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Koguryo Martial Arts Home
How much do you charge?
This question is not the best question until you can fairly compare the
different products. Many people call and just ask for the price, looking for the
lowest. Without realizing the that the products are not the same. It's like
calling a Honda dealer, then calling a Daewoo dealer and comparing the prices.
Of course the Daewoo dealer is cheaper, but is it a better value? All Martial
Arts schools in town charge between $50 and $150 a month for lessons. When you
come in we can explain the different programs and prices, we charge fair and
competitive rates for our students.
There are so many different
martial art schools, aren't they all just the same?
No. All schools
vary in quality and educational value. There are many factors that change the
value of the education you or your child will receive from school to school. The
first step is the quality and expertise of the Instructor. This will vary
extremely. From very poor in actual martial art knowledge and ability to
excellent at business and marketing. It is sometimes hard to tell if someone
really knows what they are doing, but you should look for pictures and and video
to see if the Instructor claims are true.
There seems to be many styles
taught, which style is the best style to learn?
There are
many styles of Martial Arts to choose from, which can make a decision difficult.
People call all the time asking what style we teach, as if that and price are
the most important questions. The style is only as important as the teacher. You
can go to one Aikido school and then visit another, and both of them could be
drastically different in abilities, teaching styles, knowledge and quality. Why?
Is it the style that made the difference, No. Therefore look first at the
teacher, his lineage, abilities, and teaching style, curriculum of the school,
then style, and price. That way you can make an educated decision and not
waste your time and money.
What is the best way to find a
good school?
The best thing to do is call and schedule an appointment then come into the
school and watch the Instructor teach and see how the students perform. It would
only take five minutes and that way you can meet the owner and know if he is the
right one to teach you or your child.
Does it matter what age and
rank the Main Instructor is?
This is a relative matter. It all depends. I've seen Grandmasters who are in their
40's who should not even be in the martial arts business. I've also seen
young Instructors who are very technically proficient and good at teaching too.
Does it matter if the
Instructor is Asian?
No. This is relative
too. It does not matter, in the Martial Arts I see just as many poorly trained
Asian Martial Artists as there are poorly trained Western Martial Artists.
Is there any difference
between a modern commercial school and a traditional school?
Yes, there is a difference. Modern schools teach a sport style of martial arts.
Emphasizing competitive tournaments and winning trophies. The also have easier
curriculums so students won't be challenged and can continue till Black Belt
easily. That is why many of these schools have tons of Black Belts and even 6 yr
olds with Black belts, there focus is primarily on business, making money
through quantity not quality. I'm sure a person can recognize what a school such
as
this looks like, but sometimes it is difficult to do. Therefore watch the
students and ask questions, compare to another school and make an informed
choice. Choose what is best for you and your family.
I'm worried about my child starting
and then quitting, do I have to join for a long term commitment?
We have many programs to choose from. Our beginner Green Belt Program is a 7 - 8
months program. Some parents have doubts about making commitments. They worry
that their children will quit or will lose interest. Some local schools in town
ask for a minimum 12 month commitment or even try to get you to sign up for a 36
month commitment. We do not run our business like that. We do not want to trap
people into joining and paying for something they are not benefiting from or
enjoying. Please do not worry, just support your child and encourage them to
work hard and go to class. Teach them to make a commitment and see it through
till the end. Remember that anything great in a person's life requires a strong
commitment, whether it is college, marriage, family, or a career. Learning this lesson through martial arts will help you or your child learn
this important fact of life.
Do you offer
supplemental classes like Krav Maga, Xtreme Martial Arts (XMA), CDT?
Recently many commercial schools have started teaching additional
curriculum to their standard art. In the martial arts business this is called a "Plug
in".
Martial Arts school owners view these additional classes as a way to earn extra
income, a separate income generator, instead of making money solely from their
core art. The problem with this is that they sometimes learn the
"Plug In" curriculum from a video
or from a weekend seminar. Then they start to teach the extra class and charge
an extra fee for you to take it. Are these Plug ins worth the extra money?
No, A well rounded Martial Arts school should have this extra information
already in their system. For instance our curriculum covers more than just one
part of martial arts, so there is no need to add more. Others need to add to their curriculum to be competitive. But
instead of switching arts or adding another art and really studying for a long
time, they take the easy way and pay money for a Plug ins, then pass on the bill
to you and make more money off of you. XMA is a Plug in for schools that don't
have weapons in their art, Krav Maga is a Plug in for schools that are weak in
self defense. They are more Plug ins than this and I'm sure the list will grow
in the near future.
I recently read about Shaolin Monks
and Ninjas, can I be one?
There is a recent fad among martial
arts schools to claim a lineage or knowledge of secret martial arts skills
you've only seen on TV. Why is this? Because unfortunately many people can make
lots of money from it. Can anyone really prove they are a Ninja or Shaolin? No,
that's why there are so many schools claiming to teach these skills. I have heard
of many schools teaching Wushu a modern Chinese martial art, then they claim to be
Shaolin Monks and prey on the ignorance of Westerners.
Same with the Ninja. Many times these are just Ju Jiutsu trained people who put
on a black uniform and claim to have secret assassin knowledge. Most people are
only interested in these arts because of the mythology that surrounds them. They
are attracted to incredible claims of power that are reinforced by the
Internet and Movies.
Article on Shaolin myth
http://martialarts.about.com/od/history/a/ShaolinMyth.htm
This desire to be a
skilled Martial Artist can only be met through hard training under a qualified
Teacher, not through indulging fantasy.
Why are there so many TAE KWON DO schools around? Is it so
popular because it is the best?
Tae Kwon Do (TKD) is
one of the most popular martial arts styles practiced in the world today, this
is true, and there are several factors leading to its popularity. Not all
of them are good. Rather than addressing this myself, I will cite the
National Korea Martial Arts Federation website:
"Note
about Taekwondo:
... most Taekwondo
schools used other generic martial
arts' names for business purposes. The World
Taekwondo Federation began
promoting the sport
of Kukki-Taekwondo
under the single name of Taekwondo
and
has become an Olympic discipline and has changed from an art to a
sport. Since
Taekwondo has also
become a generic term, many public schools now use other
generic art names in conjunction with the
Taekwondo name, which has further
damaged the traditional Taekwondo
identity. In Korea
the Korea
Taekwondo
Association and the International Taekyondo Federation still teach
Taekwondo as a
classical martial arts while World Taekwondo
Federation school falsely promote
their sport under the
same name creating great confusion among the general public
and even poorly educated Taekwondo
sports instructors who shamefully believe
that what they teach is also a martial art."
Heretofore, I had expressed a similar sentiment in my own words on this site,
but after frequent phone calls and letters from Tae Kwon Do practitioners,
Instructors, and Masters accusing me of defaming TKD in general, I have decided
to allow the above quote to stand as my shield against further objection.
It is clear, I hope, that TKD has a measure of integrity as a martial art that a
qualified and skilled instructor can bring out and develop in their students.
However, it is my personal opinion, and one that I believe is adequately
reflected in the above quote, that this search for authentic TKD is the
search for the proverbial "Diamond in the Rough."
In
general, we are more comfortable with things that are familiar, and the name of
Tae Kwon Do has been spread internationally. Many low-level instructors
and franchise martial arts schools use the popularity of TKD's name to establish
a credibility their respective school may lack. Always look before you leap,
don't place yourself or your child into any martial arts school, regardless of
style, without first evaluating what they have to offer.
Surrounding Central Ohio Martial
Arts Schools
We have posted
these schools so that you can compare the instruction, experience of the owner
and overall quality of the school. If you are planning to join any
school, at least visit another school and try a free class before joining.
In this way you can compare and make an informed
decision. This site previously contained a more
comprehensive listing, and I highly recommend using a phone book or online
telephone/business directory to obtain information on additional schools.
Most of the schools omitted here personally requested their removal, for fear
they would be associated with the statements made about general/popularized
martial arts.
Westerville Taekwondo
Baker's Tae Kwon Do
Ernie Reyes Karate Tae Kwon Do Westerville
Ernie Reyes Karate Tae Kwon Do Northwest
Dublin Martial Arts
Gahanna Taekwondo
Oriental Martial Arts College ( OMAC
) East Taekwondo Reynoldsburg
Oriental Martial Arts College ( OMAC
) North Taekwondo Columbus
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