Okay, maybe this is a knee jerk “shoot myself in the foot” type of reation, but I cannot let some stupidity go.

I have been trying, for just over one year to begin a kung fu club at the Watauga Community Center. I have been unable to get their highly qualified staff to show the common courtesy of a return phone call in that entire time.

A YEAR!

Finally, I managed to reach a person with some decision making authority at the center…after a year.

When I started trying to reach them on this subject, they had five martial art type classes (more later on why I cannot simply call what they offer a “martial arts class”, and have to insert the qualifier “type” into the phrase). I knew when I called, that with five classes, there might not be room for one more, due to calendar limits.

By the time I was able to speak with a person who claimed some degree of decision making authority, they only had three classes offered, so I thought I stood a pretty good chance.

I must state that I have never been treated so rudely in my entire life as I was by the idiot who had the final say on whether or not I could start a class there. It would seem that the common courtesy of a return phone call sometime within the space of A YEAR is asking quite a lot. There does not seem to be a concept of courtesy at the center.

At least, not from the people who make the decisions for the center.

So, after a year of calling and never receiving a return call, I contact the center, yes again. I am then very rudely told that the center has enough martial arts classes, and is not interested in my class. When I asked why I was unable to get a return call, I was informed, again in a most rude manner, that the woman with whom I was speaking, “does not have time to return the calls of every person who want to start a class here at the center”.

Now, on the surface, there seems to be enough room, both physical space and calendar time. So the rudeness seemed uncalled for.

But I took a look at what they offer.

American Karate. American karate is what taekwondo is called in this part of Texas. They teach the Chon Ji forms (ITF). Legitimate martial art, legitimate instructor, I have no beef with AK.

Kajukembo. Gimme a break. I get really sick of these “I combined all of the best elements of these styles into one style” people. Yeah, this one has been around a little longer than some of the other garbage promoted in the same way, but no matter how long it sits there, garbage is still garbage.

Tong Il Lo. Where do I begin with this one? This is another of the same ilk as above, but with a pseudo master running things. The guy claims to be a 10^th degree black belt. When am I going to finally give in and start marketing myself as a 10^th degree also? Why can’t I just let go of my real rank and say “Me too! I want to be above everyone else!” I can’t tell that same stupid lie that these morons tell.

Let me put it simply – in most legitimate martial arts, no one will reach the rank of 9^th degree until they are in their 70’s!

And NO ONE, get this, NO ONE knows enough  about five separate martial arts to combine them into a cohesive unit and make it teachable. Period. End of discussion.

ßAnd they have the nerve to call this self defense!

I have spent my life in martial arts, and I look at what I know as miniscule compared to what there is still out there to learn! I guess that if I were more of an actor, I could take what I know, give it a mysterious sounding name, promote myself to 10^th degree, and say that it is a combination of every martial art on the planet, who knows, maybe then I could get the WATAUGA community center to RETURN my calls!

Nah…then I would have some legitimate martial artists out there calling my bluff. If this is the kind of nonsense that it takes to be a part of the esteemed Watauga Community Center, I don’t want it.  I am probably being a little harsh, but the uninformed have to have somewhere to find the truth. So I will continue to teach out of my home, I really do not mind. I had hoped for a climmate controlled area to hold classes year round, but that is not in the cards this time. 

If you train in any art I mentioned in a negetive light above, this was not a personal attack on you, just the manner in which people promote themselves.