From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #107 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Tues, 13 Feb 2001 Vol 08 : Num 107 In this issue: the_dojang: Re: Vacations and Such the_dojang: Re: Business Sense the_dojang: Contracts/Registration fees? the_dojang: Re: Teaching kids ki the_dojang: Re: Promotional Stuff the_dojang: Re: Positive Training Environment the_dojang: Re: Working with the Student the_dojang: Re: The Journey the_dojang: Combat Hapkido the_dojang: Re: Wrong Context the_dojang: Re: Traveling the_dojang: Canadian Combato the_dojang: Hapkido Seminar March 3 the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #105 the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #106 the_dojang: Re: contracts and warmups the_dojang: contracts the_dojang: Simultaneous Training the_dojang: Payments/contracts the_dojang: RB the_dojang: Hapkido Leadership the_dojang: Grist for the rumour mill the_dojang: Re: Contracts: ...an' the stuff just keeps on comin' the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #106 the_dojang: . ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. ~1111 members strong! Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The premier internet discussion forum devoted to the Korean Martial Arts. Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe the_dojang-digest" (no quotes) in the body (top line, left justified) of a "plain text" e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. To send e-mail to this list use the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 14:43:30 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Vacations and Such In a message dated 2/13/2001 11:27:04 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << We would ask that they continue to make their regular payments, and we would extend their expiration date for lessons by one month. We have several families that take a month or more vacation out of the state or country every year, and have also had students out with injuries for a month or more. This method has worked well for us. If the student is going to be out for several months (for example, due to pregnancy), we would suspend their contract, meaning their payments stop until they return. We usually do not offer these options for less than a month off. As far as "making up" training, we do not offer extra classes to those who have taken time off, unless they want to pay an additional fee for private lessons outside regular classes. >> If a student is going to be out of the country for a month (we've had two families go back to Mexico for a month to visit relatives last year) then I put a hold on their agreement. If they come back on the time specified and not take another month or two off for whatever, they may come back in and resume their training without paying the re-registration fee. They were honest with us and we were honest with them. But both those families paid for their time gone ... I never asked them to do so. It was explained to them that they didn't have to do it ... but they did it anyway. Why ? Because they wanted a martial arts school to come back and train at and mine was the one they wanted. They wanted to make sure it stayed open and one of the reasons so many close up here is because of lack of funds. At least this was what they told me. So it was their choice and I gave them some private lessons on some of the things that was practiced at the school while they were gone. Appreciation is a two way street ... just like respect is. Illona ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 14:53:36 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Business Sense In a message dated 2/13/2001 11:27:04 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << As a business man I often make substantial commitments of money based on a handshake. I would rather see the persons eyes and feel their hand shaking mine than sign a dozen pieces of paper in triplicate with a bunch of lawyerly nonsense on them. >> My landlord did that with me when I wanted to rent one of his suites here. He talked to me ... and he shook my hand ... we signed year's lease and I am still here after 6 years and I have never re-signed a lease with him ... nor has he raised my rent in that amount of time. What do I do for him that makes him want to do that ? I pay out of my pocket for someone to come and clean the parking lot every week. I pay someone to come and weed along the fenceline once a year ( I hired a transient about 2 1/2 years ago to do this ). I make sure all the security lights are working and if not I replace those that I can and notify him of others that I can't. I am here day and night and that means security to him because no one will mess with this property because someone is here all the time even tho most of the 6 years I have been here I was the only unit rented out of three. My landlord is also a 2nd dan in MA ... taught by Nishiyama and some training by Fumio Demura (my landlord is 70 years old). He has been around and knows bull when he sees it ... but he has a heart of gold under all that business sense he has. I am glad he is my landlord. Illona ------------------------------ From: "Lasich, Mark D." Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:03:17 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Contracts/Registration fees? All this talk of contracts has reminded me of an open question in my mind: What is a registration fee for, and why are they typically so high? I understand that an organization will need to get the student "on the books", but with my experience on computers (yes, they are my livelihood), the cost of actually entering and tracking a student is minimal. Dr. offices seem to do the same thing, with the "initial consultation" being very high. Insurance, perhaps? No, I would think that insurance would be covered though any monthly fees. Can someone enlighten me on the need/benefit for registration fees, and what value a student, instructor and/or school owner gets out of it? Without some good input, I am left with the sneaking suspicion that this is just another way of making money! Mark Lasich mark.lasich@alcoa.com ------------------------------ From: foxdragon@cuttingedge.net Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 14:08:27 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Teaching kids ki > Subject: the_dojang: Ki for kids > > I teach a Tae kwon do class for kids. I have about 11 or 12 students at the moment. I was > wondering if anyone out there teaches there younger students what ki is, and if so, what do you > teach and how? > > I ask this because I'm not sure how parents will react to what I want to teach them. I don't > want to get to technical with it, I just want them to understand the basic principles. Any > help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance > I'd say do not do it. For one, some parents are not cool with the idea. Two, kids get bored if you talk too long. They want to play. Just teach them martial arts in a fun way and you will do all right. Save ki for the teenagers. Donna ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:16:21 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Promotional Stuff In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << secondly, what marketting tools/ ideas does everyone find useful to increase membership? >> Word of mouth from satisfied students/parents/family members ... In house promotional give-aways ... raffles to bring in the most new people to the school ... things like that. Illona ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:32:27 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Positive Training Environment In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << I don't push her too hard; I'd rather she just stay in it for a long period than demand picture perfect form. >> <> No one in my school is picture perfect and you took what I had to say out of context. What I said was "if" the student only comes once or twice a week and only practices an hour every week at home ... why would I promote them to black in only 18 months. Yes, the longer they are in the arts the more they retain and not even know they retain it ... it becomes a part of them. The amount of black belts in my school doesn't mean I have a lot of picture perfect students ... it means I have confident students who have some grasp on self defense techniques ... as self defense is stressed a lot in my school over picture perfect forms and such. Everyone is graded and promoted on how well "they" do what is required of them. I do not judge them on how they should be based on the person standing next to them. But if they are not up to what I believe their full potential should be for the belt level they are in and the time in that they have been in ... then NO, they do not get promoted. And cockiness is one thing that holds a few back. Attitude is important. Yes, I have let a few test when they are a slightly less than stellar student so they can learn self confidence in themselves ... but only at the lower levels ... never at the higher levels. I have one student here that comes irregularly to her classes. Other things seem to get in her way ... trips to Disneyland during the week (yes, they do this) ... visits from the family ... TV specials ... really odd things that I don't hear much from others ... but it keeps her away. But at no time has she ever wanted to quit training here ... no, she loves it here. She is just very lacking in self confidence in herself and is not gifted as an athlete ... and her Mom doesn't have her practice at him ... she doesn't want to 'push her' ... so she takes her time in climbing the ladder of belts. We don't push her either ... this is her path ... we are here to help her when she lets us ... as she stays with us longer and longer she is gaining confidence in us and herself. But it did take her one year to test last time ... by her choice ... not our choice. She simply did not want to test and sabotaged it at every turn. So we laid back and taught her at her rate of speed and she is doing fine. That is what I mean by "if it takes a year to test" ... it isn't for everyone ... but there is always that one special student that needs that amount of time. Everyone has a choice in life ... to be a "good black belt" or to be "just a black belt". There are lots of both in this world. Illona ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:38:03 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Working with the Student In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << Moreover, I have to respectfully disagree that one should "...keep to that obligation without regard to whether you have utilized the school you are supporting." I believe a degree of reciprocity is needed. If I am bringing a school a large fee I would hope the school supports the fact that I am out of the country for an extended period of time. >> They should put a hold on your agreement ... no matter if you bring them tons of students or not. If a student is the type that has a job that requires alot of flying out of the state or to other cities ... then I am sure the instructor can work out a reasonable agreement that would benefit both. Maybe even a month to month agreement wouldn't work for this individual and maybe just a mat fee everytime he wanted to attend would be better. I have a long haul truck driver that I do this with and he is very happy with it. He trains whenever he is in town. Illona ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:54:07 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: The Journey In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << c. While it is the sole discretion of an instructor of a school to decide who should be promotable, travel decisions are up to students and families. If an instructor wants to have me retrain since I have been gone for several weeks that is fine with me. However, I am not obligated to stay home for fear of missing my martial arts lessons. The latter point is the last thing on my mind. >> Promotion should not be the only thing you teach at a school. It is about the journey ... the learning ... not the color of the belt. Illona ------------------------------ From: "Alagna, Steven M" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 12:51:48 -0800 Subject: the_dojang: Combat Hapkido >>Combat Hapkido was initially developed by Kwanjang Pellegrini around 1989 - - 1992. It was an idea played with by Kwanjang Pellegrini as he was giving and attending Hapkido seminars. He wanted to teach a curriculum of Hapkido that focused on the most important and effective techniques that could be utilized by those who did not have the time to focus their lives on the in depth curriculum of Traditional Hapkido - individuals such as law enforcement, mothers, business executives. These categories as a whole have very little time available to study an in-depth system such as Hapkido for practical self defense.>> Why call it Hapkido?? No disrespect, but it seems it's no longer Hapkido after it's been chopped up (no pun intended) and other techniques added. Steven M. Alagna ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:51:57 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Wrong Context In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << Response: The response above is predicated on several erroneous summary conclusions, to wit: a. If someone wants to travel for a month and do whatever it is the sole decision of the respective individual. Freedom of travel is an inherent right. Moreover, face it--a martial arts school and lessons are leisure activities for most individuals. A small percentage of students take it to a level where it is a paramount part of their lives. Not saying that an ardent supporter of martial arts is wrong, just saying many of us have various interests in life including family and jobs. >> You have taken what I said wrong. I said if they want to pull their kid or whomever out for a month or two for whatever reason and bring them back in (and I mean because they want to take a rest ... not vacation ... monthly vacation people have holds put on their agreements ... IF they tell us). There are alot of people that only want to stick their kids in here when it is down time between soccer season or baseball season ... and then they scream at us because Johnny is not a blue belt in that amount of time. We are not the ones that are pushing these kids to be promoted ... it is the parents. And when kids are away from a discipline environment and then returned to it ... it takes time to re-establish it. Then they pull them out again for a month or two because baseball is on ... then back with us again ... time to re-establish a base again ... then out again. It is a headache for the instructor ... believe me ! Everyone who walks in the door here is told that this is not an activity nor a sport. They are told upfront what we expect as commitment from them and their kids. If they don't like it ... they will leave and go to another school. I don't lie to them. We are here to teach the few that want to learn. I don't have to teach everyone that walks in that door. Sure, I won't be the richest karate teacher in the world ... but that was never my goal when I started this school. Every school should have a goal and stick with it. Do you change your school for everyone that walks in that door and wants this and that ? If they give it a try and it works for them ... then great. But alot you enter this doorway have full cups ... we teach them how to empty it and learn about karate and themselves. Not everyone who walks thru our doors is for our school ... there is a school out there for them ... they just have to find it ... there are many out there nowadays. Illona ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:53:02 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Traveling In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << b. People travel for a myriad of reasons, re: jobs, military, business opportunities, leisure, holidays, and so forth. I would encourage people to travel if possible (and if they can afford it) since it opens up the learning experience. >> I do, too ... both my sons are in the Navy and they have grown alot because of the traveling they have done. I recommend it to everyone. Illona ------------------------------ From: "Alagna, Steven M" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 12:54:49 -0800 Subject: the_dojang: Canadian Combato What do people think of the Canadian Combato system by Dave Walmsley?? People out there who are teaching TKD, do you search out some of these reality based systems to add to your curriculum? Steven M. Alagna ------------------------------ From: David Beck Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 14:51:40 -0600 (CST) Subject: the_dojang: Hapkido Seminar March 3 In the US for Master West's HKD seminar Feb. 22-25 (which I can't make, durn it), Master Geoff Booth, 7th Dan, will stop by my place the following week. So we're putting on a seminar the evening of March 3rd, 7-10 PM at 'my' place, Sun Lee TKD Institute, 3115 W. Parker Road #290, Plano Texas. (Yes, Saturday night. You expect us martial artists to have social lives?) Subjects will include joint locks, pressure points, Dan Bong (short stick), and possibly more. Dan Bongs will be available for sale at the seminar. See Master Booth's award winning website for what they look like: http://hapkido.netro.com.au The seminar cost will be $25 prepaid, $30 at the door. Open to all ranks & styles. For ages 16-up (with parental permission if under 18). To prepay or for more info contact: Master David N. Beck email: dnbeck@beckmartialarts.com phone: 972-396-5273 cell: 214-334-5951 David N. Beck Internet:dbeck@usa.alcatel.com WATT Lead Engineer Alcatel USA 1000 Coit Road Plano, Texas 75075 ** Opinions expressed are not those of Alcatel USA ** ------------------------------ From: MissIllona@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:56:46 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #105 In a message dated 2/13/2001 7:18:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << 2. Do you tell the family, "Your good students no problem we will work it out." >> I would pick this one ... a school should be flexible ... Illona ------------------------------ From: Chereecharmello@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 16:29:45 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #106 << At least several years (25 or so) ago, crematory boxes were wrapped in white and we were told white symbolized death. I've been told the same thing by people from both the Japanese and Chinese cultures. >> Jesus was said to be laid in his tomb in clean, white linen. White: the symbol of rebirth (perhaps not death?) As I have stated earlier, I think much of the 'symbolism' issue is speculative. I do respect, however, those that relay what they have learned w/out bias and attitude. Thank you Cheree ------------------------------ From: Seadoo76@aol.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 16:58:32 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: contracts and warmups For warm-ups you can contact your local sporting goods stores or someone who deals in team sport uniforms. They usually will have access to different companies that they can order from. As for the contract issue, I am a tkd gym owner who just last year had to build a place for our students to work out at. We were kicked out of the old place and could not find anything big enough in our area. My partners and I proceeded to "sign our lives away" to finance this building. We didn't have enough income at the time we signed loan papers to even pay the loan payment. Well, a year later, we can pay the bills, most of the time, due to a big increase in students. We will work with kids who want to play other sports and let them not pay for a few months if they don't come. Though, several still try to do both tkd and other sports. We feel that by working with the kids they are more likely to come back later. We do have some problems paying bills some months due to this but we feel its the right thing to do. The instructor we trained under did things the same way and we are continuing with the ways he taught us. We tell new students when they sign up to let us know if they are going to do other sports and we wont charge them. Donna ------------------------------ From: "rich hodder" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 22:07:46 Subject: the_dojang: contracts I have found that contracts, no matter how well researched or written are very hard to enforce. Number one, the students are not just your customers, at least at my school, they become very nearly a part of your family. Given that, it is extremely hard to ask for money that they may not have due to some circumstance. There are two ways of looking at this from my point of view (I must be cross eyed), either you don't have a contract and proceed on the basis that if your teaching is good enough, they will continue, and your class will grow. Therefore, the need to hound students for payment is a non-issue. The second is to charge them up front, i.e.: the first class of every year costs "X" number of dollars and the rest of the year is free. In that way, the students always get what they paid for. hopefully not just two cents worth, Rich (here goes that can of worms thing again) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ From: bwoodard@mortonsalt.com Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 16:52:33 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Simultaneous Training A question for everyone. Does your school/organization have a policy on training simultaneously with a different organization or MA? Brian Woodard Dirty Brown Belt TKD ------------------------------ From: Cookson Family Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 18:10:51 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Payments/contracts A lot of folks have made good points both legal- and common sense-oriented regarding vacations. Though an owner, I definitely fall on the customer-service side (helps that I do all "financing" in-house and don't have to mediate with a management company). Yes, folks do need vacations. And we are providing a service, NOT A UTILITY, that needs to be paid for on an as-used basis. However, no one has yet solved the problem of timing. We have 3- and 12-month agreements, and experienced the situation of a lot of renewals coming up in the June/July time frame. A lot of folks waited until they took their vacation before renewal. Others still on contract asked to take a month's money on vacation instead of making a school payment, and extending their time and payments by one month - like the customer-service person I am, I agreed in certain cases before knowing renewals would be delayed. Which resulted in an extreme crunch with summer bills due. I have since adjusted my policy that contract payments must be consecutive to ensure consistent cash flow to pay the bills, but I will agree in certain cases to add additional time to their contract to replace their absence. In essence, allowing them services for the time they paid for without sending our books into upheaval. Most students feel this is fair - otherwise we may as well have the same schedule as schools and close for the summer! Customer service is absolutely #1, but as small businesses, we have to ask common sense of the customer to understand the practical side of business, and that when they make an agreement the business model and financial situation adjusts to include it! Sorry for the venting, we just finished our taxes... Melody Cookson Director, East Coast TKD ------------------------------ From: "Dana Vaillancourt" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 23:21:34 Subject: the_dojang: RB Sorry to clutter the list, but R. Blanchard, please drop me a line if you are still on this list. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ From: "Patrick L" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:39:57 -0800 Subject: the_dojang: Hapkido Leadership Dear Mr. Sims, Thank you for your efforts to understand my point of view. >apparently you subscribe to the belief that a leader is a person who is a >leader simply because that person identifies themselves as such.< Not quite. I would say that a leader is someone who has an authority, popularly approved or not. My definition does not require that they be working toward the "collectivley sanctioned" good. >Apparently compliance or abandonment are the only options followers get in >your position.< No, followers actually have three options; compliance and abandonment are two, but it is the third that is most popular - non-constructive sniping. >Lastly it seems that accountability is not a word that figures into your >idea of leadership, history very much indicating to the contrary.< A leader is accountable to that thing from which he derives his authority. His reposibility is to do the right thing as he determines it for that thing that defines his authority. If I am hired to be a bodyguard for a celebrity, I do not assure my client that I will keep his fans safe. I do not have a responsibility to the fans, I protect my client. But most certainly a leader is not accountable to the post mortem opinion of a historians pen. >I have, for sometime wondered deeply how it is that the MA in general, and >Hapkido in particular have come to the condition in which they find >themselves.< It is because we are human beings. The wrongs Masters perform are no more agregious than the wrongs done by others. The percentage of Masters judged as poor is IMHO proportionate to the percentage of students judged as poor. >Assuming for a moment that there are more individuals such as yourself that >operate under such a value system as you reveal I have no problem >understanding how individuals in positions of authority can commit the various travesties that they do with impunity.< Individuals in authority must come to terms with their position. They make decisions, and take action. Some will be popular, some not. Individuals NOT in authority should come to terms with their position. That does not mean that they cannot have opinions, just that they should bide their time until called to lead before judging too harshly the decisions of those that led before them. Getting in the Way, Patrick _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ From: Andrew Pratt Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:30:23 +0900 Subject: the_dojang: Grist for the rumour mill Dear all, It was reported in the Korean papers yesterday that NK's and SK's TKD organisations are going to jump on the reunification bandwagon. See the following article from the Korea Herald: North Korea yesterday proposed that officials from the two Koreas related with the traditional martial arts of taekwondo meet in the North's Mt. Kumgang March 12-14 to discuss its joint promotion, including athlete exchanges. In a letter sent to Kim Un-yong, chairman of the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), Hwang Bong-yong, Kim's North Korean counterpart, said the exchange of taekwondoists would help boost the inter-Korean reconciliation that was launched by the historic summit last June. The letter was sent in response to Kim's Feb. 1 proposal for talks. KTA officials will soon decide whether to accept the North Korean response, ministry officials said. During the high-level governmental talks in December, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to promote exchanges between their taekwondo associations to integrate their different versions of the sport developed over the past five decades. (KJH) Regards, Andrew ------------------------------ From: "Bruce Sims" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 18:28:50 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Contracts: ...an' the stuff just keeps on comin' Dear Folks: I'm wondering if you all are really listening to yourselves. No wonder the American system needs contracts. The only problem that I am hearing from everyone is how they can fanagle something for nothing. In the last few months I have heard about leaders that are leaders in title only and don't lead, and students who are students in name only and only want to learn what they want to learn. I have heard about teachers who don't test their students for fear of alienating them (and losing the revenue) and students who will bounce from one teacher to another if it means they get the least advantage in rank of prestige. Are you folks really hearing yourselves? No wonder the MA are full of jerks pumping out garbage by the gallon and rank by the dollar. I bet if I offered parchment certificates of rank for marginal attendance and poor performance and did so in a way that did not blatantly arouse your guilt I would have a line down the block! There are people that are doing this, and each and everyone of us knows exactly what we could do and where we could go to get one of those "wannabee certificates" But how many of you would subject your technique or curriculum to the scrutiny of a board of your peers? Whoa, different story.That would take a real kind of courage rather than the fake type that comes from parading in front of a mirror in your dobok or assuming a fancy title. People, we are not talking about Baseball or Tennis camps or Bowling, here.The activity we are discussing is Martial Arts. If you want to do a couple of luke-warm wrist-throws and call it Hapkido, or a couple of punches to the air and call it TKD, have at it. Whatever helps you sleep at night. But don't for one minute pretend that you and the person across from you and me and the guy down the street don't know that youre faking it. If your money is THAT important to you that the relationship between student and teacher is nothing more than cash and carry great--- have at it. But then, lets not start whining about how the teacher needs contracts to hold his school together and the "bastard" is making you honor your end of it.If you had taken some time to build a actual relationship between you as people you would not have needed the contract in the first place, now would you! Martial Arts has traditionally NEVER been a commercial enterprise anymore than Basic Training or AIT. Now, that has not stopped people from trying to make Martial Arts into a commercial concern. And the people who buy into this fantasyworld are only getting exactly what they engineered. In case nobody has told you, becoming a warrior is about running with the Big Dogs. Becoming a warrior is about doing what you say, and saying what you are going to do. The word for this is "integrity". Its about keeping your word, being loyal to your relationships, speaking the truth and helping out whereever the load is sagging. It takes a special kind of person to want to live their lives like that, and maybe even a more special person who is NOT like that but is willing to do what it takes to be able to cash those kinds of "checks". Now, maybe you bean-counters have a faith in your precious money that it will somehow replace your responsibility in the teacher/student relationship. Maybe your precious dollars will absolve you of the responsibility for being accountable for the mental masturbation you have substituted for sound training. Lucky you. But if you can't run with the Big Dogs will you kindly take your sweat-free uniforms, ersatz understanding of martial tradition, your corner-cutting/excuses/rationalizations, gaudy patches and inflated rank and please get back on the porch? Best Wishes, Bruce W Sims www.midwesthapkido.com ------------------------------ From: "Bruce Sims" Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 18:35:43 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #106 Dear Folks: Sometime back there was quite a flurry of activity about MA research. Coincidentally there was a similar flurry on another Net and I asked about the Hoplogy assn that OS Donn Draeger started and dedicated much of his research efforts to. I recieved the following response for anyone who is interested. "...Yes, in fact I happen to be a member of the International Hoplology Society. The Current Director is Hunter Armstrong. I personally think this is a very nice resource to those interested in the Subject (One can additionally purchase papers and manuscripts written by Donn Draeger from the Society along with receiving the Hoplite (The Society news). Membership information can be obtained from International Hoplogical Society 315 Foothills Dr. Seldona, Az 86336 Tel# 520-204-2394 Website WWW.Hoplology.com Hope this helps gentlemen and Happy Hoplology Hunting ! :-)...." Best Wishes, Bruce W Sims www.midwesthapkido.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 17:52:12 PST Subject: the_dojang: . ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V8 #107 ******************************** It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. US Taekwondo Union, 1 Olympic Plaza, Ste 104C, Colorado Spgs, CO 80909 719-578-4632 FAX 719-578-4642 ustutkd1@aol.com http://www.ustu.org To unsubscribe from the_dojang-digest send the command: unsubscribe the_dojang-digest -or- unsubscribe the_dojang-digest your.old@address in the BODY of an email (top line, left justified) addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. 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