D.B. Cooper
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2016
- Messages
- 4,400
This is kind of a follow on topic to my earlier thread about trainers being booked out for a year in advance.
I recently decided to look for "empty handed" training, specifically, Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or both. I already had some prior experience, many years ago, in Tae Kwon Do, so it was natural to gravitate that way. I quickly discovered that martial arts has become a day care center. I checked out all of the local dojos in my area, and all are primarily for children. Even the "adult" classes are 1-2 adults and 6-8 8th and 9th graders. (Nice, good kids as near as I could tell, but kids nonetheless.)
What is going on? I spoke to one instructor who put it into two categories. Child care was there bread and butter, and ever since MMA/UFC hit mainstream entertainment, most of the adults started doing that. Is this what you are seeing in your dojos as well? Is there something out there that isn't MMA that also isn't kiddie care? I seem to recall that there were always adults in the TKD classes I took in my teen years. Anyone have any suggestions on what an adult looking for real hand to hand training should gravitate toward?
The other thing I noticed is that this is expensive stuff. $2200/year at the one dojo that has any adults in the classes. (6 hrs per week of training.) Perhaps that isn't expensive compred to the $1820 I just spent at Gunsite for one week.
I recently decided to look for "empty handed" training, specifically, Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, or both. I already had some prior experience, many years ago, in Tae Kwon Do, so it was natural to gravitate that way. I quickly discovered that martial arts has become a day care center. I checked out all of the local dojos in my area, and all are primarily for children. Even the "adult" classes are 1-2 adults and 6-8 8th and 9th graders. (Nice, good kids as near as I could tell, but kids nonetheless.)
What is going on? I spoke to one instructor who put it into two categories. Child care was there bread and butter, and ever since MMA/UFC hit mainstream entertainment, most of the adults started doing that. Is this what you are seeing in your dojos as well? Is there something out there that isn't MMA that also isn't kiddie care? I seem to recall that there were always adults in the TKD classes I took in my teen years. Anyone have any suggestions on what an adult looking for real hand to hand training should gravitate toward?
The other thing I noticed is that this is expensive stuff. $2200/year at the one dojo that has any adults in the classes. (6 hrs per week of training.) Perhaps that isn't expensive compred to the $1820 I just spent at Gunsite for one week.