enjoy the atmosphere and culture that traditional martial arts, but I have yet to find a gym near me that has both the atmosphere and effective training. Good luck on finding a place to train.

 

[lparnes]

sounds like a bad class with a bad instructor, if he is denying moves and only have 45 minute classes. good thing it was a free trial.

 

[TigerArm]

Damn, that sounds more like it! I definately won't be going back to the one I visited (unfortunately my local one too). From what I can gather they spend the whole class doing forms and only do step sparring. It is more like some form of meditation like Tai Chi than martial arts. I'm surprised though since the club is ITF affiliated, but from my research ITF seem to be the worst (at least in UK), whereas WTF clubs are more competition focussed and actually allow contact sparring.

I think I'm going to join a legitimate WTF club, or else try to find a Sanda club, since I like to be unorthodox (Kickboxing and Muay Thai are too mainstream).

At least ITF teaches you to to punch and keep your hands up. A WTF school will just teach you to hop around with your hands down. I trained a at a decent ITF style school when i was in high school. Classes were usually like 10 min warmups, 10-15 minutes on forms, 10-15 minutes on individual kicks/strikes, then pad work. (I mean kicking shields and the targets that make the nice loud WHAP when you hit em, not thai pads.) We also did bagwork occasionally, and sparred at least once a week. My instructor was cool in that he openly admitted TKD wasn't the best style for self defense, so he also incorporated some boxing for us. He even had a Judo/sambo blackbelt and BJJ blue belt open a mixed 'Grappling' class.

Honestly though i wouldn't even bother. Go to a kickboxing school and look up some TKD kicking technique instructionals. (Revolution of Kicking is great and all of its on Youtube.) It's not that hard to add the hook kick/spinning back kick, a couple combos, etc to your arsenal and you won't have to do forms or lame high section blocks. TKD ain't all bad but i think it's a waste of time in your case. Go with the San shou, you'll learn all the fancy kicks there, plus awesome throws! I started learning Sanda this past summer and it's totally rad. Too bad i'm in so much school. :icon_sad:

Kyokushin is gnarly too but doesn't specialize in kicks if that's what your'e after.

 

[Doughbelly]

Tigerarm, don't start that ITF bullshit. No one wants to hear about how ITF guys know how to punch when the competition format is glorified tag and doesn't allow for full contact strikes. No one wants to hear it from a bunch of people who literally make up less than half a percent of practitioners worldwide.

Second, Kyokushin has just as many, if not more variety in kicking that TKD.