Do you think TSD activities outside of the class schedule are part of the game?
For me it is no question that i try to make tournaments (ofcourse early to help out) and take part in fundraising activities etc.
But I noticed it is always the same crowd you see there!

What do you guys think?

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Hi Melanie,
I think that it is good to support your dojang in any way that you can. There are many members that will come to class, and negate other activities. I would like to see more members take an active roll, as you do. It makes for a much stronger club in the long run!

Keep up the good work!!!


Yours in Tang Soo Do,


Master Jay S. Penfil

TANG SOO!!!

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Hopefully there is a balance between members who go to Tournamants , Camps , Demos and Fundraisers/charities.If not we will have to work at motivating the ones who don't participate.

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

I try to participate as much as I can in Tournaments, fund raisers, camps etc. Unfortunately many of us have other things that stop us from participating as much as we would like.

Martial Art Style TSD / HDGD

It's always going to be that way. Everyone chooses there own path. It would be nice to have more students at the events to expand the community.

It definitely helps out when people participate.

See the Dojang really doesn't belong to the Instructor or a Federation or the Landlord or property owner. It is more than a building, it is in our hearts. It belongs to every student that comes to train and give to its upkeep and every instructor that gives to its upkeep. Giving need not be and should not be just monetary. In addition to the Instructors, it is also the students' obligations to see that it is well taken care of and supported. We need to take part in our school activities and give what and when we can. I understand money is tight for some, but if money is always tight for you, then save, if that is not an option then participate in fine fundraisers the school has (like the kickathon) or a demo, or show up to the Christmas, Halloween party or summer cookout. Tell people about your school, take pride in it. As members of a school, we have to set some time aside for it other than the class sessions. Now, I as an instructor never judge people who do not participate, I leave it for them to decide how important the school is to them, and what they are capable of giving as far as time and other support. But as individuals we need to reflect on what we can give to our school, besides showing up to class to make OUR SCHOOL better. The more we participate the better it is for our SCHOOL and the richer our training experience and the bonds of friendship we form with each other become.

Just my view over the years. And for us instructors out there, we need to make sure we look out for our students, we are not trying to milk every dime out of them that we can and focus on what is best for the school as a whole (that includes our students) and if we do so the Dojang will be around for a very long time, because no fire, earthquake or other force of nature can wipe it out if it is safely protected in our hearts.

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Jamie wrote:
" And for us instructors out there, we need to make sure we look out for our students, we are not trying to milk every dime out of them that we can"

This is absolutly true. My father told me when I was a young man; There isn't anything wrong with getting rich, as long as you don'tget rich off of one client...

I like teaching out of a Community Center because my class isn't contingent on weather I can pay the rent, and if a financially challenged prospect comes in the door, I don't have to turn them away. I have the ability to sponsor them in to my class, with out charging them full price, or in some cases, anything at all.

We must always remember that what we do is designed to help others grow, and better themselves. Sometimes we will profit, sometime we will just break even, and in some cases we may even have to come out of pocket to assist someone. I look at all of the above as winning situations because, even if it costs me something to make things work for a student in my class, the benefits that I realize through the relationships that grow from teaching each student far outway the costs...



Yours in Tang Soo Do,


Master Jay S. Penfil


TANG SOO!!!

Martial Art Style TangSoo Do

A recent conversation with one of my students:

JH: "Why haven't you been to class lately?"

Student: "Well....Mom and Dad aren't helping me with the car payment and insurance and they cut my hours here at work. I just don't have the money for lessons anymore."

JH: "OK. But tell me why you haven't been at class lately!"

Tang Soo Do has a long tradition of thinking first of the art and the student...and second of the profit to the teacher and the school. Some traditions are worth remembering...and keeping.

JH

I have a similar story. About 2 weeks ago myself, my wife, her friend, & friends son were going somewhere. My wife's friend, & the son didnt know I trained, as far as I know of. We drove by a TKD school, the lil' boy said Mommy, Mommy look, there's one. She began to explain that she had him enrolled in another TKD Dojang, but could no longer afford it, because her no good husband is not working, & she is the one supporting the whole familly(she has 2 other kids). As we drove by, when she was telling me this, I told her not to waste her money there. She had asked, do you know somewhere I can take him? I said, Yes, in my backyard. My wife been to explain, that I've bee training since I was 5, & that I am very affordable. So the woman said, well how much do you charge, I said I wont charge you anything, so long as he listens, & tries hard.
Bear in mind one of the reasons why I have not opened a commercial Dojo, is the fact that I do not wanna teach kids. However, when I heard that story from his mom, it just broke my heart. Cause as a kid, there was many places, I wanted to train, but my mother couldnt afford it. I feel if somone has a good heart, trains hard, & listens, money should not matter.
He was supposed to start training Thur night, however I had many errands I had to take care of. His mom was telling my wife, he told all his friends he was gonna start training, & was very excited; and when he heard he wasnt gonna come to train Thur, he just bursted out crying. As I said, in the past I have not wanted to teach kids, but let me tell you, I am just excited, as he is right now. Because, here is a boy that has passion, & drive that is unheard of in most kids today, & we come from similar circumstances. He begins training in less than 2 hrs. I will let you guys know how it goes, if interested. I'm very excited!

David

JH & David,
Thank you for sharing these stories/lessons with us. It is important for us all to share such stories, as we can all learn from each others experiences.

I first got my start in martial arts from Sensei Bill Pouge, an Isshinryu karate instructor in Royal Oak, Michigan. My best friend Alan’s mom had signed him up for class at Sensei Pouge’s dojo. My parents couldn’t afford to sign me up. Sensei Pouge had guest passes that he gave his students to give to their friends, and Alan kept giving me his guest passes (5 passes per week). After being in class for 3 months (on guest passes), Sensei Pouge called me in to his office one day. He had me sit down and the said; Jay!!! You are one of my best students! You have been here now for 3 months, 5 days per week for 3 hours per day, and I think that you are ready for your first belt testing. Let me check your records (as he turned to his file drawer and started flipping through the student files). I started to get nervous and scared! I was only 13 years old, and there wasn’t a record for me, as I wasn’t a paying student. I finally spoke up and said; Sir, there isn’t any record for me in your drawer. He smiled and asked; there isn’t? I said; no, my parents can’t afford to sign me up, so I have been coming to class by using Alan’s guest passes. Sensei Pouge smiled again and said; I know. Alan’s mother told me about your situation in the beginning. I don’t care about the money. You are a good student and I want you on my floor training every day that you can be here. Nobody has to know except for us.

I have never forgotten Sensei Pouge’s kindness, and the way he gave of himself to me when I was a 13 year old boy that just wanted to be a part of something good.

That was in 1972. I still have a relationship with Sensei Pouge to this day. If he had not opened his heart, and his dojo doors to me at that point in time, I may have never gotten involved in martial arts, and I wouldn’t be here today writing these postings. There are children (and adults) out there right now that are in the same place that I was so long ago. If we accept them today, where, and who will they be in years to come? If we reject them today who and what will they be years from now?

Your in Tang Soo Do,


Master Jay S. Penfil


TANG SOO!!!

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Thank you for your post. To me thats what the martial arts is all about. When the late great Masanobu Shinjo Sensei was asked, what do you think is the most important lesson in karate Do, he poited to his heart, indicating the development of a good heart, through continued training. Prior to me going to Okinawa, I made several phone calls to my instructor, Nakamoto Masahiro Sensei. On one of the calls, I had asked if he has any Dojo in the United States, he said no, but maybe I can open one. I then asked what are the requirements to open one. He said in Okinawa, there are three areas of development, shin, Gi, & Tai. Shin is heart, Gi is technique, & Tai is the body; He said, of those three most important is your heart. He said the development of your personality, personality, most important. After several conversations, & letters w/ him, with his approval I will be naming my Dojo, Seishinkan-meaning sincere heart hall. I thought I knew karate when I went to Okinawa, but it wasnt untill I went that I began to learn what true Karate is about; The development of a good, sincere heart.

David

Well spoken David!!!

You are fortunate to have found a Sensi/Soke that knows what is best...


Yours in Tnag Soo Do,

Master Jay S. Penfil

TANG SOO!!!

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

All these things are true that David, Jamie and Master Penfil have to say, , if not for being alowed to coast at times I would never have been able to keep training!
I see your student should be there about now, I hope his first taste of training is to his liking! Good luck with your first Young trainee. I will check back to see how it went.

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Bad news, it started raining, & the mother said she wasnt gonna bring him today; cause we train outside. I will keep you updated though. Isnt it weird how the evolution of conversation changes sometimes, from Extra Curricular Activities to matters of the heart.

David

I’d like to on this vein share a brief story that took place in probably the mid 1980s when I was perhaps 14 or 15, or close. It was a hot summer day, and I was sitting with my father in my Instructor Duke Tirschel’s office, relieved to be out of the heat. The school was closed, and for the life of me I cannot remember what we were discussing. It could have been renewing our contract for lessons, but as so often the conversation would have meandered to something else, and Mr. Tirschel would have most likely began to tell us some amusing tale or another. In any event, I do not remember why we were there, but here is the lesson I learned that day.
As we were talking, or more likely Mr. Tirschel and my father were talking the door opened and one of the young teenage student’s poked his head in the door. He waited politely for Mr. Tirschel to acknowledge him before speaking. He briefly said that he was here to do the work. The student then vacuumed the carpet and disappeared, returning some time later. Mr. Tirschel asked if he had cleaned the commodes. The student replied that he had and thanked Mr. Tirschel, who thanked him in return. The student then excused himself and departed.
I remember thinking, man I wish I could make some extra money by cleaning the school, after all I was there all the time and I could get access to it on Saturday after close and work out and get out of the heat. Well, my father and Mr. Tirschel continued to talk and the next thing I knew there was a tap at the door. Another student announced that he was here to clean up. He ran the vacuum cleaner over the same floor and he too disappeared. After a while he reappeared, told Mr. Tirschel he had finished. Mr. Tirschel then asked if the commodes where cleaned, the student nodded and before long he was off. This happened almost verbatim two more times, before my father finally asked about it.
Mr. Tirschel explained that the students were suffering from some financial hardships and could not afford to pay. He was not about to keep them from coming, but he had learned that if he had just given them the lessons for free, they would not appreciate them and take them for granted. So he had them come in and work for the lessons. It did not matter that they were doing the same work as the person before, they did not know that and it was not relevant. What was relevant is they were working for their lessons and earning them. He asked us to keep it quite so as not to embarrass anyone, and the student’s would continue to see their work as meaningful.
That was a great lesson I had learned that day, about not only the quality of my instructor’s heart, but life as well. We treasure the things we work for and earn. It took me a while to fully understand this, and after trying to help my own students with no strings attached when they have fallen on hard times, I have learned that there are ways to help, but they must always pay in some fashion for the lessons, even if the paying is redundant, it gives them a sense of pride, and a means to pay for the lessons without feeling like they are taking advantage of the school or instructor. See, after so many years I finally have begun to understand the lesson Mr. Tirschel inadvertently taught me that day, the student’s don’t always understand that to just show up to each class is payment enough for us instructor’s in so many ways. If they can’t pay us at this time, just keep showing up and start paying when they can. For so many of us that is enough, but the student doesn’t understand this. Therefore, give them something they understand and then they too will value it.
Just thought I would share something that has stuck with me over the years and had a huge impact on the way I view Martial Arts and commercialism.

Jamie

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Wonderful story Jaimie. I love it! He must have had the cleanest Dojang in Town. That was a very valid point about not appreciating something you didn't have to work for.

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Jamie,
This is a great story, and one that I have seen countless times in traditionally run dojang’s/dojo’s. Let me share an old story with everyone that takes us in the other direction as well;

There was once an old master who had a farm. He had a dozen good students that lived on the farm with him. Everyone worked in the fields to grow and harvest there food, and raised the animals. As a result of their way of living, they were almost completely self sufficient. They worked the farm every day, and trained every night. This schedule went on for many years.

At one point the senior student gathered all of the other students for a private meeting. They did not invite the master to this meeting. Once they were all gathered the senior student exclaimed to his juniors; master is getting older and works too hard. I want us all to share in his responsibilities from now on. Master shouldn’t have to work in the fields anymore.

The next morning everyone gathered for breakfast as usual, but when they left for the fields, master could not find his tools so he stayed behind. In the evening when everyone returned from the fields he asked; has anyone seen my tools? Everyone looked around the room with a curious look on their faces, and replied; NO.

This went on for several days. At the end of the 4th day everyone met in the dinning room for diner. The senior student noticed that the master was not eating, and asked; master, why do you not eat? Are you sick? Master responded; NO. Master is there something wrong with the food? NO! Why then are you not eating? Master responded; if I can not work, I can’t earn my right to eat.

Realizing that what they did was wrong, the students returned master’s tools to him in the morning and they ALL went to work in the fields again.

The reason that I shared this story with you is that, just as students need their masters to learn from, masters need their students, so they can pass down there knowledge and keep their art alive. This is considered in many arts as “One Set”, or a “Complete Circle”.

As instructors, we must always respect our students, and carry our own weight. I see some instructors that place themselves on pedestals so they can look down at their students. This is wrongful, and should never be our way…


Yours in Tang Soo Do,

Master Jay S. Penfil

TANG SOO!!!

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Master Penfil,

I love the parable! It will be one long remembered. It certainly frames the instructor's role and serves as a reminder as to where the instructor fits in the circle. And you are 100 percent correct, we certainly fit inside as a part of it and not outside looking down upon it. Thank you for your words,

Yours,

Jamie

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do