School #2

I wandered into karate school number 2 last night. The Rockville Martial Arts and Learning Center. Totally different experience … all the way in the other direction.

I spent half an hour talking to the owner, who is not the lead instructor. He’s a guy who has run various fitness businesses in the past. He operates a school where he *hires* instructors, rather than teaching them. Having learned from last time (and still nursing a sore arm), I was much more understated about what I know. I’ve studied a little. What belt had I achieved? Well, it’s really impossible to compare things between schools. You know, everyone uses the belt ranks differently. Seriously, what belt? Black belt! Wow! He insisted that I wear a black belt at his school, which I would never dream of, and I certainly won’t at first: His school, his rules … I haven’t tested in his school … and seriously … standards differ and I don’t want to dilute them. Also, I would be there to exercise and practice, not to show everyone how cool I am.

A little further in the conversation, and he was suggesting that if things worked out, I might be available to give a couple of seminars to his instructors on the things I’ve learned. *sigh*. Do you at least want to see if I’m totally bluffing? Flattery gets you everywhere.

I have little to no interest in Tae Kwon Do, especially the “TKF” style. I’ve seen it, did it when I was a kid, and it seems to be very much the “art for arts sake” style … at least the form that gets taught in schools like these. In addition, the majority of the classes at this place are all-belts, all-ages, and populated with kids. Kids get something very different out of martial arts from adults … and having them present (in my experience) dilutes the adult practice.

However, the short version is, it’s a decent sized gym with padded floor, heavy bags, kicking shields, and the occasional person my size to work with. The owner says that it’s cool for me to pay on a month by month basis and either do my own workout in private, or study with his instructors if I would like to learn some TKD. At least I won’t totally atrophy, it might force me to crystalize what I know and want to retain, and maybe I’ll make a friend or two around here.