Why so much suckage?

[7heTexanRebel]

Ok, so a friend of mine decided to try out martial arts. I've been going around town and checking out schools for him. (Karate and TKD mostly, since he likes flashy kicks for show)
I used to have some faith in these traditional schools due to training at an apparently WAY above par dojang. I can't believe how many of these suck terribly.
:Suspicious:
The vast majority of classes consisted of forms, while the rest consisted of unrealistically long and complicated "self-defense" techniques, and complicated jumping/spinning versions of basic kicks the students had yet to do well. (ie, tornado kicks when they couldn't effectively do a round kick)
:RedEyes:

Is it like this everywhere? Wouldn't anyone who, say turned on the TV, see some sort of MMA/Kickboxing fight and see that this won't work?
Sorry about the rant, haven't really set foot in these kind of gyms before and it's a bit of a shock. :(

[gregaquaman]

Do capoeira. Still wont make him a combat monster but there are no forms and heaps of flashy kicks.

[battlefields]

Get your friend on here to lurk. We'll set him straight.

[csharp.negative]

When a lot of people do the same thing, it's hard to find the people who really know how to do it well. Most people just do it for the looks/name/prestige.

[huge]

Wouldn't anyone who, say turned on the TV, see some sort of MMA/Kickboxing fight and see that this won't work?

Sadly, some people just wonder why they aren't using jumpy, spinny kicks more often.

[Neo Sigma]

Is it like this everywhere? Wouldn't anyone who, say turned on the TV, see some sort of MMA/Kickboxing fight and see that this won't work?

No, this is usually when the denial takes over and they go on about how it's "just a sport, it's not real self-defense, they have rules, we don't train for competition", so on and so forth. Either that, or they point at someone like Lyoto Machida and claim that he validates all the stupid bullshit they do because he comes from Shotokan, therefore ALL Shotokan is by extension awesome.

Really learning how to fight is sweaty, dirty, painful, ugly work that a lot of people just don't want to do. That's fine, it isn't for everyone, nothing is. But a lot of people DO want recognition and praise, and there's still a lot of awe involved with being a black belt in something. They just want the "wow" factor more than anything else.

[Neo Sigma]

I should clarify that there's plenty of people like that in the combat sports scene, thanks to MMA's popularity. You know who I'm talking about- the doofuses with fauxhawks, Affliction shirts, and sideways TapOut hats who don't talk about anything but how they're going to go pro pretty soon when they constantly need to sit out in training because their cardio sucks balls.

[BIG TIM]

Is it like this everywhere? :(

yes it is most places

find a gym that produces fighters who compete and win. atleast in kick boxing or bjj or major organisations of mma in your state if possible.

judo sambo boxing and wrestling can also be 7h3 r34l. there may be others but the real mesure is do they produce fighters with a track record of competing against fighters from other gyms.

if he wants to do big kicks. stretch every day and do his kicks at home then 1day he might add them into his game.

if there is no competition in the gym its just man dancing. or man pattycake. might get strong might get fit but not fighting.

I wonder if this is like the guy who goes to the doctor and says "my friend" is having problems with his erections.

[DARPAChief]

People in developed nations are increasingly distanced from conflict and violence in general whilst suckling on media that censors the consequences of violence because they're upsetting. Nobody respects the impact of a punch, basically. Anything less than a jumping spin kick is passé for our youth.

[slamdunc]

Anything less than a jumping spin kick is passé for our youth.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Jet Li set the bar pretty high LOL.