annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
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- Canonbie
Not sure about your workplace but one guy I worked with had a punchbag hanging in the - mainly unused - stairwell. I never saw him using it.
I tried a beginner's kickboxing class earlier...
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Not sure about your workplace but one guy I worked with had a punchbag hanging in the - mainly unused - stairwell. I never saw him using it.
Thanks for the thought - sadly in my case that's a non-starter as the office is tiny and movement often hampered by varying piles of crap...
I had my first grading today; after missing the last one a couple of months ago as I was ill.
Oddly I wasn't particularly anxious and it went OK, despite a crap night's kip beforehand I only mildly cocked up a few moves. The format was similar to a class but with less warm up, only verbal instruction (no guidance / examples) and of course we were being marked.
I made the mistake of assuming there would be no strength component to the assessment so did some stuff on the rings a few days ago.. turns out my assumption was incorrect and I'll be aching a bit more tomorrow than I already was this morning..
Everyone passed including one woman who joined fairly recently and wasn't very confident, which was nice. A few people were conspicously absent; not sure if they've just been ill or have binned it off. In this respect the class is a bit weird as few know each other well enough to be in contact outside while (understandably) the instructor doesn't announce departures so I suppose an amount of attendees simply disappear.
We did a bit of one on one sparring at the end for the first time; which was tiring enough just deciding where to put the pads for your partner to hit... and when I had a go most of my technique went out the window. I suppose it's just a case of applying what I already know in a new context when we're doing it more regularly - although I'm not sure when that will be.
After a Christmas break there's a new module in January. It seems progression to additional / supplementary teaching after the main classes is at the discretion of the instructor so I'll have to wait and see how that pans out.
Still enjoying it and having now done one full module (I joined a bit into the previous one) I do feel like I have at least a basic handle on the techniques taught; if only in the sense of practicing form rather than actually twatting stuff... but it feels like progress
Oddly I wasn't particularly anxious and it went OK, despite a crap night's kip beforehand I only mildly cocked up a few moves. The format was similar to a class but with less warm up, only verbal instruction (no guidance / examples) and of course we were being marked.
I made the mistake of assuming there would be no strength component to the assessment so did some stuff on the rings a few days ago.. turns out my assumption was incorrect and I'll be aching a bit more tomorrow than I already was this morning..
Everyone passed including one woman who joined fairly recently and wasn't very confident, which was nice. A few people were conspicously absent; not sure if they've just been ill or have binned it off. In this respect the class is a bit weird as few know each other well enough to be in contact outside while (understandably) the instructor doesn't announce departures so I suppose an amount of attendees simply disappear.
We did a bit of one on one sparring at the end for the first time; which was tiring enough just deciding where to put the pads for your partner to hit... and when I had a go most of my technique went out the window. I suppose it's just a case of applying what I already know in a new context when we're doing it more regularly - although I'm not sure when that will be.
After a Christmas break there's a new module in January. It seems progression to additional / supplementary teaching after the main classes is at the discretion of the instructor so I'll have to wait and see how that pans out.
Still enjoying it and having now done one full module (I joined a bit into the previous one) I do feel like I have at least a basic handle on the techniques taught; if only in the sense of practicing form rather than actually twatting stuff... but it feels like progress
Post-Christmas I'm onto my third module of the beginner lessons.
We're now doing what feels like quite a complex sequence of moves which once more I'm struggling to get my head around and trying to practice at home just so that I can get the progression right if the execution remains lacking.
Inevitably it's been tougher to keep at it over the winter due to the weather - on top of all the usual obstacles and complaints - while my dodgy shoulder continues to make pressups difficult (I'm having to resort to using my knees sometimes to reduce the load) and my feet have been painful thanks to suspected neuropathy from getting bloody cold on the commute / in the office.
Approching the end of the beginner's course the next stage has been discussed. It's a year's commitment (well, with three months notice period which seems a bit excessive tbh) and I have the choice of paying more (double the monthly cost of the beginnier course) to do both TKD and kickboxing up to four nights per week, or a bit less for just one discipline for two nights per week.
While I'm tight and the pricing is loaded towards "quantity discount" realistically I know I'd rarely if ever manage four classes a week due to other commitments and necessary recovery times. On top of that I'm mindful that I'm maybe less adept at picking up new techniques than others and don't want to overwhelm myself with too much to learn, so one discipline it is. While some elements of TKD appeal (such as the tradition and ritual) I think I prefer the kickboxing overall - perhaps because it seems a little less technically demanding and more real-world relevant / practical. Plus I look better in black
On top of this, even the cheaper subscription is more than I've paid for the beginner course and I'm wary of committing to the outlay. In terms of non-essentials this would be by far my largest regular spend. There's also the need for a fair chunk to be spent up-front on protective gear (gloves, head guard, shin pads etc) - my biggest issue with which would be transportation on the bike as I fear I might struggle to get everything in the panniers (and even if I can it will likely grenade the now customary post-class trip to the supermarket) and I'm determined not to take the car.
Another potential issue with the progression would be the need to change my evenings of attendance to suit the the timetable of my chosen discipline. In this regard the kickboxing is a bit better but will require me to move from Mon & Thu to Tue & Thu; possibly problematic as it reduces recovery time between classes and potentially impinges on the occasional Tuesday night pub visit.... although providing I'm not too shafted I could always toddle back up the hill to the pub afterwards. Tuesdays are also a bit of a pain as the beginner classes are later - leaving a very inconvenient dead zone between the end of work and the class; where it's not really worth going home but a fair bit of time to kill otherwise.
So.... I'm currently trying to take a step back and assess how I want to go; what I've achieved so far, how I've progressed, what I might achieve in future and whether this is good value or at least a justifiable spend relative to my financial situation.
While of course I don't nec. need to follow the course all the way to black belt this is projected at seven years which is a lot of time, money and commitment.. the counter to that being that it's really only an hour and a half of my time twice a week were I to travel straight there and back.
The beginner's course was an easy sell as the cost was manageable and I always had the get out of "just dipping my toe in the water"; now I need to make a decision as to whether I can stomach the greater commitment...
I appreciate this probably isn't a very interesting read but the ability to write it all down has some value so I'm thankful for that
Oh, also we have had a little taster of stuff beyond the form-in-isolation practiced in the beginner classes with a bit of one-on-one sparring. This was a lot more intense and somewhat intimidating as you're working with someone else (although everyone is very nice) and a lot more demanding as the drills have your partner randomly deciding what they want you to do by the commands they give and where the place the pads so it requires a quick mental response as well as the appropriate physical co-ordination..
Unsurprisingly I was, and remain bloody awful at this - easily bamboozled by what's demanded of me while my technique falls to pieces in the face of this; however of course this should all get better with practice and it feels like you're actually cultivating some worthwhile / practical skill since it introduces the need for accurate placement of hands and feet in response to a somewhat unpredictable situation.
Realistically I think I've had some value from what I've done so far and like everything else in life need to not let my looming anxiety allow me to bail at the first sniff of the potential for future things to be anything less than perfect. I suppose I'd better just commit and see how it goes..
We're now doing what feels like quite a complex sequence of moves which once more I'm struggling to get my head around and trying to practice at home just so that I can get the progression right if the execution remains lacking.
Inevitably it's been tougher to keep at it over the winter due to the weather - on top of all the usual obstacles and complaints - while my dodgy shoulder continues to make pressups difficult (I'm having to resort to using my knees sometimes to reduce the load) and my feet have been painful thanks to suspected neuropathy from getting bloody cold on the commute / in the office.
Approching the end of the beginner's course the next stage has been discussed. It's a year's commitment (well, with three months notice period which seems a bit excessive tbh) and I have the choice of paying more (double the monthly cost of the beginnier course) to do both TKD and kickboxing up to four nights per week, or a bit less for just one discipline for two nights per week.
While I'm tight and the pricing is loaded towards "quantity discount" realistically I know I'd rarely if ever manage four classes a week due to other commitments and necessary recovery times. On top of that I'm mindful that I'm maybe less adept at picking up new techniques than others and don't want to overwhelm myself with too much to learn, so one discipline it is. While some elements of TKD appeal (such as the tradition and ritual) I think I prefer the kickboxing overall - perhaps because it seems a little less technically demanding and more real-world relevant / practical. Plus I look better in black
On top of this, even the cheaper subscription is more than I've paid for the beginner course and I'm wary of committing to the outlay. In terms of non-essentials this would be by far my largest regular spend. There's also the need for a fair chunk to be spent up-front on protective gear (gloves, head guard, shin pads etc) - my biggest issue with which would be transportation on the bike as I fear I might struggle to get everything in the panniers (and even if I can it will likely grenade the now customary post-class trip to the supermarket) and I'm determined not to take the car.
Another potential issue with the progression would be the need to change my evenings of attendance to suit the the timetable of my chosen discipline. In this regard the kickboxing is a bit better but will require me to move from Mon & Thu to Tue & Thu; possibly problematic as it reduces recovery time between classes and potentially impinges on the occasional Tuesday night pub visit.... although providing I'm not too shafted I could always toddle back up the hill to the pub afterwards. Tuesdays are also a bit of a pain as the beginner classes are later - leaving a very inconvenient dead zone between the end of work and the class; where it's not really worth going home but a fair bit of time to kill otherwise.
So.... I'm currently trying to take a step back and assess how I want to go; what I've achieved so far, how I've progressed, what I might achieve in future and whether this is good value or at least a justifiable spend relative to my financial situation.
While of course I don't nec. need to follow the course all the way to black belt this is projected at seven years which is a lot of time, money and commitment.. the counter to that being that it's really only an hour and a half of my time twice a week were I to travel straight there and back.
The beginner's course was an easy sell as the cost was manageable and I always had the get out of "just dipping my toe in the water"; now I need to make a decision as to whether I can stomach the greater commitment...
I appreciate this probably isn't a very interesting read but the ability to write it all down has some value so I'm thankful for that
Oh, also we have had a little taster of stuff beyond the form-in-isolation practiced in the beginner classes with a bit of one-on-one sparring. This was a lot more intense and somewhat intimidating as you're working with someone else (although everyone is very nice) and a lot more demanding as the drills have your partner randomly deciding what they want you to do by the commands they give and where the place the pads so it requires a quick mental response as well as the appropriate physical co-ordination..
Unsurprisingly I was, and remain bloody awful at this - easily bamboozled by what's demanded of me while my technique falls to pieces in the face of this; however of course this should all get better with practice and it feels like you're actually cultivating some worthwhile / practical skill since it introduces the need for accurate placement of hands and feet in response to a somewhat unpredictable situation.
Realistically I think I've had some value from what I've done so far and like everything else in life need to not let my looming anxiety allow me to bail at the first sniff of the potential for future things to be anything less than perfect. I suppose I'd better just commit and see how it goes..
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annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
- Location
- Canonbie
Sounds like you've made loads of progress. Well done for sticking at it.
Four evenings a week would be a huge commitment, even two is a lot when you've already done a days work. I sympathise with your determination to cycle there and I know what you mean about carrying the equipment - I used to have to transport a couple of mats to pilates classes. I also feel your pain about having to hang around after work waiting for the class to start.
Good luck with whichever option you decide on.
Four evenings a week would be a huge commitment, even two is a lot when you've already done a days work. I sympathise with your determination to cycle there and I know what you mean about carrying the equipment - I used to have to transport a couple of mats to pilates classes. I also feel your pain about having to hang around after work waiting for the class to start.
Good luck with whichever option you decide on.
Thanks Anne - really appreciate your support and it's great to have some thoughts more objective than my own!
Unfortunately I can feel myself slowly being consumed by doubts after a to-and-fro with my instructor about course progression and costs.
Rightly or wrongly a few things don't sit right.
1. If I continue there's essentially an overlap period for the remaining two months of my beginner's course; where I get an extra 15 minutes at the end of each beginner lesson but I'm expected to pay the full monthly cost of the new course; despite having already paid up front for the beginner's course. A supplement perhaps I could understand, however for the next two months I'm essentially being asked to pay twice / 150% on top of what I already have for the beginner's course for 50% more contact time.
2. If I continue it's a year's commitment (not sure how they'd continue to take payment if you just stopped showing up however). Since it's paid monthly I don't see any legit reason to have a minimum term other than to squeeze as much money out of those who might change their minds within this period.
3. After the initial minimum year if you no longer want to proceed you're obliged to give three months notice; which again seems unnecessary and somewhat loaded against the student.
Throughout the process I've had a little nagging feeling about the way the course is presented. While I don't dislike my instructor there seems to be a conspicuous element of salesmanship in his demeanour and sometimes it feels like he's excessively / unnecessarily over-marketing the course. While it could just be my faiure to understand, the pricing also seems somewhat opaque and convoluted.
Maybe I'm being hypersensitive but the whole thing feels a little disingenuous and coercive. On top of the points mentioned above he's also very keen to get me signed up to the next course ASAP. Might be legitimate but it also feels a bit like the hard sell.
Until we had this last conversation I was pretty resolute in continuing despite the more practical reservations in my previous post. Now though my gut seems increasingly resistant to this idea with the stuff above making me feel particularly uneasy.
This has turned into a really sh*tty decision as I absolutely want to continue with the course but I can feel myself losing trust in my instructor, which regardless of the cost element is never going to provide a good foundation for a productive learning experience.
If I could continue much as I am I'd be in but the more I think about what's I'm being asked to commit to in terms of cost and time makes me increasingly hesitant.
I'll be gutted if I do bin it off as it's been largely enjoyable and rewarding so far, but what potentially lies ahead carries a certain amount of dread.
On top of that, the more I think about it the more two nights a week for a year really looks like over-subscribing myself.
Again I'd really appreciate some objective thoughts on this as I'm not in a very positive place currently so my outlook is pessimistic and my natural default to withdraw from as much as possible.. However, I think my concerns above are legit.
I'm tempted to contact a few other schools in the area to see what they offer in terms of cost and commitment - is it unreasonable to expect / hope for something more casual like one night per week paid on a month-by-month basis?
Thanks for reading - would love to hear any thoughts!
EDIT: Dropped my BJJ-loving mate an email last night and fair play to him; he got back to me right away and shares my reservations. Apparently his Dojo operates on a non-commital, rolling monthly subscription that's a similar cost but there are no obligations, contracts, commitments or other seemingly needless restrictions.
I think that's my decision made and tbh I feel palpably relieved to reach this point. I'll continue with the beginner's course until it ends and hopefully find an alternative elsewhere in the city.. A shame; especially as what pushed me away from one of the alternatives when first looking was that their website seemed a bit blaggy / my current school seemed more straight-up. ffs - can't anyone just be transparent and sincere any more?
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annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
- Location
- Canonbie
Ah, I'm pleased to see your edit. I read your post last night and marked it to come back to this morning. You feel relieved about your decision so it's obviously the right thing to do.
You probably don't need my thoughts now but it sounds like quite an odd pricing/sign up policy they have there. I know that gyms make their money by signing people up to direct debits and then hoping they forget to cancel when they stop attending but they offer much more in terms of turning up and using the facilities and I didn't think that even they had such restrictive cancellation policies.
I think you ought to spend the time before the end of the beginners course in researching and trying out the alternative classes locally. It's a pain if this one was a good location for work/home etc. but as you say you've lost trust in the tutor then that relationship is unlikely to get better - if it were me I'd just get more and more resentful and pick fault with every little thing that didn't suit me.
Good luck in finding somewhere else that suits - maybe disregard the website thing. Perhaps they employed someone to do that for them and it's some marketing guy's idea of the right image. The actual tutor(s) may be more down to earth and honest.
You probably don't need my thoughts now but it sounds like quite an odd pricing/sign up policy they have there. I know that gyms make their money by signing people up to direct debits and then hoping they forget to cancel when they stop attending but they offer much more in terms of turning up and using the facilities and I didn't think that even they had such restrictive cancellation policies.
I think you ought to spend the time before the end of the beginners course in researching and trying out the alternative classes locally. It's a pain if this one was a good location for work/home etc. but as you say you've lost trust in the tutor then that relationship is unlikely to get better - if it were me I'd just get more and more resentful and pick fault with every little thing that didn't suit me.
Good luck in finding somewhere else that suits - maybe disregard the website thing. Perhaps they employed someone to do that for them and it's some marketing guy's idea of the right image. The actual tutor(s) may be more down to earth and honest.
Thanks Anne - I really appreciate your willingness to advise and you've made some excellent points I'd not thought of; such as the website situation.
I feel the same about becoming "resentful and picking faults" - I value honesty and sincerity immensely, and as soon as I get a whiff of someone trying to manipulate me that's all trust gone and they're in the bin. I don't want to be second-guessing everything they do through a lense of suspicion in case it's serving some hidden agenda at the ultimate cost of my own.
I've had the odd little twinge of doubt throughout but it's been minimal and I've been happy to ignore it as the demands of the beginner's course in terms of cost and commitment have been IMO acceptable... however this latest development has really raised the ante beyond my threshold for such things.
Anyway... dropped the instructor a text earlier, stating that I'd continue until the end of the beginner's course but wouldn't be proceeding after that; citing my inability to commit to a year. This isn't entirely untrue even if it's more of a principle-led choice than a reflection of my inability to afford it currently. It is however a non-trivial amount of money for me and who's to say what unforseen financial situations might unfold over the next year..?
Also, the thought of even risking putting myself in the situation where I want / need to stop but I'm obligated to continue paying for however more months is well beyond the pail - the more I think about it the more it seems like a unjustifiably punitive and disproportionate subscription model.
My instuctor's response was fine and I was told that I can always change my mind before the existing class ends; although that won't be happening unless the terms of the course change - which I doubt will be happening either.
I've had a quick shufti around for alternatives and oddly there seem to be a lot more turning up than I'd found previously; so I'll take my time and work through those that look promising.
I don't feel like this current course has been wasted; while the gradings are meaningless externally it's taught me a little and been a good exercise in pushing outside my comfort zone / trying things that may well result in failure.
It's also made me feel pretty good about setting boundaries and being assertive; things I've failed at many times before and ended up perpetually crucifying myself forevermore afterwards for letting people screw me over because I've dismissed concerns, hoped for the best or just failed at expressing my reservations.
Anyway, thanks again - I hope the sun's making an appearance where you are
EDIT: Having just had a chat with the old dear it did cross my mind that the 12 month minimum sub might be due to a similar obligation imposed upon the class by the venue at which it's held... which would absolve my instructor of some of my suspicions but not make my position any easier if I committed and couldn't attend for any reason.. regardless while unfortunate I think I've made the right decision.
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