Changing arts; advice please

--amadeus--

Kind of a general question at the moment that might get specific later on...

I train in TangSooDo, essentially a variant of TKD. I'm still a junior grade - I missed a couple of gradings so I probably should be further along than I am but I enjoy the training which is the main thing. I also only train once a week since MA is cross training for my main sport (running). The class is excellent, varied, good price, good timing, good instructor. I really can't fault it.

But!

Numbers have plunged lately. It's probably just the summer holidays but it's starting to get to a point where the instructors will be losing money if they keep it up. Understandably they are thinking of merging the midweek class with the Saturday class to keep the numbers up over teh summer and open up the midweek classes again in Sept.

But I can't train at the weekends. Now the classes aren't def getting cancelled but if they are then I'm pretty much stuck.

So - how easy / difficult is it to switch codes? Are you able to carry your belt with you / grade to a higher level straight away or would you have to start at white again? In a situation like mine would you consider training alone to be an adequate substitute for the three or four weeks the class is closed or will I simply be reinforcing bad habits in that time? If I did have to switch TKD would be the obvious choice, although I don't think there is a club near me. Apart from that any suggestions on an art that would be stylistically close?

Thanks in advance!

yomchi

Hi mate,
Firstly don't pack in your training with them just becasue the numbers are down. All over the summer numbers are down in most clubs due to holidays, good weather etc. I can assure you numbers will be back up come September. If you mean all those positive things, well then it would be a shame to jack.

Secondly, from my understanding of it TSD is nothing like TKD. TSD is effectively Korean Karate. In TSD you do karate kata right?
Also if i'm not mistaken TSD is also around longer than TKD.
If you changed over to TKD I would imagine you would have to start over.

Just my little bit.

dunkamania

OP is thinking of leaving because they may be dropping the midweek class, and he cant make weekends

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well OP, I'd suggest first talking to the instructors to see if the move to the weekend is a definite decision and work from there.

As Yomchi said, numbers are down in all styles over the summer month - it happens in almost every club then things come back with a bang in September.

If you have to change styles, well I don't know any where you can carry over your grade tbh. So your looking at starting over again, but thats not always a bad thing either since you've only commited to your present style because it suits your cross training - you might find something that really grabs your attention.

Just one thing to ask yourself (if attendence hasn't picked up in autumn), why hasn't it picked up? and why hasn't the instructors been able to draw in the membership?

Best of luck if you've to look for a new club/style, but my advice is to hang on there until September and see how things go.

.

--amadeus--

Thanks for teh replies

Yeah, TSD is generally tagged as Korean Karate and the kata would have a lot in common but I always thought that it was closer to TKD than to karate as they both developed in Korea? A mate of mine is a brown belt in Shotokan and there are a lot of stylistic differences. I'll always bow to superior knowledge though

And yeah - my only reason for thinking of a switch is the closing of teh midweek class. Realistically if they close it until Sept I can't see myself going back - I'm racing the Amsterdam marathon in the third week of October so would be taking the 2 - 3 weeks before that off anyway to avoid the risk of injury. It'll take a week or two after that to be ready to train again so that's into Nov at which point human nature will be to say "ahhh, sure I'll leave it till after Xmas...". If I train through though then that's less likely to happen. But the thought of going back to teh start all over again doesn't fill me with joy either.

Good point about the dropping numbers though. And I'm pretty sure it's a temporary, summer thing - it's a well established class.

cowzerp

--amadeus-- wrote: »

But the thought of going back to the start all over again doesn't fill me with joy either..

If its a new art then you will be at the start, but if your good enough to do the start stuff they should move you along to whatever your capable of

PS, old adage but Belts are for holing your trousers up, belts dont make the fighter good and mean little in most cases these days, the only people who get excited about black belts are non martial artists that believe you may have super dooper powers-which you wont!.

Unpossible

I don't think you should give up on the art just because of a 6 month break. You will get back whatever technique you lost after a few months of training.

--amadeus--

Thanks for teh advice - all much appreciated