Intro

[lamaTKD cait]

Hey all -

I've been studying Chang Moo Kwan taekwondo in Virginia for 4 1/2 years. I teach high school math and science during the day, and instruct tkd for 3 hours a night, 4 days a week. My studio teaches WFT tkd, and Japanese Jujutsu.

One of the classes I teach is a mixed martial arts class that kind-of just happened. We had a mixed "karate" program, but the instructor's wife had a new baby, and he had to put classes on hold, so we have one of his students, plus a few Isshin Ryu karate students who were just looking for a place to train, a pair who moved in from Cali and a totally different tkd program... you get the idea. So class that night has turned into more of a share-what-you-know night, or a place to try out new ideas. I stumbled on this forum looking for a few new ideas, since i still am the instructor (It's been an interesting experience). The forum has been great.

I love taekwondo, and it's done so much for me.

Cait

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Tkd

hey Cait.

I have been in taekwondo now for about 2 and a half years,
started when i went to college, recieved my Green Belt (6th Kup)
last summer and damn proud of it.
As far as i know our club falls under the title of Chang Moo Kwan
and it is affiliated with the WTF but knowing the variations out there id say what we study and you teach are prob very different.

(At a bit of a disadvantage this year though as our instructor left but we have tried to carry on the club and its traditions, but is hard work in the absence of a black belt.)

anyway just said id say hello.

Noel

[lamaTKD cait]

Chang Moo Kwan

Noel -

Always glad to meet another. You're probably right, as styles do tend to change from school to school. Our head master (in Ypsilanti, MI) passed away a few months ago, and my instructor is now heading the school - on the american side of things, anyway.

I hadn't actually ever met anyone outside of our circle that studied Chang Moo Kwan, so it's nice to hear there are others out there. I'm sorry to hear you're having to go at it without an instructor - if there's anything i can do to help, let me know.

Cait

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Schools

Hey sorry to hear about your head Master.
our club is in Ireland so its fairly understandable you dont know of us.

the Head of our club is Grandmaster Jan Bartels hes originally from Holland but we only meet him for grading and tournaments our club i guess you could say was founded by one of his students and as they are both now in different parts of the country we are left to our selves for weekly training, but were are managing to get by with alot of Emails and phone calls to our Masters.

still were in a bit of an unusual situation as we are considered a college club to keep the club active we have to take on new members and first question always is wheres the black belt.

Anyway all that aside what kind of equipment and facilities do you offer in your club?

[lamaTKD cait]

hm, yes, that would be why i hadn't heard of you. Still, i'm glad you guys are getting on alright.

Anyways, our club offers 2 ma's right now - CMK tkd, and Japanese Bushikai Jujutsu (taught by a different instructor). we had a third, but he kinda flaked on us, so we're just the two now.

we've got a two-room building, w/mats & pads, a couple heavy wave bags & a bob & tons of the usual hand-targets & shields. we also get a lot of weapons to play with, thanks to the jujutsu (not that nay of us in the tkd really know what we're doing with them, but the black belts like to play with them all the same!). I wish we had a weight facility too, but we don't. all the same, it's a nice building, and fortunately not a "tk-daycare" like so many others around here. thank heaven, my Master is firmly against that, and has vowed that if it ever comes to a choice between going tk-daycare and closing down, he'd close down.

here's our link:
http://www.loudounmartialarts.com/

sounds like you guys are in pretty good hands, but again, if there's anything someone across the pond can do to help, just give me a shout.