What was the worst training course you've ever been on?

Question

Yeh, ok don't give me all the crap about attitude, if you've never been at a class that was just crap then either you've just started or you don't get out much. You needn't name any individuals of course.

Answer 1

It sounds like a lot of people here have also attended "black belt" factories and "McDojos" during the course of their training just as I have! In fact, my fellow United States citizens may recognize the school I attended briefly from my description...

Supposedly, they taught "Shaolin Kenpo", which itself is a contradiction of terms - like going to Italy to get a good burrito! So, being of a "direct Shaolin lineage", we wore Japanese gis, called the instructor "Sensei", performed katas, had a belt ranking system, and knelt before and after class. These can all be forgivable offenses since Kenpo is a great eclectic martial art (despite not having a DIRECT link to Shaolin), but what else set this chain school apart from others was the sheer overpricing and contract system they employed!

Over $100 per month for regular group classes and one "private" lesson per week, which usually had at least two other students (real one-on-one, eh?), extra cost for weapons classes, sparring gear with a mark-up of over 100% (I know since I have an account with their supplier myself), merchandise which you are actually forced to buy (since you are only allowed to wear their T-shirts under your gi), and an annual trip to China in which the student pays more than double the school's cost for the trip make this the worst corporation - I mean "school" - I have ever attended. I left before the bogus contract I had went into effect.

Answer 2

As to the damage first. He's very young. This too will pass. In a hundred years what difference will it make if he ate your couch? I think he is very smart and knows that bad behavior gets attention. He seems to need a lot of stimulation. Have you tried soothing him down by rubbing or massaging him on the nape of his neck? As a very last resort maybe medication would help. Valium prescribed by your vet may be a temporary answer. I know this isn't much help. I once had a pair of lab mix brothers that I couldn't do a thing with. Just do your best and give it a little more time. The dog is very young and will outgrow most of this.

Answer 3

John C. Kim's School of Chung Moo Kwan, 1978 St. Paul, MN. Instructor: Joe, rank at time 3rd dan black belt.

Everything was like there was an ancient Chinese secret and was taught almost behind closed doors. If a student could not do some of the exercises, the hole class was punished with more reps.

After about four months I came down with the flew and missed some classes. The first class I missed was fine but, on the second day out I received a call, "whats going on, how come you are not coming to class ?". Response: "I'm sick, I have the flew and I'll try and make it next week".
Joe: "I can come over and make you feel better".
Me: "No that's alright, I'll be fine in a few days and I will see you next week".
Joe: "Come to class and I'll sweat it out of you".
Me: "By, I got to go and I'll talk to you later".

When I went back I was not treated the same so, about two months later I quit. And then the calls kept coming in from Joe. I told him I felt like I was being pushed into something and did not like what I seen going on in the class room. I had to change my phone number.

Answer 4

LOL-I once attended a seminar on self-defense when I was with my uni's campus police. I was advised to wear sweats to the seminar but when I got there almost everyone else was in street clothes?! The instructor just assumed I was the volunteer "bad guy" by my attire so I spent the next three hours being roughed up in front of a classroom full of people who obviously did not get the sweats message. Actually, the instructor was a very competent exponent of Filipino martial arts, but I don't know what the others got out of watching him toss me around.

Answer 5

I tried my friends karate class once, i ended up helping the sensei with his punching technique, and got a rather good workout trying not to laugh at the "heavy workout" that they did especially on thursdays. It turned out that my friend went to a "blackbelt factory" and there wasn't even third rate karate being taught there. I know for a fact that karate is effective, but trying to find a worthwhile dojo in north america can be very difficult. Going from competitive judo/boxing workouts to the black belt factory's workouts was extremely funny, almost made it worth going to again. I should record a video of it and put it up on you tube or something, good god it was funny.

Answer 6

A shukokai course in 1980 where Representative of nanbudo used me as uke for a wrist lock throw even though there were no mats just hardwood flooring,and proceeded to tell me " either go with the throw or your wrist will be broken " I didn't know how to breakfall at the time and I was a yellow belt but he chose me inspite of their being several brown belts to pick,still think he chose an easy target.

Not a good ad for nanbudo !!!!!!!

Answer 7

I went on a course called "accelerated learning". It got faster towards the end. I didn't get much out of it.

Cheers.

Answer 8

British Army, ten years, nothing like the guy at the careers office said. Fortunately the guys there told me that it was much worse before I got there, stroke of luck for me there then.

Answer 9

i was sent on an anger management, violent and aggression course. yep, I'm a biomedical scientist and then i was working in the mortuary. i felt an idiot in front all all the A & E doctors

Answer 10

i had too go on a press regulations course for the day.it was 8 hours of legal (but nessesary) rubbish aboutthe do's and dont's about presses